5 Ways to Find Yourself in an Inbound Agency

A lot has changed since my first baby steps into the digital marketing industry, and I have a feeling there will be lots of changes around the corner.

It has been almost nine months since I first walked through the doors of Boom and being introduced to a world of creativity, strategy and design.

I was lucky enough to meet Emma and Adam at the end of 2017, at a time where I was facing a massive decision about the future of my career. Not so shortly before this I was drifting away into the shoes of a financier and was beginning to lose sight of what I wanted to gain from my future.

As Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”. I knew that my journey into digital was about to begin.

If you are just about to start your journey into digital, here are the 5 ways to find yourself within an inbound agency:

1. Swim to the deep end

Your comfort zone can be your best friend and also your worst enemy. It can show you your inner strengths and help you chisel out realistic goals. On the flip side, it can also stop you from being stretched to the limit and reaching your full potential.

With an array of opportunities around you, why not take a leap of faith and push yourself to learn something new? That means next time you know there is a client meeting or a new project, step forward and offer your expertise. Who knows, you may learn something new!

Put it this way, you can’t just be a digital marketer. There are many ways to be a part of digital, if its designing, presenting, strategising, website developing or even project managing, there are many awesome costumes that can be tried on. Not every role will fit, but that’s not the point. The point is that out there is a superman suite ready in your size.

Go out of your way to try something new and don’t worry about mixing your abilities, your skill-set could be made of an exquisite cocktail of flavours that could really stand out from the crowd.

2. Don’t be afraid to say no!

You want to impress and throw yourself out there, but be aware of you own capabilities. There is no need to fill up your task app with bundles of jobs when you are already drowning in workloads. You will work better when you are not stressed, and the quality of your work will no doubt improve.

‘‘The people who you want to surround yourself with are those who will respect your boundaries, even if initially they feel upset or disappointed.’’ : Jennifer Rollin - 2016

The power to say no doesn’t come over-night and can take time with any new place of work. Having confidence in not only your capabilities but also your workload shows that you're in control.

No doesn’t have to be such a negative word… use it wisely and watch as the relationship between you and your team grows. After all, who doesn’t like honesty!

3. Clients, work colleagues. Same thing!

What’s the difference between your team members and your clients? Trick question? There is none!

We all want to reach the same goals and must rely on one another to make this happen. By having a strong relationship with the people that you work with, productivity improves ten-fold.

It’s not about what you have been asked to do or what your client needs from you, its about going the extra mile whenever you can. Educate and provide guidance when you see an opportunity, so that your clients are not only satisfied, but you have exceeded all expectations.  

Swap B2B and B2C with H2H (human 2 human) and treat your clients is if they are part of the family.

4. The power of inspiration

Do you sometimes struggle to find that special eureka moment with your campaign strategies? Time to use the power of inspiration!

‘‘Inspiration is a feeling, or an influence, that not only motivates you, but also makes you feel good about the work that you’re doing. And that's exactly why those moments of inspiration often come from the most unlikely of places.’’ : Erik Devaney - 2017

Advertisements are now part of our everyday lives, so most of the time we only remember them on a subconscious level. Each and every one of these adverts has had weeks, if not months of planning from experts within the marketing field. So, why not use these carefully crafted ideas to enable your own further learning.

Next time you see an ad on your newsfeed that gripped your attention, share it with your team and explain why it appeals to you so much. Besides, you may see something that others can’t!

5. Stress not

Being stressed is part of being human and can happen more often than we would like... especially when that deadline gets closer by the day. Running away from the cause of what gives us stress may seem like the only solution, but it won’t help the next time stress arrives back at your front door.

Dealing with stress not only clears your mind but also helps you focus on the task that is at hand. Take a step back, a deep breath and calm yourself. The cause of the stress may only be a small issue compared to the stress that it can lead to. Next time you find yourself drowning under pressure, take a stroke at a time and get to the surface!

Enjoy the journey

If there is anything that you should take away from this, take every step as it comes. My journey so far has been full of question marks, with many paths leading into different directions. Follow your gut and you will never take a wrong turn.