Tag: featured

5 Ways to Introduce Structure and Discipline to Your Content Writing Style

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Marketers

Content writers are savvy professionals who play the role of storyteller, copywriter, and lead generator all at once. We’re constantly learning about the latest content strategy trends and technology – not to mention conducting research on several industries for our clients – that we forget writing itself requires continuous learning.

It’s more important than ever to brush up on writing techniques and strategies. Today, the highest paying content writing gigs are in niche spaces like blockchain, cybersecurity, manufacturing automation, supply chain digitization, and more. Knowing how to organize and synthesize large quantities of information is a must for tackling these projects.

  • Understand a Content Project’s Purpose and Writing Style
  • Introduce More Verbs Into Your Writing Vocabulary
  • Keep Your Writing Simple
  • Take a Refresher Course on the Anatomy of a Paragraph
  • Study Different Sentence Styles To Add Variety

Understand A Content Project’s Purpose and Writing Style 

An effective piece of content has a clear purpose. Most content writers are familiar with the Inbound Methodology, so they know to ask clients whether a given assignment falls into the Awareness, Consideration, or Decision stage. Once you’ve got this direction, identifying the appropriate writing style helps guide your writing. 

There are four main styles of writing:

  • Expository: Focuses on facts or explains how to do something in a systematic way
  • Descriptive: Uses sensory language (sight, smell, touch, taste, sound) to describe a situation, place, thing, person, and feelings.
  • Persuasive: Attempts to convince the reader to change their mind or take action.
  • Narrative: Tells a compelling story about connected events and people

When you’re used to banging out three blog posts a day, it’s easy to go through the motions and accidentally apply the wrong method. 

For instance, a blog post in the Awareness stage is meant to help readers understand a problem. In some cases, the reader may need help identifying and naming the problem in the first place! So it wouldn’t make sense to write a blog post persuading them to take action using a given solution. Rather, an expository approach would focus on facts and statistics to help them understand their problem. 

In some cases, a how-to article is the right approach in which the article provides a step-by-step solution to a problem (e.g. how to create an inventory management spreadsheet) before gently pushing the reader towards the Consideration and Decision stages where persuasive writing is more appropriate.

Of course, a single piece of content can adopt several writing styles. Incorporating customer stories using the narrative writing style might bring an otherwise dull expository how-to piece to life. 

Identifying a piece’s writing style is not meant to be a restrictive exercise. On the other hand, it’s a focusing mechanism that empowers you to plow ahead secure in the knowledge that you’re on the right track. 

Introduce More Verbs Into Your Writing Vocabulary

Verbs power your writing. Replace standbys like “be”, “have”, or “get” to provide a more satisfying reading experience.

For example:

“Amazon is the most impressive e-commerce company today” is fine, but we can do better. 

“Amazon routinely outspends and outsmarts its competition in the e-commerce space” is a more engaging sentence, even in expository writing. 

Both sentences are, presumably, based in fact, but the first is like bland chicken that lies limp in your mouth while the second brings a little spice and drama.

Drama isn’t always necessary. In fact, you may just need to vacuum up a few unnecessary verbs. 

Case in point: “have”. Writers routinely use “have” as a way to quickly plop their ideas on the page. With a little extra time set aside for editing, they can easily sweep this word away and tweak sentences. 

“We have seen what happens when companies fail to invest in employee engagement” can easily transform into “We know what happens when companies fail to invest in employee engagement”. 

What’s more, verbs enhance every writing style. 

In expository articles, they keep your writing clear and straightforward. Verbs serve you especially well when you’re writing a how-to piece and attempting to convey a technique or several steps. 

In descriptive writing, it’s easy to overuse adjectives. While adjectives play their role, verbs are particularly important in descriptive writing. Verbs pull the reader in and allows the reader to imagine owning and using a product or benefiting from a service.

A critical component of persuasive writing – the call to action – relies on verbs. An effective piece of persuasive writing encourages the reader to “schedule a demo”, “earn money in their sleep” by signing up for a robo-investing app, “receive daily tips and tricks for runners” by signing up for an email list, and so on.

When it comes to narrative writing, verbs invite readers to play a role in the action. They aren’t an outside observer. Rather they inhabit the spaces in the story. And this doesn’t just apply to novels. For example, narrative-style case studies make for good reading. 

FINE: “Westside Developments had a lot of different processes and steps. The project manager had to deal with change orders, schedule changes, and more.”

GREAT: “As Senior Project Manager, Madison Yuen juggled several tasks and responsibilities. While working on site, managing change orders and communicating with contractors proved immensely difficult thanks to all the moving parts. On any given day, Yuen would adjust schedules, manage incoming bids, answer customer questions, and prepare status reports for the executive team.”

The first paragraph relies on weak verbs like “to have” and “to be” while the second paragraph uses verbs to paint a picture.

Keep Your Writing Simple

Don’t circle the block just to cross the street. Write only what’s needed to convey your point. Streamline your writing, and remember that simple doesn’t mean stupid. 

Using effective words is a great way to keep things sweet without minimizing impact and engagement. Another approach is to avoid unnecessarily long words that make your writing sound pretentious. Finally, consider conducting more research. Confusing concepts breed clunky, awkward sentences even among experts. 

Finally: EDIT! Many writers despise the editing process, and here’s the thing: You don’t have to be a writer and editor. It often pays to hire someone else to revise your work. That said, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of editing and if you’re short on time, money, or both, polishing your work on your own is an important skill to learn.

Take a Refresher Course on the Anatomy of a Paragraph

Reminding yourself that writing has structure and technique helps relieve some of the anxiety that comes with feeling like you’re rambling, missing the point, or “winging” it. Paragraphs are not arbitrary chunks of text. They function as a tool for expressing ideas in a structured, coherent manner. 

While your blog post has an overarching idea or thesis (much like a high school paper), your paragraphs tackle those ideas in different ways. We usually manage these nuances unconsciously, but when you’re writing longer form content, like a whitepaper or an e-book, outlining what you’ll address may be helpful. 

A great paragraph consists of the following features:

  • Controlling idea: This is how you’ll address a topic in this paragraph. If you’re writing about real estate technology, your controlling idea may be about the current “proptech” landscape.
  • Explanation of the controlling idea: What are you trying to say about the current proptech landscape? You may want to talk about the fact that currently most proptech companies focus on listings, but new entrants are branching into areas like retail development and project management. 
  • Support for your idea: Introduce facts, statistics, and expert quotes to legitimize your points. For instance, this proptech article we’re drafting might reference the fact that the proptech industry in Canada and the U.S. jumped from US$4.6 billion in 2016 to US$7.3 billion in 2018.
  • Explain why your evidence matters: This is the “so what” content marketing gurus always talk about. Yeah, the proptech industry jumped by a few billion. Impressive, but why should I care? Well, you might point out that investors want to create or invest in the next big industry disruption in the way that early Uber investors cashed in on the taxi industry’s disruption. 
  • Wrap it up and transition: Conclude and, if possible, offer a smooth ride into the next paragraph. Your paragraph on proptech might hint at the fact that despite investors’ enthusiasm, disruption is not always easily achieved, which can segue into the traditional roadblocks to innovation in legacy businesses.

This looks like a lot, but for those in-depth pieces, it’ll save you time both during writing and during revisions. Rather than receiving a marked up draft with notes like “where’s the proof?” or “why should the reader care?” you’ll have a robust, well thought-out piece that requires few re-writes.

Quick note: You may be squinting at this and wondering about readability. Wasn’t this process designed for academic writing where chunky paragraphs abound? Isn’t that a big no-no for online writing? 

You’re right. You don’t want a paragraph seven-lines deep in a blog post, particularly when many readers consume content on their phones. Use this framework to organize and support your ideas and then break up paragraphs for readability. 

Study Different Sentence Styles to Add Variety

Content with similar sentence styles bores readers, but it’s often difficult to notice when it happens. Trying to transform them during the editing stage is also a tedious exercise. That said, if you have a technical understanding of the different sentence styles, identifying these issues and making changes is easier. Examples of quick fixes include:

  • Varying Sentence Length: Your paragraph may have sentences that are all the same length. Diversifying it may be as simple as cutting one down or making another longer.
  • Varying Word Choice at the Start of the Sentence: Do all of your sentences start with “I” or “My”? Consider changing things up. One way to do this is to build sentences that start with dependent clauses. Instead of “Nancy started using our product in 2018. She loves the payments feature” consider “Nancy started using our product in 2018. As a busy project manager who pays dozens of subcontractors and vendors each month, she was particularly impressed with the easy payment tool.”
  • Throw in Parallel Sentences: This paragraph style adds rhythm to your writing. Using this approach, the writer repeats grammatical elements in the same sentence. For example, “Developers must assess legislative changes, predict market trends, and manage interest rates.” 

The next time your sentences feel a little bland, you can strategically revise them by changing up your sentence styles. 

Just Because We’re Creatives, Doesn’t Mean We Don’t Need a Little Structure

Studying the technical side of writing adds rigour to the writing process. When you’ve got deadlines and multiple client requirements to juggle, you can’t afford the luxury of hoping the sentences flow. You need to bang out quality work day after day without losing steam. Understanding writing strategies and techniques can help you whip up fantastic blog articles, e-books, and white papers every time. 

Need a freelancer who asks the right questions, adopts your brand voice, and whips up the articles and e-books your business needs? Let’s chat. 

Featured image via Pexels

FintechTO Roundup: Swapping Unicorns for Cockroaches and Being Happy About It

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Events

While listening to Vahid Mirjalili, co-founder and COO of Owl speak at yesterday’s FintechTO event, I thought, “It would’ve been way easier to sell software to, like, Alexander the Great or Napoleon.” 

A little context’s required. 

Hello? Hi? ‘Scuse Me? Do You Have Any Power? Finding the Decision Maker in a Corporate Maze

Mirjalili, who runs a KYC company, was speaking to the audience of tech enthusiasts, founders, and entrepreneurs about the importance of knowing your customer. Not for AML purposes, but for sales purposes. People familiar with buyer personas or account-based marketing (ABM) tactics understand the benefits of identifying the right person.

But what if you’re selling to enterprises?

Anyone who’s tried to get anything done within a corporate environment can speak to the agonizing experiencing of finding the real decision-maker, so good luck to the outsiders trying to sell to them. Mirjalili, who correctly calculated that addressing “KYC” from a sales perspective rather than a compliance perspective would land better, provided guidance for navigating a corporate maze.

According to Mirjalili, it’s about identifying the sponsor and then building a relationship with your champion.

How do you know who the sponsor is?

It’s not an easy task given the various stakeholders, the overlapping remits, and the overall inaccessibility of people who actually hold any power. Mirjalili says you can tell you’ve got the right person if they’re solving a problem big enough to require an external vendor (small improvements are usually tackled internally).

Another good sign they’re the sponsor? They have exactly zero time to speak to you. 

Cue the champion. 

The champion is someone trusted by the sponsor, who has access to them, and who has likely been tasked with sourcing solutions. The champion’s job is defined by talking to all kinds of problem-solvers and presenting the most compelling answer. 

Once a company understands this, they can spend less time chasing the “un-chase-able” and more time building a relationship with the power behind the throne. 

Which brings us back to Alexander the Great and Napoleon. I don’t know what need Macedon or the French Empire would’ve had for a cloud-based expense tracker or e-commerce platform. But if they did need one, there’s nothing like a big shiny throne to tell you who calls the shots, vague org charts be damned.

And if I wanted to get to Alexander the Great or Napoleon, you better believe I would’ve made a few BD calls to my champions, Olympia and Talleyrand. 

“You’re Asking a Former Uber Guy About Profitability”: Properly Walks The Walk on Authenticity

Earlier in the night, co-founder and COO of Properly, Sheldon McCormick, talked about building trust with your customers. When you occupy a field characterized by commissions and closing cost horror stories, it’s hard to get people to warm up to you.

Properly understands this firsthand. To prove this, McCormick shared negative comments the company received on Facebook. When asked how Properly would build trust with its customers, McCormick referenced the company’s “starts from within” approach. They hire employees who value customers, conduct all-hands meetings where customer needs are discussed, and everyone within the company talks to customers regularly. 

Perhaps the best moment of the talk was when an audience member asked about Properly’s future prospects, citing the struggles of a similar company. While McCormick had an optimistic answer, he prefaced it with my favourite line of the night. I’ll have to wait for the video for the actual quote, but it was something along the lines of “First off, you’re asking a former Uber guy about profitability”.

Keeping it real is definitely one way to build trust.  

Kudos To Whoever Came Up With The Name: Knowtions Talks Innovation Battle Scars

Christina Cai, co-founder and COO of Knowtions, spent her chat talking about the battle scars of running innovation projects for large enterprises. 

Her big takeaways?

Understand who your stakeholders are, whose P&L you belong to, whose KPIs you affect, and where you can present the most value. 

If you don’t know whose P&L you affect, you’ll encounter resistance and struggle to find the source of it.

If you don’t know whose KPIs you affect, you’ll be talking to people with little incentive to listen.

Finally, Cai recommends understanding where you can make the most impact. When you’re energetic and innovative, it’s easy to fall for your own press. In the process, entrepreneurs forget that many enterprises have been chugging along with existing processes for quite some time. The key to making an impact is finding that 5 percent of the company where you can provide 10x value. 

From Unicorns to Cockroaches: Disrupting Buzzwords During a Fireside Chat with Wave’s Kirk Simpson

Wave co-founder and CEO, Kirk Simpson, joined TechTO co-founder Alex Norman for a fireside chat. Wave’s recent acquisition by H&R Block presented ample opportunity for reflection. Running a startup included both highs and lows, and by lows we don’t just mean having a difficult week. Simpson discussed laying off employees, being weeks away from insolvency, and even questioning the company’s product at one point.

While he definitely thinks there’s a fine line between “never giving up” and “putting a second mortgage on your house”, Simpson encouraged entrepreneurs to focus on surviving another day, another week, another month when the going gets tough. In his case, sticking it out led to a successful $537 million exit. 

This “I refuse to die” attitude prompted Norman to compare Simpson and his company to cockroaches, marking perhaps the only time in history the word “cockroach” has been used as a compliment.

Norman was unfazed. As he put it, unicorns can die, but cockroaches stay kicking through it all.

Fair enough. Fair. Enough.

Featured image via Unsplash

 

5 Things To Clarify Up Front With Your Freelance Content Writer on Upwork

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Marketers

Want to vibe with your freelancer as quickly as possible? You’ll need to practice good communication and ask the right questions up front.

  • What do you charge and what’s included in this cost?
  • How do you define credited and ghostwritten terms?
  • How do you manage revisions?
  • What do you need from me in order to complete this job?
  • What’s your preferred communication channel?

What do you charge and what’s included in this cost?

Pricing models vary, but freelance content writers typically use one of the following:

  • Fixed article rate
  • Fixed word rate
  • Hourly rate

Nothing strains a relationship faster than misunderstandings about money. Discuss the nitty gritty up front and get it out of the way, so you can get to work. An experienced freelancer won’t have any qualms discussing rates, and in most cases, they’ll initiate the conversation themselves. 

Here are additional questions to ask based on each pricing model. 

Fixed Article Rate

  • What’s the minimum and maximum number of words this article will include?
  • Does this rate include stock photos, captions, and a meta description?
  • How many free rounds of revisions do I get?
  • Is this article rate on credited or ghostwritten terms?

Fixed Word Rate

  • Is this fixed word rate based on the final word count at the first draft stage or at the final draft stage (after revisions are made)?
  • How many free rounds of revisions do I get?
  • Is this article rate on credited or ghostwritten terms?

Hourly Rate

  • What’s the maximum number of hours this article should take?
  • Will you alert me if you think you will surpass a certain number of hours?
  • Do I get a free round of revisions?
  • If I don’t get a free round of revisions, are revisions charged at the same hourly rate or at a different editing rate?
  • Is this per hour rate on credited or ghostwritten terms?

How do you define credited and ghostwritten terms?

When you’re sourcing thought leadership articles for your exec team, those pieces will be published under their name. It’s awkward if that same piece pops up in your freelancer’s online portfolio.

In scenarios like this, it’s important to be clear about how this work will be treated after publication. 

In most cases, writers give up ownership of the work but they retain the writer credit, and rightfully so. This means that while the client can post the article across various platforms like the company blog, Medium, or LinkedIn Pulse, the freelance writer can include it on their online portfolio. 

For my own clients, I use the following distinction. You can use this as a starting point when clarifying the terms with your freelancer. It’s common for freelance content writers to charge double the standard rate for ghostwritten material. This is compensation for the fact that they can’t use it to win future work.

Credited Ghostwritten
  • Under the freelancer’s name or under a general name like “Blog” or the company’s name but not an individual employee’s name
  • The freelancer includes this project in their online portfolio
  • If published under the company’s name (not an individual employee’s name) the client agrees to confirm that the freelancer wrote the piece, if required
  • Under an individual employee’s name or a general name like “Blog” or the company’s name
  • The freelancer does not include this project in their online portfolio
  • The freelancer does not reference this project as a sample of their work in offline discussions with prospects
  • The client is not expected to provide a testimonial or confirmation that the freelancer wrote the piece (unless they wish to)

How do you manage revisions?

Every content relationships has a “get to know each other” phase. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with a top-notch writer. They’ll need time to understand your business and style. 

Ask your freelancer what their revision rules are. 

  • How many free rounds of revisions do you offer?
  • Do you offer extra free rounds for the first couple of projects?
  • Is there a deadline on when revisions must be received in order to qualify for the free round? 
  • Can you work collaboratively  in Google Docs, or do you only work through MS Word attachments and tracked documents?

It’s also important to think about your revision needs. Will an internal subject matter expert review more technical posts? This impacts your timeline and relationship with your freelancer.

The thing is: Most freelance content writers understand that multiple eyes might look at the piece, and they welcome this. An accurate piece means a happy client and feedback  to apply to future projects. But it’s important to remember that your freelance writer is not an employee.

With a direct report, it’s acceptable to circle back a month later and ask for revisions. Doing so with a freelancer, even with a free round of revisions, will likely incur additional charges.

Discuss the revision process at the outset of the project and document this in your Summary of Requirements.

What do you need from me in order to complete this job?

Successful marketing directors understand that good direction equals great deliverables. A freelance content writer is a writer. Their skill set is bringing together information to tell a compelling story. They’re not a consultant in your field, so it’s unrealistic to expect them to have in-depth knowledge of your company and industry. 

A great marketing leader provides his or her freelancer with:

  • A content brief outlining the project’s specifications
  • Temporary credentials to any academic content subscriptions 
  • Collateral detailing the company’s products and services

Content Brief

Even if you find a content writer who specializes in your niche, they don’t automatically know your business, its unique value proposition, or its competitors. Provide them with a detailed content brief that outlines the project requirements including the piece’s tone, audience, and objective. 

Temporary Credentials to Academic Content Subscription

If your piece requires academic content, consider sharing temporary credentials with your freelancer. Google Scholar is a treasure trove of content waiting to be converted into layman’s terms. If you’ve got a writer with the chops to tackle dense articles, give them the tools they need. They certainly won’t pay for this on their own. A single article can cost upwards of $50!

Company Collateral on Products and Services

Provide clear information on your products and services. No one’s saying you’ve got to shoot over an internal deck detailing how the sausage gets made, but if you want decent content, your writer will need something more than a few lines of vague text about your “proprietary algorithm”. 

And look – if they don’t need to get into the thick of things with your product (perhaps this is just a lead nurturing white paper on the industry itself) let them know! This way they won’t take time to parse your landing page copy. 

What’s your preferred communication channel?

Some freelancers prefer to communicate exclusively through Upwork while others are fine with email. Just be sure not to offer payment off the platform unless you’ve met the platform’s conditions. Sure, you may get away with it for a while, but you risk getting both yourself and your freelancer kicked off the site. In fact, your freelancer may report you themselves.

In any case, if you use email, be sure to re-send key communications related to the project deliverable and revisions through Upwork. Hopefully, everything’s smooth sailing, but if there are any disputes, it’s important to have a record.

Clear Communication Leads to A Productive Client-Freelancer Working Relationship

Clear communication is as much about retaining great freelancers as it is about steering clear of poor ones. In demand freelancers have the luxury of avoiding bad clients. In other words, they’re interviewing you, too. Great content writers gauge whether a specific client is worth their time. If you seem disorganized, uncertain of what you want, or sketchy, they’ll make a polite excuse and move on to the next project. By asking the right questions upfront, you can build a strong relationship with a great freelancer and amp up your marketing efforts with fabulous content. 

Need a freelancer who asks the right questions, adopts your brand voice, and whips up the articles and e-books your business needs? Let’s chat. 

Featured image via Pexels

Digital transformation - Five suspended lightbulbs in a row with the fifth lightbulb set away from the rest against a blue backdrop.

Are Credit Unions Too Far Behind for Digital Transformation Projects? | Financial Content Writing

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Marketers

People prefer banking with credit unions. They are owned by members, value community, and put people over profits by only offering services people need. Nevertheless, credit unions still struggle to gain new members, convince existing members to use more products and services, and attract a younger demographic.

How can this be? Consumers report that customer service at a credit union is superior to that at a big bank. Presumably, this would help attract and  retain members. What’s more, young adults want a bank to understand their needs and provide a personalized service, needs that are compatible with the core offering of a credit union. In theory, one would expect credit unions to be smashing all three objectives. The reality is a little different.

While customers want their bank to treat them like people and build relationships, they also want convenience. At the end of the day, a financial institutions safeguards money, facilitates its movement, and manages the associated information. That’s it. The companies that do this with the most accuracy, efficiency, and painlessness will win.

This means that customers expect excellent customer experiences from other B2C industries to appear in their banking. A teller who knows your name is wonderful, but a cheque deposited through your phone from the comfort of your home is even better. Today, consumers expect services like mobile banking apps, chatbots for questions, budgeting tools, and more. And the more time passes, the more the lack of these services seems unacceptable and potentially damaging to a financial institution’s brand.

The Present Challenge

Credit unions fight the digital transformation battle on several fronts.

Compliance

Credit unions face internal resistance, like most companies do when undergoing change, but theirs is a unique resistance. Financial institutions face tougher regulations and must consider compliance requirements carefully during a transition. While this sounds like a tough barrier, digital transformation projects often strengthen a credit union’s safety and adherence to regulations.

Competition

A credit union’s biggest competition isn’t other credit unions. It’s those big banks we keep mentioning. National banks have the war chest to fund pilot projects, incubators, and accelerators to safely test new technology without running afoul of customers or regulators. Credit unions don’t have this same luxury.

War for Talent

The world’s companies are fighting a global war for talent, and financial institutions are no exception. Banks are scrambling to recruit candidates with skills in machine learning, data analysis, and cybersecurity before they are lured to Silicon Valley. Even hedge funds, traditionally secretive companies, have had to put themselves out there to attract tech talent that already has its sights set on flashier financial technology companies out west. These banks have the budget to offer high base salaries and workplace perks, while credit unions don’t have these same advantages. Moreover, banks can back incubators and accelerators in global hot spots to recruit there while regional credit unions don’t have this same flexibility.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

It isn’t all doom and gloom. While competing with bigger, stronger, richer banks sounds like an exhausting proposition, credit unions should not lose hope. Rather than trying to outspend the competition, they should focus on outsmarting the competition by making strategic plays that focus on their core value proposition: people-based banking.

IT Companies Know Credit Unions Have a Unique Need

There are IT companies who understand the unique challenges credit unions face. This means they understand budget limits and the need for a tool that will work not one that might work. They understand the inherent risks that come with modernizing your core banking system. For one, there’s the business continuity considerations of a failing platform. For another, there are the procedural changes that accompany a new platform and the impact this has on staff who may be resistant to change. Fortunately, they have experience addressing these requirements and executing on tried and tested procedures. In fact, one IT company in Canada converted over 110 credit unions to one banking platform.

There is a Clear Starting Point

While deep pockets help, an astronomical budget isn’t necessary for digital transformation. It just means you can’t afford to make many mistakes. This means that so long as credit unions design a carefully considered strategy, they execute on a digital transformation project albeit in a much more thoughtful way than their big bank competitors.

For instance, credit unions should focus on digitization before progressing to digitilization.

What’s the difference?

Well, companies often confuse digital transformation for activities like scanning a paper form. In other words, going from analog to digital. This is an example of digitization, but it’s not an example of digitilization (or digital transformation) which is specifically “the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities”.

But in order to achieve digitilization, companies need to go through the process of digitizing their entire business. Let’s return to that example of a scanned form. Yes, you now have that paper available in digital format, but the information within that form is not available in a way that can feed into other tools. In other words, you need to take all of your business’s existing analog information and ensure you can tag, search, and manage that information.

This is the place to start. Once credit unions go through this process, this digital organization of information allows them to analyze information to identify potential opportunities for efficiency and set the course for their transformation initiatives.

Credit Unions Are Not The Only Companies Behind

According to research published in the Harvard Business Review, most companies are not approaching digital transformation with urgency. About 20 percent of firms barely leverage digital technology while two-thirds of firms only generate about 10 to 15 percent of revenue through digital.

Figure 1: Digital transformation in today’s companies (Chart generated with data from Harvard Business Review)

“So what?” you may reply. “Why does this matter?”

It matters because there are still resources and strategies geared towards helping those who have “fallen behind” so to speak. For instance, Harvard Business Review outlines three strategies such companies can pursue that focus on:

  • Agility
  • Conducting digital M&As
  • Cooperating with digital natives

Take digital M&As for example. Companies who’ve lost time can acquire digital native companies (an offensive M&A approach) rather than taking a defensive M&A approach in which they join forces with other analog companies.

Credit Unions Can Realize Faster Results with Hyper-Focused Efforts

Oftentimes, credit unions think digital transformations are mainly for their customers. But digital transformation can happen in other areas of the business and still generate revenue. Credit unions can initiate digital transformation in the following areas:

  • Member engagement
  • Workplace
  • Operations
  • Products
  • Compliance

Such initiatives can help employees “do more with less”, experience omnichannel engagement, and streamline operations using captured data.

Industry experts suggest credit unions survey their members to understand which digital transformation projects are most important to them. This may help avoid analysis paralysis in which credit union leaders struggle to pick between chatbots or a better app with fewer clicks on a limited budget. By understanding customer needs and frustrations, leaders can put resources towards more effective projects.

There’s Time Still For Credit Unions

There’s certainly still time for credit unions to conduct digital transformation projects. The overwhelming counsel in most literature on the topic is to be strategic, be proactive, accept the fact that the future is changing, and above all, just get started.

Need a freelancer who asks the right questions, adopts your brand voice, and whips up the articles and e-books your business needs? Let’s chat. 

Featured image via Pexels

How to Apply the Inbound Methodology Across Business Units: Attracting, Engaging, and Delighting Customers Across Marketing, Sales, and Operations

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Marketers

I’m in the process of renewing my Inbound Certification. Here’s what I’ve learned from the first module “Understanding the Fundamentals of Inbound”.

Your marketing team thinks your salespeople are short sighted. Your sales team thinks marketing is a group of glamorous bureaucrats who plan, but never execute. And your operations team can’t be bothered to form an opinion on either team, but they’re convinced they do all the work.

At the end of the day, everyone within an organization is on the same team. Marketing needs to grow market share, sales needs to close the deals, and operations needs to make sure the organization can fulfil what it sells. In dysfunctional organizations, these business units work against each other instead of working with each other.

Why?

It’s because there is no unifying framework through which they can conduct their day-to-day activities and work towards their goals.

The Three Stages of the Inbound Methodology

The Inbound Methodology, famous for its focus on engaging with prospects as opposed to interrupting prospects, (e.g. blog posts versus banner ads) focuses on aligning all of these functions. It fancies itself as more of a business growth philosophy rather than a marketing paradigm.

According to the Inbound Marketing methodology, customers move through three stages:

  1. Attract
  2. Engage
  3. Delight

The proponents of the Inbound Methodology, Hubspot, portray these stages as a flywheel and understandably so. A flywheel efficiently stores rotational energy. When the inbound methodology works correctly, each stage powers the next, producing more energy and therefore fueling growth. This movement is initiated by three key business units that interact with customers.

  1. Marketing
  2. Sales
  3. Operations

What happens in each stage?

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 1.09.08 PM

The Cross-Functional Utility of the Inbound Stages

As Hubspot points out in their Inbound course, attracting isn’t just the job of marketing, engaging isn’t just the job of sales, and delighting isn’t just the job of operations. It is a framework that can be applied across business units. The chart below illustrates how.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 1.10.24 PM

In other words, ever business aims to become an expert and every expert aims to turn every role into a knowledge broker.

The information in this blog post is from the Hubspot Inbound Certification Course.

Featured image via Pexels

The Freelancer Balancing Act Between Committed and Stressed

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Freelancers

I’m so extra.

One of my bookmarks is an article on the six natural resources that’ll run out. I do mental exercises so my mind is prepared for the pain if ever I’m a victim of anaesthesia awareness.

I don’t plagiarize, but I’ll take an article I wrote my damn self and run it through Copyscape just to be sure.

So it’s no surprise that I make content writing way more stressful than it needs to be.

The job I’ve created for myself since graduating is straightforward. A startup says, “We’re a startup that makes buttons. Can you write an article about fall fashion trends?”

Cool. I bang out an article. They’re happy. They pay me.

This is the part of the story where I’m supposed to move on with my life.

But I get overcome with guilt and intense pride, even if it was ghostwritten. How did the blog post do? Did it do what you wanted it to do? What are your content goals?

I get that a blog article is high up on the marketing and sales funnel and won’t have a high conversion rate.

I know I did the job I was paid for, and thank you very much for paying me on time.

But I’m still curious:

Was it good for you?

So I follow-up. I make suggestions. I get fidgety. Like someone who got attached after one date, I have to keep checking their social media channels, their blog, to see what they’re up to content-wise.

How are you doing? How are you DOING? HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Give away too much and you’ll have a nervous breakdown

It’s a delicate balancing act though.

When you write for a larger company, they have a very clear role carved out for you as their freelancer.

“You write this, you submit it on this date, we pay you. We literally do not need your opinion about anything else we’re doing. There is someone whose job title is that specific sliver of advice you think you’re blessing us with.”

But with startups it’s different. In most instances, so long as you aren’t obnoxious about it, they welcome your suggestions. Not because they aren’t capable of figuring things out for themselves, but because they have no time to think about it. They’re trying to keep the lights on and convince people to give them money so they can stop stressing about keeping the lights on.

They can barely breathe, let alone think about a data-driven content strategy.

But here’s where the balancing act comes in. You end up giving away more than you should, and if you aren’t careful it leads to exhaustion, resentment, or even irritation on the part of the client who never asked for all this extra effort and now feels burdened by your overcommitment.

New freelancers walk a fine line between adding value and stressing for no pay when no one asked them to.

I think I’ve struck a balance, but it took some time.

Add value but demonstrate your worth with informational invoices

I’m not entirely opposed to free work, so long as it’s work that’s building value on top of a piece of paid work and the person you’re providing it for respects your time. But you have to communicate that it’s a complimentary offer very clearly.

The best way to do this is by sending informational invoices. If you throw in a brief summary they can use when they share the article on Facebook, include how much it would have cost and just apply a discount on the subtotal. Another option is to simply point out how much this would have been worth when you send it along.

No matter what, make your worth crystal clear, baby. And a pox on anyone who belittles you for doing that.

Above all, if it gets exhausting, remind yourself that this extra thought is not paid thought and you can take a break guilt-free. This is easier said than done: Freelancers have autonomy and control over their schedule, but most find it difficult to “turn off”.

For me, I think the easy answer is that I should be working full-time for one company. I take a lot of pride in my work, and I don’t like a set-it-and-forget-it approach even if it’s just a teensy, tiny project.

But then I’d have to work on someone else’s terms. I’d have to “be the brand”. I’d have to look presentable every day, and I’m quite comfortable with my ragamuffin freelancer look, thank you very much.

Also: Fuck office politics.

3 Big Content Writing Myths Spread By Other Writers

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Freelancers

Myths have many purposes. They tell us how things came to be, and why they are the way they are. Myths give people a sense of belonging, and you better believe they’re entertaining.

It’s why I’m not surprised that there are so many myths about content writing spread by other writers.

Content marketing has been around for years, but it’s still the new kid on the block. So writers have to create stories about the purpose (or lack of purpose) of content writing and what it means to be a content writer versus a “real” writer.

If you’re considering a career in content writing, or you’re currently building one, let me tell you why you should totally dismiss these myths.

Myth #1: Content Writing Means Pumping Out a Lot of Trash Blog Posts

We don’t set fire to the romance genre just because of a few published pieces of fanfic, do we? No. So why drag content writing just because some people don’t understand the difference between frequency and consistency?

What do I mean by the difference between frequency and consistency? Consider the cases of these two made-up business owners, Bill and Sakina.

Bill hears that putting out regular blog posts increases your number of site visitors and raises your SEO ranking. So he hastily publishes a blog post every single day. These blog posts are poorly edited, redundant, and not very enjoyable to read. And chances are, he’s going to burn out after a week and give up. Bill prioritized frequency.

Sakina hears that producing regular blog posts increases your number of site visitors and raises your search engine ranking. Unlike Bill, Sakina takes her time. She thinks about what her customers often ask and writes quality blog posts that address those questions. She commits time to writing two articles each week. Because she didn’t overwhelm herself she can stick to this schedule and make sure they are well-written and relevant. Sakina prioritized consistency.

So what’s my point? Well, people can execute content marketing poorly, but that doesn’t mean there’s something inherently inferior about content marketing.

Myth #2: Content Writing is Hack Work

Literary, artistic, or professional work done on order usually according to formula and in conformity with commercial standards. (via Merriam-Webster)

The supposedly shameful parts of this definition are “on order” and “according to formula and in conformity”.

For starters, something done on order doesn’t reduce its status as “art”. Very few people would deny that the Sistine Chapel ceiling is a marvellous piece of art. Yet Pope Julius II commissioned it from Michelangelo.

It may not have been through Upwork, but he still ordered it.

How about the literary side of things? If someone works a day job, writes their book in the evening, and then after a limited print run receives glowing reviews by literary critics, you better believe their publisher is going to “order” another book.

Now, a blog post isn’t equivalent to the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but you get my point. Just because someone requests a piece of work, doesn’t mean your work isn’t valuable.

And what about this issue of conformity? Rather than launch into how even iconoclastic artists or writers have to respect certain norms (so their work can be relatively understood) let’s just leave it at this: Writing on a topic and including a call to action doesn’t mean you can’t be creative.

In fact, I’d argue that someone who can find a compelling way to tell stories about HVAC equipment is just as – if not more – creative than someone who can write about anything they please.

If you can keep people glued to articles about furnace repairs, you are doing more than hack work, my friend.

Myth #3: Content Writing is Fake Journalism

Right off the bat, I should say that content writing is not journalism for several reasons, so if you think this I do agree. But the people who lob this criticism aren’t looking for a debate on the philosophy of journalism. What they usually mean by this is: Content writing is unhelpful and untrustworthy.

To which I say this: Content writers write for potential customers and current customers. That is an audience of some very, very, very judgemental people. People who will not hesitate to leave comment like, “This article is irresponsible. You’ve lost my business” or “I was ready to make a purchase until I saw this” or “Why do you keep posting bullshit like this? Unfollowing”.

To avoid comments like this you have to produce stuff that’s useful, enjoyable, and trustworthy. The stats better be legit, that infographic better have something useful, and that article better not put someone to sleep. While a blog post may not go through the same layers of approval that a news article does, a content writer is still thinking about audience, angle, relevance, and readability.

Above all, branded content can still tell a good story. If you understand your brand, you know what sorts of stories your audience will enjoy. Allstate partnered with The Atlantic to launch The Renewal Project, a two-year editorial and marketing project publishing stories on social innovation in the U.S. Technically, this is content writing, but it reads more like journalism or storytelling.

Don’t Shy Away From a Career in Content Writing

Perhaps the biggest problem is the name: content writing. “Content” feels like a lazy word. Once you say content writing enough it starts to sound like you’re saying “stuff writing” or “thing writing”.

Over time, you’ll learn how to position yourself. For example, I call myself a “storyteller for startups” while networking because it rolls off the tongue and starts a conversation.

The important message here is that you can absolutely do relevant, useful, and creative work as a CONTENT writer.  

Featured image via Pexels

Student using ruler to plan out their productive study schedule.

5 Unproductive Things Students Do During Exams (That Don’t Involve Netflix)

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Uncategorized

By: Neya Abdi | @neyaabdi

Ah exam season. That time of year when students everywhere teach themselves a semester’s worth of material in two weeks. It’s a testament to laziness and resourcefulness all at the same time. But there are a few especially unproductive activities students participate in while studying for exams that don’t get them anywhere. This exam season, take a good look at some of the behaviours listed below, consider the solutions, and then cut them out!

1. Obsessively Calculating What Mark You Need To Pass

It makes sense to do this – once! If you had a less than admirable semester, and you are relying on the final to turn things around it makes sense to crunch the numbers quickly to figure out if it’s even worth showing up to the exam. But once you’ve received that confirmation, ditch the calculator. (Unless you’re studying for calculus or something.)

Solution: Why do students spend so much of their study time calculating their possible marks? It’s because when they do it the first time, they calculate the best possible scenario. For example a student may think, If I get 100% on the exam, I can get an 80% in the course. While it’s great to set your sights high, it can be counter-productive this late in the game. Once the sheer magnitude of the work you have to catch up on sinks in you will keep minimizing your expectations by intervals and turning to your calculator to see how low you can go.

Cut to the chase. If you’re in a tight marks situation like this, calculate the MINIMUM mark you need in order to pass the course and then forget the number crunching entirely. Dedicate the rest of your energy to studying. You’ve already got an idea of how much work you need to put in to pass and hopefully will study enough that you earn a higher grade than that.

2. Doing Something Else While a Textbook is Open and Convincing Yourself That That’s Studying

Since we’re on the topic of exams, here’s a quick test for you.

Which of the following is an effective way to study?

a) Texting your friends that you can’t come out to study and then texting them throughout the evening about how much you have to study (with a textbook nearby)

b) Refreshing Facebook every fifteen minutes to check how many people liked your status about how you’re just gonna drop out and open a dog petting shop (with your lecture slides minimized)

c) Meeting up with a classmate at Starbucks to make study notes, post a picture on Instagram, and then decide it’s too noisy in there and postpone

d) None of the above

Answer: d) None of the above

Ditch the picture-perfect notions of studying and do not fall into the trap of thinking you’re studying just because you didn’t go out.

Solution: If you know that you will spend twelve hours at home to study on Saturday only to focus for ten minutes each hour, then be realistic. Work rewards into your study routine, and enjoy ten minutes of scrolling through Instagram guilt-free. Even if it’s mindless, it’s scheduled in and is not eating into your study time.

3. Studying With Friends Before Obtaining a Basic Understanding of the Material

Students forming a study group.
Study groups can be useful, but be careful that they don’t become an excuse to socialize with open textbooks. (Image via Pexels)

Studying with classmates is a fantastic way to discuss the material so that it is learned instead of memorized. But studying in a group can be a disaster, especially with friends. It won’t feel like a disaster at first, because you’re having so much fun. But once it’s 9pm, and you’re all tired the panic will start to set in when you think of how little you’ve absorbed for your 8am exam.

Solution: Do not assign a disproportionate amount of your study prep to a meet-up. Familiarize yourself with readings and concepts beforehand. That way, you won’t feel the temptation to get distracted during the group study session. You’ll be eager to discuss what you’ve learned and have an intelligent conversation about the material.

Bonus solution: If you really want a study session where you actually learn the material as a group – for bio or history majors that are memorizing a lot of dates or Latin names – assign chapters and come up with an activity. It could be as simple as each person coming up with 20 questions for a specific topic. As a result, each individual becomes familiar with one area and the rest can quickly learn through a quiz bowl style study session.

4. Waiting Until You Feel Like Studying

Here’s the thing: you’re never gonna feel like studying. Studying sucks. Reading’s fantastic; absorbing materials on a deadline is a pain in the ass. If you don’t feel like studying, buying nicer supplies or toting your laptop to Starbucks won’t make you feel any more disciplined. Simply recognize that it’s gonna be hard work and remember the goals that put you on this path of academia in the first place.

Solution: Commit to making notes for fifteen minutes. Just fifteen. Tell yourself you can do whatever you want after fifteen minutes – go shopping, get drunk, watch a movie – and put your phone in a drawer. Guarantee you that after the first fifteen minutes are up you won’t care to get up. And if after an hour of work you start feeling restless again, make the same “I can do whatever I want in fifteen minutes” deal. This has helped me with cleaning, exercise, dull freelance assignments, and everything in between.

5. Missing Out On Sleep

Student sleeping after studying for exam.
Get some rest. Your brain and your body will thank you. (Image via Pexels)

We live in a society that admires exhaustion. How tired you are is an indication of how hard working you are and the number of coffees you throw back is a sign that you’re busy and have shit to do. But sleep is unbelievably valuable, and like many simple solutions people just don’t want to hear, it solves A LOT of problems.

Mild anxiety about all the studying you have to do? An earsplitting headache? Hell, feeling nauseous? These are all possibly exam-related symptoms that can be addressed by getting eight hours of sleep or fitting in a quick cat nap.

Solution: If you do not usually get eight hours of sleep, you’re likely the kind of person who will go all the way down to no hours of sleep during exam season. So implement a habit of getting those full eight hours at the beginning of the exam season, instead of staying up to watch TV or go out. That way it’s a habit when things really start to pick up towards the middle and the end of exam season.

Tip: If you have trouble falling asleep, try avoiding all screens (yes, that includes your phone) a half hour to an hour before you plan to go to sleep. Make some chamomile tea to get calm and drowsy, and read a book, preferably one not related to your studies.

Here’s to a healthy and productive exam season!

To keep up with the latest articles and stories on student life, like our Facebook page or follow @todiscursive on Twitter & Instagram. 

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Student sits on bed and makes a budget on her laptop.

Students Can Create a Budget In Less Than 10 Minutes

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Uncategorized

By: Neya Abdi | @neyaabdi 

Budgeting is the simplest proactive measure we can take to guarantee our financial security, but we don’t take it as seriously as we should.

A big reason for this is the lack of personal financial education in schools. Many of us simply aren’t taught how to handle our money by our parents. Unfortunately, our parents may not know what they’re doing either – the average Canadian has $21,348 in consumer debt, according to TransUnion. And about 56 percent of Canadians say they have less than $10,000 stored away in an emergency fund. Forty-four percent have less than $5,000 and 21 percent have less than a grand. Financial experts recommend having at least three months of expenses (the ideal is six months) tucked away to touch only in an emergency.

Making a budget doesn’t just allow you to save up for a trip; it allows you to save up for the unexpected as well. So why are a lot of us hesitant to create one?

It’s Not As Complicated As You Think

For people I’ve spoken to, the biggest reason they don’t make a budget is because they simply don’t know where to start. They don’t know whether they should be aggressively paying down their debt, stockpiling money to paying off their student loans, or living on only bread and water. So they abandon the process before they’ve even started. If you’re just starting out, here are two key pieces of advice:

  1. Don’t be extreme.
  2. Just get started.

Your budget is a flexible tool that you can adjust periodically to meet your financial changes. Create a budget that gives you room to buy the things you like and do what you enjoy. Your budget shouldn’t be a financial straitjacket. Prioritize so that you are giving up things you care less about in order to spend on the things that you enjoy.

On that note, just get started! Your first budget will not be perfect, and it will likely be a reflection of how idealistic and ambitious you are about saving money. Following a budget takes practice, so just start off simple.

Implement the 50/30/20 Rule to Quickly Make Your Budget

Uncertain about:

  • What to start saving for?
  • Whether you should tackle your debt first?
  • How much you should put towards discretionary expenses or “fun money”?

Start off with the 50/30/20 rule. It’s the budgeting rule of thumb. Only 50 percent of your income should be spent on needs (this includes rent, hydro, metropass), 30 percent on your wants, and 20 percent should go towards savings and debt repayment.

If you do not have to worry about rent because you live at home, then throw a couple of fixed “wants” in there like your phone bill. If you have the extra money, maybe start contributing a couple hundred dollars a month to your parents just to get into the habit of paying “rent”. But try not to consider your fortunate situation a free for all to allocate 80% towards wants instead of just 30%. You can even put some of that leftover money towards your savings.

It’s as simple as striking two lines across your paper and making three categories: Wants, Needs, Future. And then fill in the sectons accordingly. It’s a quick and simple process.

If you are spending too much on your needs, moving may not be an immediate option, so see where else you can shift your budget. The 50/30/20 rule serves as a no-brainer starting point that you can organically adjust to fit your personal situation.

Should I Pay Down My Debt or Build Up An Emergency Savings?

This depends on your current situation.

If you can only depend on yourself in case of an emergency (you can’t pay rent one month, you need a repair) work on building your emergency fund up first and once you have about three months, start chipping away at your debt.

If your basic needs are met and you don’t have to worry about your food or shelter, prioritize paying off your credit card debt. Interest rates on credit cards are very high and whatever interest you earn in a savings account will never outpace the money you lose paying interest on your credit card. Beat that down as soon as you can, and allocate a smaller portion towards savings.

Whichever option you choose make sure you ALWAYS MAKE YOUR CREDIT CARD MINIMUM PAYMENTS ON TIME!!! You can live with carrying a balance, but missing your minimum payments can very negatively impact your credit score.

Respect the Effort It Took To Make Your Money – You Earned It!

Setting aside a specific amount of money for eating out or shopping quickly teaches you the value of a dollar. You’ll quickly learn the price of that pre-made salad you casually buy and wonder whether it’s worth it when you can put a bit towards that dress you wanted to buy. And you’ll become much more aware of the hard work that went into earning that cash and be less willing to give it away.

To keep up with the latest articles about budgeting and personal finance, like our Facebook page or follow @todiscursive on Twitter & Instagram. 

Networking in the City: It’s About Who You Are, Not Who You Know

Posted on by Neya Abdi in Uncategorized

Every post-secondary program is served with a side of advice to network aggressively.

“It’s about who you know, not what you know,” we’re told, “so you’d better start marathon shaking hands”.

Well, not so fast. Sure, people with an extensive network boast a unique advantage when it comes to landing jobs. They can save time by sending resumes to people they know will look at them. But for the most part, if a hiring manager or executive doesn’t believe you’ll vibe with their company, chances are you’re not getting the job.

Don’t believe me? Consider this: according to 67 percent of consultants surveyed by Workopolis, the top reason people don’t get the jobs they want is because they fail to set themselves apart from the competition. 

Let that sink in for a moment. The top reason isn’t lack of experience or a company insider’s referral: it’s a compatibility problem.

The Importance of Values in the Startup Scene

But what exactly does this mean? Differentiating yourself isn’t about standing out by any means necessary. If this were the case, we’d all be showing up to interviews drunk, toting a karaoke machine with every intention of using it in the name of making an impression. Clearly, companies are looking for something specific. And that something specific is:

Whether your values are aligned with theirs.

Nowhere is the urgency about values stronger than in the startup scene, particularly in Toronto’s flourishing tech ecosystem. Ninety percent of startups are expected to fail. With a fun statistic like that, startup founders are more interested in working towards their vision than convincing new recruits that their vision is great. Teaching you company policy takes the work of a week. Teaching you to share a company’s convictions, while not impossible, can take forever and even after that investment there’s no guarantee you’ll care. Consequently, who you are and what you value is very important to companies.

Companies Are On the Lookout for People Who “Get It”

The recent TechToronto Meetup powerfully drove this point home. The beauty of this monthly meetup hosted by TechToronto is the mini-presentations given by members of the tech community – just enough variety to leave you satisfied, but short enough to keep you engaged. The most recent event was a veritable smorgasbord of speakers ranging from a marketing manager in a biotech company to the married co-founders of a beauty review site to the hilariously straight-talking, potty mouthed CEO of a healthcare tech startup. While on the surface they could not be more different, what they all shared in common was a strong belief in the importance of people with shared values for the success of an organization. In each presentation, the speakers emphasized the importance of company culture and building solid teams.

Of course, a shared passion for eating is not going to overcome the fact that you don’t know how to code if you are applying for a developer position at a food delivery startup. On the other hand, if you have the necessary hard skills and demonstrate a commitment to creativity, user experience, and healthy eating, it’s clear to the person doing the hiring that you get what the organization is trying to accomplish.

At the end of the day, everyone’s just looking for people who “get it”. It’s why couples with seemingly opposite interests can work so well: they likely share core values about communication and personal growth. And it’s why an organization with teammates who fill different roles – technical, public relations, sales – can come together to make something greater than the sum of its parts.

The TechToronto Meetup and afterparty takes place every month for those looking for a job, those looking to hire, and those who just love learning about tech. The next event takes place December 5. Early bird tickets are $12, regular tickets are $20, and you can buy them at the door for $25.

To keep up with the latest articles on networking and student life, like our Facebook page or follow @todiscursive on Twitter & Instagram. 

Featured image via Pexels