I’m honored to be nominated in the Best Coffee Writing category for this year’s Sprudgie awards. For those who are unfamiliar, the Sprudgies are the specialty coffee industry’s version of the Oscars except that everyone gets to vote.
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Do you know someone who works in digital marketing or social media or e-commerce? Or maybe they’re a freelancer, WFH worker, or all-around creative person. OR, you manage someone who’s in one of these roles. I’ve assembled a list of gifts that would likely be welcomed.
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I used to be one who wanted to “hack” my way through productivity.
If I woke up earlier, I’d have more time to get things done. If I did tasks in 20-min chunks, I’d find that creative flow. If I planned my day out in the morning and then recapped my day at EOD, I’d know what to do.
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How exciting! You got contacted for an interview, now what? Having been on both sides of this for various formats (magazine, online pub, blog, podcast, etc.) and as someone who likes to be prepared, I have some thoughts on the best ways to get ready for a press interview. This is written for the interviewee and to be more specific, the small business. Not the one who already has a PR agency.
These steps are mainly for live interviews, such as for a podcast or on a phone. If you’re doing a written interview, you can skip everything in the “during” part.
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If you’ve been in the business of providing services long enough, you’ve likely grappled with this question. “Should I charge for this X thing?” And even if you’re mostly a product-oriented company, you probably offer some services like classes or tutorials.
I do not have an easy answer for you, as it’s something I am also struggling with. Expertise comes with experience built on labor, whether physical or mental. When you reach a certain level of expertise, people start coming to you with questions. This isn’t about how to set your rates or prices, it’s about whether you should or not.
I am a believer in both not gatekeeping valuable information and paying people what they’re worth. It is unfortunate that we tie money with value but it is what it is. When you pay for something, you want to receive something back. This is an easy enough concept for physical goods but not so much about digital ones or intangible ones.
If you pay for a cooking class, you expect to learn how to cook that meal. The more you pay, the more detailed, personalized, and valuable experience you expect to have. Yes, you can watch a free recipe video on YouTube but maybe you want more.
And this is the hazy line that I’ve settled in. Generalized information and advice, like this newsletter, is free. Once you start veering into the personalized advice territory (i.e. “What should I do with my Instagram account for this specific goal I have in mind?”), it becomes a paid service. Digital worksheets could be both as long as the free one has some clear goal. It could be brand awareness or leading customers to a paid worksheet.
Likewise, you could offer free video tutorials on how to brew coffee with a certain method (there are so many of these out there). AND you can offer paid small group classes or 1:1 home barista training.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, especially if you’ve drawn a different hazy line than I have.
DM like it’s going to be public because it basically is.
If there is any tl;dr to this, it is that DMs between a brand and person are never private and should never be written as if they were.
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When you work in marketing, part of your job is to keep an eye on trends. And these trends are everywhere, not limited to your own industry or even marketing. At which point do you decide that a trend is worth investing in? I don’t have a clear answer on this but I can tell you what sparked this post.
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If you’re thinking of outsourcing your photography work, this piece is for you. I’ve written about why I don’t think freelance marketplaces are great for creatives but I haven’t focused specifically on photography yet. I’m writing this with a dual perspective: as someone who advises on marketing and as a photographer.
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Say you need to hire someone to design a new website, photograph your products, or manage your social media. Where would you first go? Usually, referrals are the first choice – you find fellow business owners and ask them for people to check out. What if those don’t pan out? The next step usually is to head straight to Google and cross your fingers for a good match.
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Have you been in business for a while? Then it’s very possible that you’ve gotten some press about your brand. Where do you store all this info? Maybe it’s a folder on your computer or an online text document. Why not put it all in one place with an opportunity to filter by sentiment, product, or type?
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I'm a San Francisco-based coffee marketer: digital strategist, writer & photographer. On the side, I munch on donuts & think of new ways to make you look stunning online.
You can reach me here or on Twitter.
Life goal:
eat / drink coffee / write / travel
>>>> all in one.
