{"id":48295,"date":"2017-10-18T05:00:25","date_gmt":"2017-10-18T12:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?p=47875"},"modified":"2017-10-18T05:00:25","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T12:00:25","slug":"ideas-inspire-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/ideas-inspire-work\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ideas to Inspire, Challenge, and Diversify Your Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

As reliable as the leaves changing color, the temperatures dropping a few degrees, and Starbucks rolling out the Pumpkin Spice Latte (and everyone\u2019s personal feelings around pumpkin flavors), each fall, Boston\u2019s population suddenly swells with digital marketers. 20,000+ people stream in from all over the world for Inbound<\/a>, the digital marketing conference hosted by Hubspot<\/a>. It\u2019s a chance for marketers, entrepreneurs and creatives to network, mingle, learn, and get inspired. Speakers range from the mega-famous (um, hi MICHELLE OBAMA) to small agency owners or speakers sharing a few nuggets of wisdom with anyone willing to listen.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been lucky enough to attend Inbound for the last two years, and I always leave feeling like I can scale 10-foot walls in a single bound. I\u2019m so buoyed by new ideas and inspiring concepts that I can\u2019t wait to share every tidbit with my team. Rather than unleash all this learning on them like an open fire hydrant, however, I thought I\u2019d channel my enthusiasm into this article for the Our Notebook audience!
\nI came away from the conference with four great ideas to try.<\/p>\n

1. Have Some Empathy.<\/h2>\n

There was no official theme to the conference this year, but if there was, it would be empathy<\/strong>. I don\u2019t want to bring politics into this post, but I would be remiss not to acknowledge that we live in a troubled and divided world. Brene Brown, Michelle Obama, and hundreds of others spoke to the power of empathy and the impact it can have in our world. And truly, this concept has never been more powerful than it is now.<\/p>\n

The practical application echoed repeatedly was: \u201cHelp your customers. Don\u2019t sell to them.\u201d As creatives and marketers, this means taking a step back, putting ourselves in our audience\u2019s shoes and truly understanding them. What are their pain points? What are our services doing to improve or enhance their lives? What does your audience need that you haven\u2019t provided for them? An authentic, empathetic voice and message will be the most impactful way to connect with your audience in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

2. Ramp Up Your Messaging.<\/h2>\n

The big tech trend at Inbound last year was messaging services. At their conference last year, Facebook announced that Facebook Messenger has over 1 billion active users (!!!), and has recently opened this tool up to businesses to keep in touch with their customers too. Thought leaders at Inbound predicted that using a messaging service or chat bot software can help eliminate some potential roadblocks in customers\u2019 paths to purchase, while at the same time avoiding the need to pick up a phone and call someone (gross, right?).
\nThis seems like an odd point to follow up empathy with. But the truth is, in this modern and digital age, we are much more apt to look for information on our own rather than asking someone else. How many times have you Googled how to do something rather than reaching out to someone else you know who could help you? Personally, I spent a good hour Googling which cleaning products were safe to use on my gas oven without blowing up my apartment before caving and just asking my mom.<\/p>\n

My point is, empathize with your audience by understanding your tendencies for wanting to source and locate a solution to your problem independently. Not everyone has the resources to build or pay for a chat bot for their personal or business website, but maybe you could get a \u201cContact Me\u201d section built where someone can easily and quickly get in touch with you. Do you have an FAQ section that may address common questions or concerns about your services? Do you have your direct messages set to \u201cpublic\u201d on Twitter? Try one or all these, and see if it helps bridge the communication gap between you and your audience.<\/p>\n

3. Use \u201cYes, and \u2026\u201d<\/h2>\n

This is the new favorite statement used by improvisers all over the world. In order for an improvised scene to be successful and funny, scene partners need to agree and build on one another\u2019s ideas rather than shoot them down.
\nFor example:
\n\u201cSlow down! You\u2019re driving too fast!\u201d
\n\u201cWhat are you talking about? We\u2019re not driving; we\u2019re at the grocery store,\u201d <\/em>
\nversus,
\n\u201cSlow down! You\u2019re driving too fast!\u201d
\n\u201cWell, I\u2019m never going to be a good racecar driver if I don\u2019t practice!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Which of those exchanges leads to a stronger, funnier result?<\/p>\n

As a lifelong theatre student, I wasn\u2019t sure I\u2019d have much to glean from the talk on improv for marketers, but as soon as the \u201cYes, and \u2026\u201d concept was introduced, I realized how infrequently I use that tactic at work. If an idea or pitch clashes with my sensibilities or what I think is plausible, I\u2019m quick to shoot it down (\u201cWe\u2019re not driving\u201d), rather than build off it. My personal challenge walking away from Inbound is to \u201cYes, and \u2026\u201d my team more! It will lead to better, stronger work, and it will make my team feel supported and safe when they introduce new ideas. And that\u2019s a win for me too, because that\u2019s exactly how I want my co-workers to feel, and the kind of workspace I want for myself. So next time you\u2019re in a meeting, make like Tina Fey: \u201cYes, and \u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Change the Story by Changing the Storytellers.<\/h2>\n

In 2016, Teen Vogue went from just another teen magazine to one of the premier sources for forward-thinking political, cultural, and fashion journalism. How did they accomplish such a huge brand U-turn? Editor-in-Chief Elaine Welteroth credits it to diversifying their staff.
\nBy changing who had a seat at the table, they changed what kind of stories they told. For example, they realized that they didn\u2019t need to stay pigeonholed into stories about makeup and prom dresses; teenage girls were expressing an interest in political and current events in addition to which highlighter would give them a better glow. They expanded their staff of writers and the kinds of topics they covered. The result was not only a broader audience that now stretches well beyond their young female demographic (Welteroth mentioned proudly that Dan Rather now counts himself as a reader), but national acclaim for their publication.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for this kind of change, look for the voice or experience in your organization that is missing and act on adding that person to the mix. But not all of us are able to make those kind of hiring decisions, or perhaps you\u2019re not in a place where diversity is a huge priority for your company. Reaching back to the empathy theme, it\u2019s important to understand the need for a voice or representation that mirrors your audience\u2019s own experience. If your work isn\u2019t connecting with your audience in the way you anticipated, think about any other voices or experiences that may resonate with them more.
\nYou may not be able to hire someone who has that voice, but maybe you know them personally. Can you take them out for a working lunch and ask them to share their experiences with you? Can you seek out writers and artists whose voices resonate with your audience? Fold their work into your media diet. If you can\u2019t impact the table at work, change your creative and digital roundtable.<\/p>\n

It was remarkable to be at a digital marketing conference that gave me so many personal insights in addition to professional ones. Inbound encouraged its attendees to do more than buy a new piece of software or track a particular trend; it challenged us to look inward and see how we can improve upon ourselves and apply those same improvements to our professional lives.<\/p>\n

\n

Julie is the Project Manager for Creative Circle\u2019s marketing team, and a life-long passionate storyteller. She manages the day-to-day workflow for the Marketing team, and oversees email marketing, marketing automation, and various other digital marketing initiatives. Julie has her B.A. with honors in Theatre and Creative Writing from Butler University. She is a Kentuckian by birth, Chicagoan by choice, and a fan of Beyonce, Gilmore Girls<\/em>, and writing in pen. She is always trying to get a reservation at Girl and the Goat<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As reliable as the leaves changing color, the temperatures dropping a few degrees, and Starbucks rolling out the Pumpkin Spice Latte (and everyone\u2019s personal feelings around pumpkin flavors), each fall, Boston\u2019s population suddenly swells with digital marketers. 20,000+ people stream in from all over the world for Inbound, the digital marketing conference hosted by Hubspot. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":48258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-creative-insights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n4 Ideas to Inspire, Challenge, and Diversify Your Work | Creative Circle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Inbound 2017 was a chance for marketers, entrepreneurs and creatives to mingle, learn, and be inspired. 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