Training in Digital Transformation and Social Media Marketing necessitates me to keep up with a whole range of apps and software.
This is almost a full-time job as new ones emerge constantly.
I follow you tubers: subscribe to blogs; talk to influencers and industry pros; check out thought leaders on social media such as Twitter and news sites.
I mean … who’s got the time
You probably don’t, so I’ve decided to start posting regularly on some of the amazing tools.
Content is king!
I always say that marketing used to be easy … well, easier. And that’s true.
With the rise of digital and the power of social media, today’s marketers need to be on top of their game. Yes Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial but the creative is KEY no matter if you’re creating videos, graphics, blogs like this, paid ads around various applications.
You may also be planning on creating a MARTECH STACK – adding tools to your arsenal. But what tools do you need. NOTE: It’s easy to get overwhelmed and spend time on creating stacks that don’t help.
PART ONE > Video creations tools
With the ongoing success of TikTok (a social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering short videos), and the waning attention span digital has created, creating engaging videos is a must.
The world of work has changed. Many of us may never have a fulltime job. This can be daunting for students who undertake qualifications at either a tertiary or vocational level. But there are some core skills that can help you surf from one industry sector and multiple workplaces to another.
Core skills keep you on the wave
Core skills are ‘skills’ that are highly regarded in the
workplace. These transferable skills are around these main areas:
Leadership
Management
Team
skills
Communication
Collaboration
Creativity
Leaders know when to paddle out
In these times of uncertainty around politics, climate change, increased competition and the digital environment, effective leaders use emotional intelligence to keep their people buoyant and centred. They know who their people are and what drives them. They also know the road ahead and the work that has to be done. True leaders are selfless and have their ‘fingers on the pulse.’ Leaders are strong and calm. They are also resilient and can manage and harness change. Leaders continually develop their people so that they have the skills and knowledge to function in a changing environment. They are well prepared for the waves and when in doubt … paddle out.
Managers should surf too
Skilled managers are not just task driven. They can see the big picture and the scope of the projects they work on. They find the best people and nurture them just as leaders do (a manager can also be a leader,) and they communicate and collaborate regularly in often informal ways like quick ‘catch ups) or ‘how you going?’ sessions. In that way they get to know their people and know where a project is at and if there are any risks or difficulties that need to be managed.
Teams surf together
High functioning teams work together to achieve outcomes. They have less of the ‘storm’ and more of the ‘norm.’ In that way they can move across the waves to not just get the work done, but also to build and sustain a team when the waves get choppy.
Communication in big wave surfing
Communication skills are vital in the workplace. Leaders, managers, teams and individuals need to be on the ‘same page’ and fully informed especially when unexpected change occurs which is often. Communication encompasses emails, meetings, presentations and reports. Skilled ‘surfers’ move across the wave and as they do, they keep their colleagues abreast of situations. Skilled communicators are smart enough to know who their stakeholders are and how to communicate with them. Skilled presenters are a key to the workplace. They have a voice and they know how to use it without boredom or drama. They engage to communicate. And … they are aware.
Collaboration when competing or rescuing
Surfing can be a solitary sport. That’s one of the things that make it attractive. Just you out on the board in the waves. But surf clubs work together to keep the beach a safe environment. They train constantly; they build skills in swimming, using the surf boats and first aid. They collaborate and work together. Collaboration is the key to getting the work done and to the encouragement of new ideas and ways of doing things. It’s the beginnings of creativity.
Surfing was practiced thousands of years ago by indigenous people using logs to ride the waves. But over time, surfboards have evolved to better catch waves and turn surfing into a dynamic and athletic sport. Surfing innovators used their knowledge of the topography, the sea, wave patterns and human physiognomy to design better boards. We are all creative. It’s just a key we can unlock by shifting our perceptions and training our minds to look for newer and better ways of doing things.
Leadership and Management have never been more important in this era of disruption that some are calling the 4th Industrial revolution where:
Traditional business models are breaking down and being replaced by big tech (the so called FAANGS of Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google) – add to that the gig guys = UBER et al.
Traditional politics and government seems to be in a freefall with demagogues and political de-stabilizers running amok.
Traditional Work and employment being replaced by AI, robotics and software.
Intergenerational skepticism regarding the threat to the environment and climate change
This can lead to manglement (see above illustration of the old fashioned mangle … used to wring clothes out manually.)
Manglement leads to problems in organisations and businesses such as:
Lack of communication = people unsure of their role or status or even what they need to accomplish
Loss of motivation from former high performers who feel misunderstood and sidelined
Heightened loss of a positive culture
‘Office’ gossip and backbiting
Manglement breaks down teams, loses productivity and often leads to high performers taking their talents elsewhere.
Manglement doesn’t care. Manglers don’t have the emotional intelligence to understand or even care. They see people as just numbers. They are unaware of the impact that this type of non management has on the people and ultimately the organisation.
Leaders and managers know their people and the value they bring and they communicate, consult and recognise.
Being a perfectionist often leads to wasted time poring over irrelevant details. It can also de rail achieving in a learning situation.
LEARNING IS A LIFETIME THING
Often perfectionism leads us to compare ourselves unfavourably to others who seem to be more successful than us. This can lead to a ‘lazy’ mentality where motivation gradually fades. ‘Why bother? I’ll never match up.”
ENNUI is a french word
Ennui has many definitions, but here’s one I found:
A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. “he succumbed to ennui and despair.”
ENNUI and social media
Ennui can be a symptom of other significant issues but it is not uncommon in the era of perfect vis a vis Instagram, selfies, curated lives and other social media myths and legends. We can all succumb to this when we don’t get our fix of likes, comments and shares.
I have a teenager who has recently kind of dropped the ball when it comes to getting his studies done. He’s a bright kid and in his final year but he seems to have slowed right down. Yes he’s inundated with homework. Sometimes too much, but if he gets a routine going … he can get the work done.
I created this plan for him to follow a ritual to get his mind into gear and the work done.
As Stephen Fry once said. He was successful at Cambridge where other more intelligent people failed – because he ‘found out what they wanted and gave it to them.’
McKinsey Quarterly recently published an article about the rising importance of creativity in the digital world … and it’s good news!
As we labour away in a frenetic 4th Industrial Revolution where WORK is being transformed by algorithms and bots … some of us wondering where we will fit, the one shining star is digital creativity.
See machine learning is great for programmed processes but not so great for human creativity. That’s where Leonardo fits in. I know for sure he didn’t have a Macbook Pro but his fecund mind and total genius produced art and engineering and product design.
Who cares if you are marketing on Instagram, Facebook or Youtube – it’s still all about great content and that has to start with big ideas.
This has to start with an existential approach to business thinking and that will come from the top.
It is a funny name for a pub, The Australian Youth Hotel but it’s a great experience.
Yesterday my family popped in for lunch at this inner city of Sydney establishment. We ate in the dining room which was ‘classily’ designed with no blonde wood in sight.
We were served by a young lady who was exceptional in her friendliness (un-robotic), knowledge (food and wine) and general manner. I asked her if this was a part time gig (was she studying?) No, it was her job full stop and she did it well.
Sometimes wait people (don’t you hate that expression,) can be over the top with fakebonhomie which can be invasive and repellant. Like I’m just doing this in between auditions scenario. Often it can be non existent. This experience was real.
It’s good when people serving you like people!
On the way out I kind of discovered the secret. I spoke to the boss (family run business,) and told him how great the experience had been and pointed to the young wait um person.
‘Oh.’ He said with a smile. ‘You got her on a good day!’
Good bosses who make for happy workplaces create a customer service culture naturally. There’s no training needed. It’s natural, which is why Richard Branson is so correct when he says look after your people and the service will follow or words to that effect.
Wow what an amazing world we now live in. Technology rules … OK!
Disruption like fake news is a hot cliche. Could be the hottest right now.
Disruption describes new technologies and new business models that disrupt the currentmodels, processes and accepted standards of business.
Taxis were disrupted by UBER
Graphic design was disrupted by Adobe
Hotels/accomodation was disrupted by AirBnB
Commercial real estate was disrupted by WeWork
Photography and processing was disrupted by mobile phones + photoshop
It’s nothing new though. As the above photo depicts horses and carriages with a trolley car and next to that an early motor car. That was a disruption. But they didn’t have that neat phrase to label things.
In business we must track trends or we’ll be left behind holding the box brownie.
There are a lot of good reasons to service a narrow market aka a niche.
Here’s some info I found on Quora.
Niche Marketing
If you try to target all markets you will be in big trouble, because you’ll find yourself surrounded by a load of competition and it will be hard to showcase your unique value proposition.
A rule of thumb is to start narrow and then grow wider.
Start talking to one group of your audience and be specific about their needs and desires so that you can attend to them with your product and services.
Benefits of niche marketing:
Less competitive – a small market means less competition. Carrying out good research across a small market makes it easier to find out the strengths and weaknesses of your competition and makes your product or service better.
More affordable – you won’t be spending money on a broad target group, so you won’t waste money on advertising.
Customers are more loyal – you will be able to nurture, teach, and understand them much better.
Audience is easier to target – you know where they hang out and what their interests are, which makes it easier to target and offer them your solution.
Focused – trying to offer different services for each market can be inefficient, whereas having one nice one will help you to be much more efficient and focused on one single market.
Recently my son had to study for up coming exams. I realised that he didn’t know where to start. So I put together this simple and practical infographic.
