Author: Danilo Espinal

Investing in and building a community around your brand can literally save your company. Just take Harley-Davidson, for example, which was facing financial ruin back in 1983. Fast forward to today and they’re one of the top 50 global brands, currently valued at nearly $8 billion — and they achieved those numbers by investing in their customer community at the most critical point.

Of course, creating a thriving customer community isn’t easy and it will take a lot of time, money, and effort, but it will pay off if you do it correctly. Here’s what you should be thinking about.

Why Build a Brand Community?

First off, building a strong brand community for your company can bring a great deal of insight into what your customers really care about. When you share things with your audience and you actually listen to their feedback, then incorporate that feedback into your products and services, you’ll end up with innovative, passion-driven ideals your customers can get behind.?

A strong brand community also equates to trust in your business as it requires a great deal of transparency with your audience. The community also helps create a strong customer relationship, encouraging not only loyalty, but patience in resolving any issues that do come up. These customers will also act as advocates for your brand, helping you sell more through word-of-mouth marketing. Ultimately, the support that your community of customers can provide is second-to-none.

Building a Brand Community

Wondering where you even begin? Here are some key things you need to plan on in order to build a strong brand community.

#1 Focus on Your Customers

If your product doesn’t ignite inspiration or passion within your audience, you’re never going to have a successful brand community. So, begin by listening to and incorporating feedback to make sure that your core offering is something people really want. Only then should you invest in building a community around it.

#2 Engage Through Features

When you allow users to create and share their own templates within a software, or create extensions for their favorite platform, these are features that help them engage with each other automatically and that forms the foundation of most strong brand communities. Whether you sell a product or service, think up creative ways where your customers can contribute and interact with one another.

#3 Join the Discussion

Whatever space you create to encourage community interactions, be it on social media or in your own dedicated forum, be sure that your team members get in on the discussion, too. A strong brand community is best built when the brand itself is part of that community and not just “running it” behind-the-scenes. Engage with your audience, answer their questions, and let them know you’re listening and excited that they’re there.

#4 Create Brand Events

Branded events that help bring your community together, whether in-person or online, has long been a proven tactic for strengthening a brand community. Whether you’re a major brand like Coca-Cola running a concert series or just a small local business leading a community event day at a park, there are endless opportunities for getting your brand community highly engaged.

#5 Grow with Your Community

As a brand, you have to be very approachable, very personable, and very human, and part of that means growing and evolving as a brand just as your customers will through time. This agility means you may change platforms overtime, change how you interact with customers, and even focus on new problems as they come along. The key is to keep your brand light on its feet, while always remaining consistent with the values and passions your customers express. That’s how you can carry your brand from one generation to the next.

The concept of a ‘job’ reaches back millenniums; as an early homo sapiens you’d have your role as rock collector, arrowhead-maker, cave painter, fruit-picker… to ensure your tribe was safe and secure in its devoted settlement; the sole purpose was survival. Over centuries, settlements became towns, which became cities, and the job pool got deeper and deeper, and the tribe required new skills and more collaboration in order to thrive as a mass race.

The definition of ‘tribe’ is used within the context of modern working culture in this article. Settlements and cities are now teams and departments. The workplace hierarchy is influenced by a developed theory that engages in psychological research of tribal development, which is split between five stages.

The stage in which an employee belongs is reflective of the co-workers and teams to which they gravitate, and their will to evolve or be thrown to the wolves. So, how do you identify which stage in the tribe theory you belong in? Let’s take a look.

Stage One – Everything Is Terrible

This stage is reserved for those with limited ambition, immense workplace resentment, and a poor sense of work ethic. Their approach is reflected in their adverse glossary. For context, these are probably represented by society’s delinquents. They believe that the world is just a terrible place.

Stage Two – In It for No-One

Stage two is satiated by a tribe of victims who are oppressed by their own existentialist misery that only their world is a terrible place. Stage two tribes are the wallflowers – their body language speaks volumes, as does their reluctance to convey passion or ambition. This tribe is described by theorists as ‘passively antagonistic’; they’ve been there, got the T-shirt, and have no interest to see how this time the process might succeed – it’s pointless.

Stage Three – In It For Myself

Verging away from volatile self-esteem, stage three tribal development engages instead in a culture of narcissism. Imagine this tribal worker as self-obsessive, a relentless workplace gossip, and one who maintains a belief system that no one can live up to their standard. Conversely, stage three tribal development is made up of employees who are motivated to work, however, their vein of negativity is portrayed in co-worker disregard and a lone-wolf mentality. They feel unsupported and time-constrained.

Stage Four – No ‘I’ In ‘Team’

Finally, stage four tribal development acknowledges team recognition, as such, there is a new space for leadership. The stage four tribe rejects the personal agenda of the preceding stage, therefore holds a greater preference for teamwork and collaboration. The focus on team is so vivid that if for any reason there is a breakdown, the individual suffers a sense of loss. A stage four tribal worker turns up, not just for the job, but for the camaraderie and sense of group success.

Stage Five – Everything Is Inspired

This tribe radiates passion, pride, and unlimited potential. It is here that tribe culture is developed and refined through the birth of values and commitment, and these resonate through the business. Collaboration is just as crucial as the ability to work independently. Stage five tribe exists to innovate, lead, and inspire.

What Do the Tribal Development Stages Mean for Business?

Through a set of criteria, resolution, and self-awareness, it is perfectly achievable to climb the ranks in tribal development and to enhance your experience of work. The two key identifiers that place you within a certain stage are the words you use to express your feelings, and the relationships you form. By recognizing your shortfalls, growth becomes attainable.

In the eyes of the greater business, the advantage of acknowledging the tribe system is the ability to act upon it. By encouraging a next stage progression, a company creates an ecosystem built on self-sustenance and all-round elevation. Through identification, empathy, and motivation, business leaders can offer those at the earlier stages the chance to realize and implement their potential.

Corporate culture is ultra important these days, and some companies are doing it right. Here are nine examples of brands who have put employee experience front-and-center.

#1 Zoom

This video conferencing software provider has hit the mainstream as more people have begun working, conferencing, and chatting from home. But, from day one, Zoom has focused on caring for their workers. For instance, they encourage their staff to bring their friends and family to work so their colleagues can get to know each other on a personal basis. When the pandemic started, Zoom also gave back, offering free licenses to K-12 educators.

#2 Patagonia

The bold moves of Patagonia don’t stop in their consumer-facing activities. Behind their doors, Patagonia has adopted flexible work hours to promote a healthy work-life balance along with an abundance of time-off so their employees can pursue their passions. In return, they’ve earned an extremely loyal base of clients and workers.

#3 Intuit

The “Design for Delight” (D4D) model utilized by Intuit is one of the best cultural approaches in the world of business. Their consistent organizational practices help them keep the focus on “delighting” both customers and employees every day and their employee perks are a definitive example of that with lots of PTO and compassion in the workplace.

#4 Hubspot

At the top of anyone’s “Best Places to Work List,” Hubspot has earned quite the name for itself as a forward-looking organization. One policy that helps exemplify their mission is the “no door policy,” which they say empowers every employee to speak their mind to anyone, regardless of a person’s position or seniority.

#5 Zappos

Zappos now has a well-established company culture that works by empowering employees to work with autonomy, something that’s unheard of in the service business. By giving employees the chance to “do whatever it takes” to keep customers happy, Zappos’ workers are able to succeed with confidence and control. Beyond that, Zappos is also proud to brag about its long lists of employee perks.

#6 Pixar

The incredible creativity that comes out of Pixar’s studios is unrivaled, and a huge part of that comes from their culture of supporting creativity in every facet. Their inspirational culture, which encourages employees to share unfinished work and rough ideas often, helps people grow together in an environment of collaboration and good-spirited feedback.

#7 Costco

When they were first establishing themselves, Costco earned a lot of attention for themselves with their operational choices, but their decision to empower, cross-train, and “un-standardize” the workplace has proven highly effective. No longer seen to be so radical, Costco’s culture has persevered, keeping employees happy for over 37 years.

#8 LinkedIn

The commitment to people is just one thing that has helped LinkedIn consistently earn a spot on Glassdoor’s list of Best Places to Work. It’s also their five founding principles that they actually put into action, each and every day. Those principles include: Transformation, Integrity, Collaboration, Humor, and Results, and it’s an approach that’s worked out perfectly for this professional social network over the years.

#9 Spotify While many services like it have come and gone, Spotify lives on as an extremely strong brand thanks to its unique strategies and strong company culture. Without a traditional corporate structure, their “squads, tribes, and guilds” have helped drive this company to success by cultivating shared interests amongst their large employee base. Meanwhile, their commitment to social experiences and fostering inclusion has taken them far.

If productivity seems like an elusive skill, technology is here to save the day. With more people working from home than ever, and our routines all out of whack, it’s about time you found an app that can help you adjust, stay on track, and get more done. These seven fit the bill pretty nicely.

#1 Todoist

This simple app helps you organize your daily to-do list and mark things off with great pride. Use it to manage all your little tasks, sorting them accordingly and setting reminders and due dates as needed. You can also track your progress and even add others to collaborate on lists with you. Location-based reminders are an extra perk!

#2 Evernote

The godfather of note-taking apps is an obvious addition to this list, allowing you to organize and plan your day from one application. Meanwhile, you can write notes or capture them using sketches, photos, audio recordings, and more. These files are then instantly searchable, and you can sync notes across devices so you’re never without a plan.

#3 Forest

Get distracted easily? Forest helps you put your phone down so you can stay focused. Just plant a virtual seed when you are about to start working and the app will set a timer. If you stay on task until the timer goes off, the tree will grow, but if you leave the app, the tree will die. The more you stay on task, the more trees you grow — and since Forest has partnered with Trees of the Future, your productivity has a greater benefit for the environment.

#4 Be Focused

If you like to take regular breaks when you work, this app may be the best solution for you to manage your time without breaks getting too far out of hand. With the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll be breaking your work up into 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks in between. The app also helps you manage tasks and track progress.

#5 Freedom

Kill online distractions with Freedom, which allows you to block time-wasting and distracting websites for a specific period of time. You can even add a custom list to block or block your phone’s internet access completely so you aren’t getting off task constantly.

#6 Trello

Need to manage your workflow? Trello is the best app for that, allowing you to work alone or with a team on your Trello Board. The simple layout lets you put tasks into cards and boards, assigning each to a group or team member and then setting a due date. Managing teamwork has never been easier!

#7 Toggl

This time tracking app is the last one you’ll ever need. Particularly great for freelancers, Toggl helps you effortlessly track just how much time you’re spending on various tasks. This is critical because knowing how you spend your time is the first step to reclaiming it and getting more done. It also helps you better judge how much time you need for different productive tasks, allowing you to plan your day more effectively.

Did you know that the average person spends over 2 hours a day browsing social media? Meanwhile, the average professional over-checks their email every 37 minutes. When you add up the countless examples like this, one study concludes we waste nearly 22 hours a week (see article).

Chances are, if you did an hour-by-hour recap of how you spent your last few days, you’d surely begin to realize where all your time goes and why you may just be feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day. So, what can you do differently? You can start by taking some pointers from the pros. Here’s a breakdown of some things highly productive people always does so you can pick and choose to design a schedule that works for your life.

#1 Plan the Next Day

Journaling or using a day planner each evening before you go to bed is a great way to wind down without screen time, thus improving your sleep quality and helping you get to sleep quicker. You can use these brief moments to plan your next day, mentally preparing yourself for the most important things so they aren’t forgotten.

#2 Start Your Day Sooner

Waking up just 30 minutes earlier than you already do can give you more “me time” so you can actually get more done. If you have to go into work, try giving yourself at least 2 hours before your workday starts so that you can prioritize other work (be it exercise, organizing, or self-care) before your actual workday starts.

#3 Get Plenty of Sleep

While waking up earlier will certainly lengthen your day, you need to make sure that you’re getting plenty of sleep. Most people need 7 to 8 hours and any less (or more) can impact your ability to reason, be creative, and be productive. Figure out when and how much sleep is right for you.

#4 Pump Yourself Up

When you wake up, frame your emotional state. You might consider some mantras or just taking a few minutes to express gratitude for what you have and excitement for your goals. If you wake up feeling bad, work to push out the negative emotions.

#5 Workout

Being physically active can help get your blood pumping, relieve stress, make you feel better all the way around, and even help you think. Your healthy body will also be able to do more in the long run, so aim for any amount of activity you’re able to achieve and work up from there.

#6 Avoid Information Overload

Reading the news all the time or browsing social media can give you the illusion that you’re being productive when, in reality, you’re just skimming a bunch of information that probably offers you no value and may even negatively impact your mental state. The most productive people spend 80% of their time executing and just 20% of their time learning.

#7 Learn to Delegate

Have too much on your plate? The absolute best thing you can do is find ways to reduce your workload by delegating tasks to others or automating them yourself. Ask yourself: Are you the only person who can do this job and are you the best person to do it? If the answer is no, find the best solution. Don’t waste your time on something someone else can do.

At Newtech we ensure that “we are living in difficult times in which it is more important than ever for companies to provide their employees with the necessary tools to improve their work well-being and productivity. It is essential that companies encourage and promote the ideal guidelines to get the most out of it to a working day and, for this reason, we reinforce our commitment and provide our support.