It’s a cliché, isn’t it? All the best ideas come to you when you’re walking the dog or unloading the dishwasher or in the shower. Anywhere but where you’re meant to be – sitting in front of your computer, being eyeballed by Google. Why is it that when people leave their desks and take a… Read more
How do you show your company’s best side?
Create a visual library that tells your business story. (Not everyone else’s). I issued an intruder alert in my last blog post. I’m not scaremongering, but have a group of strangers gate-crashed your website and your social media? By strangers, I mean the people who crop up in stock business images. Presentable and well turned… Read more
Don’t dry up #8. Stop. A short break makes you more creative in the long run.
If you, or your team, are into productivity, you might have used the Pomodoro Technique. You split your work into 25 minute chunks – ‘Pomodoros’ – and each of those chunks are separated by 5 minute breaks. Those 5 minutes are short enough to refresh you, without interrupting the flow of what you’ve been doing… Read more
Don’t dry up #7. Think glorified tweets.
A former President (I am binge-watching House of Cards, so I like writing sentences with the word “president” in them) once made a fleeting remark to me: Write some of your blog posts as if they were glorified tweets. The former president in question is Julia Chanteray, founder and MD of The Joy of Business,… Read more
Don’t dry up #5. What to do when you have no ideas.
If you’re still catching up after the festive holiday and your business blog is looking whiskery, consider asking a contact to write a piece for you – as a guest. Traditional media do a lot of guest editing and article swapping in that no man’s land between Christmas and the New Year – the very… Read more
Don’t dry up #4: reminisce and recycle your highlights from last year.
When I worked for the BBC, we’d worry about how to cover recurring stories. How can you tackle Christmas in a new way? What’s the fresh angle on New Year resolutions? Is there a different perspective to Year End? I now specialise in content production for companies – unearthing the stories that demonstrate why they’re… Read more
Speed storytelling: a confidence boost for your team; compelling content for your company website.
As a BBC radio producer I loved – and sometimes loathed – the adrenalin rush of being in a live studio. Guest speakers often asked, “Is there a delay button, if I say something wrong?” No. There’s no safety net. And I think the interviews benefit from it. There’s a nervous energy to live programmes that… Read more
Don’t dry up #3. Content saved from the cutting room floor.
If you make a film about your business, it’s an investment in time, money and nerves. And because web viewers are an impatient lot (myself included) most promotional videos are short and to the point. So much of what you film hits the cutting room floor. It’s never seen again. Great for internal and external… Read more
Don’t dry up #2. Use national days, weeks and months for content ideas.
In ‘Go sober for October’ I began looking at different ways to keep the content on your company website fresh. Way #1: make the most of any events your organisation is planning. Workshops, talks, conferences, away days. They’re fertile ground for home grown content. Awareness campaigns help. Way #2: keep across the national and international… Read more
A chat that brings you clarity and lots of content.
I chat to people for a living. On the surface, it might look like any other business conversation. But underneath, the cogs of my brain are whirring madly. I call it ‘multi-thinking’. It keeps me on my toes and it gives you new insights about the value of your company and your work: My multi-thinking… Read more
