Reman U
- Author: Jennifer Porter
- Subject Matter: Social media, marketing
- Issue: Jolting yourself out of a creative funk
If you’re lucky, your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are challenged every day. Regular, open discussion is a healthy thing, especially when it comes to justifying what you’re most passionate about.
But let’s be real. With the various responsibilities you have in your day and how busy work can seem, it’s easy to fall into a consistent, comfortable, unchallenged rut.
That once bright, status-quo-breaking mind of yours? Mush. Or almost mush.
Recently, I found myself in a similar funk. And even more startlingly so, I didn’t 100% realize I was in it – until one day not long ago.
So how long does it take to rock my marketing brain? 14 hours. That’s the total amount of time over the past two days that I spent in seminars, workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities centered around marketing, public relations, and social media.
Yes, our marketing team had been producing. Yes, were gearing up for the trade-show season. But in taking a learning opportunity outside of the office, I saw just how many more opportunities exist – to impact our brand, our industry, our customers.
Of course, there were takeaways that resonated with me more than others, especially with you in mind:
- On social media strategy: “Likes aren’t your goal. Your goal is your goal.”
- On finding customers: “Everyone is not an audience.”
- On branding: “Your brand is what you promise to your customers. Your reputation is how you deliver it.”
- On social media platforms: “Think through where you should be. Don’t launch and leave.”
- On content: “Good content is important, but it isn’t king. Your fans are king.”
Feel like your own wheels aren’t turning as quickly? Some outside insight might be just what you need. Attend a session you wouldn’t normally pick at that upcoming trade show.
Check your local college or university for sessions open to business professionals. Or, even more simply, pitch an idea to that one really honest coworker of yours. Whatever you do, challenging your own thinking starts with challenging your norm.
Jennifer Porter is director of customer service at ETE Reman. Reman U is a free e-newsletter that delivers best practices, lessons learned, and tricks of the trade to help you build a better transmission business.
