What are the top 3 learnings in my content marketing career that brought the most value? What advice do I wish I got when I started my professional journey in marketing? A few weeks ago, Better Digital Marketing, a Europe-based community of B2B marketers have reached out to me for an interview.

As I have a diverse background and not a linear career path, the interview starts with explaining how I ended up in the field of content marketing at all. During my 7+ years as a marketeer, and the few years of journalism before that, I have learned how critical it is to tap into the right questions, consider facts and divergent opinions, have the ability to “find the needles in a haystack”, and overall, have a curious and open-minded personality.

Based on my experience, I also share some recommendations for B2B marketing growth for the future, like which channels to use in 2021 and content marketing tactics that have worked well for me so far.

You can read the full interview here.

Can you imagine what Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Snapchat would look like if they didn’t have any content? The backbone that drives interaction and engagement is good content that attracts people instead of interrupting them.

I was honored when Isis Lima asked me to be her guest in her Call-To-Action: Women in Marketing podcast series. We had a thoughtful conversation, talking about both professional and personal matters. What are the main differences between working for a creative agency vs. sitting on the client side? Or actually, how did I end up in a B2B Marketing role? Listen to the below podcast to find out.

Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/epj96jJ
Listen on Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eqKJCCr
Listen on Google Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/erVbgv2
Listen on Achor: https://lnkd.in/egBTbhU

Branding isn't just for businesses any more. We live in times when recruiters can easily stalk your recent tweets or Instagram profile. And believe me, they do. Therefore, it is crucial to learn how to manage the way you're perceived on online platforms and offline interactions. With the right marketing and consistency, you can easily develop and grow your personal brand, which will help you achieve a competitive edge in whatever field you are competing in.

Your personal brand is in many ways a synonym for your reputation. It is what people think of you when you are not around. It is how people remember your work to be. It is how they perceive you when you are entering the room.

Why should you care?

Now you see, it takes consistent effort to make sure you are sending the right message in all directions so you are considered as a person of integrity – or a field expert, if that’s what you’re aiming for.

And there are so many advantages of building up your personal brand and going strategic about it.

Let’s just imagine that you are losing your job next week. If you have a solid reputation, an accountable personality, and maybe a portfolio website where you’ve built trust over the past months, you have nothing to be afraid of.

But you don’t need to unemployed in order to see the benefits of your personal brand. It can simply help you get more clients and new customers and expand your professional network. Bring authority and recognition to you in the industry you’re operating in. Or even qualify you to be invited to conferences or speaking events.

By now, I probably convinced you that your personal brand matters. In the following, I am going to tell you 5 hands-on tips on how you can build its foundation.

1. Use your LinkedIn network for recommendations

Have you ever been in the situation when you had to choose from 3-4 candidates or products, that seemed equally qualified and suitable? What did you do then? You turned for reviews and recommendations. It might sound as a no-brainer, but sometimes we tend to overlook the things that are easy and within reach. So yes, people actually read LinkedIn recommendations. So now is the time to ask some of your former supervisors or colleagues to formulate some nice thoughts about your abilities and give your skillset a couple of endorsements on your LinkedIn profile. Social proof is the basis of your personal brand.

2. Build a solid portfolio

The next step is let people see what you’re good at. Show it and don’t just tell. Having a portfolio is a great opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities, expertise, and personal style. Let it be a website, a Prezi, a Slideshare, a case study, or whatever you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that you don’t need to cover too many areas and impress everyone. Focus only on your key strengths and the kind of work that you want to be known for. (And eventually, paid for.)

3. Quantify your achievements

Many say that we live in a post-truth era, when it is extremely hard to distinguish between false and valid information. If we translate this thought into your reputation, then it’s obvious that everyone can say things like “I was managing human resources and was responsible for XYZ at an international company.” But who knows what these buzzwords actually mean? Be more concrete. Throw in some stats and numbers, and say instead: “I was managing an HR Team of 10 people. As a result of our employer satisfaction initiative, my Team decreased employer turnover by 40% in the past 3 years.” Sounds way more serious, doesn’t it.

4. Emphasize your uniqueness

“In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.”

— Seth Godin, The Purple Cow

The essence of this quote is that you need to find your unique selling points, and build on them. Do you dance tango or collect 60’s vinyl records as a hobby? Then make it part of your personal brand, and emphasize it where it makes sense. After all, there might be 1.000.000 aspiring graphic designers out there. But how many graphic designers who re-designed their favorite vinyl records and then made a thematic blog post or Pinterest Board about them? Don’t be shy to spice up your professional reputation with some parts of your personality. You never know which experience or part your interest will connect you with other people, and make them fall in love with you as a person.

5. Be approachable

We all know the pain of networking with meaningless handshakes and a pile of business cards that we have a hard time to connect to a face 3 hours after we got them. Real networking comes from genuine human interactions, which only genuine humans can do. Where am I getting at? At the end of the day, your smile is probably more important than your logo. Your smart answers in a real-life conversations are probably more important than your business card. Your overall character and kindness in social interactions are probably more memorable than your business name.

What are your favorite personal brands that you look up to and get inspiration from? Let me know in the comments.

It’s 6:30 AM and you hear the alarm. Your heart is already racing out of your chest. You immediately reach for your phone and check your messages. And Instagram. How many new followers did you get? What are you going to post today? Or maybe, you already woke up an hour ago so you can prepare that picture-perfect porridge for your Insta Story. Sounds familiar?

Then you are also familiar with the sad truth. That these clutches of digital compulsion don’t give you a good start of the day. When you start the day by drowning your brain with information (let it be an email thread or your Instagram Feed), you do not notice what it's like to be actually awake for the day. You forget to say good morning to yourself.

Be in charge of your habits

Some people argue that smartphones are ‘the cigarettes of our era’, in a sense that they are the kind of addiction we intuitively know is unhealthy, but still continue to use, because that is the general norm we perceive around us. According to a recent report by Emarketer, an average US adult will spend more time on mobile devices in 2019 than on TV, that is, nearly 4 hours. It’s a scary number, and if I want to be honest with you guys, my metrics would probably hit the fence even more.

Now see: if we look at our smartphone and the constant stimulation we get from it as an addiction, at least we know that addictions can be cured. Some call it digital detox and go really radical about it. I wouldn't. Let’s just imagine how you can spend a day with fewer digital distractions. From the moment you wake up until the time you go to bed, try these easy tips and be in charge of your smartphone usage, instead of your social media apps controlling you.

Morning glory

Our brain should take some time to switch from sleeping to active mode. Instead of your phone alarm, switch to an old-fashioned alarm clock, so you don’t need to reach for your phone first thing in the morning. When you wake up, imagine that your mind is like a clear blue sky without clouds, and give yourself some offline time to feel the morning you woke up to.

Check in with yourself. How do you actually feel? What are your goals for that specific day? Is it an important day, when you need to give the best version of yourself? Is it a day when you have a fully packed calendar and perhaps you’d need to achieve a little more than what is realistic?

Whatever the case is, use your brain capacity wisely. Listen to your favorite album on Spotify, do a morning yoga session, make breakfast for your partner. Focus on yourself, your surroundings, your feelings. The notifications, the likes, the to-do items will wait for you at your desk anyway.

During the day

Do you know the feeling when you are texting someone, and if he/she don’t text you right back you then you start to come up with things like, ‘Is he mad at me?’ This is just your mind playing tricks with you. Your brain needs constant stimulation and dopamine-releasing hits, and that prevents you from being focused and productive. If people don’t reply to you for hours during the day on social media, that is fine. Maybe they are just busy and focusing on something else. And you should be, too.

They say that the average attention span (that is, the amount of concentrated time a person can spend on a task without becoming distracted) is down from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to 8 seconds now. That is less than the nine-second attention span of an average goldfish. However, most psychologists agree that the ability to focus and sustain attention on a task is key for performing well at work. And well, you don’t even need to be psychologist to confirm that.

Deleting social media apps from your phone (maybe one at a time) can be a solid start. If you feel that is too radical, go for a reality check first, and try apps like Checky or AntiSocial, or the new activity dashboard on Facebook or Instagram. They will give you the harsh facts when it comes to just how addicted to your phone you really are. With Facebook and IG’s built-in dashboards, you are able to set limits on how much time you’re spending on Instagram or Facebook. Plus, you can set up a feature called Daily Reminder to alert you to when you’ve hit that limit.

Finishing off at night

Getting home after a long day, you need to slow down little by little and make your mind quiet. It is a time for reflection and socializing with the people around you. If you are a parent, apps like OurPact allows you to limit screen time for your children so you can spend more quality time together.

Finally, when it comes to sleeping, a bluelight filter is a real game-changer for a better and deeper sleep. Apps like NightOwl, or Apple’s built-in Night Shift option schedule phones to emit less blue light, which can cause people to stay awake.   

What are your ideas when it comes to healthy smartphone usage? Let me know in the comments!

We spend a quarter of our lives at work. It’s all about making that time worth it. How we feel in the morning when we enter the door, and what kind of environment we are spending our long working hours in, really does matter. What are the pros and cons of shared office spaces? Read about the latest trends, the different types of co-working spaces here. Plus hands-on tips on how to choose one.

What is what

According to a recent Global Coworking Survey by Desk Mag and Awfis Community, 82% of co-workers believe that co-working enhances work productivity, and 70% of them feel healthier than they did while working in a conventional office.

So what is co-working and how does it differ from sitting in a ’normal’ office? By definition, co-working is a style of work that involves a shared workplace. Unlike a typical office, the people at a co-working space are usually not employed by the same organization, but coming from multiple companies, industries and a diverse professional background.

The PROS

This mixed and lively atmosphere can be super attractive for startup companies, home workers, independents, or those who travel often, working in relative isolation. Being part of a co-working community means that you are surrounded by potential customers, mentors, and people that you can possibly outsource work to. The community can make you more productive and social at the same time.

As flexible working conditions are a priority for the Millennial generation, who will make up 75% of the workforce by 2030, big companies must enter the game as well. In this sense, the future of co-working could be like a “melting pot”, where early stage startups could work alongside corporate innovation teams, who work “offsite” in a co-working office and thus achieve a higher level of creative thinking.

The CONS

But shared office spaces also have their downsides, and therefore are not suitable for everyone. According to my experience, sitting at a new table every day can be a distraction for many people, so does the constant flow of new people and random noises. Good headphones are a must.

Booking a meeting room can be a hassle, especially if you need it ASAP, and it can be hard to keep your focus at times, when there are so many other things to do around you, for example, attending that upcoming meet-up or having a coffee with that cute girl working just opposite of you.

Shared office spaces – bigger or smaller?

That being said, there are different types of co-working spaces, depending on what kind of environment you are looking for. There are the big ones like Republikken in Copenhagen or Betahaus in Berlin, that can sit hundreds of people at the same time, and you can just come by on a daily basis, rent a flex seat and be surrounded by new faces. Typically, these places offer printing services and refillable tea/coffee included in their prices. A big pro argument for them is the fact that they also function as a community space: they organize events, bootcamps, or meetups on a regular basis.

If you are the type who enjoys a bit more continuity and stability in your working environment, then definitely look for a smaller shared office space. Having your own desk/island of tables and familiar faces around you, yet still being in a co-working environment of less than a 100 people let’s say, is something that we did at our own space, Studio-CPH. In that sense, there is a major difference between the family-like atmosphere of Studio-CPH and those fast-paced surroundings that they have at Republikken or Betahaus. Try to be aware of that distinction, when you are choosing a co-working place for your business.

Next level concepts: multiple cities or in-house kindergartens

In the fast evolution of co-working spaces, there are some who take the whole concept to the next level. For example, Sp8ces is grouping multiple spaces under their brand, meaning that its members can choose from different locations and have the freedom to work from a hotel, restaurant, or even an organic bistro. Their basic idea is that these public spaces are not really occupied during the daytime, so why not make them accessible for freelancers or aspiring entrepreneurs to meet and network. I found it a great concept to utilize the already available resources that we have in our cities. Not only it generates a passive stream of income for the hospitality industry, but it's also a great way of reactive marketing, as co-workers and their network could potentially become guests of the restaurant/service later on.

Another type is WeWork, which is more like a global franchise of co-working spaces, which means that by buying their membership, you have access to their co-working offices from Singapore to Paris. This service is a dream for digital nomads or professionals constantly on the go.

Last but not least, there are some pioneer projects like Loffice in Budapest, which combines the services of a co-working space with an in-house kindergarten/daycare solution for the members’ children.

Overall, co-working spaces are on the rise for a reason. The flexibility that they provide is something that fits very well with our changing lifestyle and digital workflow. However, their increasing popularity doesn’t mean that they are the perfect solution for everyone.

Have you tried working in a co-working community before? What was your experience?

Being a visual person, Instagram is by far my favorite social media channel. It doesn’t only provide the chance to connect with like-minded individuals from all over the world, but it lets you stalk your next employer from an insider point of view, or it can also be a huge source of inspiration when it comes to travelling and discovering new places. Even with its limitations, it can widen your horizon in many ways. From unknown holiday destinations to new job possibilities, there’re so many ideas you can gain from this online community.

1. Look up your future employer/employee

When sending your job application to a new company, you are curious about a thousand things. Besides the salary and the vacation scheme, you’re also keen on knowing what types of colleagues are there, and what’s the general vibe in the office. That’s why after sending in my resume, I dive right into the given company’s Instagram feed. This tactic probably works best with startups, but can also be applied to bigger companies. Most businesses use Instagram as a channel to offer a sneak peek into their social events and company culture, making it a perfect place for outsiders to get a feel of the brand and the people behind it. A great example of this is IDEO or Lunar.

IDEO’s Instagram Feed is a good example of strategic employer branding.

Needless to say, it also works vice versa. Whenever I am doing recruitment, I tend to stalk the relevant candidates on Insta, see what they are into in their everyday life, and most often follow them through our company profile. This way recruitment can also help our company’s follower base grow – from the relevant crowd.

2. Get major travel inspiration

Got yourself into the holiday mood, and you are free to pick the destination? Do yourself a favour, and before you land on Skyscanner with all of your excitement, conduct a 20-minutes inspirational research on Instagram. This can be done in various ways. If it is a last-minute trip that you’re boarding tomorrow, you can browse through the live stories by location or relevant hashtag, to see what is going on in your desired area.

If it’s a vacation where you get to decide on a destination and able to do some planning in advance, then dive into the feed of your favourite travellers and travel blogs. Accounts like @whatifwetry or @tranatravels are a major inspiration of mine. When I really want to go off the beaten track, I usually follow the steps of @nicischindler or @hobolaptop, some of my favorite wanderlusters. When you search for hashtags, make sure that you are specific (and creative) enough to get some relevant results. For example, instead of #italy, try to look for #cinqueterre, instead of #holiday, try to type in #girlslovetravel or #sunsetlovers, and so on.

Nokken in Copenhagen.

By using Instagram as a kind of travel guide, I already ended up in a hobbit village just 20-minutes from downtown Copenhagen, a beautiful thermal spa in Budapest, or a magical spot in medieval Bruges. And I wouldn’t know any of these places if it wasn’t for my Insta Feed.

3. Be part of a community of like-minded people

In general, hashtags focus attention, increase commitment and the effectiveness of posts, profiles, and marketing campaigns. In a world where we tell our stories through them, #liveauthentic, #traveltheworld, a strategic approach to hashtags is crucial to fully exploit their potential. General hashtags might have bigger search volume, but they also mean more noise and competition. Don’t get lost in the hashtag factory, choose your tags accordingly to your specific goal.

Western Australia with #passionpassport.

Take advantage of the fact that these days it is possible to follow not only users, but also hashtags on Instagram. This feature enables you to follow handpicked topics, specific moods and styles, not to mention that it is also a great tool for keeping track of your competition in a particular niche.

In the case of a strong and beloved brand like Envii or Daniel Wellington, the name of the brand used as a hashtag itself can bond a larger community. However, if you view from an SEO perspective for your profile, it's more ideal if you find (and successfully distribute) a search tag that binds users of similar topic to a particular subject. Good examples of this are #passionpassport, #darlingescapes or #enviime.

Now tell me, who else should I follow? This is your turn to throw in your IG accounts!