Do what Feels Right to You

photo by tempophage

I had what I thought were a couple of smashing ideas for the newsletter design for a new client. She politely declined.

Of course, I asked, "Why?" (I must have been a real challenge at age 4.)

The discussion that ensued was insightful and interesting and helped me to understand my client's brand, image and personality so much better. Sometimes 'bad' ideas lead to great things.

The lesson here? When someone you're working with throws out an idea that they're obviously excited about, don't jump on the bandwagon if it doesn't feel right. Stand up for what's authentic to you, right there, on the spot.

Also, embrace the opportunity to explain your position so that everyone can get on the same page. That is how relationships are built.
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can't Write? Try Research

Image
I've heard a lot of small business owners say they can’t publish a blog or newsletter because they can’t write . I think you don’t know till you try, but let’s say that’s a valid reason. There are still ways to create content on a regular basis without writing articles. One of those is researching and compiling information that’s valuable to your target market. Valuable compilations need not be lengthy or onerous to assemble. BUT they should be two things: interesting and useful . Plus funny - funny is good, but humour in email can be tricky. Use it with care. These compilations can be factual, but don’t need to be. Instead they can represent your opinion. Here are some examples, in this case for a target market of small business owners in Nova Scotia. You can use these ideas as a jumping off point for creating your own lists of valuable content for your target market. Top 10 Coffee Shops for Business Meetings in Halifax 15 Most Useful Apps for Small Business Owners Net...
Keep reading »

Content Template - The Newsjack

Image
Every part of your business needs some type of content. And you need to develop content consistently to reap the benefits. There's a content creation trick that can speed up the process by providing structure. Using a content template is sort of like filling in the blanks on a form, and often in a particular order. Don't waste time staring at a blank screen. Use a template and plug in your ideas to create fresh original content. This technique allows you to write quickly. The Newsjack Template The purpose of this template is to help your readers stay up-to-date with news that affects them, such as breaking industry news or new regulations. Click here to download this template now (.pdf). Get More Templates If you like that one, grab our mini workbook Quick and Easy Content Creation which has 15 templates, plus some tips for using them to be more productive. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »

What Kind of Busy Are You?

Image
Since when does being busy have to be a bad thing? It's easy to find articles about how to avoid busy-work and how not to wear 'busy' as a badge. My first inkling that 'busy' isn't always good came in the form of a phone call from my (at-the-time) boss. We worked at different locations and he asked how things were going. My answer included the word 'busy' and he said, "Linda, you shouldn't be complaining." At the time the business group I worked in was weathering a period of slow business, and things had just started to pick up. To me, being busy was really a good thing and I was (failing at) sharing our good news. That was over 20 years ago but it stuck with me. Now I'm a small business owner and I don't feel any different. Why is being busy shameful? And why can't we wear our busyness like a badge of honour? When I'm busy, I'm making money - what could be better than that? It's a big part of why I work. ...
Keep reading »

What First, How Second

Image
Buying or subscribing to a software application is never the solution to a problem. But it can certainly be part of the solution... or not. It's all about the process. An app can help streamline a process. Likewise, it can overcomplicate a process. It's all in the way you use it. Finding the right app or apps is important but mapping out the desired process flow should always come first. It's only after we've designed our process - and know our desired result - that we look for "an app for that". When mapping out your processes, start with the way the process currently flows. Draw it on paper or list it as steps in a text file. Then, suspend reality temporarily and map out what the most efficient workflow looks like. Describe the steps that you want to happen - the "what". Yes, you'll need to consider the "how" but don't limit yourself at this point. It's easy for me the recommend this approach; I've seen it work many tim...
Keep reading »

What Happens Once You're Found?

Image
"We’ve mistakenly made being found the number one goal of our marketing."  ~ Bernadette Jiwa This line from a recent article really caught my attention. Over the past few years I've heard many people talk about SEO (search engine optimization) as something desirable without really knowing why. SEO is something done to your website so it'll be found in Google searches . So, what happens when someone gets there? There's no value in investing in SEO if your website can't make something more happen when a potential customer arrives. Imagine having a store with no employees. First, make sure your website can work for you. It should contribute to reaching your business goals and the here's-what-we-do-feel-free-to-call approach won't do much for you. It's one thing to get found and quite another to make the sale. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »

Repeating Ideas is Strategic

Image
I'm a big fan of recycling content for a few reasons. I've written about 350 blog posts and I know you haven't read every one. That means you've likely missed a good idea that might appeal to you - so I should repeat my ideas. Finding different ways to do that means my ideas will impact a larger audience. Rereading my past articles often triggers new ideas for me to write about. Plus I make the most of my content creation time investment. photo by localben / Flickr originally published in  Work Better, Not Harder on April 28, 2016 Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »

Avoid Marketing Emergencies by Planning Backwards

Image
I've joked to friends that no one ever needs to reach me in a hot rush because there are no marketing emergencies. In fact, there are some things that might constitute an "emergency" (Sheldon quotes), such as a website going down or an app not working so a deadline can't be met. And a real-life crisis can certainly impact business (such as a pandemic!). These are things we have no control over but they can have a steamroll effect. Other things we may think of as emergencies can often be prevented by planning. And backward planning is an essential tool for marketing. Here's an example... Anyone who's worked with me to start a newsletter knows that one of the first questions I ask is, "When do you want your first issue to go out?" From there, I work backwards to schedule all the activities leading up to that date. A few months ago I started working with a new client, Carli, who decided that she wanted her newsletter to go out on the third Friday each...
Keep reading »

When Perfect is the Goal

Image
Perfect is an impossible goal. Some would say that if you strive for perfection, you are setting yourself up for failure. I agree. To the point that I don't think you should beat yourself up when you miss the mark. Because you will. We all do. But if perfection is not the goal, what is? I don't think there is anything wrong in shooting for perfection. What else do you shoot for? A little less than perfect? I think ignoring perfection is a worse trap to fall into. We see it all the time in error filled newsletters. Spelling mistakes, broken links, old or incorrect information can be avoided for the most part. Nothing will lose readers faster than links that take them nowhere, or that take another 10 clicks to get somewhere, or worse - a map that takes them nowhere! We harp on proof reading all the time. A second, fresh set of eyes is what we talk about. Even then, the odd mistake will slip through. The odd mistake can be forgiven. But if your newsletter is mistake-ridde...
Keep reading »

Collaboration Works

Neil Everton specializes in teaching writing skills. Of course, good writing is important to a successful newsletter, so he’s a useful person for me to know. For 3 years I've been sharing what I've learned from Neil with my newsletter clients. That led me to ask Neil if he would collaborate with me on a lunch and learn workshop. My purpose was to give additional value to my local clients and share my enthusiasm about newsletters with whoever else might want to attend. Of course, Neil and I both wanted to increase our brand exposure and build our reputations too. Our collaboration made the work easy.  Here’s why: Neil and I share a common philosophy when it comes to newsletter writing. We shared the workload and each did the work we’re good at. We were able to maximize our exposure through our combined mailing lists and social media contacts. Within a few days of announcing the workshop, we were full up with a dozen people on the waitlist. Neil prepare...
Keep reading »