Exclusive live talk – Sam Mutimer from Thinktank Social

In the lead-up to Typsy Live in Sydney this year, we're releasing every inspiring talk from our Melbourne event. Last week, we put the spotlight on Vinomofo co-founder Justin Dry. This week, we're diving into all things social media with Sam Mutimer. 

Sam Mutimer is the director of Thinktank Social, where she has orchestrated social media campaigns for brands like Samsung and McDonalds. You've also probably seen her on TV during social media stories on Channel 7, ABC and SBS. She's the go-to expert for commentary and advice (and once you see her talk, you'll understand why).

We checked in with Sam to see what she's been up to since last year. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in to watch her talk on social media for hospitality, and then read her tips for improving your performance.

What has Thinktank Social been up to since Upside Live (Typsy Live) last year?

We’re really building up our athlete client base at the moment. They’re out on social media but they don’t necessarily know how to build a profile, so we’re helping them identify and build their brand. We’ve also been rolling up our sleeves and focusing on start-ups.

I saw you on The Project the other day as well!

Ha yeah! I was talking about being Insta-famous, and the sort of things you need to do to grow your audience.

That’s very cool. So in your talk at the event last year, you spoke about how important it is to make customers feel special on social media. Do you have any tips to share about that?

Definitely. For a lot of the brands that we’re working with now, we’ll actually go back and reply to people when they like a post. We’ll have a look at their feed and leave a purposeful comment – thanks for liking or thanks for commenting – just to make them feel special.

With some of our other brands, we’ve also been sending out direct messages, incentives, coupon offers or deals. And we definitely recommend using your hashtags. Make sure the people going into your restaurant or bar understand the hashtags you’re using, and don’t just acknowledge them for taking that photo – actually ask if you can use some of their photography for your social campaigns.

You also shared some really useful tools that people can use to track what’s happening on social media.

Oh, yes. So I’ve got a new one: it’s called Followers Plus. It gives you great stats about your Instagram followers, and you can use it to start finding micro-influencers in your local area. We use it a lot at the moment.

Are there any particular trends you’re noticing?

Video is becoming the most consumed content in the social media landscape today. And from that consumption people are actually taking action – so they’re going to the shopping cart to buy or going to that hotel website to book in. The videos that work are snappy and to the point and have subtitles, which you would’ve seen as you scroll down your Facebook newsfeed; they kind of jump out at you. We’ve been seeing massive returns on investment through video.

Let’s go back to Typsy Live for a second. What was your experience like last year?

It was amazing, because you see so many people in the room and everyone is there because they want to grow their business or grow their career in that business. I think Typsy Live gave that whole audience so much scope in terms of what’s possible by having inspirational speakers talk about tactics in the industry. If I had gone by myself, I would have left feeling really confident about my next steps.

Would you recommend hospitality businesses come to our Sydney event in October?

A hundred percent. I love the way you guys break things down into bite-sized pieces of information. And you find the right people to deliver that message, so it’s not just anyone talking about this; it’s people who have actually grown their businesses through social media or by focusing on people first.

Our theme this year is innovation. What does innovation mean to you in terms of social media?

Really looking at what’s next. Still focusing on what’s happening in 2016, but also looking at the emerging trends and what’s hot in the app store right now.

Two apps that a lot of Australians are using at the moment are Feels and Peach. So while we’re still paying attention to what’s going on with Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, we’re also looking at what’s happening with Feels and how can we use that to service a community, even though it's not as big, to get greater cut through with our message.

Are there any innovators that you would recommend following on social media right now?

I like Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee). I think he’s a smart guy, he’s entrepreneurial, he runs his own agency. He’s always been pretty on the money about where the market’s going.

Also, resource wise, I’ve just read this book called The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. It’s about this guy who built a multibillion-dollar business and then the share prices came down and he just lost it all. And he had to go and tell his friends and his family and make people redundant, but he takes you through his thought processes and how he built it all up again. It’s a really valuable book for any business owner to read.

Want more? The next Typsy Live goes down on October 5th at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney. The theme is 'Hospitality Innovation'. You can find out more about the event here. 

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