Stop being mean to content creators: Knowing SEO doesn’t make you God
Following on from pointing out the popularity of content doesn’t mean it is useless, I thought I’d tackle the problem of resentment towards content creators by SEO copywriters. It bemuses me a whole heck of a lot to see SEO web copywriters all pooh-poohing content- via their blogs mind you, and their social. “Pssst… wanna hear a secret? Not everyone finds what they want simply by clicking through on the first page on Google.”... Read More
Stop being mean to content creators: We didn’t ask to be popular
There’s a bug in my ear and sand in my swimmers over this whole “content ain’t the new black” flim-flam. Yes, I have a vested interest in putting forward a case for content being all that and a bag of chips- it’s what I do after all! But here is two reasons why I am so very tired of the whole snicker, sneer and carry on associated with content being popular. Content was here first Long before everyone marched onto the SEO train, starting... Read More
Guess who’s a Pozible Ambassador- yep, me!
Pozible Ambassador Network It is with great pride that I announce I am part of the Pozible Ambassador Network. Those crazy crowdfunding cats, Alan and Rick, have asked me to help out future crowdfunders. While I haven’t done my own crowdfunding project (yet), you may recall I helped the transition from Fundbreak to Pozible back in 2009, and gave them their early start in social media and blogging. Since then, I have helped the guys on the odd occasion,... Read More
Why I broke up with Hootsuite
Why I broke up with Hootsuite As a self confessed marketing nerd and social media lover, Hootsuite and I have had a lovely, long and generally happy relationship. However, after being introduced to another scheduling suite by the name of Buffer App by my client TaskRunners, Hootsuite and I are no more. Consider this my “so long and thanks for all the fish” and why I broke up with Hootsuite story. The glance across a crowded market When I first... Read More
Yes, you do benefit from social media- PART 2
To social media or not social media- that is the question. Well, at least it is for some companies and I am here to answer that with a big fat YES. There are a lot of benefits to be had by using social media. If you missed the first instalment, please pop through to Yes, you do benefit from social media- PART 1. For those of you who’ve already done the first part of the blog, let’s get into it! Are you ready? Let’s go! Customer Service becomes... Read More
Yes, you do benefit from social media – part 1
According to some companies and heads of marketing, social media is a nice to have, but a non essential. They’re still playing the “yes but where’s the proof it generates sales?” game. So I’ve put together what I think is the case for social media as part of your marketing mix. The Penguin and Panda changes to Google have made social important to SEO Penguin, Panda and Social SEO Since Google updates Penguin and Panda, social media interactions... Read More
Case Study: La Maison website copy and communications strategy
Background: Working with Second Storey Productions, La Maison Sydney, makers and retailers in eclectic furniture and homewares, was looking for a completely new online solution. Unashamedly Creative was brought in to assist with the voice development, copywriting and social media review and planning. Objective: To create a new website with SEO friendly copy that did not lose the beauty and personality of the La Maison range or the lead designer... Read More
Case Study: Copywriting for PosterCandy
Background: Combining years of printing experience with new technology as an Instagram print creator, PosterCandy were in the market for copywriting and branding advice for their brand new product. Objective: To create a welcoming site with simple, clear and fun instructions on how to use PosterCandy to create wonderful prints and posters from an individual’s Instagram feed. The product is consumer neutral (anyone can use it), so the language... Read More
Is your marketing too clingy?
Don’t be a clingy company. Once you get a customer, it can be hard to let go. But what’s the difference between holding onto a customer and being way too clingy? Read on! Awkward Email Unsubscribe Guess what? Customers (potential and actual) will occasionally sign up for your email newsletter and then decide it isn’t for them. Don’t make their unsubscribe process hard. Don’t ask them to enter passwords when you know full well they... Read More
Freelancers don’t do profit share
Don’t ask for credit as refusal often offends Small business owners, entrepreneurs and startups, listen up! I, and my fellow freelancers, can’t afford to work for you in the hope of payment sometime in the future. As cool as you think your idea is, as amazing as you think your revenue projections may be, the fact of the matter is when someone freelances, it means they make a living out of doing project work for clients. That money is then... Read More
Ode to a Glasshouse: Losing the plot over work
The Glasshouse, Woolgoolga To say this week has been busy (or a nightmare) would give busy or nightmare new meaning. Coming to the end of a 50 hour week and knowing I will be working tomorrow and Sunday too is a little daunting. Make hay when the sun shines and all that, and I truly do love my job. But sometimes being a freelancer can really suck. Sometimes having any job (even one you adore), is a big pile of poo. But instead of pushing through into... Read More
5 Ways your website is driving people nutty
Having proved that yes, you do need a website, now let’s look at the ways your website could be driving people nutty and therefore not converting them into customers. Blocking Content When someone is reading on your site and getting to know what you do, stop blocking them with pop up prompts or floating social media that makes it hard to read. It’s like being at a concert, wanting to get into the action and then having some 6 foot 5 behemoth stand... Read More
On the road to a Content eBook
The journey to a fully fledged eBook has certainly been an interesting one. I started off with the usual staring at a blank cursor for way too long before I went “old school” and sat on the couch with a favourite felt tip and an art diary to write down the tangle of thoughts in my head. Post my little jotting session, the writing started pouring like vomit out of a toddler fresh off a rollercoaster. A much better sign, I can tell you. Planning... Read More
Marketing Myth Busting
Marketing isn’t some magic witchery found on the high of a mountain once you say the secret code to the gatekeeper. It’s actually a form of communication that combines branded storytelling, creativity, sales and product education in such a way as to attract customers. Let’s get rid of a few marketing myths that keep popping up so that you can make your marketing practical and useful. Ready? Let’s go! People don’t buy gibberish You don’t... Read More
Yes, you do need a website
You would think the whole “do I really need a website?” question would have been put to rest a long time ago. However, in recent months I have come across opposite sides of the argument questioning whether a website is necessary. One end of the see-saw was a freelancer who’d used WordPress a few years ago, his search stopped working for some reason and he didn’t have the time or brain space how to work out how to fix it. The other end... Read More
That eBook Experiment? I failed
You might remember I set myself the goal of gaining 1000 followers by January 31st 2013 in order to give myself that push towards writing my very first eBook. The idea was to really put the pressure on myself to get the task done, considering it kept popping up sporadically on the TO DO LIST like some kind of goofy Meer Cat but progressing no further. Well, I failed. I got to 990 followers at January 31st. I sat there for a little while considering... Read More
Let’s get trekking back to the Freelance Jungle!
Who’s a cheeky monkey? Come down to the shores to frolic and play with other critters in the Freelance Jungle. Here is your time to purge those stories of nightmare clients, heap praise on the nice ones and generally talk about all your bumps and scrapes for yet another month of freelance life. The Freelance Jungle is for you if: Hot desking is a concept that means more than just keeping your toasted sandwich warm Some of the clients you’ve... Read More
Writing without pants: The life of a creative copywriter
My bum is in the wind, feeling a bit of an early chill as it wisps past. The butterflies in my stomach are playing shuttlecock with my breakfast Berocca and I can’t quite decide if it’s Jimi Hendrix or the Gossip who will get me through the day. Yes folks, I am a modern day adventurer. I’m jacked into the internet tighter than a ‘Snog, Marry, Avoid’ casualty is into her spandex. I wear to great clumping robot arms on each wrist to stop my... Read More
I’m Crowdsourcing an eBook. Am I crazy?
Earlier this month, I popped up a little post about the Spunky Little Marketing eBook. If you missed the story, basically it’s about inspiring myself to write an eBook by using Deadline Party Theory. I’ve promised myself I would write an eBook most of 2012 and have failed to shuffle that bad boy up from TO DO LIST to the magical place where red pen is applied as a sign of completion. As important as I think it is (especially being a copywriter,... Read More
Roadtesting: No B.S Trust Based Marketing
Taking the opportunity to catch up with some reading during my holidays, I tackled No B.S Trust Based Marketing. I was seeking something that could help the countless startups I have worked with, some information and guidance on how to foster trust with consumers quicker. What started out as promising very rapidly deteriorated into a complete an utter waste of my time. Here’s how: Customers are Irrational “I bought the entire book... Read More
Case Study: Infinity Professional ChangeMakers relaunch
Background: Educator and personal coach, Karen Lambert, was looking for a way to cut above the noise and clutter within the personal coaching industry and develop a strong presence online. Her coaching service was failing to attract the clientele who would most benefit from her services. Objective: Establish a niche market within the highly competitive field within performance coaching Create a strong, SEO friendly presence through website copy Identify... Read More
Case Study: eXpertLocal Launch
Background: Collaborative consumption startup, eXpertLocal, was looking at launching at the beginning of 213. CEO Jervis Bharucha engaged Unashamedly Creative to help with the initial marketing and planning, main website copy, and to generally support marketing, content and social media initiatives for the new business. Objective: To create a strong, SEO friendly presence through website copy To create content to help customers learn about experienced... Read More
A to Z of Hosting Ideas on eXpertLocal
A to Z After spending a little time in a hammock in Hawaii and being up close and personal with a little too much cheese and cider, the team of eXpertLocal have come up with an A to Z of suggested tours you could host! A is for art gallery tours. With a huge number of small, pop up and interesting art installations in Sydney, a locals guide to all things art is totally a must! B is for beer tasting. Between the Red Oak Brewery, the Mac and several... Read More
Be a host on eXpertLocal!
Are you on the search for the best iced coffee in town? Why not build a posse via eXpertLocal? Experience based collaborative consumption business eXpertLocal has just launched and they’re on the lookout for hosts! What does a host do? A host is a person like you who turns their knowledge and love for a particular topic into an experience for other people. It’s basically like being a tour guide, only showing what you think is cool... Read More
Toilet Paper from Germany, Chalk to Mozambique. The mmMule Story.
Avis Mulhall Avis Mulhall is bright, colourful and full of life- even though she suffers from Crohn’s Disease, has spent considerable time under the surgeon’s knife and was staring down the barrel of death barely six weeks after she arrived in Australia and started working on her then fledgling startup. Full of pluck and tremendous character, Avis shines through as part of the magic of mmMule and its charity arm, AngelMule. An Irish lass... Read More
Breaking bread with the unknown. The Eat With Me story.
beth- eat with me Ever been to a new town for business and felt like a complete Nigel no friends as you ate because you didn’t have anyone to catch up with? Or maybe you’ve wanted to hold a sumptuous dinner party and known it’s going to be lost on hubby and the kids? Liisa Vurma and Bethany Jones understand these pains, and that is why they have started Eat With Me- a collaborative consumption business where you can find other people to eat... Read More
Thanks to this lasagne, I can now surf. The MamaBake story
The wave of collaborative consumption. Just the tonic needed for an Australia that keeps being told its poor, in environmental crisis and disconnected! The original Mamabakers Thanks to this lasagne, I can now surf. The MamaBake story Michelle Shearer lives in the beautiful Mid North Coast of New South Wales. One afternoon a friend had made too much food and rang up to ask if Michelle and her family would like some lasagne. The act of sharing dinner... Read More
Business for all the right reasons- The MeeMeep Story
There is a new startup wave that is not driven by getting what you have ready in order to sell off for a profit or make waves in the usual sense. The co-founders who work on it aren’t imagining Ferraris in the garage or floating themselves for millions on the stock exchange, although some do dream of connecting with the world’s charities or sipping tea with Richard Branson. These new entrepreneurs want to create community, encourage sharing and... Read More
Going Mobile!
Things are getting super mobile in the world of Unashamedly Creative of late. It’s pretty amazing to see the explosion of content and usage of mobile Apps as more and more people change over to smart phones. Currently, I have 3 projects now on mobile with another to come (which I will talk about closer to release). Check them out! Gomi: A new client of mine, Gomi, is a great little App that allows you to keep your local streets clean and... Read More
eXpertLocal is now recruiting hosts!
Guess what everybody? I’m super proud to announce eXpertLocal is now officially open and ready to take hosts! What this means is my latest awesome collaborative consumption client is looking for passionate locals who would love to share their version of beautiful Sydney with other people by setting up a tour. It doesn’t matter if you are a mad keen fitness enthusiast looking to do a surfing sea-fari or if small bar crawls, checking out live... Read More
Spunky little free marketing eBook
Must be all the festive season stuff happening but I have decided that I’d like to write my very first eBook and give it away. I need your help! To be honest, eBooks have been high on the priority of 2012 and I simply haven’t made the time to do one. So I am calling on the crowd to help me kick that nasty habit of simply looking at the idea on the TO DO LIST and adding a bit of deadline party theory to it. You need to inspire me to get it off... Read More
Obnoxious Social Media Boils My Potato
Today appears to be rant day for most of my Facebook friends so I figure why the hell not join in? Here is my rant on why obnoxious social media boils my potato. First of all, what is obnoxious social media? Well, it’s the kind that hasn’t quite come to grips with the word “social” being in the title and is still standing up and screaming like traditional advertising, only worse. It’s trying to cajole you into bending to its will on a social... Read More
Planning the Freelance Jungle for 2013
Who’s a cheeky monkey? A very quick note to say the Freelance Jungle is having a nap in December but will be returning for January 2013. It’s also jumped ship to Meetup so that you can join the group and catch up on the events you want to attend. The Freelance Jungle is a social club for freelancers. We get together, share our monthly stories and drink some fine jungle juice. It’s free, it’s not about presentations and people won’t try... Read More
Climb out of my ear please- I’m doing stuff!
“It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic, is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.” Theodore Roosevelt Everyone’s a critic Apart from a terribly delicious word such as ‘behooves’ getting airplay, good old Teddie is bang on the money. It never ceases to amaze me how many people feel it necessary to hack at the shins of the people who are just... Read More
The Dumbest Mistakes a Startup Can Make
Having worked with the likes of successful startups Space Heroes Universe, Pozible and Open Shed, as well as keeping my finger on the Australian and overseas startup scenes, I’ve noticed a couple of really (and I mean face palm central here) mistakes startups can make. Want to know what the dumbest mistakes startups can make so you can avoid them? Great! Let’s do this thing. 1. Not Taking Content Seriously This is pretty much the... Read More
Guest Post: Five Profitable Green Business Start Up Ideas
Carlo Pandian is guest blogging on a subject I just love- green businesses! take it away Carlo! Read More Like my style? Enjoy the content? Contact me if you need custom content created or marketing help! Read More
Why is Creativity Important in Marketing?
Admittedly, there are self indulgent idiots within the marketing industry who have given creativity a bad name by making campaigns that are heavy on the abstract and light on the message. However I do believe most customers, clients and people can spot the difference between ‘wanktivity’ and ‘creativity’. Therefore I make it my mission to prise the word ‘creativity’ back out of their cocaine encrusted, award clutching hands and explain... Read More
The Rise of Co-working Spaces: A Sharehouse of Ideas
Larissa Meikle from the Loop pops buy to share some news and views on co-working! Take it away Larissa! Read More Like my style? Enjoy the content? Contact me if you need custom content created or marketing help! Read More
10 Ways to De-stress this Christmas
Got more things to do than a Men’s Shed’s got Dad jokes? Want to do things in a more meaningful and less cash heavy way this silly season? Then have I got the hot tips for you. Check out 10 awesome ways to keep your cool this Christmas with collaborative consumption! Save Money: Christmas takes enough of a slug out of the purse with food, holiday bookings, presents and so on- the last thing you need to do is buy equipment to make Christmas happen.... Read More
Roadtesting: A Whack on the Side of the Head
It’s super hard to believe ‘A Whack on the Side of the Head’ has been kicking sand into the face of boring approaches for 25 years or more. Why? Because for stuff that makes perfect sense it’s surprising more people and companies haven’t taken it on board yet! This is my little bouillabaisse summary of what the book gave me – I’m pretty sure it will give you something else, so if you can, please get your mitts on a copy. Anyway, let’s... Read More
69 Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Marketing
It was my birthday the other day and I realised I have been in marketing for over 17 years. In that time, I have seen a heck of a lot of things change. So it made me wonder how I have managed to stay sane, keep with the times and metamorphosis into a strategic freelance marketer. 69 Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Marketing is a result of that pondering. The various forms of advice help keep me going in the right direction. I hope you enjoy it and... Read More
Roadtesting: Maverick Startup
I picked up the Maverick Startup by Yanik Silver as it seemed to have a bit more substance than the usual “go team go!” style startup book. Startup is a difficult subject because in reality, there isn’t a road to fame and fortune, a bunch of stencils you need to fill in for guaranteed success or even consensus in the approach you can take to be a success. Startup is in essence the ultimate bootstrapping challenge. And as you are bootstrapping... Read More
Retail Survival Guide: The real reason why online kicks butt
Bricks and mortar retail- hitting a brick wall? The reality is you can still walk into a bricks and mortar store, stand around for ages whilst the staff have a giggle fest, once they finally notice you are there they can’t answer any questions and then you find out the model you want is 3 weeks away, can’t be delivered to your house and doesn’t have extended warranty. As soon as after care is needed, no one is picking up the phone,... Read More
Retail Survival Guide: Myths and Misconceptions
We’re hearing a lot in Australia currently about how retail is suffering and having a bad time of it. So how can you as a retailer, small or large, help yourself to survive? Consider this your retail survival guide! Myths and Misconceptions First of all, dealing with this problem effectively needs to start with a little bit of myth busting. Ready? It’s not cheap imports via internet shopping that is causing you problems. Price isn’t always... Read More
Using Twitter as Your Blog’s Loud Hailer
So you’ve planned out your blog, checked a few blogging lessons and you’ve got a hankering to get it out into the world. Great! Meet your new best friend, Twitter. Look, Facebook is OK but if you want more than your mates reading your stuff, Twitter should be your main social media. With Twitter, you end up with the following reach: Your followers, Under specific topic headings via tags, The followers of your followers, Via trending topics, As... Read More
6 Roadblocks That Cost You Customers
Imagine if you had a long deserved holiday planned and you had to travel in the car for a couple of hours to get there. Now imagine if little things beyond your control started making the drive longer, unpredictable and stressful. You’d end up starting your holiday with a poor first impression that may even affect the whole vacation. The same applies to your online experience. Customers are travelling to your site to enjoy your product. That journey... Read More
9 Things Your Product Cannot Be
No, I am not talking about whether your moose nostril hair trimmer will fly, I am talking generally about the 9 Things Your Product Cannot Be in terms of what will survive in an increasingly competitive market and survive as a startup. Are you ready? Your Product Cannot Be… For everyone Seth Godin says “a product for everyone is a product for no one” and it’s true. You need to know who your fine little wedge in the market is and speak... Read More
Roadtesting: Word of Mouth Marketing
You’d have to be living under a rock somewhere not to know the power of word of mouth marketing. Trouble is it’s such a hard thing to cultivate it often ends up in the marketing too hard basket. So in an effort to check out if there is a magic formula, I picked up Andy Sernovitz’s Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking. Here is what I got from it. People trust opinions from people who haven’t let them down previously.... Read More
Copywriting No-No List
Being a creative Sydney copywriter, I do dig around in cyberspace a lot checking out how people go about their writing. Sometimes I stumble across things that make me cringe, wonder what the heck the person was thinking or shake my head in bemusement. If you don’t want someone like me or your customers having the same reaction to what you write, avoid the copywriting no-no list! 1. Writing to ‘match’ your competitors. Find your own... Read More
Staying on the Ball
This week has been one of those weeks where my pencil didn’t seem sharp enough. As a creative copywriter required to churn out all kinds of assets each week, feeling flatter than a pancake that’s tangled with a steam roller is not a good thing. So I try* to stay sharp with the following things: Change Scenery I have an awesome setup at home, however it does become painful to spend home and work in the same spot. When I find this is the case,... Read More
The Results of the TaskRunners Survey
Thank you to everyone who who took the time to respond to the very first survey by new collaborative consumption business, TaskRunners. For those of you who don’t know, TaskRunners aims to carve out opportunities for free time and extra cash by sharing tasks across neighbourhoods and communities. This exciting little client of mine is run by soon-to-be-mumma on a mission Cheryl Leong who is throwing her all behind hooking up people with assistance... Read More
Interns and Startups in Australia
It’s super popular to grab an intern for some extra work with your social media, blogging and whatever else you have going. However there is a lot of misconception about what you can and can’t do with an intern in the startup arena. Having investigated this for a couple of my clients, this is what I found out after speaking with Fair Work Australia. Unless you are a registered arts body or not-for-profit, you need to either pay your intern... Read More
Roadtesting: Who Killed Creativity?
As someone who carries a title of ‘unashamedly creative’ and talks about being a ‘creative copywriter’ choosing a book called “Who Killed Creativity?” seemed like a logical thing to do. I was super sceptical at first when it talked about paralleling crime scenes and psychological profiling with the creative process but having now finished it, I am really, really pleased with this book. Having read a heap of business, marketing, abnormal... Read More
Pozible Crowdfunding for Startup
Last night I crashed an intimate evening of people discussing how to use crowdfunding for startup with Pozible Co-founder Alan Crabbe. Why crowdfunding and startup? Crowdfunding is a great way to measure early adoption of your product and/or to financially support your goals in a way that can also be used to demonstrate popularity with Angels, funding bodies and more. But how do you use it to its best advantage? The platform is a tool: The... Read More
Clients in the News
It’s always super rewarding to see Unashamedly Creative clients kick goals but September has been especially awesome for TaskRunners, Open Shed and Space Heroes. Cheryl from TaskRunners at the Breakfast Point Fair TaskRunners First Public Appearance I met Cheryl from TaskRunners 3 months ago when she was still working her full time job and just about ready to make the leap into the dizzying world of startup. Since then, Cheryl and I have... Read More
Not everyone can write
Back in the 90’s when I left school and started studying creative writing, the amount of weather worm adults who gasped in horror at the idea of throwing away time, energy and brains on writing was astounding. I am sincerely glad I didn’t become a psychologist now, which was the second choice. With the rise of social media and blogging, it’s truly a great time to be a creative copywriter. Writing is the popular kid on the block. More popular... Read More
Bill Tai at SydStart 2012
Bill Tai was someone I was definitely looking forward to at SydStart and he didn’t disappoint. There is just something nice about understated honesty and you have to respect a guy who compares business to the thrill and adrenalin of kite surfing. According to Bill, a startup business is like a wave- you can only ever be in front, behind or on the wave itself. Too early and even the best idea will just end up not quite getting to shore, too late... Read More
Screw Blogging Rules
There is something slightly obnoxious about blogging rules. They get this little creative Sydney copywriter in a tizzy. Usually because some poor client I’ve inherited has been frightened off blogging because of some nincompoop and their mystical set of rules. Balderdash! The reality is SEO, guest blogging, frequency of posting, post timing and so on are all trumped by one thing- the quality. Join me in screwing blogging rules and be prepared the... Read More
Be your own strategic freelance marketer
It’s easy for me to stand up on the roof and shout “look at me, I’m a creative Sydney copywriter and strategic freelance marketer!” but what would be the point if I didn’t take my own medicine and try to write a lot and market myself? When you become a freelancer your clients don’t just turn up at your door asking to hire you. Even the super popular ones are rocking it through making themselves known to people on a regular basis. You... Read More
Australia- you so hot right now!
After a cruisy beginning to the Sydstart morning, Pollenizer unleashed a firecracker in Mick Liubinkas. Funny, energised and just that smidge of rye that grabs attention, his presentation was the double barrel Espresso needed to get the presenter specific portion of SydStart humming. Here’s what I took from what Mick had to say: Focus- none of the B2B and B2C “let’s stick a leg over both sides of the fence and hope it works” stuff. Pick... Read More
SydStart Morning Couch
You’d think after living in Sydney for seventeen years I would know how to get off a bus in the city near Town Hall and find the Sydney Convention but…well…there are pancakes that have a better sense of direction than me. That, coupled with not being a morning person meant I missed what seemed a nice wee jam on the couch as the kick off to SydStart. It was honestly quite nice to peel back a door, not know who the heck anyone was and... Read More
Pinterest 201: Pinning to Get Noticed
There’s content flying all around Pinterest at the moment and there is a lot of talk about how it can benefit your creative pursuits or marketing. But how can you make that happen? Well, check the Pinterest basics first and then jump on board for this edition, Pinning to Get Noticed. Think about how it can work for you Planning any kind of social media is a better way to go than to just dive right in and Pinterest is no exception. For some businesses... Read More
Pinterest 101
Already making a huge splash in the market, Pinterest is proving extremely popular with people- especially women. So how do you make the most out of Pinterest for your business? Consider this your 101 on starting Pinterest on the right foot. The basics: Registration: If you are going to use an existing social media login for your Pinterest registration, Twitter is the better choice when compared to Facebook. Facebook only links Pinterest to your... Read More
Case Study: Opportunity Knox
Background: As a business to business site servicing the import/export market between Australia and China, Opportunity Knox needed to improve their online presence and cater for the two markets appropriately. Unashamedly Creative was brought in to work on the copy. Objective: To draw on knowledge of the Asian market to create copy that set the Sydney based company ahead of other choices in the Chinese market for entrepreneurs seeking design, manufacturing,... Read More
TaskRunners becomes Unashamedly Creative!
The latest startup as part of the Australian collaborative consumption movement, TaskRunners Australia, has joined the Unashamedly Creative portfolio! Since the collaborative consumption (or collcon as it is affectionately known) hit Australian shores in earnest, over 60 new businesses have sprouted around the country. The latest, TaskRunners, is about bringing people together to lighten the domestic burden, help small business operators and give... Read More
Roadtesting: The Mesh by Lisa Ganksy
Considering the rise of collaborative consumption in Australia, it was time to take a look at the Mesh by Lisa Gansky. Here is what I gained from reading it. Trust: Anything to do with community, trust is fundamental. Trust is a social currency too and the best way to build it is through hyper-social activity. The more social people feel, the more likely they are to connect and the more connection they make, the more trust will follow. The more trust,... Read More
Customers are People First
In this day and age, where we know that people have access to Google, review sites, social media and word of mouth in order to make an informed purchase decision, it still boggles the mind that some companies and products insist on treating their intended customers like idiots. It might be oddly comforting to think everyone fits into one cookie cutter design, or that we truly are “sheeple” that have no clue what we are buying but attitudes like... Read More
The A to Z of Aussie Freelance Resources
If you freelance and you are in Australia, here are a few things that’ll probably make your life easier. If you have any to suggest, by all means send them through! Couple of notes: I have tried to be accurate with URL and description, however if I have got something wrong somewhere, do let me know this too! Any mistakes are not intentional. This list has been done voluntarily. I’ve tried to keep it relevant and helpful to Australia but not include... Read More
Updated: A to Z of Aussie Collaborative Consumption
Welcome to a list I hope will grow and come to life as the collaborative consumption movement does in Australia. Please feel free to email me at any time to let me know of new things you find or have started up so I can add them to the list. The list is up to date as of APRIL 2013 (now in 12th revision!?), so if you are missing or know someone who is, let me know! Couple of Points: 1. I have tried to be accurate with URL and description, however... Read More
Roadtesting: The 4 Steps to the Epiphany
Part textbook with worksheets, part case study and all customer development model book, the 4 Steps to the Epiphany does read like homework, but it is the homework that a lot of businesses fail to do that could increase their chances of success. Here is a book trying to educate people away from failure using a very common sense idea- develop for the customer. The 4 Steps to the Epiphany refutes the notion that start-ups should “fail fast” (the... Read More
Open Shed gets a makeover!
The gang held a wee bit of a working bee and spruced up some of the Open Shed features recently. The aim is to make your Open Shed experience a member friendly and community orientated one, so they’ve done a lot of work around making things easier to use and more flexible for your needs. Here are the major changes in no particular order. Makeover Time Whilst Open Shed is still the collaborative consumption site you know and love, it’s had... Read More
Always Start From Scratch
When you are invited to do some else’s marketing or copywriting, it can be tempting to take a look at what has gone before and go from there. But the trouble with this approach is you don’t give yourself or the product in question the opportunity to take advantage of a fresh eye. Here are the top 4 reasons why you should always start from scratch. 1) Fresh Eyes Are Invaluable When a group of people have been working on something for a while,... Read More
Guest Post: Give a man a fish … Teach a man to fish
Continuing our freelancer guest post series is Karen Lambert- a personal coach who can help you build confident connections with clients, Angel investors and more. Take it away Karen! Give a man a fish … Teach a man to fish So the story goes that if you give someone a fish they’ll eat for a day, but if you teach them to fish they’ll eat for a lifetime. The message – learn stuff that helps you to survive and you’ll... Read More
Guest Post: Social Media 101 (mark II)
Social Media 101 (mark II) This is Part Two of a Two-Part Blog Series by the Queen of Social at Sarah Allen Consulting on how freelancers can use social media marketing to get results. If you missed Part One or would like a refresher, click here. Howdy freelancers. You’ve had a few weeks now to digest Part One on Social Media 101 for Freelancers, which was all about the importance of seeing social media as a conversation, finding... Read More
Guest Post: Taking Care of the Basics
For this blog in our freelancer series Tony Keen from TK Proofreading is Taking Care of the Basics. Oh, and if you need a proofer and you mention this blog Tony is giving a generous 20% off his services! Take it away Tony! TAKING CARE OF THE BASICS You may be great at expressing yourself in the written form, but if you can’t get the basics right nobody will take what you have to say seriously. As a writer it really frustrates me to see the most... Read More
Roadtesting: Purple Cow by Seth Godin
There are a lot of books written on marketing and now with blogs, it can be a situation of truly wondering if you are going to get some real advice, or just “marketing wash” to sell the book or blog itself. Some advice is so dated it sounds like a “comes with free steak knives” style ad in your head. Other stuff is just pure SEO work that values ranking over content. Snore! But once in a while there is a marketer who truly knows what they... Read More
It’s not “Do not buy anything ever” month!
Can you help me defend what is a cracker of an idea? “Buy Nothing New” month is being featured in a poor light in the Daily Telegraph. Take a look at the article here and please make your own determination but… This October, it is planned that two people will be housed in a sustainable pop-up house in Sydney’s CBD. They will have to source all their clothes and all the furniture for the house second hand. It’s promoting... Read More
How I help me get things done
In response to reading “Getting things Done” I have captured a few of my own personal points and organisational ideas. Hopefully they help you. Feel free to share what you find works too. I’m bang up for anything that improves productivity. Organising stuff: a) Asana is great for managing the workflow of a project piece by piece, but nothing seriously beats moving away from the desk and drawing things out manually on paper. b) To Do Lists are... Read More
Roadtesting: Getting Things Done
Took advantage of the chronically rainy long weekend to get stuck into David Allen’s “Getting things Done.” Firstly, it’s more written for white collar, middle management people who are looking to keep work and life in balance and keep the boss happy. Not that this is a bad thing, but it will take some adapting to try and translate it for a freelance or startup person. Secondly, it is worth the read… but be prepared to skip things a... Read More
Drivers Ed for Backseat Drivers
Anyone who has ever worked at an advertising or marketing agency, as a freelancer or in roles like product manager knows just how annoying backseat driving can be. Beyond being annoying backseat driving is downright dangerous. Let me explain why being a backseat driver not only sucks, it’ll cause you to crash. You asked for directions for a reason… When you approach someone for help it’s because you have already identified you need someone... Read More
CASE STUDY: Space Heroes Universe Character Refinement and Development
Background: A start-up in the virtual world space Space Heroes Universe prides itself on story driven elements intermingled with online community building and game play amongst children. Geared at the 6 to 12 year old market, creating believable, fun and appealing storyline characters together with appeal to the Gen X parental market is extremely important. Unashamedly Creative was engaged to work with the Marketing Director to flesh out some of... Read More
Stop breaking your children!
You know what really boils my potato? Hearing from friends and people I come across that in this day and age, there are still parents out there who treat creative endeavours, start-ups and small business adventures and/or major changes to career and way of life by their adult children as “things to grow out of”. That parents are vocally objecting to their adult kids chasing dreams or at the very minimum quietly stressing enough in the corner for... Read More
Put the Fishing Pole Away
It’s great to get advice on your creative endeavours and your business ideas. In fact, working with people and collaborating is a great way to get a fresh insight on what you are doing. But sometimes asking for advice really does come down to one simple question: Do you want opinions or do you just want validation? We are all guilty at some point or another of wanting to hear what we want to hear, but when it crosses over into the business world... Read More
Make the Most Out of Collaborative Consumption
Having recently started a series of interviews for the lovely lasses at Business Chicks on collaborative consumption, I have found most of the #collcon businesses out there face the same problems. Those problems are potential customers like the idea of sharing, but we worry about what might go wrong if we trust another person. And we want other people to lead the charge before we dip our toe in, and if that doesn’t happen, we walk away. So for... Read More
Don’t be a Start Up Slum Lord
I was shocked and horrified to see a blog on an Australian women’s site recently about how entrepreneurial it was to use online auction sites. It really, really yanked my chain as both a freelancer and a woman that they would offer such a solution, especially under the guise of entrepreneurial spirit. Are you having a giraffe? I have worked with countless small businesses, NFPs and start-ups and I know the budget is tight but seriously, let me spell... Read More
Social Media Expert Schmexpert
Admittedly, I have a tongue like cactus at time and can be a little quick to fire the opinion gun. And I can be a little stubborn at times when it comes to letting go of an opinion once formed. This is why I have sat on this particular topic before putting pen to paper for nigh on two years now. But enough mulling over, it has to be done. It must be said. I seriously cannot stand people who call themselves “social media experts”. Harsh? Maybe.... Read More
Acing Email Marketing Campaigns
As a creative copywriter, I have been asked to make suggestions and generally improve overall performance of email marketing campaigns for more than a decade. Consider these tips your guide to help make your email newsletters and/or campaigns sparkle! Choose Responses over Clicks One of the most common dilemmas my client’s come to me with is that their click through rate has gone down. This is worrying sure, because one of the metrics we are trained... Read More
Quick and Dirty Guide to Collaborative Consumption Renting
You’ve opened up your shed, cupboards and in all the nooks and crannies to find stuff to put on Open Shed, and now you have a list of things you would like to put on the site. Yet it all looks a little daunting, right? Well fear not little Share Bear! Here is your Quick and Dirty Guide to Renting on Open Shed! Break it Down Easiest way to start is to grab a piece of paper and pen and just write down what you have and see what you think would be... Read More
Just Don’t Move: Pt 3
I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. Here is my third and final part of the series entitled “Just Don’t Move” We’re rolling out a National Broadband Network…Unless you live in Waverley- iiNet is my provider and have... Read More
Just Don’t Move: Pt 1
I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. Here is my first part of the series entitled “Just Don’t Move” First Hurdle: My Electricity Company Thinks I am a Shapeshifter- I notified the electricity (Energy Australia) of our new address... Read More
Just Don’t Move- Intro
I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. After dealing with my recent move from Redfern to Waverley I have told my partner I never ever want to move again. They’ll need one hell of a big shoe horn and a crate full of tranquilisers to get me out... Read More
Roadtesting: Juicing the Orange
The funniest reaction I have had to reading this book is someone half jokingly asking “Do you really need a book for that?” Not sure if they have a 50% leaning to me being somewhat dim enough not to know how to make orange juice (I can…well, I could if I wanted to, honest!) or commenting on why creativity is needed so desperately in marketing, but here it is, “Juicing the Orange”. Obviously what attracted me was the idea of creativity... Read More
Do you follow brainmates?
Are you a Product Manager? Do you follow the brainmates community? Then they need to hear from you! As a member of the brainmates Product Management community, brainmates are inviting you to help improve the quality of their offerings via the brainmates Customer Satisfaction Survey. It is their aim to create a brainmates experience that really works for you- from training through to consulting, content and eMuse, events and more- based on your feedback.... Read More
Case Study: Barossa Real Estate
Background: Situated in the heart of Australia’s leading wine region at Tanunda, Barossa Real Estate was an established business within the Barossa Valley, South Australia. Surviving on a placeholder web page and working in the highly competitive and ever changing game of real estate, Barossa Real Estate (BRE) needed both copy and web solutions to differentiate their business from others in the area. Objective: • Go beyond providing information... Read More
Updated: Some Pretty Cool Stuff
The internet has become a pretty cool playground! Whether you are creative, into business or chasing a new way to crack a project, there are some definitely head turning newbie’s out there. Here are a few of my current favourites. Note: I have taken them from the angle of how they help creative people and businesses because that is what interests me. Most of these do however have much further reaching applications. Plan Big: PlanBig has been around... Read More
Crush it- I freakin’ love it!
I did the super uber nerdy reader thing in January and went to one of those “50 Books You Have to Read” for business people. What can I say, I was a little tired of re-reading my current collection and really don’t like snuggling up with a good blog before I go to bed. From that list, beyond the Richard Branson books I already had (being a card carrying Fanson, you know I had to have them!) I chose an unremarkable number of books- 6 to be exact.... Read More
The Empowered Consumer
We hear a lot these days about how we as consumers are the mercy of big corporations, are being dealt a rough hand by paying over inflated prices or are being mislead by advertising more than ever. I have to say, what utter hogwash! It appears to me consumers (and we are all consumers in one way shape or form) are more empowered than we have ever been. Here’s how: We can shop however we want, whenever we want Australia really has come into its own... Read More
A Fab Feb eMuse from brainmates!
Welcome to the Fabulous February edition of eMuse! We’ve got exciting news about a new partnership, we look at the minimum viable product with Adrienne, Nick dons his spacesuit for some sci-fi inspired innovation, Nat implores us not to forget the buyer and the brainmates get set to get conversational in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne with Product Talks. Read on to find out more!In this issue: brainmates and Ryma: Delivering Product Management... Read More
Collaborative what now?
This post is dedicated to all of the wonderful people out there who are embracing collaborative consumption on a business and everyday level who sometimes find it a little bit hard to explain the concept to friends, family and people in the street. In particular, this is my little bit of love for the guys from Open Shed. What the heck is all this stuff about Collaborative Consumption? Take yourself back to kindergarten or pre-school… Here you... Read More
Take Time Out for YOU!
It’s fair to say that we all work pretty hard these days, right? We’re constantly connected to work through emails on our phones. We’re always chasing down leads or ideas or working on grand plans on the outskirts of what we are trying to achieve. But you have to take time out for you, else you become some husk, some shell of what you need to be and let me tell you, both your productivity and your emotional, mental or physical health could suffer. How... Read More
