Marketing with Clout! Give Yourself (and Your Work) a Kick Up the Backside in January

Regarding this headline on this post, I bet you didn't know you could give your work a kick up the rear end, did you?! Well you can - and here are a few handy instructions:

• Gather all important paperwork
• Hold it out in front of you
• Now, swing back your leg (the right one is usually the best), before forcefully swinging it forward again, catching the edge of said paperwork and sending it flying.

Et voila; you've showed your paperwork - and your projects - who's boss.

But the clue here is: don't take my advice literally. All you'll wind up with is an office covered in paper, and an even more miffed you.

So, this January, aim to give your work - and yourself - a kick up the backside in the metaphorical fashion. And here's how to do that...

Create a Content Marketing Plan

The best way to hold yourself accountable when it comes to ticking things off your marketing to-do list, is to...err..write a list. Or better yet, create a content plan.

Excel will be your go-to tool for this, and with a little bit of consideration, you should be able to put one together that works for you. Whether you're a full-time staff member for one client, or you work for multiple companies, your content marketing plan should help you achieve all your goals - month-by-month, and longer-term - with ease. Plus, when you write things down you're more likely to do them in the first place - and that's a fact.

Want another tip? Find out how and why 'working in threes' will help you get more stuff done, by reading this blog from the Lauren Holden Freelance archives.

Start Small

The problem with to-do lists is that you can feel like you're getting nowhere with them. But that's if you choose the bigger tasks first. After all, why opt to tackle a job that's likely to take you all day, when you can cross three or four items off your list in the same time?

Providing none of your tasks are urgent, start with the smaller ones. That way, you'll be able to enjoy a sense of achievement straight away, which will probably spur you on to rattle through your list that bit quicker.

Fake a Deadline

'What is she going on about here, then?' Well, imagine your client has given you a deadline of February 20. I say, ignore that; pretend he/she never uttered those words. Instead, trick your brain into thinking the deadline was actually February 12. Now, get your thinking cap on and crack on with that work.

This has two benefits and one is the fact that procrastination won't pop into your day; you'll simply soldier on and get the work done - more than a week ahead of time. The bonus? Your client will no doubt be chuffed that the work's in his or her inbox earlier than planned.

Reward Yourself

So, unless it's Christmas, the only reward you can probably expect from your boss - or your client - is a 'thank you very much for your hard work'. And that's absolutely good enough.

So, if you want to push yourself to get that project done ahead of time, allow yourself a reward at the end of it. A huge slab of cake, perhaps, or even a little jaunt to the cinema. Whatever works for you, do it - and I promise January will be all the better for it.

A Problem Shared...

You've heard that old adage: 'a problem shared is a problem halved'. Well, stew on this one; I made it up myself: 'a project shared, is a project halved'.

Okay, so I ain't telling you to delegate your work and put your feet up, but what I am saying is see if you can pool your thoughts and ideas with colleagues. Or, if you're self-employed, a fellow business owner. After all, when you're struggling on a concept or campaign, who better to test it out on than someone who may well be in your target market?

Do you have your own tips when it comes to achieving your goals in 2018? Don't forget to comment on this blog, or say hello if you've enjoyed this piece.

Until next time...

Why The Internet Isn't Always That Helpful

When it comes to winning at life, the Internet has your back like a trusty pal or a well-worn but cosy cardigan.

Want directions to a much-raved-about pub? Ask Google. In a hurry and need to ring a local taxi firm? Do a quick search and voila! It even helps us freelance copywriters find those all-important facts and 'fillers' to pop into our articles and features.

When you really think about it, there isn't anything that the Internet hasn't made better. Or more convenient.

Or is there.....?

Yep. Just like that trusty old pal, the Internet may have let you (or anyone else, for that matter) down at least once. That age-old Sunday afternoon pastime - the pub quiz - is a prime example of the Internet, in all its smart Alec brilliantness, putting a dampener on things.

Okay, so the Internet doesn't make life less convenient all that often really. But in the case of the humble pub quiz, the lure of a sneaky Google search can take all the fun out of what should be a jolly good time lording it over your mates because you're more knowledgeable than they are. Chortle, chortle.

So, cue Leeds-born entrepreneur Mark Walsh (pictured far left, below) with his Google-proof interactive digital quiz platform, KwizzBit.

During a special launch night (organised by my good pal and former work colleague, Ellie of MacComms PR) Mark was able to showcase this pretty exciting new technology at Leeds' Editor's Draught pub - and what a launch night it was!

Essentially, it was about getting the word out about KwizzBit, which is a fastest-finger first quiz you play on your smart phone, but it was also a great opportunity to mingle with some pretty clever folks, too.

The fastest finger first element ensures there's no cheating, with a leader board kept (and updated!) on a central big screen in the pub. Making for an exciting quiz (you could actually see which team(s) were pipping you to the post as each answer became apparent) the technology is clearly very clever - and fool proof.

Grabbing a quick chat with Mark before the event, it was clear how passionate he was about this new venture. He's already founded a popular music-based bingo quiz, so it was pretty obvious that KwizzBit was going to be a hit (if you'll pardon the pun), too. And it was!

There was much hilarity as eager quiz players jabbed their smart phones in a bid to be the first to get the answer correct - and I'm certainly now a convert to mobiles being whipped out during socials down the pub.

Well done Mark and the MacComms team for pulling off a fantastic event. And cheers to Ellie for putting together a really gorgeous goodie bag, too. I enjoyed having a rummage through it when I got in after our quiz-based victory (we aced the music round, dontchaknow!); it features all sorts of lovely treats, including a candle from LubyLu and some delicious cold coffee from Artemis Cold Brew. Ta!

Why Blogging's a Good Idea for Your Business

So perhaps you know (or maybe you've been told) that your company should probably have its own blog. And if you've stumbled on this post here on my freelance copywriting site in the first place, it's because you're interested to know just how and why you need one. After all, isn't a blog just more work for you and your employees?

The short answer is 'yes'. Of course it is. But more work ultimately means a higher number of engaged customers and, quite possibly, a higher number of sales too. Plus, by choosing a West Yorkshire copywriter like myself, no one in your team need even be any busier.

To help you better understand why you could do with a blog - and one that's regularly updated with good, relevant content, too - I've put together some top tips. Read on...

1. It Gives You and Your Team a Voice - Okay, so you feel as though you already have a voice. After all, you've spent days, weeks or even months perfecting your website copy to ensure it best reflects you, your team and your company's values. But ask yourself this: 'Do your customers really know you?' Do they know why you do what you do, what makes you tick and, more importantly, how seriously you take the quality of your services, products or the way you treat your customers in general? By adding a blog to your site (ask your web developer - it's easy!), you're extending your 'voice' by giving the people who put trust in you and your brand another platform to read all about the great things you're doing.

2. It Gives You Authority - You'd like to position yourselves as real experts in your field - and in having a blog (and keeping it regularly updated) that's exactly what you're doing. Your blog really is an extension of you and your 'shop front', as it were. Use it wisely and only post the updates that will reflect yourself and your staff in the very best light possibly. Think along the lines of the great work you're doing in the community or for charity, and less about the 10-hour boozeathon you recently took your team on.

3. it's Free PR - So I say 'free' here, when really it would cost you a little less than £40 a week. What you would be getting though - on top of good content for your own site - is the chance to be picked up in Google in terms of SEO. The more blogs you upload to your site, the better. Plus, by giving customers and potential business partners a little bit more insight into what you do, you're strengthening your brand's identity as well. it's win-win, really. Oh and according to a recent HubSpot survey, 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers - kerching!

4. It Keeps You Focused - If you've ever felt like you're 'doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that', with very little focus regarding a long-term marketing plan, a freelance copywriter can help you by ticking at least one thing off your 'to-do' list: blogs. They'll base the content they create around your company's goals, and ensure every single post is tailored towards its intended audience: your customers. Researching and writing content sometimes months in advance, you'll have an at-a-glance look at where your company's heading in the foreseeable future. Which means you'll be able to better plan your business's marketing strategy general.

5. It Helps You Determine Who Your Customers Are - The chances are, you'll have a good idea who your customers are already. And this is definitely the case if you have a physical shop front. But perhaps you don't. Or maybe you'd just like to know more about your customers - and what it is that entices them to make a purchase. In the back-end of your blog, you'll be able to track readers via click-throughs, shares and comments. Perfect if you're looking to build a more long-term marketing strategy!

Intrigued to get started with a blog? Get in touch today and I can pull together a content plan based on what your customers want to see and hear from you and your team. For as little as £35 a week, I can deliver a well-researched and, more importantly, well-written piece of content ready for you or your employees to upload onto your site. Then simply wait for the customer enquiries to come your way. Get in touch!