Josephine Watson

I have been screaming this from rooftops for the past decade. Specially in B2B marketing. 95% of brands are still afraid to explore beyond their old standard, but let me tell you something, your buyer is a human, that will see on a daily basis over 20-50 ads through his socials, newsfeeds and sites. Most of those ads will say nothing to the buyer. Your 50% off ad? He has seen 10 of those before arriving at yours. Another demo video? Oh, your competitors already did one before he even got to yours. Does he remember it? Heck no. It all goes into the void. He won't even register the ad. You know what he will register? Humor. Heart. Emotions. Humaniyu. Something that will make him laugh, cry. Something that will make him relate. Relate is the keyword. And most important: remember. You might be wary of what I am saying. But I have been doing exactly that for a lot of companies throughout the years and brands. And the impact has always been succesful. A great example in the Print Industry is Enfocus. Some might be sceptical, others might find it weird. But the result is there. I have heard from several customers more about Print Hard than about the latest update of PitStop. I have heard about characters we created in campaigns more often than any promo we ever did. Why does it work? Because everyone wants to belong. To be part of something awesome. And that is what I am continously fighting for. Making your brand awesome. But beware, the most difficult thing is to remain genuine. You can add a piano and a soft voice to create emotions but if it doesn't come from rhe right place, it will just go into the void.

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PR tip: If you need help with your pitches or you'd like to check a campaign before it goes live, why not run it by a journalist first? On top of my journalism, I run a content network where I match PRs and businesses with journalists writing for the likes of the Guardian, Telegraph and the FT. Whether it's a Power Hour or over a few days, you can book in a journalist (national, consumer or B2B) to brainstorm ideas or fire any burning questions at. I can also match you with journalists to knock up dazzling copy too. A PR I recently matched with a national journalist just emailed me the following lovely words this morning: "Thank you so much for organising the Power Hour and matching me with B; she was definitely the perfect fit to provide the training, given our firm's focus and areas of interest. I’m confident that what I’ve learnt will have a positive impact on our future PR efforts. Her insights were incredibly valuable, and I’m excited to start putting some of the things we discussed into practice. Thanks again for making this happen."   More details in the comments section below. DM if you'd like more info. #contentnetwork #journalists #PR

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Last week I had the pleasure of working from Bristol Old Vic with 3 lovely freelancers. We drank coffee, we chatted, we petted the co-working dog. We even did some work. If I was AI, I'd tell you about the buzz, the fresh perspectives, the problems we solved together, and how I felt connected to something bigger than my own home office. But I'm human, and the truth is I valued meeting up with thoughtful, intelligent women more than any of what AI would have you believe co-working is all about. What do you find occasional co-working sessions most useful for? ----------------------------- Hello, I'm Hannah 💊 Former doctor turned medical copywriter 🌳 Delivering content for health and wellness brands 🌹 Ready to help your business flourish with blog posts, articles, web copy, email marketing, social media posts and more 📧 Drop me a message or head over to my website - address linked above ----------------------------- #FreelanceWriting #MedicalContent #WellnessWriter #Coworking #Freelance

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'Sorry, that's going to be a bit beyond our budget - is there any chance for some wiggle room?' People working in video production will have heard that phrase a thousand times over, but knowing when to bring your price down, if at all, can be a really challenging prospect 😵‍💫 I think we're all guilty of accepting a job somewhere along the line at a lower rate than we're happy with, whether it's because we've really wanted to do that gig or perhaps it's been a quiet month and we need to get something over the line to pay the bills. Sometimes it can be worth doing if you're working with a great client who genuinely is on a budget and could prove to be a great contact, but on the flip side there can be times when the client more than likely can afford your original quote, they just want it cheaper. Or perhaps you're being sub-contracted by an agency who's looking after the end client and they want to make as much margin on your rate as possible e.g. if you're quoting £500 for a day shoot, that agency is more than likely billing the client for £800. I've definitely done jobs cheaper than I should have in the past and that's something I'm really trying to eradicate now. I'm happy to go against my own rules to some degree if I really like the people I'll be working with or if it's for a good cause, but I think it's important to not routinely take on projects with clients who just want the cheapest rate because then you're setting a trend where they'll expect that in the future. Not to mention if they do ever recommend you then the referred prospect will probably be expecting the same price their mate got it for and you'll be stuck in a rut where you won't be able to charge what you feel is right 🤷‍♂️ Obviously this is so much easier said than done when times are tough and you just need to get money in the bank, but if you've got a strong portfolio and track record of producing successful work then you should rarely be accepting lower than what you're quoting for.

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🗣️ “It’s a bit bloody RUDE!” Are you guilty of posting and ghosting on LinkedIn❓👻 Stefan Boyle issues a warning about why you should stop this and an unexpected reason why you should *always* reply… 👀 Watch our latest 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 ☕️ https://lnkd.in/etVX-2NB Reeve Social Media | Purposeful social media, that creates impact. ®️✔️

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I helped clients make thousands with X (twitter)... None had over 200 followers. Yet they closed deal after deal. How? By being trust-worthy. Here's the truth: Wales doesn't care about your follower count. 1k, 5k, 10k, 20k... It doesn't matter. What matters? ↳ You know your stuff ↳ You're the best at what you do If you run Google Ads: - Master it - Deliver results - Share wins on X They'll notice. Pro tip: Add auto-plugs after each post. Promote your offer or service. I promise: You'll see the cash roll in. So you see, More followers ≠ More sales.

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You go to agencies to hire copywriters, graphic designers and web developers. Why not go to an agency to hire your head of content, too? Avoid the rigamarole of hiring your own content department and go straight to Scon. We'll help your business start its very own content marketing pipeline: 👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 Discover your audience 📅 Build your content calendar 🖊️ Create expert content for marketing 📈 Track your success Our end-to-end service helps your business take advantage of everything content marketing has to offer, without committing to permanent hires. In other words… we're your outsourced content marketing department. #content #marketing #copywriting

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News is a bizarre business where you make a product for one crowd – then look for another to pay for it. Only about 1 in 6 UK indie news publishers turns to their readers for funds. (That's from the Public Interest News Foundation Index 2024 we launched this week.) What I've always loved about reader revenue is it's the only model where you serve a single master. No need to interrupt the user experience to please an advertiser, no need to shoehorn your editorial projects into the list of requirements of some foundation or philanthropist, no need to satisfy the changing whims of an algorithm. Make the better product your audience wants and your revenue will increase. That simple. Sure, putting the principle in practice gets a tad more complex. It can rarely be your –only– revenue source. But name me another business model that gives you instant and constant product feedback and a direct relationship with the audience. I'll wait. All that to say, 16% of indie newsrooms using reader revenue methods is puny and I'm sure we can up that number.

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Starting the week right with some fantastic protein pancakes and strawberries 🥞🍓 (so good I didn't even take a photo) and an hour of working on a project with Lizzie Davey. At the start of freelancing, I didn't realise how vital the freelance network is. I don't think it was talked about as much as it is now. Clients are, of course, key to building your business and reaching your financial, lifestyle or professional goals, but so are other freelancers and business owners in your circle. I wouldn't have had half the opportunities if I hadn't been involved in giving to the freelance community. It's a delicate balance to give and take (don't let people take you and your time for granted), but you do need to be proactive. And the best part is, you can do it in a way that's comfortable to you: share opportunities in a freelance community, give advice when you can, share tips on something that's worked for you, and let others know great tools you've come across. Organise meetups, events, or virtual co-working sessions if you feel more confident. There are so many ways you can give. And trust me, it's definitely worth the support and help you'll get back in return. ✨

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Turning Passion into Profession ❤️ 🌟Feeling Grateful and Proud🌟 I'm very happy to share this great feedback from my client, Jaree Mehdi. It means a lot to see my hard work in video editing appreciated. "Anas is a skilled video editor who consistently delivers high-quality work, demonstrating proficiency and creativity in his projects. His expertise shines through in every edit he produces." - Jaree Mehdi Every project I work on is a chance to show my creativity and skills. I always aim to do my best for my clients. This feedback shows that my hard work pays off. Thank you, Jaree, for your kind words and for trusting me with your projects. Making my clients happy is my biggest reward. Lesson for Everyone: No matter what field you're in, remember that dedication and creativity can make a big difference. Keep honing your craft, stay motivated, and always strive to do your best. Positive feedback and success will follow your hard work. To all video editors and professionals out there: Keep working hard, stay creative, and always aim high. Your efforts will be noticed and will bring you great opportunities. Let’s keep creating and inspiring! 🚀🎬 #VideoEditing #ClientFeedback #Gratitude #Creativity #HardWork #Motivation #Inspiration #ProfessionalGrowth

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<<GOOD NEWS ALERT>> Based on the stats… The campaign launched yesterday has been sent out to 26 businesses so far… The good news? NONE of them landed in spam, bounced, or blocked by any dudes! Even though there's only 1 open, I'm so glad I conquered a huge part of the equation… Because now I can focus on the more important thing… … GET REPLIES. So stay tuned for more good news. By the way… Whether your emails land in spam depends largely on your email deliverability… And it’s not just for cold email… It applies to any email addresses that are used to send out messages. Be it… to one recipient or a few thousand. It might sound like a big word… But it’s kinda like building trust between systems. … Domain and ISP (Google, Yahoo, etc)… … Domain and ESP (Lemlist, ConvertKit, etc)… … Domain and Sender (YOU!)… … and so on… I’m not an expert in this field… But I do have the basics to set them up nicely within your account… so you don’t have to worry about your emails landing in spam. If you need help with that, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

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"How to stalk your unstalkable ex!" Sound catchy (and wild), right? Well, that's the headline for an article written by Jane in The Bold Type (the TV show I'm currently binge-watching again). And, it got me thinking about how it could be a template for email subject lines. I mean, who says you can't get ideas from watching TV, right? So, I came up with these: 1. How to organize your unorganized workday 2. How to budget your unbudgeted expenses 3. How to impress your unimpressed boss They don't sound as smooth as the original. Still... What do you think? Can you use this template to create titles/subject lines? Yes? Share your ideas in the comment!

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People don't ask enough questions. (especially young people) After going freelance later last year, I've learnt so so much. But one of the most important lessons has been: ❌ Stop talking. ✅ Listen more. 💡 Ask questions. (good questions) People want people to succeed. People want to provide support and guidance to others. Yet so many people are afraid to ask people in their network questions. ↳ because they don't want to seem "incompetent" If you don't know the answer. Ask the question. Everyone at some stage, didn't know the answer - so they asked the question or actioned the experiment. If you never ask the question, you're just delaying your growth. 🤷‍♂️ Your friends, colleagues and network want to help. Be honest, be respectful, be vulnerable. Have the conversation. Ask the question. You'll be amazed at what comes from it.

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When you're thinking about recruiting, what do you prioritise? Is it adequate training, experience and the likes? Or is it about finding an individual who has a skillset that you can grow with? As a graduate (and recent graduate... again), it can be incredibly daunting to find a role straight after studies. Advertised roles expected to be perfect for early career / junior employees are pushing for the requirement of years of experience. But it's not just that. A lot of future employees feel that even with a high level of experience, training and their best foot forward, it's simply not enough. Here's my two cents: I believe that there is a level of responsibility that an employer has regarding training and upskilling of their employees - graduates or not. I've found that the best outcomes come from hiring individuals who will succeed in a learning environment - who can offer you something, but at the same time, that you can offer them. If we want to encourage growth in emerging graduates & future employees, it comes down to allowing them to do so. Developing our people is extremely important. The more we can grow and learn from one another is essential. It's time to break out of the mould and search for people who are eager and willing to do the work on themselves and your business. Pictured: Madeleine Jurd & I working together, both learning from one another and continuing to learn - because teamwork makes the dream work!

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After almost 6 months of planning, we present you Train The Freelancers (TTF) Programme. If you’re running a business whether product or service based business, and want to diversify your income into training, then this programme is for you. Increase your income, build unshakeable confidence, and be seen as the go-to expert in your field, just by sharing what you know. 💕 Can you list down at least 3 skill sets you utilise everyday in your freelance business? 💕 Can you identify the most common issues faced by your past clients? 💕 Can you think of something, an idea or advice, that you’ve repeated more than once to your past clients? If you answered yes to the above, which we know you did, you’re more than ready for what we have in store for you. Only 10 spots available. Reserve your spot now: https://bit.ly/ttf2024

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Some people on LinkedIn are so unsociable. I genuinely think some folk forget it's actually a social network. - I feel very close to some people on here - And I’ve never even met them - Closer than some people I’ve known a long time IRL So instead of holding yourself back. Or worrying about what LinkedIn is or isn’t. Remember this. - One post - One message - One connection Can change your life. - Network - Engage - Connect Don’t do things THEIR way. Do things YOUR way. - Be yourself - Be unashamedly yourself - Be unapologetically yourself Put yourself out there. Your goal every day should be to build meaningful relationships. That’s the best thing about LinkedIn for me. ❤️ PS Who wouldn't want to socialise with this guy? === If you want to transform your LinkedIn presence, I’ve just launched an online mini course. It’s a steal at £10 and will take you 1 HOUR to get through. It’s everything I’ve learned over the past 4 years of using LinkedIn: - To build my own brand - To build my own business - Generate lots of opportunities for both Here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/eq5cxMrB

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My New Favourite Software I Can’t Live Without For Easily Unsubscribing from Email Subscriptions One of my biggest bugbears is trying to unsubscribe from newsletters. Yes, I confess I'm a recovering newsletter hoarder. I love learning, and I'm a sucker for great copywriting, so I'm easily persuaded to subscribe to interesting newsletters. The problem is there are just too many. Before long, your inbox is bursting at the seams. You start feeling overwhelmed and guilty for missing out on what could be life-changing knowledge. But recently, I discovered a website that makes unsubscribing from newsletters much easier. Now I can't live without it: And here's why: Keeps You Organised: This website has all your inbox subscriptions listed in one place, making it super organised and easy. Saves Time: Unlike manually unsubscribing from every subscription, you just go down the list and click unsubscribe to the ones you don't want anymore. They are all in one place, and it's a single click. No reasons are required, and no attempts to persuade you to stay. Simple. Removes Spammers: It also shows other subscriptions you have, like third-party scammers. If it looks suspicious, unsubscribe. It Works: After finally finding the unsubscribe button written in the world's small font you think you have unsubscribed, only to find you are still being bombarded. Not with this service. Unsubscribed means exactly that. Clearer Inbox, Clear Mind: It feels good to know exactly what subscriptions you have and how easy it is to unsubscribe. If you want to unsubscribe from those newsletter subscriptions that once seemed so valuable but now clog up your inbox, then I can't recommend using this app enough. Save time and gain peace of mind.

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In Person Networking 😱 😱 😱 Big Conference or 'Micro' Networking - which is best? Last week I attended my first 'Networking Event' in London for "Marketing, Advertising, PR Startups and Professionals." I can't say I was excited about going...I put off buying my ticket until literally 3 hours before the start of the event. I was cringing at the thought. So why do it to myself? To make personal connections of course and meet some people who may be directly interested in my voiceover services. That, and accountability. I said to Marc Scott I'd do it, so I kinda had to! I took a punt on the chance that I'd be the only VO in the room at this one, and thankfully I was! There were around 25 of us. And I spoke in depth and exchanged details with them all...They included: -A number of digital marketers (some in the MedComms industry 🎉 ) -A video producer with some great clients ( 🎉 ) -A startup solopreneur launching a travel app ( 🎉 ) -An animation company ( 🎉 ) G&T in hand, the first five minutes were HARD. But then it became easier. And every bit worth the stress and ticket price. I may have even gained some new clients. Certainly prospects... So, I'm inspired now to find another event to challenge myself and I'm considering a bigger Advertising or Marketing Conference next time. But the criteria is to find one where I'm not directly competing with a million other VOs in the room... I'm still on the fence about whether better relationships are formed in a smaller pool...I'd love to know your thoughts and whether there is a simply unmissable event coming up that I should know about. #inpersonnetworking #networking #voiceover #directmarketing #medicalvoiceover #corporatevoiceover ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🎙 voice@annalawrence.co.uk

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