Podcast Summary
From volunteer to marketing pro: Ellie's unexpected journey: Starting with no experience, Ellie found success in marketing through passion and creativity.
Marketing can be an unexpected yet rewarding career path. Ellie, the founder of Right and Sunny, a copywriting and social media management agency, discovered marketing through a volunteer role at a poetry festival when she was just 19 years old. With no prior experience, she landed a job at a startup company called Spring Chicken in Oxford. Her journey into marketing was not linear, but her passion for social media and creativity led her to this exciting field. Now, Ellie is sharing her copywriting knowledge with Girls in Marketing members through an exclusive new course. The podcast offers a wealth of educational and inspiring content from industry experts, making it an invaluable resource for women looking to excel in marketing. If you're intrigued by Ellie's story and want to unleash your inner copywriter, consider joining the Girls in Marketing community and taking advantage of their membership resources.
Discovering Passion Through Diverse Experiences: Starting small and gaining diverse experiences can lead to discovering one's true passion and a successful freelance career.
Starting small and gaining diverse experiences in various marketing roles can lead to discovering one's true passion and eventually transitioning into a successful freelance career. The speaker shared her experience of starting her marketing career at a tiny team in Oxford, where she wore multiple hats and tried different marketing tasks. After gaining exposure to various aspects of marketing, she pursued a degree in philosophy while continuing to work in social media roles. During her final year of university, she received an offer to write blog posts for a former boss, which sparked her interest in copywriting as a profession. By the end of her university days, she had established her copywriting business, Write and Sunny, and focused on working with clients in the LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and women communities. The journey to finding her niche didn't start with a specific goal but evolved as she attracted clients through social media and LinkedIn.
From passion to career: The journey is not linear: Explore different areas of writing, showcase your skills, and persistently pursue your passion to turn it into a career
Discovering your niche and turning your passion into a career may not happen right away, but with determination and an open mind, it can eventually lead you to your desired path. The speaker shared her personal experience of initially focusing on working with people who resonated with her, leading her to realize her passion for copywriting and owning her own business. She emphasized the importance of trying different modes of writing and showcasing your abilities to potential clients or employers. For those interested in copywriting, she advised gaining experience in various areas of writing and demonstrating your skills through social media or other platforms. Remember, the journey to turning your passion into a career may not be linear, but with persistence and a willingness to explore, you can make it happen.
Leverage LinkedIn for portfolio building and inspiration: Analyze copy from various sources, follow content creators, take courses, and surround yourself with like-minded individuals to enhance your copywriting skills.
Using your own platform to showcase your knowledge and expertise in copywriting, especially on LinkedIn, can help create an online portfolio and attract potential clients or employers before landing your first job. For those interested in writing social media captions, following content creators who do it well and analyzing copy from various sources can inspire and teach new techniques. As Marcus Dean from Innocent Drinks once said, "everything is content," so staying observant and open to different types of copy can broaden your perspective and enhance your skills as a copywriter. Additionally, taking courses in marketing and surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth.
Starting a project can lead to inspiration and motivation: Beginning a creative task can ignite inspiration and motivation, or seeking external sources can provide inspiration. Organize inspiring content and find a productive work environment to keep ideas flowing.
Inspiration and motivation don't always have to come before starting a creative project, such as writing copy. Instead, starting the project and allowing your brain to generate ideas can lead to inspiration and motivation. When feeling uninspired, looking to external sources like effective copy or marketing campaigns can provide inspiration. Additionally, having a system for saving and organizing inspiring content can be helpful. Regarding work environments, finding a balance between working from home and working from a quiet café can help keep inspiration flowing. Overall, the hardest part is starting with a blank screen, but once content is generated, it can be refined and improved.
Navigating the Challenges of Self-Employment: Self-employment offers flexibility but comes with admin, marketing, and finance management tasks. Isolation can be a challenge, but building a network can provide support and collaboration opportunities.
While self-employment and freelancing offer flexibility and freedom, they also come with unique challenges. For those with anxiety or other conditions that make traditional employment difficult, self-employment can be a great solution. However, it also means taking on multiple roles, including admin, marketing, and finance management. The isolation of working from home can also be a challenge, making it important to build a network of other freelancers or industry professionals for support and potential collaboration. Despite these challenges, many find the benefits of self-employment outweigh the difficulties. However, it's essential to be aware of the realities of self-employment and not romanticize it as an easy or carefree lifestyle.
The challenges of maintaining a work-life balance as a freelancer: Freelancing offers flexibility but demands self-discipline and intentional effort to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and treat yourself as an employee.
While freelancing offers flexibility and the opportunity to work with a network of peers, it also requires self-discipline and setting boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The speaker shared how her close friend who is a freelance photographer and her LinkedIn network have been valuable resources for her. However, she admitted that the absence of a structured workday and the blurred lines between work and personal life have made it challenging to establish consistent work hours and take regular breaks. She emphasized the importance of treating oneself as an employee and setting aside time for self-care. The speaker's experience highlights that while freelancing may offer freedom and flexibility, it also demands discipline and intentional effort to establish a healthy work-life balance.
Consistent tone of voice across all platforms and channels: Effective brands use a human tone of voice and maintain consistency across social media, job descriptions, and product packaging to create a cohesive and engaging experience for consumers, building a strong brand identity.
Effective branding goes beyond just advertising and web copy. Brands that get it right, like VitaminWater, Monzo, McDonald's, and Oatly, consistently use a human tone of voice and break down the fourth wall across all platforms and channels. This means their social media, job descriptions, and product packaging all feel like they come from the same brand. Brands that can achieve this create a cohesive and engaging experience for consumers, making them stand out and building a strong brand identity. It's important to remember that consistency is key, and brands should strive to maintain a similar tone of voice across all channels to avoid confusing or alienating their audience. Ultimately, the brands that succeed in this area create a loyal following and build a strong connection with their customers.
Learn from larger brands' humor-driven social media campaigns: Analyze successful campaigns, react to trends, listen to audience, speak their language, and be human in your content to create engaging social media presence
While larger brands may have the budget and resources to create humor-driven content on social media, smaller businesses can still find inspiration from them and apply it to their own marketing efforts. Ellie, a marketing expert, suggests analyzing what larger brands are doing well and being reactive to popular memes or trends. It's also essential to listen to your audience, speak their language, and be as human as possible in your content. By taking inspiration from successful campaigns and adapting them to fit your brand, you can create engaging and effective social media content, even on a smaller scale. Remember, the goal is to connect with your audience and make them feel seen and understood, regardless of your budget or resources. So, don't be intimidated by the marketing strategies of larger brands; instead, use them as inspiration to elevate your own brand's social media presence.
