TCTHH Twin Cities Business Spotlight | Spyder Trap Online Marketing
As part of my goal to help connect other business professionals, businesses and great people here in the Twin Cities, I thought it would be a good idea to create a Twin Cities Business Spotlight series of blog posts. The idea is for others to get to know people involved with companies in Minneapolis and St. Paul that are doing awesome things.
Our first featured company for this blog series is Spyder Trap Online Marketing, who was involved with last October’s Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours Social Media Talk that was held at the JJ Hill Library. I was able to sit down with Mike Rynchek, President of Spyder Trap to pick his brain about his company, working with clients and company culture.
What is your approach to working with your clients that separates you from others in the marketing agency world?
What we think is not what matters to us, what our clients think is what is more important to us. Our clients tell us that we are, “friendly, approachable, accessible and partners”, which is why they choose us over other Marketing Agencies. We foster relationships with our clients that go beyond the general realms of Online Marketing, which is why we can call them our “friend” or “partner”, rather than just a “client.” In turn, we are often referred to as a “friend” not just “the vendor.” Education is also a large piece of what makes our company distinguishable. By educating our clients on the particulars of what we do, it allows us to relate on a unique level with each other.
Aimee Cheek, Corporate Marketing Manager at CSM Lodging states, “ In my experience, the main thing that differentiates Spyder Trap (ST) and its team members from other agencies is their ability to build relationships. Every member that I’ve come across strives first to build a friendship, then if appropriate offers assistance or services. The relationship model translates to customers even far after the “sale”. They focus on becoming an extension of your team, rather than “distant experts”, realizing the greater value in working together. They truly do befriend their clients and become staunch supporters of the brands they serve, earning them very loyal customers. As they say, “people do business with people” and Spyder Trap has not lost sight of the fact that their relationships and network of business partners is a key element to their success. “
I understand that culture is an important part of how you
run your business on a day-to-day basis, how do you view company culture?
Culture is very important and collective element of our company, therefore I asked Spyder Trap employees to answer the question of “what is culture” to them and “what does it mean at Spyder Trap.”
Culture is:
- Learning from our surroundings and being open to others’ ideas.
- What we live and experience everyday.
- A set of perceptions, seen and unseen which contributes to each persons experience, for both employees and clients.
- Learning from our surroundings and being open to others’ ideas.
- Interaction and communication of individuals who are excited about personal growth as well as that of the team.
Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours Summer Bash at Santorini – August 19th, 2010
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is Thursday, August 19th at Santorini in Eden Prairie. The event will start at 5:30 and go as late as people want to stay.
The Summer Bash will be co-hosted by TCTHH, the National Society of Hispanic MBAS (Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter) and the Twin Cities Business Peer Network (TCBPN).
The NSHMBA MSP Chapter is the title sponsor for this event and will be providing a free drink ticket to the first 250 guests at the event and raffle prizes; including a flat screen TV, Blue Ray, iPod and NSHMBA memberships. In addition to that Santorini has been kind enough to provide its patio/private room space, complimentary valet parking and food for the group. Food provided by Santorini includes:
- Gyros with all of the fixings
- Mini chicken kabobs
- Red Pepper Hummus, Spicy Feta Spread, and Olive/Goat Cheese Spread
Mid-Summer Charity and Networking Events in the Twin Cities
I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and is staying busy with family, friends, work and other fun summer activities. Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours has been on a short break in the months of June and July to enjoy the summer here in Minnesota.
In case you missed our May charity event for the NICU at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, we had a very successful event that raised over $7,000 for the neonatal unit at Children’s. Thank you to our many sponsors, guests, supporters and Solera for making the event such a great time.
1st Annual TCTHH Charity Event at Solera
Here are some upcoming charity, networking and business events that are happening in Minneapolis/St. Paul later this month and into August.
Friday, July 16 – Ad Fed MN Golferoo
Ad Fed’s annual golf event at Braemar Golf Course is July 16. Golferoo is a fun event that attracts players from the Twin Cities marketing and advertising community. Players include men and women with a wide range of golf skill and ability. The event starts with lunch on the grill, followed by an 18-hole scramble tournament. Then it’s time to relax with appetizers, drinks, a raffle and silent auction. Enjoy great games including “Hole in One,” “Closest to the Gin,” and “Keg Hole.” As always, a portion of the proceeds from this event are dedicated to charitable giving.
Saturday, July 17 – Rock the Cause presents “Rock the Vine”
Rock the Cause, Youth Advantage and Saint Croix Vineyards are proud to host the inaugural Rock the Vine Music Festival at Saint Croix Vineyards on Saturday, July 17 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Top local and regional artists will come together for an afternoon of music, food, wine tastings and more, all while benefiting local charity, Youth Advantage.
Friday, July 23 – SMBMSP 28, Small Business Gets Social
This month Social Media Breakfast will be outdoors at Deluxe Corp in Shoreview talking with five small business people about their approach to social media. Each small business is unique and so are their needs. Another interesting thing this month is that each of these business people have elected to DIY their social media strategy and solution.
1st Annual Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours Charity Event at Solera
I am happy to announce that tickets are now available for the 1st ever Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours Charity Event. All proceeds raised from this event including tickets, sponsorships and donations will be given to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The event will take place on Thursday, May 27th at Solera, in Downtown Minneapolis. The event starts at 6:00 and will end around 9:30.
Tickets are $15.00 in advance ($20.00 at the door).
In addition to this being a great networking event for Twin Cities professionals, Solera will be providing appetizers for the event, there will be beer from Summit, along with a cash bar, live music from local up and coming musician Dan Rodriguez and a silent auction.
Not only is the mission of TCTHH to bring together Minneapolis and St. Paul professionals for networking events, but it is also the goal to be able to give back to local organizations. Through events like this, we will be able to continue to expand our professional networks, have fun and help to support organizations through the Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours community.
I hope that you can all make it to the event on May 27th, it surely will be a great time! If you have any questions, please let me know.
-Jeff
Thank you to our sponsors for this great event and organization!
GetListed.org’s “Local University” in the Twin Cities
I recently came across the GetListed.org’s ” Local University” workshop that will take place on May 13th at the Westin Galleria in Edina.
Fellow Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours member, Aaron Weiche, Vice President of Five Technology, will be speaking at the workshop and has offered TCTHH members a discount of $40 to attend.
If you are interested in attending this half day workshop, use the promo code tchh2010 when you register, to knock down the cost of your registration from $129 t0 $89 for the event.
GetListed.org is bringing in some of the nation’s leading online marketing experts, including representatives from the Google and Bing Local Business Centers, for an intensive four-hour crash course in Internet marketing that will help you navigate the possibilities for marketing your business on the web. You’ll learn Search Engine Optimization tips and techniques that will lead to sustained, long-term search engine rankings (and new customers).
Capacity is limited to only 200 attendees per session, so make sure to register soon and use the promo code (tchh 2010) or a great deal on this very informative workshop.
Brand Perception – It’s Not About You
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be in business and it got me thinking about what business truly is about. Your business, your brand, your employees and your customers have a perception of what it is that makes your business, well, your business.
A lot of people think about a business as a simple transactional process, meaning that they are in business for one reason, to sell a product or service to the consumer. I believe that this way of thinking is very backwards and that in order to be successful in creating a brand that people will flock to, or an organization that people will follow, you need to think first about what you can do for others.
To be seen in a positive light by your consumers, not only do you need to have a stellar product or service, you need to have the moral fortitude to put the interest of everyone that makes your brand exist first. This is especially true in today’s world of constant communication and consumer driven conversation. If you want to have people talking about your brand positively, you need to give them reasons to do so.
Brand perceptions are formed the second a person makes contact with your company or organization. Is your receptionist friendly and charismatic in a way that they can brighten somebody’s day? Do your sales/customer service people go out of their way to return all phone calls or emails personally? Is the organization involved in charitable causes and giving back to the community? Is the office clean and comfortable for visitors?
These are all questions that you should be able to answer yes to as a President or CEO. One thing that I would suggest for upper management to do, is to take a look at all the channels in which your brand touches people: including employees, marketing/advertising, events that you put on, your building, customer service interaction and yourself, to make sure that there is alignment, as well as consistency in your brand representation.
Remember, the customer perceives your brand in their mind, not in the way that you want them to. If you take the time and effort to offer a personable, friendly, responsive, kind and generous brand, along with quality products or services, you will want the consumer to talk about your brand, not be afraid of them doing so.
From the top down to lower level employees, what does your brand look like?
TCTHH Biz Blog of the Week #2: Who Should You Be Networking With?
In continuation of our new feature for Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours members to be able contribute their business thoughts and ideas on the blog, here is this week’s TCTHH Biz Blog of the Week, from Mitchell Hislop. Mitch touches on a topic that I have been thinking a lot about, as well as talking with others about. It is important to branch outside of your network and discover that there are more people to meet, as well as learn from, than the people you know, or the people within your industry.
Mitchell Hislop is a Social Media Associate with SMCpros, a blogger about all things business, marketing, and tech related, and a student at Hamline University. You can find his ramblings at mitchellhislop.com and at smcpros.com.
Who should you be networking with?
I tend to go to a lot of events. Some are “networking” events, some are marketing based, and some are ad-hoc affairs that get arranged with a days notice. I recently was at an event that was based on the startup culture of this state. One thing that I took away from that event is that some people spend too much time in their own little networks, and not enough time out meeting people.
I have spent the better part of the last 2 years networking, and some trends have come to light:
- Marketing people like to hang with marketing people.
- Coders like to hang out with coders, or not at all.
- Designers are somewhere in between.
The disturbing trend that I am seeing is that most people tend to stay in their own verticals, and then wonder why they dont get too many opportunities out of their events.
Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours – March Networking Event at CRAVE Mall of America
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is Thursday, March 18th at CRAVE in the Mall of America. The event will start at 5:30 and go as late as people want to stay.
If you want to get to know other Twin Cities professionals, make valuable connections and have a good time doing it, join us on the 18th for drinks and networking.
Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours – February Event at Wildfire
The next Twin Cities Thursday Happy Hours monthly event is Thursday, February 18th at Wildfire Restaurant in Eden Prairie. The event will start at 5:30 and go as late as people want to stay.
If you want to get to know other Twin Cities professionals, make valuable connections and have a good time doing it, join us on the 18th for drinks and networking.
Wildfire Restaurant has been kind enough to sponsor this event, which will provide us with a great atmosphere and appetizers to enjoy. Please make sure to thank them. There will be a cash bar set up with the following:
- Wildfire Chardonnay and Cabernet
- Bottled Beers
- Selection of Wildfire Signature Martinis
- Any other beverages will be available at the Martini Lounge Bar
Wildfire will also be providing some of their signature appetizers until 8:00 pm, including:
- Mini crab cakes
- Beef Tenderloin on BBQ Potato Chips
- Spinach & Artichoke Fondue
- Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies
You are encouraged to bring a colleague, friend or business partner that might be interested in attending. Please RSVP by registering for the event, as we have a limited amount of space and need to let our hosts know how many to expect.
Also, TCTHH will be putting together some fun events this summer, including a charity happy hour event and a charity golf tournament. If you are interested in donating items for the raffle/silent auction at either one of these events, or becoming a sponsor, please let me know! Thanks.
The Value of a Thank You Note
Business technology is evolving every day, so much in fact, that it is often times hard to keep up with it all. Communication is much quicker for business than it was even just yesterday, or the day before that. The simplicity of business communication and the speed at which idea transfer happens, transactions are made and learning evolves, adds a unique complexity to the value of it all. Yes, someone can get a hold of you immediately through email, or respond to your tweet about your philosophy on “social media for brand building and the companies that miss the boat” in an instant, but is there always value in that?
There is so much noise that we are caught up in on a day to day basis. We are bombarded by tens of thousands of brand messages each day. We receive hundreds of emails, phone calls, text messages and tweets, yet often times none of these offer genuine value or interest to you. Sometimes, old fashioned communication is a good thing, it relieves us from the everyday overload of instant communication. Old fashioned communication also has established the foundation for building strong business relationships, and that my friends, should not be taken lightly. Two things I know are true, people like to talk to a friendly voice on the phone and they like to receive personal mail.
There is often a lot of value lost in today’s business communication, because people no longer want to take the time sit down and write a thank you note or spend time checking to see how a friend is doing. I personally love to receive thank you notes, it gives me the feeling that someone took the time to care. Even if you have no particular reason to send a thank you note, find a reason to connect with your network as often as possible, it will benefit you in the long run.
After all, a thank you note has a guarantee that it will not get lost in the shuffle of modern day business communication, because frankly, the USPS isn’t up to speed and that’s not always a bad thing.
Take 5 minutes of your day today, tomorrow or the next day to send someone a thank you note, it is the best branding you can spend 44 cents on.
-Jeff Nolan
