Archives for 2010

We”™ve come to that point in the holiday season where people magically go from being festive and jolly to being remorseful and hell-bent on changing their ways. While we think the whole resolution process is usually one of self-mutilation rather than self-realization, there isn”™t anything wrong with making a list of priorities and things we”™d like to improve. Social media marketing can always use updating and innovation, so we think it”™s an excellent place to start making revolutionary resolutions.

Unfollow, Defriend, Purge: Think of this as the “cleaning house” resolution. The new year is a fabulous opportunity to get rid of Twitter friends who don”™t follow you back, dead e-mail addresses on your newsletter mailing list and Facebook friends you don”™t really know. The social media purge is important so you can effectively speak to your audience without sifting through dead-end friends. The purge should be done regularly and, once you get in the habit, it doesn”™t take terribly long.

Vow to Try Something New: Never done a geolocation event? Been scared to dip your toe in the LinkedIn pool? Have a great idea for an app? Well, 2011 is the year to try all the new social media techniques you”™ve been dying to integrate. The great thing about social media marketing is that it is relatively low-risk – so why not just go for it? Besides, you”™ll never know if you don”™t try.

Elevate Your Content: Now that you”™re sparkly clean and trying new things, our last resolution challenges you to upgrade your social media content. We blather on and on about our website and blog content being of the highest quality, but what of our social media marketing content? Shouldn”™t our tweets and Facebook updates be of the same stellar quality as the rest of our branding? In short, stop making your social media content an after-thought.

Now it is your turn, readers. Tell us what marketing resolutions you have for 2011!

We are told in countless commercials featuring smiling people wrapped in festive attire that we are currently in a season for sharing. The belligerent motorists who steamroll us in the mall parking lots, however, convey an entirely different message altogether. Still, the idea of sharing – although sometimes rare or a bit abstract – is a good one. This is especially true for creative professionals. So often we live in solitary bubbles surrounded by only our own “brilliance,” chugging dedicatedly toward deadlines. Naturally, our engines run out of steam occasionally and the great ideas dry up or get recycled. And then what? We usually panic and yell at someone or beat our heads against an innocent laptop. But really, when it comes to staying inspired, maybe the answer lies within that simple concept of sharing.

Working on a variety of copywriting projects, particularly at this time of year, I tend to get stuck. My brains tells me there cannot possibly be anything original left inside of my mind and that I should just turn on reality TV and take a self-pity nap. As I baked and decorated cookies with my niece the other day, I realized what”™s been missing from my creative diet this whole time: collaboration. We weren”™t designing major feats of creative genius, but we did consult with one another regarding frosting choice, sprinkle application and the like. We cheered on one other”™s ideas and suggested ideas to make the projects better.

Likewise, the best artists who achieve longevity are those who lean on others in their field to help stay inspired. The Impressionists (who organized art shows together) and musicians like Prince (who plays anonymously on other musicians”™ records just for the experience) demonstrate the power of sharing their creative power in hopes of enriching their own artistic lives – and all by participating in something bigger than themselves.

This is not to say that I”™m the Matisse of cookie decorating, but I do feel like the New Year is a good time to collaborate and grow artistically. I”™m inspired to start that writing group I”™ve been threatening to form, I”™m taking on non-profit clients just for the experience and I”™ve made a commitment to visit more museums and see more theater. Sharing creativity with others and allowing myself to be inspired by my colleagues can only bring great things to my clients.

So let”™s hear it: How do you, dear readers, plan on staying inspired in 2011?