‘“When I was asked to write a piece for Marketing Jumpstart and contribute my voice, I was terrified. Not only have I not written anything this long since University but I knew that copywriting wasn’t my strength. But like everything else it was a challenge and a challenge I was glad to take!”"
If I were to take a time-machine back in time (preferably a DeLorean) and tell a younger version of myself that I would be working in Digital Marketing, I’d probably be kicking myself and telling my older self for not having the passion to push towards the dream of being a famous content creator or singer. My name is Michael and I am a ‘Digital Content & Support specialist’ here at Marketing Jumpstart. I am writing this piece to recount the brief journey into digital marketing and talk about the challenges I, (and others) have had to commonly overcome. More specifically building a workflow and learning the ropes in digital marketing. So here is my journey.
[Into The Unknown]
Sometimes the most confronting thing you can do in life is change. I mean, why change when it’s comfortable, right? That was the scenario I faced back in 2021. I had the choice to leave my comfortable retail job for a role in an industry I had no idea about. It was a decision that I wasn’t assured of and at times made me uncomfortable. However, I soon came to the realisation that while my current position gave me financial comfort and stability, it didn’t give me the mental growth I was truly seeking. Something had to change! So after a lot of deliberation I took the leap and quit my job in retail for a trial at Marketing Jumpstart. One week turned into one month, one task turned into multiple tasks and all of a sudden I found myself working as a contracted employee. My journey thus far has been exciting and an on-going learning experience with many challenges along the way. One in particular that challenged me the most was finding my own flow.
[Finding Flow]
In the beginning, I spent a lot of time trying to find the most productive ways to work. From working long hours in one go, to taking short intermediate breaks throughout the day, It almost seemed like I tried it all. They’re were also many variables that could change the course of a work day.
An example of this happened to me a couple days ago. I had my work planned out for the day and all of a sudden I was called into a meeting. It was an urgent meeting that had myself and the team construct a website immediately to present to a client the following day. It was unexpected, sudden and definitely threw me off balance. Another great example happened to me just yesterday. I woke up early as usual, made breakfast, made my coffee and tea, turned on my computer and… nothing. I was flat! My energy was flat, my motivation was non-existent and I couldn’t get a flow moving at all. I was as useful as a car with no wheels. So for whatever the reason may be, my day is never set in stone.
So how do I find flow? What is the best way to work? Well in my opinion, there isn’t one definitive way to work. I just decided to be more ‘flexible’. Play to my strengths and weaknesses. I started to really understand that I could only control what I could. So in the instance where work was given and due the following day; I first proceeded to reschedule my other tasks and ensured that I had competent time to complete them by deadline. I then prioritised the current task at hand, made it my focus throughout the majority of the day and ensured that I started early to allow time for review. In case of feeling flat or unmotivated, I found the best way to conquer this was to just step away and come back to it at a better time. Whether it be coming back to it within a couple hours, shifting my work to nights or even working on an entirely different day, I allow myself to work productively when it best works for me. So with all of that said, I do have a schedule. But a schedule that works for me, and one that helps me plan and adapt to the days / weeks and unexpected scenarios I have coming ahead.
‘Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend." - Bruce Lee
[Learning the ropes]
Learning is never easy, but no one ever said that it was. Learning the ropes in this industry has been one of the biggest challenges that I have faced. Whether it’s learning how a certain part of google ads work, to learning how to communicate in a remote environment. Everyday presents a new challenge or obstacle to overcome. I’ve learned that regardless of whether you enter this industry with a little, or a lot, of skills or knowledge, it’s the desire to learn and keep growing that keeps you going. I’ve failed more times than I can count, but I can also say that I’m proud of where I’ve come from and what I have learned so far. So whilst I’m not a professional at google ads, I can now check ads regularly and even create them on my own. While I am not a certified visual designer, I know how to create standard social creatives for clients. And finally yes, I am no expert at UX or UI design, but my web skills have definitely grown and I now know how to set up a web page / website or and help assist in the building of an e-commerce site. So I definitely entered with some skills before joining Marketing Jumpstart but regardless, I came into Marketing Jumpstart with the open mind to grow and learn. It would also be wrong of me not to mention that I am extremely fortunate to have access to a treasure chest of knowledge through my amazing & supportive co-workers. So I am never afraid to ask and never be afraid to learn.
[After 2 Years…]
You’d think that after 2 years in Digital Marketing & Marketing Jumpstart, I’d know what I’m doing. In reality, I don’t and I accept that. Digital Marketing is an ever changing industry that demands for you to adapt constantly and for that reason, you can really never say that you know everything there is to know. I’m constantly learning, growing and navigating this industry. While I imagine it won’t get any easier, being curious and always asking questions helps me learn and eventually overcome obstacles that are presented. The me of 2021, isn’t the same as the me of 2023, and a lot of who I am today exists because of Marketing Jumpstart, my fantastic team and the amazing clients we work with. I give every task my all and ensure that I want the best outcome not for me but for that of the company and the clients that we work for.
So if you are a business that wants an amazing digital marketing team behind you and wants what is absolutely best for your business, I can assure you that myself and the team at Marketing Jumpstart are here to help.
Click here to arrange a chat with one of our team members!
