PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON EXAMINER
You’re in between projects. Now is the time to beef up your own Social Presences. You are so used to putting your own projects to the side while working on client material…most of which are your own ideas. But, when it comes to your own presence, your own content, your own projects… NOTHING.
You try, you try, you try and still — you come up with nothing. Content block!
It’s a Marketer’s Nightmare, and we all surely go through it! It’s like you work on these amazing projects for others. Many of which, we can’t show anyone due to Non-Disclosure Agreements, and we feel the need to go above and beyond THAT when it comes to our own projects. We become so caught up in it, perfectionists even, that we either never finish or we struggle, trying to create the next masterpiece. There is hope!
Try these simple but POWERFUL steps in jogging the mind into the proper direction. If you’re like me, you hate idle time that will never come back. Use these activities to benefit your Social Presence and help find direction and an insight to what your audience is even “in the mood” for.
Afterall, we MARKET not ADVERTISE… Let’s make them REALIZE the NEED not TRICK them into WANTING something useless.
In taking part in an activity or two, your mind should be clear. You should have some fresh content that you can use on your own projects or that of future clients. Your content delivery being noticed by audiences has benefited your brand. SEO, through your content, has enhanced your efforts, and you now have new ideas to work with to ensure the evolution of a successful and healthy brand! In whatever you do, good luck doing it!
1. Brainstorm Session
A good ol’ brainstorm session! Write down ideas, search your mind. Get a team and make it all the better! What you don’t use now, you can use later. Make sure you type up all ideas and elaborate upon the ones you select. These ideas will help you with a plethora of future events. Cherish this moment and have much fun! Never let your ideas intimidate you! No idea is too big. And, nothing is impossible!
2. Memes
We have all seen them on Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. They grab the attention of audiences through advice, tips, tricks, ideas, jokes, inspirations, etc. Why not create a few of your own? Grab hold of new audiences and gain new likes and boosts in SEO capabilities for your related presence. Due to shares, your direct page should be shared by onlookers everywhere. Have those Memes marked with your web address, as well, and gain the attention of curious minds immediately!
3. Fun with Trends
This is one of my favorite things to do! I love getting involved in conversation and seeing how many “retweets,” “favorites” and replies I get from it! More importantly, I love the followers who begin asking questions about my company and the ROI from it. No investment other than time, but traffic, backlinks, referrals and BUSINESS in return!
And, I mean, how hard is it? Creating jokes and interesting statements based upon trends and relating it to your business? This is definitely a worthwhile “brainwarmer” and stress reliever to get you in mode for some heavy duty business…
4. Self-Education on Unrelated Topics
Have you ever caught yourself working on a project and stuck on what would make that brand unique? Sometimes, a theme and an in-depth knowledge of a theme gives us an awesome outcome, especially if it is related to a specific archetype!
As an Internet Marketer, you probably have been a Consultant for many clients and are always the one doing the teaching. Why don’t you sit back and let someone else teach you? Watch Youtube videos, read conspiracy reports, learn something weird, check out the news! These things may just jog some ideas that will get you back on track …and benefit future client projects, as well!
Don’t forget to write down your ideas and get others captivated in your findings. Show them that you are not just a business, but your brand is a persona and you are human with real-life interests. You may just find niche markets and leaders that can pave the way to new approaches and ways of doing things.
5. Network and Get Out!
Networking and enjoying an adventure or two will lead you into so many new directions and develop your mind to understand public interests, as the World is always changing. You experience new things. You can meet new people that will spark new interests for you. New ideas can generate through collaboration. Doors can be opened for new possibilities and in taking barriers from your life. What is even better, you can enjoy yourself.
You get to de-stress. You can free your mind and clear it to start from scratch. Did you ever think that maybe these “blockage” periods force us into just laying around, watching TV and ultimately clearing our minds without a second thought? Because once your client puts that need in your face, ideas are pumping through your veins! So, get out! Conversate. Have fun!
6. Landing Pages
Truly who likes creating Landing Pages? But, guess what?! They are the keys to our success. They are also ways we can do things a little different with our brand, especially if linking into a corporate site. So, why not have fun with it?
You want to build something new, exciting, maybe innovative as well, right? Then, go ahead… design away! And, make it useful. The impact of each campaign depends on it.
7. New Ways to Monetize
We are constantly finding new ways to monetize when we are working with clientele, whether it is through products and services that we create or through research in finding ways to promote their products. There are so many ways to monetize items through free distribution that it is almost ridiculous!
People want free. If you give them free, they will find it worthwhile to take a peek!
This is one way to convert a consumer into a customer and be paid for it. How are we paid for it? The answer isn’t always easy, but a few ways to do it are through sponsors, advertisements, cross-promotions, etc.
Do some research, find some new methods of monetization that haven’t been touched yet. Implement your findings into your own brand. Make money… and give me some of it!
8. Spy on Competition and Fortune 500 Companies
I don’t mean to literally spy, although if you’re bold enough… How I mean to spy is to look into the Web, Social and Referral Presences of your competition. Look at their Marketing, their Design, their SEO. What can you do better than they can? What are they doing better? Can you implement it and fine-tune it to fulfill your brand’s needs in advancing in the marketplace?
9. Get Inspired
Read articles. Read books. Heck, read Memes! Go outside and smell the fresh air, taste a new cuisine. Whatever you do, embrace it. Find inspiration.
Keep your mind pumping and ideas sprouting in your mind.
Each and everything you experience, you must learn to make it your own. How can you incorporate enjoyable details into your brand in creating fresh content?
10. Backlinks and Other SEO
You have time. You can’t think of anything fresh. Anything you may create through forced creativity may end up very unaesthetic and unappealing to the eye. It may seem rushed if it is a text deliverable.
So, go ahead. Go to work. Create backlinks.
Point people in the direction of your brand’s presence and web site. You have nothing to lose! Maybe you will see something on your mission that allows you new insight!
11. Research New Tools and Trends
All that you have to do is to research new tools and trends for your Industry or niche….. This is pretty much self-explanatory…
…AND NOW, ONTO THE NEXT!
12. Ask an “Elder (not necessarily in the same industry)”
Ask a Veteran in the World of Marketing or the Business World, in general, what they have done and have accomplished in their career. Ask how they did it. Learn from them. Bounce ideas off of them. Speak to them on the topics of life and people. Then talk to your elders.
These people may not even be in-tune with the World of Business. But, ask them about their likes and dislikes. Ask them things that attracted their attention to brands over the years and converted them into customers. Ask their favorite brands, why they like the brands and how they were attracted to them. This is a bonding time.
Allow an elder to shine through you. They know what they are talking about. They give a perspective that not many consider valuable. It might not be a “fresh” outlook, but it isn’t an every-day-run-of-the-mill practice, either! They might even have some ideas, but they feel they need a “fresher” face to produce it for them. You never know until you ASK!
13. Doodle
Ever been on the phone or in a class and led to doodle random thoughts, phrases and imagery? Try it now that you are older and have a brand to grow!
Call someone that you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Catch up!
Enjoy yourself, and let yourself become clear-minded and reconnect with an old friend or family member at the same time. At the end of that phone call, look at your notepad. Your subconscious mind just told you what your next project was going to be about. It’s all about you to decipher it!
14. Engage in Conversation
Make your Social Presence personal! Conversate with your audience. Find out their likes and dislikes, wants, needs, thoughts. Get them involved in the brand’s future. Keep them talking to and about your brand. As interesting as this is, I actually get more business through my “personal” pages than my business pages. The trick is to be personal without being too personal at all! Show life and that you are human!
Create chemistry It’s all about relationships, so build! Bring that empire to life. And, allow those who support you make history at your side!
15. Speak to your Camera
We can never find time to make these Vlogs (Video Blogs) that everyone would rather watch than read information on. To boot, we aren’t always in our best shape. Let’s take advantage of this time.
Go in your closet, pull out some nice clothes. Get dressed and “made” up. Sit down at your computer, and hit record!
Speak about your journey, your successes, tips and tricks, ventures, clients, projects, ANYTHING. Inform your audience, entertain them… show them the face behind the brand… behind the movement! Then, use these videos to keep audiences captivated and interested in what your brand has to offer them!
16. Fun with Photos
As Marketers who write, create mood boards, need backgrounds, create content, need to get our point across, we always need photos… the more unique, the better. The less we have to pay for royalties, the better.
So, let’s get on a jacket, grab a book bag, fill it with goodies and a camera with extra batteries… and start shooting!
Take pictures of every and anything. Keep in mind your audiences, and try to create content that will be shared or liked! Don’t forget to take pictures of architecture, events and people. Memories are everything. Nostalgia is in demand. And people… they love looking at themselves. So, click away and tag them later!
Don’t forget to take pictures of architecture, events and people. Memories are everything. Nostalgia is in demand. And people… they love looking at themselves. So, click away and tag them later!
17. Mood “Boreds”
I know, it’s “mood board,” but you can do this if you are bored! Go out! Collect actual fabrics, textures, objects, colors. Cut out newspaper and magazine clippings. Get out your crayons, pastels, watercolors and do some exploration. Come up with a Rebranding Strategy, a Campaign, a Facelift, or some cool ideas for future projects!
Mood Boards are fun. They unlock the inner youth… our innocence… our imaginations. Open your mind, and unblock that brain!
18. Start a “Spin-Off”
You have found many new ways to capitalize from and monetize your content. You have found something in common. Is it time for a “Spin-Off” brand? How does it help your current brand?
Link Wheels are now generating spokes that will now build their own Link Pyramids under them! You can create backlinks to each other, cross-promote each other amongst audiences, draw together totally different audiences and recycle cool content!
Maximize your potential through this chance to start a spin-off. After all, wasn’t it your dream, growing up, to in some way take over the World? Why not start now to build your empire? The content created will link two-ways, or three, or four, in generating ongoing interest, positive SEO efforts, and give more content to each brand!
19. Write About Your Experiences and Knowledge
Whether creating a website, blog, resume, autobiography for use on various platforms or even writing for an Online periodical, make sure you are recording your experiences. You can always create content. But, who is recording your footprint upon the earth for your legacy and future generations?
On another note, it builds your expertise in the eyes of audiences. It shows you know what you are talking about. It gives you credibility. Who is selling you to new and future clientele?
Recommendations are everything, especially if a finger can be pointed on a point of interest… especially if you are a marketer who does a lot of work under Non-Disclosure. If you have already done so, go back and read it. Pay attention to your growth and create new goals for the future!
20. Fine-tune and Enhance Current Content
What better time than now to go back and enhance, reorganize and fine-tune your current content database? Make your content work for you. Analyze each piece and find out what works and doesn’t work for it. Shoot, you might just find a better way to do your current daily practice amongst your own presence and that of clientele?
