Two questions that have revolutionized my work
My mantra when it comes to creative work is what works and what can be stronger? I say it on client calls, include it as slides in my presentation decks and I use it to analyze all projects, big and small. It is a practice that helps me teach and motivate, and for the most part, it is fail-proof.
Melissa Blum , CEO and founder of M.T. Deco.
First off, examining something in this way - whether it’s a piece of content, strategy, an email, a social media post, an idea - is predicated on the fact that I don’t think anything is ever wrong or a failure, unless it’s offensive or factually incorrect. Beyond that, anything you create has value, so when you measure it against the original goal you set, that’s where you determine what is working and what could be stronger. Essentially, what you should do more of, and what you should either pivot from or work harder on.
Here is an example in-action →
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The M.T. Deco digital strategy [fun, right?]
OBJECTIVE: Our primary goal is to create a living archive of work [case studies, motivational advice, conversations with industry professionals, tips on self-care and more to help you live your best life and do your best work] and build a community that embraces life’s multidimensional aspects while learning, sharing, and starting new conversations in a healthy & supportive way.
This will obviously take time to achieve, but it’s important to have the big picture laid out, and then set measurable goals within that to track progress. Enter, what works, what can be stronger.
I’ve broken out the way we are doing this into three initial phases. Phase 1, where we currently are, is all about getting the machine up and running. We start with the blog because it’s an owned platform and it’s where I’m able to workshop our brand voice [with lots of editorial help from our Head of Content, Jamie Finn - shoutout to Jamie who keeps this ship running! Everyone needs a Jamie, which I’ll be explaining WHY in a future blog post]. And our initial social platforms are Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, followed by Pinterest and then Twitter, which are both getting a slower start [my fault].
We’ve laid out an editorial plan that leads with a theme each month and we plan out content that touches on tips & tricks, latest in digital strategy trends, business advice and life advice. We also plan out contributor and collaboration content. As we go, we are looking for opportunities to build out franchises, listening to what seems to resonate with the audience, and what doesn’t seem to resonate as much.
For example, and as it relates to what works and what can be stronger IRL, Jamie’s letter from the editors are really starting to pick up steam, our collaboration with Megan Collins of The Manicured Shelf is gaining traction and our new series The Power of Influence had a great launch, all indicated by social platform analytics, engagement and anecdotal conversation among my network about what people are liking.
As far as what can be stronger, my workflow is slow and I’m still getting used to writing regularly every week. I am out of practice and have written more in the past 3 months than I have in YEARS! [again, thank god for Jamie’s editorial planning and flexibility here]. I think we can be highlighting more actionable tips & tricks for our audience to implement immediately - something that I hope you all see this month - and innovation. Trust me, I want to be producing reels, hosting igLives and LinkedIn Lives, getting our newsletter out, and it’s ALL coming, but we’ve got to respect the process.
Here’s the thing - I would MUCH rather see a slower, steady growth built alongside a very strong digital strategy than overnight followers. We want to build a community here and that takes time, so we stay focused, power on, keep listening and refine our approach every day.
In the spirit of giving you helpful things to implement immediately, check out our M.T. Deco brief template to help you layout big picture planning for large [full brand digital strategy] and small [content planning] projects alike. It’s a hugely helpful document for getting your idea in place and - life hack for those in corporate jobs - SO helpful for selling your idea through to higher-ups.
Check it out and let us know if it helps you in your process!