by Amy Rosenberg | Nov 16, 2016 | Digital Marketing, General, How To, Posts, Public Relations, Resources, Social Media
Examining the Top 3 Mistakes Writers Make
For the first time in quite a while I’ve been dealing with dreaded writer’s block. Getting my jumble of thoughts down on the page, whether for work or pleasure, has never been a problem for me. Many in the marketing industry would consider this a luxury.
With the launch of our newsletter a few months ago, I was supposed to have a blog post ready to go last week. But last week was different in every aspect. The tumultuous (and I must say disappointing) election results, paired with a new puppy and a back injury really had my head spinning. None of these are good excuses because we work off an editorial calendar assigning various content topics to the team. Editorial calendars ensure our topics touch on popular trends, current events and news updates so that all readers can relate.
In trudging through this page, I’ve examined what went wrong last week, contributing to my lack of inspiration:
Mistake #1: Failing to Review Editorial Calendar or Other Inspiring Material.
I’m not even sure if our calendar followed suit by incorporating election coverage because here’s the thing — I didn’t look at it. I knew the blog post needed to align with the election so why even take the time to review the calendar? I am a rule breaker and that’s what keeps me creative, right? Wrong. Its a lame excuse for being lazy.
Opening a list of ideas to write about is never a bad thing. Same with reviewing inspiring material frequently. Great work — whether in the form of literature, blog or podcast — is meant to get your wheels in motion, your head spinning, your ideas flowing. Consume it at all costs!
Mistake #2: Having Unrealistic Expectations.
I guess I did represent a confused flurry of un-channeled thoughts last week (which democrat didn’t?). But I was placing too much importance on my ideas, believing I had to write the most monumental thing in the most monumental way. Who do I think I am, Maya Angelo?
When you start to feel your heart racing and hands sweating, pondering how well your words will be digested, it’s a cue to get over yourself. Fire that highly narcissistic stage manager mother who has been directing the show inside your head. The stakes might be higher for some, but in my case I know that only 3 people are reading my work anyways!
Mistake #3: Requiring Perfect Prose.
Timid writers need to simply get their words out on the page. Editing while writing is a very bad habit that needs to be broken immediately. Realize that nothing is perfect, especially first drafts! The hardest part is simply getting going, but once a solid stream of consciousness emerges its hard to turn it off. Get it all out on the page (this is the magical act of real writing) and worry about how it reads later (this is the fine-tuning, and still brilliant work, of editing). It’s much less intimidating to open up a full page that still needs hours of work than sit down in front of a blank screen.
In summary, we all have hard days, hard months, even hard lives. Pausing long enough to nurture ourselves through pain and then setting our fears aside, not overthinking our role and getting straight to work will bring new opportunities. Art, growth, success — all emerge from an original place of suffering which brings the writer her most successful currency in words.
Featured image by Florian Klauer via Unsplash
by Amy Rosenberg | Aug 23, 2016 | Digital Marketing, General, How To, Posts, Public Relations, Resources, Social Media
“Location, location, location.” We’ve all heard the phrase, most commonly associated with real estate. There’s no denying — the allure of buying a home has a lot to do with where that home is. But maybe the importance of location doesn’t stop at real estate. Maybe location permeates and shapes, more than anything, our identity. So much of how we act is based around where we’re from or where we live, including the little nuances such as the foods we eat or the kind of music we listen to. Just how real estate brokers use the power of a location to move a listing, we can tap into the consumer’s location-based identity to market a product or service.
Humans are naturally ego-centric. We can hardly go a minute without thinking about our direct needs or desires. Marketers can appeal to this ego-centricity that is inherently found within everyone. Since so much of our identities are tied to location, business owners are given a great opening to connect with their customer base.
I feel incredibly fortunate to own a business in a state that is growing in popularity, seemingly by the day. The expansion of our area has been such a great tool for business that we advise our Portland-based clients to put it into practice every day. Whether it be events in our local parks, new restaurants opening up, or television shows filming near our office, there is always a local angle to shed light on. Here are my tips on how to localize your outreach and satisfy all the ego-centrists out there.
The Importance of the Community Paper
Forget those dreams of a cover story in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. Where are your customers? If they are in Portland, we think most of them are reading the small community papers that narrowly report on each specific neighborhood. Why not get in front of a highly targeted audience right in your own backyard?
How, you ask? Do I have to buy an ad? No! Do something that relates to that local community and let the local media know, it doesn’t have to be through a fancy press release. Volunteering in the neighborhood, opening a new office location, or hiring someone that lives in that area are worthy reasons to give the local media a heads up.
Localize Your Pitches
But here’s the thing: reporters have jobs to do. You certainly do not want to come off as irrelevant when sending an email to the press and there are ways to avoid that. Namely, give them something they will actually want to cover. Tying location into your pitch to a local outlet will immediately give you a connection and a much higher chance that your email will get read. By placing a community reference in the subject line and first sentence of your email, the reporter you are pitching will have no choice but to let their location-ego inflate.
Public Relations is Changing, You Should Too
In the past, if your business ever wanted recognition or a shred of popularity, it would have to be granted by the traditional media. The influx of social platforms ensure that old-school newspapers and TV shows aren’t the only ways to get noticed. Consumers are actively seeking out new media with the entire landscape re-shaping before us. So integrate social and other non-traditional media into your outreach — you have to keep up with the times in order to stay top of mind.
Optimize Your Online Search Presence
Gone are the days of the Yellow Pages. Today people map out their every move online and if your brick-and-mortar location isn’t showing up in the search results (especially on a mobile phone), you might as well just not exist. There are some simple (and free!) tools — from companies like Moz or Google — that can demonstrate how your online presence could be updated in order to rank higher in the search results (and simply tell you if Google regards your site as “mobile-friendly“).
Are you pleased with your results when you Google your business? Are your business’ details consistent throughout all of your listings? How specific do you have to get to find your business via location? These questions all aid to answer whether or not you are adequately integrated into your online community.
Make the Effort to Post Regularly
On top of meetings, e-mails and other work, taking the time to post to social media can seem a daunting task. Creating a themed schedule for posts will quickly challenge you to diversify your content and it will give you a push in a clear direction of what to write on what day. For instance, the Facebook post on the right illustrates “Think Ahead Thursday” — letting the community know about local events for the upcoming weekend. Posting to social media regularly, especially including references to your community, will add another dimension to your business.
At the end of the day, location is far bigger than real estate. Location is a composer of our identity and should be used as a means of promotion. Get more involved with your business by getting more involved with your community.
Below you can scroll through my presentation deck I prepared for the Pearl District Business Association on the topic of location marketing.
by Amy Rosenberg | Oct 27, 2015 | Amy Talk, General, Posts, Public Relations
The chronicles of a runner’s pursuit in business can be interesting to examine. There is the sprinter who catapults to the finish line just seconds after the shotgun blasts. The 800 meter runner must strike a delicate balance between endurance and speed. And finally the distance runner utilizes the power of the mind to stay in it for the long haul.
I’d never be able to find the strength needed to speed through the shorter distances. And I find the 800’s combination of speed and endurance to be downright excruciating. Even though I’ve always been a distance runner, in school I wasn’t even good at the longest distance (3 miles), often coming in towards the back of the pack. It wasn’t until I was a young adult that I realized those distances were too safe for me. I needed the real distance of marathons.
It seems that going the distance has been my motto with everything in life, especially business. Just like there are many types of runners, there are also many styles of entrepreneurship. I’m not saying that one is better than another; it’s just interesting to compare and contrast the different types.
The speed racer tackles business — setting it up at breakneck speed, powering through like a maniac to ensure its success and selling it in just a few years. The middle distance entrepreneur combines a healthy mix of qualities that protect them from getting too sidetracked, letting a strong vision map an uncomplicated course.
And now we arrive at the qualities of the endurance entrepreneur. While some may admire us, I can admit there is a hint of pathetic quality to being endurance-minded. We’re faulted for letting our analytical side take over too often, miring in the details, strategizing every opportunity or challenge that presents itself.
But our strength is that we are trustworthy. Most of us are in it for the long haul because we have a love for what we do and whom we service. We won’t leave the cause for the shiny new thing. We are with you until the bitter end. But we tend to grow slowly because our love for the work lets us get a little too wrapped up into the business of the day.
However, loving what you do makes it easier for people to buy into our business. Clients, investors and staff can sense how you’ve made your work an integral part of your life and are more willing to put their hearts and heads with yours.
If you want to operate a marathon-style business, an interesting way to psyche yourself up is considering the race itself. Match your growth as if you’re attempting to get through 26 miles of straight running.
My thoughts on marathon mileage are really straight forward. Breaking the full 26. 2 miles into chunks makes the unfathomable distance much more approachable. Here is how I do it:
Race Preparation:
This is the most important part! You couldn’t even consider lacing up your shoes on race day without the grueling training runs that eat up half your weekend. But the little things can be just as important, like breaking in the right shoes and selecting the most uplifting playlist. Without all of this there is no race to be had.
How does this relate to business? The preparation is done through building upon the experiences you’ve already had, tapping into resources and mentors along the way. Other details like studying the competition or investigating loan options can help set the tone of your overall direction.
Miles 1-6:
Forget about these. They don’t count. Your race preparations have made it so you’re not even breaking a sweat. The marathon doesn’t even begin until you’ve finished these piddly miles.
How does this relate to business? Writing off the early stages offers you the kind of bold attitude necessary for risk taking. View early failures as mini successes because you’ll get the important lessons over with.
Looking back, I don’t know that we took many risks in the beginning. Maybe we were too safe? It seems that we just continued to practice what we were good at, like a slow steady turtle, faithfully shuffling on. But when I am faced with difficult decisions now, I only have to remember the biggest risk of all (when Mike quit his digital marketing gig to join Veracity full time) and everything else pales in comparison. I’m glad we got that out of the way when it “didn’t count.”
Miles 7-10:
This is your warm up.
How does this relate to business? This blog post was inspired by our move into our very first office. As we signed the lease I chuckled as I recognized this next phase in our business. It wasn’t that we were spending money on a lease that was important. Having our name on the door meant something. Experiencing the new-found energy bubbling up in our new space I realized we had only just begun. We were at mile 7.
Miles 10-13:
It’s preferable to go into “turn off” mode, go through the motions and meditate into your body, your music, your breathing — lean into the relaxing state of the running.
How does this relate to business? Since we haven’t been here yet I can only guess that this is when you would get into the flow of your business. Your warm up helped work the kinks out so you can build a steady foundation to hold future growth. Be happy, you’ve hit your stride!
Mile 14:
WOW! Before you knew it you were half way done. Way to go! Party Time!
How does this relate to business? While most of us don’t know our business’ true half way points, this is a healthy reminder to keep track of goals along the way. Every time I review our business plan and see that we’re on track I feel a sense of relief and pride.
Miles 15-18:
Things are starting to get serious, especially in the Portland Marathon where we are greeted with the grueling hill of the St. John’s Bridge. We know that this is where the true willpower kicks in, serving as a testament to our strength. We must push through and meet the other side of the miles.
How does this relate to business? Again, new territory here but I’d imagine as businesses grow their challenges increases. As you’re trudging up that hill don’t lose sight of the original dedication and vision that brought you here.
Miles 18-20:
We’re told not to train too far past mile 20 so we don’t know what pain there is to come. We don’t focus on what happens past mile 20 knowing we just have to get there first to find out. Hopefully we have planned ahead and organized some cheerleaders to push us through these mile points.
How does this relate to business? Possibly here is where the support of a solid team comes into play the most. You truly can’t go it alone, even in a solo sport, and when you’re at your breaking point sometimes the only thing that will keep you going is a helping hand.
Miles 20-23:
What happens here is as much up to fate as it is about your mindset and willingness to go the distance. They tell us not to train too far past mile 20 so we stay injury free. But I believe there is some notion of keeping your mind open and not too scared of this final length.
How does this relate to business? This might be a good point to remember the ever-changing landscapes we are presented with. Competitors rise up, technology disrupts our marketplace and more. Rather than fretting about this ahead of time, roll with the punches and adapt to change.
Miles 24-25:
This part separates the women from the girls. Some girls cry, limp off the course, and call their Daddies for pick up. But the women persevere. We might be dragging our bleeding, leaden feet behind us but we are going to make it through the finish line even if we have to crawl. We know our Dads are already at the finish line waiting to pick us up — they’d rather not rescue us from the middle of our disaster.
How does this relate to business? This is where the rubber meets the road. You’ve made it this far. Don’t throw in the towel too early. The finish line is around the corner.
Mile 26:
Thank God! We are almost there! Who thought of this insane amount of mileage anyway?
How does this relate to business? When we feel proud to review the legacy we’ve left behind we’ll know we’ve reached the ending point and are excited to see what’s on the other side.
The last .2:
Really!?! Is this necessary. This pure torture.
How does this relate to business? It may be torture for some of us to give up something we’ve worked so hard on, almost like another child or another part of us, but we know it’s best for us and everyone involved. As we unlace those shoes and store them away for safe keeping, we open a different door, questionably looking at the new equipment inside — golf clubs, art supplies or a new baby blanket.
At the end of the day we’re all just pounding the pavement.
Images used under the creative commons license CC0 1.0, 2.0 & 3.0.
by Amy Rosenberg | Jun 27, 2014 | Amy Talk, General, Posts, Public Relations
While deciding if marketing was right for me, I become a realtor for 4 years. Every day I thank myself for taking the leap into a career that I knew nothing about. Even though it led me to recognize marketing as my true path, my time spent as a realtor shaped how I run my business today. I didn’t know it at the time, but realtors are truly business owners, with the most professional and disciplined amassing a worth that typical “business owners” could only dream of.
How Being a Realtor Shaped the Way I do Business Today:
- Have thick skin. You will get burned (by everyone!). Be careful not to celebrate before signing the contract (or literally closing escrow in the case of a realtor). Also don’t take things too personally. It’s just business.
- Use detailed language in contracts and proposals. But not too detailed from a legal standpoint. 🙂 This is the point that led me to writing this blog post. I recently felt very (probably overly) adept at writing a proposal for a law firm—like I could protect myself and play with the big boys.
- Connect with people. What other people say and do is our greatest source of inspiration when attempting to market something. They also bring us all of our business. Get out and about!
- Pick up the phone. While email has its purpose, you really cannot effectively communicate complexities in text.
- Weather the storm. Imagine selling homes during the housing boom. Many people jumped on the bandwagon and got their real estate licenses. Imagine selling homes during the economic depression. This takes a certain kind of tenacity and skill that few realtors, or other professionals for that matter, have.
My point is that you never know where your professional path may take you. What might seem like an odd tangent, or even bump in the road, will probably serve as inspiration for you in another professional lifetime.
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