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HOW TO MAKE CONTENT THAT CUTS THROUGH & ADDS VALUE

HOW TO MAKE CONTENT THAT CUTS THROUGH

Three Rules Of Valuable Content Creation

In an ocean of content, how do you make your one editorial, tweet, instagram or story cut through. With more content available than ever, and more content available than possibly could be consumed, how do you not only attract readers but then also keep them coming back for more? And in an age where ‘influencers’ are being born and bred every second thanks to instagram as a platform, how do you garner the loyalty and reputation that delivers success for you but value to brands too?

These are all questions that i’m sure baffle you and occupy your mind as much as they do me, my clients and my friends who working in the blogging space too!

Even with 1m instagram followers, driving genuine engagement with any content you put out there is a tough gig. Engagement and loyal readers is something us bloggers have spent years and years and years working hard to gain, nurture and flourish within our blogs but also our social channels too! Numbers account for something sure, but it’s engagement versus an impression that really matters today and will do tomorrow. And to get true engagement and cut through, your content has to add value! Not just a momentary ‘cute shot’ value, but actual stop & engage value.

Valuable content is now more than ever absolutely critical. I’m talking content that not only attracts that initial click, like or pause, but content that keeps your reader engaged for 5 minutes, makes them want to subscribe, follow or sign up to that newsletter, and most importantly makes them want to discover more. In an over-saturated and ‘forever scrolling’ world (especially and in large on Instagram) it’s easy for your content to get little more than a seconds glance & a quick scroll on … this isn’t value to you, to brands or clearly much value to your audience, and so today I wanted to share a few tips or rules of content production if you will which will really help ensure you’re adding value to not just your readers but you, your time and your effort too.

HOW TO MAKE CONTENT THAT ADDS VALUE

Does Your Content Deliver On One Of These Three Things?

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INFORMATIVE

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One things for sure, I’ve learnt over the years it’s the content that’s informative that you guys love the most.

Travel guides, blogging advice, photography tutorials, even styling tips, it’s the content that helps you, informs you or even motivates you that not only gains the most traffic, but also the most traction too, whether it’s repeat visitors or shares / likes / features / coverage elsewhere – all helping boost discover-ability and in turn traffic. I too find myself ever more attracted to those pieces of content that give me nuggets of advice, tips on a topic i’m interested in and even share a point of view on a topic which may otherwise be pretty under wraps (like earning money from blogging for example).

Not only does informative content truly help your readers when you put initially put it live, but it’s also the content I believe delivers the biggest long tail and in time the biggest traffic to your site. My photography tips posts and my travel guides pull in traffic every day to my blog, even those written two years ago, because regardless of the year, season or trends, they add value because they’re informative.

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ENTERTAINING

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Not all content has to be informative, in fact quite the contrary sometimes simply being entertaining is exactly what readers want. Real life, humour, integrity, the shameful thoughts and experiences that everyone relates too but never admits. It’s half the reason Buzz Feed is so successful, right!

The key however is to be true to you, you may not be the next Mirrander Sings, but you may simply be quite a witty person who’s writing draws people in and makes them chuckle as they read.

It’s that relatable humour that makes people feel engaged with you as a content producer. Having said that it doesn’t have to be humour, maybe your content offers escapism or entertains because of its superior quality. I don’t watch any YouTube but I do follow The Michelaks weekly films because I simply adore the content quality and find their beautiful cinematic approach entertaining, this in itself keeps me going back as I want to see what they’ve done next.

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ASPIRATIONAL

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Finally, and leaning into the successes of our frenemy instagram, aspirational content is another format which truly adds value. Inspiration to get fit, to try a new restaurant, to visit that hotel, to style your shirt that way, to shop this new look. Aspiration can take many forms, trivial, material, meaningful even substantial. But whatever it is aspirational content can really add value to readers lives by inspiring, motivating and introducing them to new products, places, people and experiences they might enjoy and like. For me, this single point alone is why so many people have garnered success on Instagram, the ability to share content and provide a point of inspiration for your followers.

When you think of aspirational content your mind probably jumps to designer handbags, 5* travel and a body like Giselle. But think outside the box a little, aspirational content means so much more than expensive and luxe materialism. It can be aspirational in that it encourages you to live better, be more mindful, try healthier recipes, do good for good causes, provide career and life advice, or simply provide you with that little bit of positivity you sometimes need.

The point is, it provides a point of aspiration for your readers, which adds value to their lives and needs.

READ MORE BLOGGING TIPS

On mediamarmalade.com I try to provide content that across the board always delivers on one of these three things. Wellness content to help inspire you to live well and keep you happy and positive in day to day life, Informative career and blogging posts to help educate you and equip you with information to deliver on your goals (and my photography tutorials to give you all the info you need to get the most out of your kit), and entertaining content through my daily style and of course my travel adventures (which are hopefully informative, aspirational and entertaining all in one), and hopefully the chatty nature of my posts.

I know not all of you come for all of these types of content, but these are the things I love to write about and photograph, and I know by doing a little bit of all of these, there’s always something for you guys to come and read or discover in the archives.

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I’d love to know what content you love reading, watching or scrolling through the most? Do you have any favourite magazines, bloggers or instagrammers who always deliver content you love?

August 21, 2017
HOW TO START LIVING THE LIFE YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO LEAD

Live The Life You Actually Want to Lead Today.

You may have noticed that a lot of my lifestyle editorial in 2017 to date has been about living well, setting goals for a better life balance, admitting struggles on the quest for perfection, and finding ways to be more mindful everyday. I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, editorials on mediamarmalade truly come from my heart and as such they’re often reflective of the things i’m thinking, feeling, struggling with. More often than not my blogging tips or lifestyle tips are written as much to help me as they are to hopefully inspire or help you too.

So it goes without saying that the editorial focus on wellness and creating a lifestyle that fits your life goals and career ambitions this year to date, is something I’m truly striving to achieve this year. Work, Life, Health Balance. Once & For All.

Yes I failed at first (well in all honesty i’ve been failing to find that balance for the last 4 years), but after a well timed two weeks adventure in the philippines, I have the opportunity to start a fresh, re-set, set my boundaries again, agree some principles for my life and make sure I commit this time around to giving less fucks to the things that aren’t either in my control, making me happy or helping me live healthily (aka life balance, stress, getting active), and more fucks to the things that matter to me.

Time to truly master the art of happiness. #notsorry.

So today, I thought i’d start the working week with a little something to help inspire me, and you, to truly start leading the life we want to lead, and actually making sure it happens!

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THREE STEPS TO HELP YOU LIVE THE LIFE YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO LEAD

Your Basic Happiness.

Happiness doesn’t have to come from material things in life, nor societies norms (like marriage, material possessions, salary & promotions, the things that often we can get caught up on without truly thinking if they really fuel our own happiness). Understanding what actually fuels your basic happiness is really important if you want to lead a content life everyday, because that should become the basis of everything you do!

I wrote a whole article about defining your life KPI’s last year (if you want to set yours then definitely check it out), but ultimately it’s the process of defining what it is that makes you actually happy and what ultimately you want in your life in the long & the short. What do you want your life to look like?

For me, good health, adventures and travel, quality time with Jase, my family & friends and a feeling of achievement (in my career & blog, as well as my personal life for example) are key to my feeling of happiness. So fucking off my career (and the severe stress that I know comes with it), to have a simple life & a low pressure job sounds great at first, but ultimately I know it won’t make me happy forever because I am driven to achieve and so for me, it’s more a case of crafting a balance!

Of course there’s lots of small milestones that will help me achieve these very broad (and not very SMART) goals and there’s also lots of very small habits or rituals which also bring me little bursts of contentedness (my morning coffee is one for example), but generally speaking knowing what it is that makes me happy, means I can spend more time focussing on doing those, and less on the things that don’t, and importantly gain perspective in moments when my happiness or health is being jeopardised.

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Principles For Life.

Once you know the things that fuel your happiness and inner content, you have to start prioritising them. Now this. This god awful principle in itself is one that’s so much easier said than done. Trust me. I’ve written goodness knows how many posts in a similar vain to this over the years, sharing my journey to get my life back on track and find better balance … and my biggest learning?

I need to take my own advice.

So the next few sentences I say with gritted teeth, because I truly understand that it’s all very well in principle to want to work your contracted hours yet be CEO by the age of 30, go to the gym whilst spending time socialising, set up a successful business alongside smashing your career, be the best girlfriend, sister, daughter and friend, all the while doing the things you want, living the dream and looking like Giselle. It’s laughable.

But, we can help ourselves. And I for one am finally ready to start doing and not just saying. Principles for life are rules, they are binding and should be committed to like your daily teeth brushing routine. They are principles that enable you to achieve your basic happiness. They are the guidelines that will help you achieve your milestones without sacrificing yourself along the way. They’re simple. They’re effective. They should be achievable.

Many successful women turned ‘self help’ authors like Arianna Huffington & Sarah Knight for example have talked about the value of setting life principles or ‘fuck budgets’ if you’re a ‘Life Changing Magic of Not Giving A Fuck’ convert, to help achieve a better balance in life.

Your priorities should be your own, there’s no right and no wrong, but they will help you achieve happiness. For me, ensuring that every working day isn’t spent in the office until 10pm and ensuring extra pressure and stress is going to add value to my career and not just kill me on the way is key. A better commitment and prioritisation of my time will help ensure that being active becomes part of my life, ensure that when I spend time with loved ones it’s quality and not distracted, ensure I have time to travel as much as possible and give quality time to my blog (and ultimately my future) and importantly to ensure that stress is something that is significantly reduced as a result.

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Commitment to You #NotSorry.

Sometimes it requires a little selfishness. An attitude of #NotSorry if you will. But mostly it just requires some commitment to yourself. Focus on your priorities. A commitment to put yourself, your health, and your happiness first.

No one else can do it for you, and this is where i’ve slipped in the past.

Hoping external factors will respect my goals and my personal health and happiness, letting my principles slip once too often and as time goes on, slipping back into that rut and that unbalanced work life balance becoming the norm. Where i’m sat wishing I could just start living the life I want to lead. And promising that tomorrow will be the day.

Well Tomorrow Has Arrived. It’s Time To Start Doing. And Not Just Saying.

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I’d absolutely love to hear about your principles for life, if you have any that is? And if you don’t I’d love to know if you can relate in anyway to my experience and my drive to set principles that will hopefully help me live a more balanced life? If you’re looking for more help or inspiration on the topic then have a little browse here.

February 8, 2017
THREE WAYS TO ELIMINATE THE COMPARISON TRAP

How To Focus On Yourself & Your Own Blog & End The Comparison Trap

The topic of comparing ones success to another’s is something I’ve touched on lots of times on my blog, whether it’s sharing the reasons why you should stop comparing yourself to others, how to stop or the difficult moments Ive faced on my blogging journey when I’ve allowed self doubt and comparison to take over and how i’ve benefitted from changing my attitude & focussing less on others. It’s a topic I’m passionate about and it’s a topic I feel is super pertinent in the business of blogging.

In an industry blooming so rapidly, it’s easy to admire the work of others and the success they’re achieving and feel left behind and like a failure in comparison. That campaign you didn’t get, those followers you don’t have or that BLOG growth you’re still wishing for. Whatever the point of comparison I’m certain it’s something we all face, especially if you’re a workaholic and always want to achieve the best you can (ahem).

My self doubt is directly driven by comparing my work and successes to others so finding ways to avoid this obsession is something I’ve been working on for a while. I’m not perfect yet, I still have those moments where I feel disheartened by my relative lack of achievements in blogging, but overall I’ve learnt and tried a number of tactics to help me stay focussed on my own journey that I thought I’d share today.

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THREE WAYS TO ELIMINATE THE COMPARISON TRAP

Stop Consuming Others Work

This is bold and not something I’ve quite managed to adopt, but it’s something I heard a little while back in a podcast from another blogger and have seen crop up a few times since. The biggest driver of self doubt and criticism is focussing on other people and not yourself. So what if you just completely cut out the others? You’re forced to focus on yourself. You are your only point of comparison. Truth be told I love reading other blogs, so I couldn’t just cut them out, but what I have tried to do is simply read for enjoyment and not for competitor analysis.

Define Your Own Benchmarks

The issue with self comparison is that you lose focus on your own journey. Finding ways to bring the focus back on to you and your own journey is key, and one key way to do that is to set what success means to you, and only focus on measuring that. Very recently I significantly changed my attitude to blogging and in turn my measure of success too … since redefining what success is to me, Ive found myself enjoying blogging more, not getting so down on myself (in fact I’ve had some great ‘successes’ that I might have overlooked in the past) and spending more time working on the future of my blog than that of others.

Accept There’s Room For Everyone

Perhaps one of the most liberating moments in your blogging career will be the moment you truly accept it’s not a competition. Unless you’re looking to take 100% share of all potential readers and views (which even google doesn’t have) then there really is room for everyone and a big enough audience to go around. Liv wrote a lovely post to this vein not long ago, and her words were so true. What will drive your success and help carve your space in this crazy old world is integrity, authenticity and originality. Don’t try and be someone else. Be you. That’s the content and space only you can own.

Read More Tips On This Topic. How To Stop Comparing Your Blog Success To Others . Why I Changed My Attitude To Blogging & How It Helped My Blog Success . Define Your Own Blog Success . What Is Blog Success? . What Makes a Blog Become Successful? .

Do you ever find yourself struggling with self comparison and self doubt as a result? I’d love to hear if these tips have helped you and how you currently cope and try and avoid the comparison trap?

November 13, 2016
HOW A ‘WORK HARD, PLAY HARD’ MENTALITY WILL HELP YOU ACE WORK & LIFE

How A Work Hard, Play Hard Mentality Works For Me

When I tell people I’m going on holiday, often their reaction is ‘again?’, and well yes I suppose I am going on holiday again, I like to go on holiday multiple times a year (as often as my money and annual leave allows in fact). And I know full well that makes me very fortunate. But truth be told, I need to go on holiday frequently, because it’s this break from high pressure work and this time to revitalise and recouperate that allows me to be able to put all my energy and focus into my career and actually run a full time blog alongside it when i’m not on a break.

If anyone asks me about my work or career, my answer is always this, ‘it’s work hard play hard’. We go through periods of working 16 hour days and weekends in pitch or planning times, but equally at other times we enjoy fantastic perks, jolly’s and travel. And it’s this mentality, or mantra if you will that I believe allows me to achieve the goals I want, without losing my shit all together from stress.

It’s not for everyone mind, but for me exerting 150% in my career (and my blog lets not forget), deserves me a blow out every couple of months or so. And for me that blow out means saving my pennies and booking myself a luxe holiday or break away. Work Hard. Play Hard. Today I thought i’d share some of my tips and advice for mastering the work hard, play hard way of life.

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Here are my three principles to living ‘work hard, play hard’

Commit

If you’re going to live work hard, play hard then you need to commit to it. You need to commit to giving your career and job your all when you’re there (you need to earn that break), but you also need to commit to yourself that light at the end of the tunnel. The most terrible feeling for me, in periods of high stress and business, is not seeing the end in sight. And thats where a little break, a trip, or even a holiday provides an effective light or carrot if you will. But it only works if you commit to both. Respect yourself enough to know you need time out after a really busy period.

Look After Yourself

Work Hard periods are hard work, that’s the point, so it’s really important when you’re not jetting off somewhere for a lovely three day break, that you’re still looking after yourself. Keeping your wellness, mindfulness and health in check, just as much as your work to do list. Yes you might be working all hours, but there’s really no excuse not to get active, drink lots of water, keep your stress in check and generally be ‘well’. It’s super easy to let things slip and let all encompassing stress takeover. Trust me, rewind 12 months and that was me, but that period was the biggest learning curve in my career and ever since then I’ve got a lot more perspective, respect for myself and generally manage to keep stress at bay these days (even in the same, if not more pressured situations). It’s also super easy to take ‘play hard’ literally, and party hard when you’re not working hard; and yes i’ve been there before too, and burning the candle at both ends doesn’t end well for anyone! The point is this, it’s easy to let work takeover entirely, but make sure you still make time to look after yourself (and those around you).

Find Your Happy Place

Now I mentioned holidays, but it doesn’t actually need to be holidays, your ‘play hard’ periods should just be about finding time for yourself and your happy place. For me, I feel super relaxed and content when I travel, and so I like to try and travel as much as possible. But equally a weekend back home with some trips to the coast, a weekend in Tetbury, or just a day to relax at home is just as effective (and obviously far less pennies). So it’s not about spanking all your earnings on 10* spa escapes in the most exotic places; it’s just about committing to and maximising your ‘play hard’ periods of time out.

Et voila. Experience has taught me that work can be as stressful or as enjoyable as you make it. Turning stressful periods and high pressure times into manageable tasks is absolutely possible, and for me having a light at the end of the tunnel is one way of doing this. Do you ‘work hard, play hard’ did you find these tips helpful at all?

September 8, 2016
HOW TO STAY POSITIVE WHEN YOU’RE NOT GETTING THE SUCCESS YOU WANT

“The temptation to quit is greatest just before you’re about to succeed”

Sometimes in life, and especially in your career, you can feel as though you’re pouring everything you have into something, working as hard as possible, and giving everything you have to something, but just not seeing the return or success you desire for your hard work. It’s such a disheartening feeling, but it’s something I’m sure we all feel at some point in our lives. For me, this feeling couldn’t be more pertinent than when it comes to blogging. In all other areas of my life I feel proud of my achievements, I feel optimistic about what I can achieve next and I feel that finally my hard work has paid off. But when it comes to my blog and the blogging world, I couldn’t feel further from this.

When it comes to my blog, I love to be a shining beacon of hope, inspiration and motivation for you guys, but ultimately my tips, advice and motivational content is for me too. To keep me going, to keep me inspired and to keep me driven and hopeful that I can achieve the successes I want to. But a friend mentioned recently that I could be a little more personal on here, maybe more like how I used to be, sharing with you the highs and lows and even my personal experiences, without it needing to be informative … maybe relatable is enough? And it got me thinking about how I was feeling right this minute. Motivated and determined mixed with so disappointed and disheartened.

The reality is I’m an exceptionally driven person, I have a career and I have a blog, and I want both to achieve the success and goals I’ve given myself. Yes my career is on track and in honest exceeding where I thought, but my blog, well my blog I feel so far behind, I feel like I missed an opportunity, I feel like I fell behind, and I feel disheartened that my hard work isn’t reaping the same rewards I see and no other digital content producers have. I feel pessimistic because I can see clearly the glass ceiling above me, and I know from both sides of the fence that someone needs to open that door for you if you truly want to reap the business available & experience the opportunity out there … It’s like a hamster wheel, if you’re on the wheel then you’re full speed ahead, but jumping on late, well it’s just near impossible. I feel like I work my ass off to make this blog something I want it to become, and sometimes I just wish I saw a little more as a result … that someone would offer me that ‘lucky break’ I’ve talked about before…

But this disheartened, self depreciating, pessimistic and depressing mentality isn’t me. It never has been and I doubt it will ever be again. These days I’m a ‘CAN DO’ person and it’s important I channel this positive attitude towards my blog too, because I know too well how optimism can get you ahead in your blog & career. As they say, “The temptation to quit is greatest just before you’re about to succeed”, which means I could be on the cusp of something here …

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HOW TO STAY POSITIVE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR NOT ACHIEVING THE SUCCESS YOU WANT

Change The Goal

If you’re feeling disheartened and disappointed by your achievements, then perhaps you’re measuring your success against the wrong thing? Is your goal genuinely achievable, is it relevant to you (and not someone else’s successes as your benchmark), have you put everything in place to help you achieve it, are you hoping for results too soon? Sometimes the reason we find ourselves feeling disappointed or disheartened by our success, or equally pessimistic about what we can achieve in the future, is because we’ve set ourselves the wrong goal. If you find yourself feeling this way, change the goal, break it down, make it challenging but achievable. There’s no point setting yourself up to fail, the process of defining your goals is critical in achieving success.

“Pull over to the side of your journey & look how far you’ve come”

Re-Strategise & Be Proactive

Much like changing the goal, perhaps you need to change the strategy that’s helping you get there, to stay relevant in the industry, to truly ladder up to your overall ambition, to adapt based on performance & learning from your failures. Are you expecting the moon and the stars but not really doing the things you need to do to get yourself there? A good, clear and actionable strategy is just as important as a defined goal and ambition … ultimately the strategy is what is going to help you achieve those goals, so you need to break them down, make them timely, ensure the’re achievable, and most of all, pro-actively action them.

Being proactive is something I’ve forgotten to do when it comes to my blogging business. The industry 5 years ago is far from what it is today, back then i would never dream of contacting a brand for business, these days that’s the norm, and as a result I’ve fallen behind on opportunities, because I’ve not been proactive enough in putting myself, my blog and my business out there.

“Do something everyday that will inch you to a better tomorrow!

Go the extra mile

And finally, don’t give up, don’t let the pessimism stop you, don’t hold back from opportunities, don’t give up trying, you need to do the absolute opposite, keep going, keep pouring more effort and energy in, work harder, be optimistic, be positive, take every opportunity offered to you, go that extra mile, every-time and before you know it, things might just start to happen, small things, slowly, but overtime the bigger picture will start to become a reality, you’ll readjust your goals, push for more, push for the next thing, and your definition of success will evolve, as you achieve those successes you had set out to … and the journey will start all over again.

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

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SHOP MY LOOK & SUEDE DRESSES

. ZARA SUEDE DRESS & BLACK TOP . CELINE NANO . KAREN WALKER HARVEST SUNGLASSES . RUSSELL & BROMLEY LOAFERS .

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And don’t forget on this crazy old journey to success, that it’s not just about blog or career success and achievements, remember to always be working toward your life goals too. The things that make you happy, of which I’m sure your career is just one part. Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. And always remain focussed on your goals, your journey, your achievements, your benchmarks,“Admire someone else’s beauty without wanting to change your own”.

Do you suffer from moments of self doubt when you’re not achieving the success you set out to? How do you cope in these situations and stay positive? I hope you found these tips helpful? And perhaps you relate yo my own experiences too?

June 2, 2016
ANOTHER YEAR OLDER & NEW GOALS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Mon Anniversaire

Today is the 18th of April, and it’s officially my birthday. Today I’ve turned the ripe old age of 28, still a few years until I hit the big three zero, but still 28 feels pretty significant, in fact it feels pretty ancient in the blogging world, but still young in my career. But regardless of numbers, it’s another year, and another year wiser I like to think.

The weekend has been spent at home with my family, eating out, drinking fizz, visiting the Bombay Gin distillery (a post coming soon on that) and today is being spent hanging out in the sunshine that’s decided to greet me … a trip to the Kings Road & lunch at Chelsea Ivy Garden perhaps.

I wanted to mark my birthday with not only some super cool balloon shots (hilarious to try and shoot by the way – the laughs are genuine, and the number 2 blew off into the horizon at one point), but also a little forward thinking, goals for the year ahead if you like. I do love a retrospective (i did a ‘what i’ve learnt fro 5 years of blogging‘ post not long ago), but for me birthdays feel like a time to look froward, another year marked and another year ahead to look forward to, so today is all about my goals for the next year.

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5 GOALS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Redefine my sense of style

Style naturally evolves and changes over time, normally I embrace the evolution and constantly top up my wardrobe with new items I’ve fallen head over heels with, but this last year when I look back I realise i’ve really struggled with my sense of style, partly because I’m a few pounds heavier than my ‘normal’ weight, but also partly because the stress of life sort of distracted me. But this year I really want to find my groove again, adapt my style based on where I am in life, and truly start to dress myself in a way that makes me feel comfortable in my skin. My style has always been feminine, tailored and in many ways preppy, but I feel as though my wardrobe is such a mixture of trends, styles and seasonal clothing that the concept of dressing has become quite the task. So like I mentioned in my style rut blog post, I’m planning on carving out a new capsule wardrobe for myself, to hopefully help get my style groove back in gear. Quite naturally I’ll be tackling this goal head on with a little birthday shopping trip today … here are a few pieces that have really stollen my heart already:

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Buy a House

I hope this year is the year that I finally buy a house. Living in London certainly makes this a slightly trickier adventure than if we lived outside of the big smoke, but we’ve already started the process and hopefully we’ll find a little something to call home in the next 12 months, whether that be in West London or perhaps outside of London. I find the entire process super exciting, i’m not sure Jase would agree so much. Rightmove has become my favourite app in a matter of weeks.

Taking that big career step

This next 18 months is really about working hard to get myself to a real career high, i’ve always been driven and ambitious but my next promotion really will be career defining for me, and is a big work goal that i’m working towards.

But it’s not all about my career, my blog is equally as important and something else I really see shaping my future working life. This next year I really want to take my blog to the next level, carving out the right business opportunity and growing my blog to the point where it could sustainably be my living. I feel as though i’ve been on a huge journey the last 5 years, and if you’ve read my blog for a long time then you’ll know that i’ve been through a real low in the last month or so, the dreams I have for my blog felt so far away, and I felt sad and disheartened that i wasn’t experiencing the same opportunities as others out there. But perhaps that ‘death valley’ dip was what I needed to get my business brain back in gear … my blog is such an emotional thing for me, in reality I found it hard to disconnect the emotional attachment of blogging daily to the rational and logical changes I needed to put in place to turn my blog into a business. But i’m starting 28 with a business plan in place and a really clear idea of what I want and how I need to get there … fingers crossed my efforts pay off.

If you fancy giving me a little birthday gift, then i’d absolutely love it if you subscribed and followed along on this journey, if you’re not already that is :)

Tick off my bucket list

Travel has always been a huge passion of mine and something I invest a lot of time and money in (hence a lack of house … priorities, ahem), but this year I really want to step up my travelling game and begin ticking off my bucket list of countries … Route 66 (next April finally has to be a trip to LA to attend Coachella), Croatia, Thailand which is already booked in for November … and generally just weekends spent exploring other European cities. I’m lucky enough to get to travel quite a bit already, for work and pleasure, but I want to make this the year for some serious exploration … and of course provide you guys with more city guides too.

Focus a little more on health and wellness

My self belief and my confidence has transformed in the last 10 years, when I compare me at 28 to me at 18 it’s amazing how much i’ve grown up, how much my confidence has grown and how I’ve finally started to believe in my ability and myself (I wrote a lot about my experience here). This in itself is so liberating, but there’s still more to go. I do find myself comparing my blog to others and putting myself down as a result, I find myself body hating on myself (yet doing nothing as a result), and I know I push myself so hard to achieve things in life because of this need to prove myself (to myself). With all my ambition and the busy life I lead, I certainly forget to look after myself, and say well done to myself every now and then.

But as I turn 28 and 30 feels closer than ever, the realities of healthy living, mindfulness and total wellness feel a little more important, and so I want to make this the year that I get back into my healthy lifestyle … exercise as a regular, cutting out gluten for good (I can’t eat it, but I do, then I suffer and the I moan), and generally making sure I truly create work life balance in my life so that stress, migraines and pressure are a thing of the past.

WHAT I’M WEARING:

. BRETON TOP . WHISTLES SUEDE SKIRT . ACCESSORIZE HAT . ZARA SHOES .

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So there you have it, i’m starting my first day of 28 with some big goals, some serious ambition, but most importantly a day of shopping, champagne and presents ahead … and of course a whole week of elongated celebrations with my friends too!

What are your goals for the year ahead?

April 18, 2016
HOW TO SURVIVE A CREATIVE RUT & GET INSPIRED AGAIN

How to survive a creative rut and get inspired again

Normally I’m one of those quite smug people who are never short of blog post ideas, I didn’t suffer creative blocks and I rarely faced a situation where I simply didn’t know what to blog about. I had a constant flow of ideas, inspiration and creative concepts that I wanted to work on, and actually my main issue was finding the time to actually dedicate to producing the content, not coming up with ideas.

But something has changed in this last month, and I seem to swing from masses of ideas and productive blogging, to a sort of paralysis where I simply can’t think, write or create. This kind of creative rut (or drought if you like) feels rotten, and more than anything I want to escape it, but much like sleep when you want it most and force it most, it simply won’t come. And it’s not just blogging too, I’m struggling to dress myself, to know how to style my looks, to think of things to do! It’s like my inspiration tank has just run dry, and when it comes to blogging and being a creative … running out of ideas and inspiration is a little tricky to deal with right?

As a result of the last couple of weeks I’ve really started to think about and find ways to tackle this creative rut, find ways to get myself back in the zone, and boost my inspiration. And today I thought I’d share a few of these tips with you, in case you too ever hit the inspiration drought.

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HOW TO SURVIVE A CREATIVE RUT AND TIPS TO GET INSPIRED AGAIN

Remove the pressure

Understanding why you hit a creative rut is really helpful, because it’ll help you avoid another one in the future. When I think about why I’ve hit a block in my creative process, If I’m honest with myself, I can admit it’s because I was putting an awful lot of pressure on myself to produce great content every single day. I’ve always blogged daily, but in the last 4 months I’ve really tried to make sure every single post is the absolute best it can be, I’ve tried to ensure every feature is valuable, informative, relate-able and not to mention aesthetically pleasing too … and I started seeing results, great results, but with those results came more pressure to keep going, keep improving, to not let things slip. I love to write and create, don’t get me wrong, but I realise that I was being a little bit unrealistic and putting an awful lot of pressure on myself to really keep pushing my blog further, whilst also juggling a full time career (all the while comparing myself to the successful bloggers out there). I was acting like a full time blogger, but not accepting that I only had 1/100th of the time. This pressure comes from me, and me alone, but it’s taken me 5 years of blogging to realise I’m a little hard on myself … it took me 5 years to run dry, and realise that the pressure of forcing myself to create content daily was ultimately what was causing me to lose inspiration. To lose the joy of blogging. I had to remove the pressure.

A positive mindset and an open mind is the most effective way of feeling inspired and creating ideas, so finding a way to remove the pressure, remove your fear and get back into this positive zone was key. Creativity isn’t a competition. So don’t let yourself feel like it is.

Take a moment out

The easiest way for me to remove the pressure was just to take myself out of the situation for a little bit of time, give myself a breather and a break. In reality I’ve still not given myself a proper break as I’ve still blogged daily, but I did have a weekend off shooting and working on my schedule this weekend, and even that was enough to make feel a little re-energised. But probably, what I need is a proper break, a week or two to reflect, re-energise and get inspired again. I know that having fun and just enjoying myself is usually what fuels my ideas normally.

The point? Taking a moment out is sometimes essential for surviving and recovering from a blogging dip or creative rut. At the absolute minimum a good nights sleep can help, but try and give yourself the time you need to re-energise and regain your inspiration.

Learn & Adapt

But more than just taking a moment, it’s important that when you come back you can reflect and learn from what happened, so that you can adjust your course of action to avoid another creative rut in the future. For me, this means seriously reviewing and adapting my content flow and the frequency in which I post (is daily really necessary, are people really able to keep up with the content, can I keep up with the content and live a healthy life), and genuinely considering a new approach to my blogging process and content strategy – because this might help give me more time, less pressure and better content. Which is ultimately everything I want.

So if you’re suffering a creative rut or a blogging dip, why not take a moment to breathe, and when you feel ready for it, have a think about what might have caused the rut in the first place. Tiredness, a lack of time, pressure, dissatisfaction with your content … whatever it is, learn from it, and find a way of making changes.

Fuel your inspiration

When you’re suffering a creative drought, finding inspiration is key. Anything and everything can inspire you and spark an idea, but having a bank of places to go to fuel your imagination and provoke some new ideas is key. Everything from Pinterest and other blogs, to dedicating some time to read my favourite magazines and listening to pod casts, to simply just getting out for a walk (this really helps) can boost creativity … really it’s a case of relaxing and surrounding yourself with things that give you ideas.

The most important thing to do though, is to capture every thought or idea that enters your head, so that you always have a little secret store of ideas for days when you’re creativity isn’t at a high. Create your own hub of inspiration, whether that’s a secret pinterest board, a scrap book, or simply a folder on your computer full of notes, ideas, pictures or inspirations, whatever works for you, the point is it’s always there like a safety blanket in your moment of need.

Don’t face it alone

As bloggers we take a lot on on our own, everything from running the business, managing the content production, facilitating and generating new ideas, publishing, social media management (you know the deal), but actually when it comes to getting new ideas and thinking up new feature concepts, actually asking for a little help isn’t a bad idea. Whether that’s asking your readers for things they’ve enjoyed or new things they’d like to see, asking friends and family the sort of content they’d enjoy, or asking other bloggers for advice and tips.

In reality any idea is a good idea, and so broadening your potential is always going to be a winner.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Oscar Wilde

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE TIPS POSTS IF YOUR SUFFERING FROM A LITTLE BLOGGING OR CREATIVE DIP

. TURNING YOUR BLOGGING DOUBTS & FEARS INTO POSITIVE ACTIONS . 5 WAYS TO GET YOUR BLOGGING MOJO BACK . 5 WAYS TO GET MORE BLOG IDEAS. AND TURN THEM INTO REAL CONTENT. 5 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY . WHY DAYDREAMING IS GOOD FOR YOU .

If you’re feeling lost for inspiration and ideas, why not browse your archives, or your favourite blogs archives, have a pinterest session or simply think about the things you want to read. Whatever works for you … but most importantly, if your suffering a moment, don’t worry, you’re not alone, it’s normal and it will pass. You just need to remove the pressure and allow your mind the time and space to breathe and think! It’s often why the best ideas come on the toilet, while your driving or in the pub … it’s when you’re relaxed and your brain is left to breathe.

Do you ever struggle with writers block or creative ruts? How do you overcome them? I’d love to hear your advice and tips so please let me know in the comments. Oh, and taking my own advice, I’d love to know what you guys would like to see here on mediamarmalade, what features do you love, what features would you like to see? I’d really value your feedback :)

April 11, 2016
WHEN YOU FEEL LIVE GIVING UP

When you feel like giving up …

It’s funny really. Being driven: working yourself so hard, working your ass off. At some point you kind of come to expect some reward. In the blogging world that’s page views, followers, business opportunities … It’s not that it’s your core reason for working, but it’s the reward and motivation to keep going. If I’m honest I feel like more often than not I work overly hard on my blog but in reality get little in return for my efforts, my daily blog features that I’ve been creating for nearly 5 years and the time and energy I put into this website.

Yes it’s self depreciating and negative but it’s just how I feel. Most the time I channel this feeling into positive plans of action, in fact it’s where most my blog tips are born from. A process to help me, that I share with you. But the reality is I feel disappointed, disheartened and demotivated. Never in 5 years have I felt like giving up on my blog, until today.

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Whether it’s because I know what’s possible and what others are achieving, or because I have a drive to always be better. I don’t know. But regardless it leaves me wondering what’s wrong with me, why is my blog not good enough, why am I not good enough? Maybe my work isn’t good enough? I don’t know… I feel like I work so hard, yet my goals and ambitions feel so far away. I feel sad that I haven’t benefited from the luxury and luck of a big boost like others sometimes get. I wonder why my efforts haven’t delivered more …

Am i alone?

April 7, 2016
3 WAYS FEMINISM CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE CAREER SUCCESS #INTERNATIONALWOMENSDAY

EMBRACING #INTERNATIONALWOMENSDAY

Today is International Women’s Day, a cause centred on feminism and a day established to celebrate female achievement and reinforce the quest of achieving true female equality. Feminism, equality & female empowerment is something I personally believe in and back whole heartedly, the sentiment of female empowerment really is at the heart of my blog and all the career tips I write … I really believe the opportunity is yours for the taking, whether you’re male or female.

Feminism? “Men think it’s a women’s word and it’s only for women, but really it just means you stand for equality. If you believe in equality, you’re a feminist. Sorry to tell you.” Emma Watson

Feminism, despite the incredible changes the movement has helped create (especially that achieved by the suffragettes & suffragists in the 1900’s), has been tarred in the past with feminists seen as man hating activists or “screeching bra burning lesbians with hairy legs and armpits that castrate men for fun” ... but thankfully in today’s age most people understand feminism is actually about equality (equal opportunity, equal rights & equal treatment for both men and women). And if you’re still not sure, then please go and read or watch Emma Watson’s UN talk ‘HeForShe’ on the matter, follow Sheryl Sandberg & her pledge for parity, watch the This Girl Can ad created by Always, or even better watch Makers content series all about female achievement & equality (I love Kathrine Switzer’s story).

I for one am a huge believer in equality. For me it’s a fundamental right that we should all have (male or female), what we do with it is our choice, but ensuring we have equal rights and equal opportunities feels like an absolute no brainer, and International Women’s Day is simply an opportunity for us to celebrate all that has been done to date to drive equality across the world.

So in honour of International Women’s Day I wanted to share the 3 reasons why I myself am a feminist, but also 3 reasons why embracing feminism can help you achieve success in your life and in your career.

3 WAYS FEMINISM CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE CAREER SUCCESS

Believing the world is your oyster

Feminism is all about equal opportunity and equal rights, and I personally believe we should all be entitled to an equal opportunity no matter our race, religion or gender.

By believing that you as a female (or a male) have the same opportunity as anyone else out there, you’re more likely to put yourself forward for opportunities, have confidence and self belief and carve a career that best fits your ambition, your goals and your skills. Whether that’s CEO of Facebook, a fantastic volunteer worker or a loving stay at home mother, perhaps all three … It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, the point is you have had a choice, and you have taken and chosen an opportunity that is right for you.

Having equal rights (the right to vote, the right for the father to take paternity leave if that’s what’s right for the family and the right to education no matter what gender) is also a huge opportunity and enabler to carving a life that’s right for you. And not just what society has made you believe is normal or expected – no longer is the male the dedicated bread winner and the mother only allowed to be a house wife. Equal rights enables a better balance of responsibilities, it can allow you to define and live by your own life KPIs and allow you to create a life and career based on your own goals & ambitions. Perhaps starting your own business from the comfort of your home …

If you’re not held back by doubt, whether that’s enforced by society or simply your own feelings, then life really will be your oyster. If you believe in yourself, and you believe you can achieve whatever you want, regardless as to whether you’re male or female, then you will grasp every opportunity with enthusiasm, determination, drive and motivation … you will take that risk and start your business, you will push yourself to ask for that promotion, and you will set your sites on becoming a leader.

TIP: Believe in yourself as an individual, define what you want, and create the opportunity to take you there. Read my tips on how to turn your passions into your career, how to run your own business & how to turn your business idea into a reality.

Knowing your worth

Because I am a woman, I should be paid 20% less than men? Sorry, what?

Unfortunately around the world right now, in many industries, females are still getting paid less than men for the same role. The issue is global and it’s especially heightened in some countries and within certain type of business. The UK is reported to have a 20% gender pay gap which is just unacceptable, fortunately change is being forced by feminists (you know, people who believe in equality) and our government, but it’s not just the pay gap, it’s the number of females in top leadership roles too and driving change at the very top (i’m proud to say a family friend is a big part of driving this change ). It’s so important to understand your situation, believe and know your value, and support your own cause … As this is what will help create change in the long run.

“Don’t ever hear in your own head, “Who am I to say something?” You are human. You are a person. You can 100% change the world.” Emma Watson

Embracing feminism and equality, means believing and supporting the need for people to be paid based on their role, their delivery and their ability … not their gender. If you want to run a successful business or create a financially lucrative or stable career, then believing and knowing your value regardless of your gender is imperative.

TIP: Don’t be afraid to ask for that promotion, or fight for that pay rise. If you believe you’re worth more, then raise it, support it with strong rationale & make sure you just ask. Read all my career tips here.

Empowering & inspiring others

You’ll well know by now that I am a firm believer in female empowerment, all my wellbeing and careers tips features are designed to empower and inform you on your own success journey. By celebrating, rewarding and encouraging female achievement, we’ll only empower others to do the same.

As I’ve already discussed in my feature “5 traits we can learn from successful career women“, successful people don’t trample their way to the top, they bring other people up with them. Your success is as much dependent on the people around you supporting and championing you, as it is about you believing in yourself. If you get to the top but have a whole business that hates you, then you’re not going to succeed in that role, because people won’t want to work for you. It’s quite simple but it’s easy to forget if you focus too much on your self. Don’t forget to raise others around you too.

“you can tell who the strong women are, they’re the ones building each other up, instead of tearing each other down”

Me personally, I am inspired by so many females in my life, not least my mum for being the best mum anyone could dream of, and for creating a life that makes her happy & is filled with so much love and content, my former boss who is now MD of a huge media agency and who has truly shown me that it is possible to become an incredibly successful female leader, a mother, a champion for female empowerment, through hard work, self belief, a willingness to learn and of course a whole gang of cheerleaders who are willing you to do well because you’ve empowered them so much along the way, and of course other female bloggers who have carved a career and business of their own through their sheer passion, ambition and determination for creating content.

TIP: Don’t be afraid to seek advice, mentorship or guidance from those you respect or look up to. Their experience & position can help guide your own career & your own journey to success. You can read my tips on how a mentor can help you achieve your own career success here.

I hope you’ve found today’s feature interesting or even a little inspiring. I’d love to know your views on feminism & equality, and whether you like me will be celebrating International Women’s Day.

March 8, 2016

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