It can get a little difficult to be creative in Cleveland during the winter time.
Digital marketing is nothing without creativity. Nothing sucks out creativity like snow and freezing temperatures. Unless you are one of those crazy people, only discussed in ancient legends and fairy tales, that actually enjoys being outside in this stuff, doing things like skiing and hiking, you probably spend most of the winter time in Cleveland looking out of your office window questioning your existence! So how can you possibly churn out genius blog content, emails and social media posts when all you want to do is stay under the covers until the thaw?
The good news is, winter is temporary.
Spring, summer and fall in Cleveland are stunning and exciting, we just have to make it to that point so we can enjoy it! So, this year, as we make our resolutions and get our fresh start, we suggest trying something a little bit different. We suggest spending the “dark months” of winter planning out a creativity strategy for the new year. Make some creativity resolutions and change the way you approach keeping that energy up and churning out creative genius. Think outside the box and incorporate these strategies to keep that creative up all year round and watch your productivity skyrocket because of the changes.
- Incorporate Time to Think.
Ever wonder why so many of your most brilliant ideas come in the shower or in the bathroom? It’s because that’s usually the only time during the day that you get a second to breathe and be alone with your thoughts. More and more agencies are incorporating “brainstorming” time into their agendas, so their team can have some time to just think. You can’t bill it to a client, and it’s not generating revenue, so there are employers who struggle with the concept. But those that incorporate the strategy find that they are getting better quality work and more outside the box concepts because it allows for free-flowing thoughts to come out naturally without being forced by the clock.
- Allow Time for Brainstorming.
Along those same lines, some of our best ideas are the ones that started with someone else. Team thought allows for one concept that might need some pruning to be sheared into a tremendous vision with the help of others on the team. Creativity doesn’t always arrive at a scheduled time (which is why the thinking time works well) and it often doesn’t come from solitude. This is the old “Jam Session” notion. Some of the greatest musical output of all time comes from those moments where artists go to a studio and just jam, which is the musical equivalent of brainstorming. Set aside time to bounce ideas.
- Set Goals – Then Set Up Tasks That Make Sense.
One of the things that can suck out creativity quickly is lack of direction. When you set goals, but your tasks don’t seem to be directed towards achieving them, your frustration will lead to a creative let down. For example, if you have a goal of writing a white paper by the end of the month but spend all of your time working on an email journey, your thoughts can’t be channeled properly to make that white paper happen. The way to remedy this is to have clear communication with your boss to ensure that your goals match the company’s goals for you. If you are self-employed or own your own agency, that means sitting down and coming up with a clear focus and creative strategy. The less ambiguity you have, the less clutter you have in your thoughts, and that will lead to more space for creative ideas to be cultivated.
- Create a Physical Space That Encourages Creativity.
The hot configuration for office spaces over the last few years has been to create wide-open, free-flowing spaces. This is a great concept, and can often foster some idea bouncing and creativity, but when it’s time for individual creation, sometimes you need a little space. Noise-cancelling headphones and Taylor Swift playlists are usually enough to help you get lost in your creativity, but sometimes you need a place to escape physically. If possible, create creative “nooks” or “pods” where a person can work in a small, private space to get away from all distraction and get immersed in the process. At the same time, do your best to have some group spaces where small groups can be loud and brainstorm without messing with the vibe in the rest of the office.
- Don’t Forget About Passion Projects.
In an agency environment, not every project is going to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. There are always going to be projects that make you feel the excitement you encountered when you first got into the industry, and then there are some that will make you wonder if you made the right decision. The solution to keeping that balance? Concentrate on some passion projects along the way. This might not even be a project you are getting paid for. It might be helping a non-profit or even a friend who is starting a business. If you own an agency, don’t be afraid to let your team spend some time working on that type of project. In the long run it’s going to help them be more effective on the big projects you need to get done because the creative juices will feed off of the passion exhibited on those pet projects. You might have to give a little profitability back on those hours, but you will get it back tenfold and it will reflect in the quality of the other work your team produces.
Creativity takes time and effort. Maybe you just don’t have the time or resources you need to be creative with your digital marketing strategy. We understand, and that’s why we are here. Company 119 has a dedicated team of uber-creative minds that can write content, come up with great paid strategies, improve your visual elements and video campaigns, create innovative marketing automation strategies and enhance your social media presence. No matter what you need in order to generate more business, the creative minds at Company 119 are here to help. Contact us today, and let us take care of the creative, while you take care of the business.
