I’ve been running a creative agency close to 10 years now. We’ve worked with all types of brands and all types of people. We love social media marketing. But a lot of businesses get it wrong. They get their IT or business development managers to post. Or any staff who has some time on their hands, really.

And even after they hire a specialized agency to do the job, they don’t know how to deal with them. They don’t know what we need, how to give us feedback, or even, the importance of socials. Worst is when they think they know everything about social media and insist on terrible practices. But fear not. This article will help.

If you’re looking to hire an agency to manage your socials, or already working with them, here are a few tips. These are from my experience only, but they might prove useful to you.

1. Help us make content in advance.
   Content includes social media artworks, photos, videos and captions. All these things take time and creativity. Don’t rush your agency. Let them know what content you need, in advance. If possible, a month in advance. At worst, a week. Asking us for an artwork to post on the same day will make us all hate you.

2. Give us clear briefs.
Don’t you love it when your boss asks you to do something, you do it, then they tell you they don’t like it? Yeah… so don’t we. Be clear with your briefs. Tell us what needs to go in the artwork/ caption. It doesn’t have to be specific. At the very least, give us an idea of what you want the post to convey. Best is when you give us a design sample or inspo. We frikkin’ love that.

And when we send it back to you for approval, please don’t say “I don’t like it. Do something else.”. Tell us what you don’t like, or what we should remove or add. E.g: Remove the top green line/ I don’t like how dark it is/ please change the model to a happier one, etc.

3. BE. NICE.
We know you’re under stress. We know your boss yelled at you to “get more followers”. Please don’t take it out on us. We’re not your punching bag. We’re humans with feelings, like you.

And more often than not, if you ask us for something nicely, even if it’s urgent and an impossible task, we’ll move the sun and the earth to help you. Niceness goes a long way.

4. Listen to us.
We’ve been doing this a long time. We know the best posting times. We study consumer behaviour and perceptions. We keep up-to-date on each platform and its algorithms. We research this stuff. And we do it for lots of different businesses in different regions.

So if we tell you we’re not posting on the weekends because you’ll get low views. Or not to post 3 times a day because your followers will run away. Listen to us. There’s a reason you hired us to do this work. That reason is because we know our sh*t.

To sum up, it comes down to being nice, giving us time to churn our quality work, telling us what you want, and letting us have creative control.

I Run An Ad Agency And Here’s How To Deal With Us was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What’s TikTok?

If you ever talked to a Gen Z, you would’ve heard of the fastest growing social media app in the world, TikTok. Founded in 2012 as Musicl.ly, it quickly became the fastest growing social media platform.

With its young and creative community, users can make and share short videos along with filters and sounds. And like other platforms, engage by following, liking, and commenting on the content they love.

But how did TikTok become so popular overnight?

It provides a platform for anyone and everyone to be a creator, encouraging them to express and share their creativity through videos. Because of this, not only has it rapidly grown but also competes against Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Charli d’Amelio, a creator on TikTok, has over 120 million followers. She has her own collection of nail sets and collaborations with several high-end makeup brands. All because of TikTok.

Another feature that sets TikTok apart is the highly customised feed recommendations. Every user only sees content they’re interested in, allowing them to be hooked for longer periods.

TikTok began as a place for Gen Z and Millenials to do goofy dances, pranks and challenges. But with everyone at home getting bored in lockdowns, older millennials and boomers started hopping on to the app. To watch and make entertaining content. This made the community on TikTok grow super fast, reaching over 1 billion monthly users globally.

But there’s something else that makes TikTok so popular. TikTok videos have taken over WhatsApp groups, Instagram (Insta copied it and “Reels” was born) and your Pinterest feed. All because of the unique feature to easily share videos. So now you’re seeing “TikToks” everywhere.

What does TikTok mean for brands and the future of Marketing?

When it entered the market, TikTok was one of the few apps that had the features to make short videos with music and text. It was something a lot of people wanted, but didn’t know they wanted.

Today it’s become an excellent platform for businesses to engage with and reach people that share similar interests.

Here are a few tips on how you can use TikTok to make your brand more relevant and visible.

You don’t need to be perfect.

Unlike other platforms, TikTok is not about the perfectly curated, aesthetic feed or perfectly timed scheduled posts and stories. In fact, it’s the opposite. Authenticity on social media has become crucial over the past couple of years. Content that does well on TikTok isn’t super edited and polished. Instead, it’s genuine and organic.

Build your community and talk to them!

Brands aren’t searching for only views and likes. The goal is to get customers to buy their products. And the best way to do this is by building a community of fans who consume the content, take action, and spread the word further. A community takes time to build, and one of the best ways to engage is through TikTok’s feature to reply to comments via video. It’s a great way to show that you care and build credibility.

Another way to start is by leaning on other platforms where you’re already established. For example, cross-posting between TikTok and Instagram.

#UseHashtags and jump on trends.

The For You page is the most viewed on TikTok. This means that using hashtags right is essential for your TikTok to pop up on your audience’s For You page. It also provides the space where brands can hop on trends and challenges go viral.

In conclusion

With a highly engaged creative community and rapidly increasing users, TikTok is an excellent opportunity for brands and creators to reach their audience. I hope this article (written by a Gen Z, of course) convinces you to get on TikTok, and make some amazing content. Or just enjoy the myriad of videos on the app.

Don’t forget to follow us on TikTok — @thesilverkickco where we share marketing tips and tricks. And show our goofy side.

About the Author

Mahek Vijaywargiya is a Digital Marketing Executive at TSKC. She loves the massive scope of creativity in marketing. And how brands form a strong relationship with their audience through engaging content. When she’s not exploring marketing, you can find her in a corner with a good mystery book and Indian chai.

How TikTok changed the social media game was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I started The Silver Kick Company in 2013. It was a one-woman show to begin with. As I got more clients and work, I grew the business. Today, we’ve worked with clients in all fields, from all over the world. Our team is international and is made up of some of the most skilled people in the field.

I’m insanely proud of how far TSKC has come. And I can’t believe it’s been 8 years! Woohoo!

To mark this anniversary, I thought I’d share some major things I learned in running a business all by myself. These are learnings I got after f***ing up time and again. After getting myself into tricky situations, having clients yell at me, getting overwhelmed and in general, feeling way out of my depth.

But hey, I’m here. I survived. And so can you. Whether you’re a start-up or in business for some time. These tips will help you keep your motivation up, and help you plan ahead. Or just help keep you sane when you need it the most.

So without further ado, let’s get into it.

8 Big Lessons I Learned Running a Business For 8 Years

1. Believe in yourself

You’ll be eaten alive by stress, annoying clients and toxic staff if you don’t. Everything starts from you believing you can do this. This faith also comes in useful when you’re in a tricky situation. Remember — you’re much more capable than you think. You have the strength, resilience and resources all within you to make this work.

2. Don’t apologize for your prices

You’re providing a valuable product/ service. Charge a reasonable price. One that gives you a decent profit, because that’s why you’re here. And for sure, there are others in the market providing lesser quality or quantity, and charging more. So don’t apologize or feel ashamed when a person opens their eyes wide and exclaims, “That’s a lot!” when you mention your prices. See point 1.

3. Don’t fear your competition

There used to be a time where I used to look at what other agencies are doing and feel like shit thinking why I’m not doing the same. Over time, I learned that comparing only drains my energy and takes my eyes off the goal. Which is to give my clients and team the best experience working together.

So I stopped looking at what competitors were doing and started focusing only on what we’re doing. I respect all the players in the field. I know there’s enough business to go around for everyone. This kind of thinking made a huge difference. We overtook a lot of competitors. And built a reputation for being an agency that plays by its own rules.

I heard this in a course I’m currently doing- that you should want to demolish your competition, but you should also have a healthy respect for them. I love that.

4. Your company is the people working in it

Your business is your passion project. Your brainchild. Your baby. Be very choosy in who you allow to become a part of your team and represent your company. One bad staff member can drain your energy, drive away your clients and even affect your company’s rep.

So be very careful in getting the right people in your team. Consider hiring an HR professional on a freelance basis to interview people. HR professionals know how to read people and can give you a perspective on them that you won’t look for. Because you as the boss will look for hard skills, but an HR professional will assess them on emotional intelligence and soft skills. So do whatever you need to, to assess them as a good person before you let them in.

5. Use your intuition

I started relying on my gut instinct for almost everything- accepting client requests, working with a new person or supplier, taking an intern on. It’s not difficult to read people’s energy. I insist on meeting with clients and potential team members to make sure I like their vibe.

And if something doesn’t feel right, even if it means turning down a lot of profit, I’ll turn it down. Later on I’ll find out that I did the right thing.

Hone your intuition. Use it to make business decisions. Even if everyone else thinks you’re an idiot.

6. Do a great job with your current clients and more business will come

We focus on doing an amazing job for the clients we have, and because they’re happy, they refer us to others. It’s a simple process that happens naturally. We have a few ex-clients who still refer us to everyone in Bahrain. And international clients who refer us to other international clients, based in other countries.

This makes it very easy for us to work. We don’t worry about marketing or advertising ourselves. We focus on delivering incredible creative work, the rest takes care of itself.

7. Do all things with love

I had a client who used to message me at 7 am on the weekend. One such time, I replied back rudely. And I regret it. What I said could have been said with a lot of love. Or at the very least, politely.

Clients won’t understand your work, or the time and effort that goes into it. They’ll say things that really annoy you. Stop. Breathe. Refrain from saying or doing anything when you’re angry. Then when you’re calm, ask yourself- how can I approach this with love? Do this for everything else in your work — the results will be amazing.

8. Help where you can

We do a lot of voluntary work for non-profits that work for women’s and children’s causes. As a volunteer for Sahiyo, an anti-FGM/C organization, I realized they need all the help they can get. And since I’m a marketing specialist, I started helping them in everything related to marketing. Social media artworks, captions, newsletter design, content writing, and so on.

We continue to do the same even now, as a company, for more organizations around the world. It takes up time and effort from you and your team, I agree, but it goes an exponential way in helping these organizations change the world.

Summing Up

These are some of the lessons I learned along this journey. And obviously, there are loads more I learned that are more specific. Like having strong NDAs. Focusing on making a company website ASAP. And never letting an intern make your coffee. But those are for another time.

The most important lesson I learned, though, is to have fun in everything you do. If you’re having fun and feeling good, you’re on the right track. You’ll meet fascinating people and you’ll make impossible things happen. You’ll do tremendous work that you’ll be immensely proud of. And you’ll watch yourself blossom as an incredible badass who can run a business all by themselves.

About the Author

Shabana Feroze, Managing Director, Silver Kick Herself.

Shabana decided to start her own creative agency after becoming jaded with corporate marketing. She has marketed international brands. Such as Burger King, Mango, Papa John’s Pizza, DQ Grill & Chill, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Nutella, and Costa Coffee. Shabana is a published author, an anti-FGM/C activist and a group fitness instructor who enjoys her MMA classes a little too much.

8 Big Lessons I Learned Running a Business For 8 Years was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The way you dress and style yourself every morning sets the tone for your entire day. When they say that your clothes affect your mood, it’s true! If you’re wearing something that looks fierce, it’ll affect the way you feel about yourself. You’ll believe that you can take on the world.

Because clothes are a way to express yourself, your personality and who you truly are. They help you feel your strongest, best, most confident self. Your clothes are like a shelter, something that makes you feel secure. Almost as if they’re your best friends.

It’s always been difficult for women to make space for themselves in the business world. It’s all men… in their suits. To make their own space, women showed their authority and power through dressing. In the 1970s everyone dressed sharp. Tailored jackets, shoulder pads, dresses tightly cinched in at the waist and skirts that stopped at the knee. Imagine Coco Chanel. Feminine yet authoritative. That was the origin of Power Dressing. Power dressing is about investing in pieces that are like a magnet to the life you want to live.

The definition of power dressing has changed over time. Of course, it still portrays authority and competency. But the way we dress has changed. Now, it’s all about comfort.

The pandemic contributed towards this change. Everyone’s gotten comfortable with working from home in sweatpants and a pullover. To dress up in tight clothes and high heels feels like a huge task now! The entire fashion industry including high end brands saw this shift, and incorporated comfort in workwear.

Clothes that you feel comfortable make you feel more confident. Power dressing doesn’t always have to be big shoulder pads and suits. There are obvious office staples like a button-down shirt and wide-legged pants. But sometimes a beautiful maxi skirt or comfortable culottes help you through a busy office day.

And I believe that is real power dressing.

When you’re a girl boss and have to get things done, you can’t wear something that’s uncomfortable and takes your attention off of work. Wearing clothes that make you feel good rather than wearing them for how they look.

For instance, the blazer and jeans combination is a popular choice that you can never go wrong with. The mix is polished and chic without being uncomfortable or extremely formal.

A few tips to look fierce yet feel cozy at work:

• Wear comfortable shoes. If you can’t walk around in 6 inch heels the entire day, ditch them. Wear sneakers.

• Makeup is also a part of dressing. You don’t need to wear a full face of makeup every day. Let your skin breathe.
• Let your hair down. Literally. You don’t always have to wear your hair in a tight bun or ponytail that gives you a headache by the end of the day.

• Wide-leg pants are the craze now, so embrace the trend and wear relaxed pants to work.
• Offices tend to be chilled to the point it could start snowing inside (: Beat the cold with a pullover sweater that looks formal and put-together.

• Hitting the gym right after work? Make athleisure work for you by making it look classy.

In conclusion

Power dressing has shifted and I’m loving it. Now it’s all about experimenting, breaking boundaries and being fierce in your own personal style.

From Sharp To Comfy: How Power Dressing Evolved. And 5 Tips On Evolving Your Work Wardrobe was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Advice from a geriatric millennial who’s sick and tired of getting calls from her parents for every little thing. And telling her Gen Z team to use the call feature on their phone once in a while.

As a geriatric millennial (God, how I hate that term), I work with both. The older gens — boomers and Gen X — and younger- millennials and Gen Z.

I’ve seen how both struggle to communicate with each other. Because there’s a massive difference between how they both communicate.

Technology has made gigantic leaps in the last 20 years. The older gen has a hard time (and let’s face it, sometimes right-out refuse) to keep up with it. And the younger ones developed habits born from using smart devices most of their life.

For instance, people like my parents are used to landlines. They’re used to having long conversations on the phone. Gen Z doesn’t know what a telephone is. And they hate using their smartphones for making and receiving calls.

You can see how there’s a big gap between the two. I’m caught in the middle, asking my dad to WhatsApp me instead of calling for a little thing. And telling my Gen Z team to make a call to a client instead of sending messages for 30 minutes.

In short, the older gen doesn’t have any messaging etiquette and Gen Z lack call manners. From my all-seeing position in the middle of the two, here’s my list of advice for both.

Phone Advice for the Older Gen:

Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980)

• Ask yourself before making a call- can this be a text? If it’s something short, like a question, or you need to inform us about something, WhatsApp us. Remember there’s an amazing feature called Voice Notes. So even if you don’t like typing, leave a voice note. This means we can check your message when we have the time. If it’s something urgent or requires an explanation, by all means, call.

• If they don’t answer your call, message! Sometimes we’re busy and can’t answer. And in the case of Gen Z, don’t want to. So if you tried calling but they don’t answer, leave a message.

• When sending a text, keep it short and simple. There’s no need to sign off with “yours sincerely”. Or use old-fashioned formal email language with words like kindly. (Read how you should be writing emails now). Texting has changed the way we speak. Conversational language is the best.
• Please learn to say bye. I don’t know if this is just me but my parents never say bye when they’re done with a call. So either I cut it while they want to continue the conversation, or they cut it when I’m talking. So rude. Wind up the conversation, and say bye. It’s a clear indicator that the call is over.

• Please don’t talk for ages. If you want to have a chat, the polite thing to do is to ask through a message first. Ask us if we have the time for a chat. This way, we’re prepared for a longer convo. And it helps you make sure that you have our time and attention.
• DON’T. FORWARD. STUFF. Stop it. Just. Stop. If we need to know something, we’ll Google it.

Phone Advice for the Younger Gen:

Gen Y/ Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012)

• Answer the damn phone. If someone’s calling you, they have a good reason. It’s easier to talk for 30 seconds than get into a text conversation that lasts for 5 minutes and never gets to the point.

• Some things are easier said on a call. Misunderstandings tend to happen through texting. So pick up the phone and call them. And it’s nice for us to hear your voice.
• Call back. If you miss someone’s call, call them back. It’s super rude not to. If you can’t, send a message saying you’re not able to take their call right now, and would they mind messaging you instead?
• Reply to text messages. I know you’re busy. But not replying is not nice. If you’ve seen the message, acknowledge it with a reply. Even an emoji will do. :)

ONE Phone Manner I Wish Everyone Would Adopt

Please, ASK the person you’re calling if they have the time to talk to you. Or that you’re not disturbing them with this call.

There’ve been countless times when I’ve said hello and the caller launches into a full convo. And I don’t have the time/ I’m not in the right mindset to listen to them.

When you make a call, you want them to pay attention to what you’re saying. So please. Ask them if they can talk to you at that moment.

Okay, I’m Gonna Say Bye Now

Boiled down, all I’m trying to say is that the older gen has to get used to texting more. And the younger gen needs to remember to make and answer calls.

About The Author

Shabana Feroze, Managing Director, Silver Kick Herself.

Shabana decided to start her own creative agency after becoming jaded with corporate marketing. She has marketed international brands. Such as Burger King, Mango, Papa John’s Pizza, DQ Grill & Chill, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Nutella, and Costa Coffee. Shabana is a published author, an anti-FGM/C activist and a group fitness instructor who enjoys her MMA classes a little too much.

Phone Manners You Need To Adopt Today To Communicate Better With The Older/ Younger Gen was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Jelica Mativejic, Senior Graphic Designer

Business school, multinationals, different countries, marketing departments, excel spreadsheets, late hours, meetings, stress, madness, a promising career… and burnout.

I lived and worked in India, China, Hong Kong, Bahrain and Serbia. Yeah, I was deep into the corporate world for years, from working with small businesses to big international companies, different roles and departments with no potential of ever skipping off of that road.

At that time I often asked myself- how the hell did I end up here? I was always a very visual person. I wanted to be an artist once upon a time. Design principles and laws were already part of how I see the world. As if they were installed in my eyes.

At the same time, I was also attracted to the dynamics of the business world. Meeting new people, doing crazy things like learning to do something within a 5 seconds deadline. That constant cocktail of adrenaline and cortisol. I loved it.

I remember I laughed at my boyfriend (now husband) when he first suggested to me to explore the creative side of business and Graphic Design. It felt like a joke. It felt impossible. How am I ever going to do that? Start from scratch? Now??! Throw my career down the drain?

Well, I didn’t need to wait much. I had a long pregnancy leave which meant a lot of time to rethink my life. Do I want to go back to corporate, to that life? Am I sure?

You can guess what my answer was. I wanted freedom, I was craving to be independent, work whenever and wherever I want and the most important, watch my son grow up.

I wanted to be a graphics designer and I dreamed of working in the advertising space.

I started from scratch — in an imaginary intern position :). I was a tough boss to myself. :D I started learning, studying design, and practicing every single day. I pushed myself to do the most basic design tasks to the more complex ones.

I even convinced my husband to make a printable with me that I can sell on Etsy. But that was a huge fail. :D Then I convinced a poor client on Upwork to give me my first $25 gig (I had zero experience, no portfolio, just that printable as a sample). Thanks to this client, I was learning design while working for her.

The trust of that client and my husband’s guidance helped me become a Top Rated Plus designer on Upwork. Today, I work with more than 60 clients from all over the world. These clients are diverse — influencers, startups, large and small companies. Clients such as Princeton University, Hyatt International, Disney on Ice, BFT (one of the biggest fitness chains in Australia), and many more.

After 6 years of starting out as a novice, and 2190 days of finally spending my time right, I’m the proud co-owner of my own creative agency, and a Senior Graphic Designer at The Silver Kick Company. Everything I learned in my previous (corporate) life, I embrace and merge with design. I’m a strategist and designer at the same time — mixing business with creativity. And this is finally who I am.

From this perspective, I can tell you that if you want to really learn design, no matter how old you are or what your background is, you should start with these tips:

• Find the most humble gig on Upwork that you can get (I remember even giving a discount on 25$ gig just to get it :D and start working).
• Keep getting clients as this is the best way to learn and grow. If needed, offer your services to your friends (I worked for free for some time).

• Don’t forget to read news, newsletters, etc. These are the places where you can get info about companies, agencies, or new interesting startups that you can offer your services to. Approach companies that inspire you. Funny fact is that I’ve approached TSKC after reading about them in a newsletter. Their story inspired me and made me want to offer them my services. Two years down the road I’m so happy I sent that email :).
• Deliver your maximum every single day to every client, no matter how small or big.
• Spend some time every day understanding the visual trends and what’s going on in the world.
• Trust your instincts always, especially when it comes to people you collaborate with.

• Start accumulating work that reflects the graphic design jobs you ideally want to be hired for and companies you would like to collaborate with.
• Last but not least, if you’re walking down the same path, feel free to reach out to me on write.jelica@gmail.com.

Final Thoughts

Communicating with people/ clients from all over the world. Creating amazing designs that I thought I was never capable of. Freedom. Being my own boss. Choosing with whom I’m going to work. Traveling. Having the choice on how I’m going to spend my day (work or play). Learning and growing every day.

And since I started designing I never felt I’m working. More like practicing my passion.

It’s seriously never too late to become a designer.

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.” — Paraphrased from from Charles Bukowski’s poem “Roll the Dice”

About the Author

Jelica Mativejic is a strategist at heart who adores telling beautiful visual stories. Her forte is creating engaging social media content. Jelica loves clean, elegant and minimal branding and design. When she’s not in front of her computer, she loves to do photography, run and absorb visual design trends.

How I Switched Careers To Do What I Love. And How You Can, Too. was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Maria Shaheen, Admin Assistant and Chief GIF Researcher

Nobody was prepared for a pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak is a sharp reminder that catastrophic occurrences like these have happened in the past. And will continue to happen. People had to find a new normal. So did businesses.

Companies should expect sudden changes- in the world, the economy, within their own organization. And when the situation comes, they have to take swift action to adapt to it. They have two choices- to either be on top of their game or get stampeded.

The pandemic changed many of our old unhealthy habits for good. The world was moving towards a digital world. But at a slow pace. The pandemic accelerated that growth and forced us to shift towards a completely digital world. From WFH and Zoom meetings to online shopping and digital payments. Our way of living has changed drastically.

Earlier, businesses used social media and digital marketing but still relied heavily on traditional marketing. Now businesses had to find new ways to be creative and create engaging content on digital platforms. Consumer behaviour changed. And with it, so must brand behaviour.

TikTok Trends

People are spending more time than ever on social media platforms. To kill boredom created from staying home, people became more creative on Tiktok. Tiktok became the new trendsetter and businesses had to take advantage of it. Businesses that were already on the platform benefitted. Others jumped on the bandwagon immediately. Jacqeumas and Balmain started to create engaging content on TikTok and even started new trends.

Luxury Fashion Connected With People

The luxury fashion industry was hit hard due to the pandemic. They believed in doing things the traditional way to maintain their standards. But alas, old habits have to die. Designers and fashion brands got creative with technology to communicate with their audience.

More than the frequency of posts to maintain online presence, engaging content is a must. Bottega Veneta did a great job with their cultural project titled “Residency”. They used the pandemic as an opportunity to connect with their audience online. In these hard times, they provided support to their audience through digital platforms. They created a community on Instagram, YouTube, Weibo, Spotify and many more. Influential voices for the brand were invited to talk about their greatest inspiration. Recipes were posted every Saturday for people to try at home. This goes to prove that in today’s time, marketing is all about connecting with people where they are.

The Healthcare Industry Made Marketing a Priority

The healthcare industry also had to make significant changes to spread awareness. They had to be more digitally active than ever. Hospitals and clinics had to learn to be creative with their messaging and engage with people on digital platforms. A change in the social media strategy was not the only marketing change the industry witnessed. They explored other digital media. Businesses started creating apps to become more accessible. Who would’ve thought of buying medicines online a year ago?

Events Changed Completely

Events are an integral part of marketing. Product launches, fashion shows, press conferences. They help with brand recognition. They help to maintain good relationships with customers, shareholders and employees. So how did the event management industry cope with the pandemic?

By going digital. Companies started hosting online events to bond with their employees and help them through the situation. Events like award ceremonies and product launches were held online. With the help of the latest tech and graphics, the look and feel of an actual event was created. Online events weren’t a tried and tested experience, so companies had to wing it for the most part. And yet most of them were successful in connecting with their audience online.

Things you can do to connect with your audience:

• Be active on every social media platform where your audience is.

• Tiktok is the new Instagram. So get creative and churn out trendy transition videos!

• Do more videos on Instagram. The Instagram algorithm favours videos.
• Content is everything! Be it absurd, informational or entertaining. Make sure your content is of the best quality.
• Build relationships with your customers. Show your support in hard situations.
• Start making a shift towards the digital world.
• Adapt to the situation at hand using creativity.

Subsequently all industries had to overcome marketing obstacles of their own during the pandemic. Companies that understood the change in consumer behavior and altered their strategies to best meet their consumer needs, could resurface and gain their market positions again. It’s all about taking swift action and adapting to the situation instead of becoming obsolete.

How Different Industries Coped With The Pandemic. And What You Can Learn From Them was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Shabana Feroze, Founder, Managing Director, Silver Kick herself

There’s a direct correlation between being creative and feeling relaxed. You don’t get your best ideas when you’re stressed. You get them when you’re taking a shower. When you’re falling asleep. When you’re on the throne.

(I don’t know why the bathroom features highly for us humans finding our best ideas, but it’s true.) You’re never going to be creative when you’re under duress or when your boss is yelling at you for your top 3 ideas now now NOW!

Our brain functions at its best when we’re relaxed. When we’re calm, even when we’re happy. Especially when we’re happy. Why then, do so many companies forget this (or let’s just say they don’t remember this in the first place) and put so much pressure on their employees to deliver their absolute friggin’ best? You have to do the opposite to get the best creativity from your team- remove as much pressure as possible. So they can find joy in it.

Remember that creativity is not just for the stereotypical creative fields such as art and advertising. Being creative means that you look at problems from another angle. You use innovative thinking to find solutions. Most often, the best solutions are the simplest ones. And the simplest solutions come to a mind that’s uncluttered by stress and mean words written by your boss in your last email.

And if you’re creative, you’re also productive. Because you’re finding the best, easiest options for doing your work faster and better. So the employee who gets their work done in 3 hours as opposed to someone else who takes 6 hours to do the same thing, is probably finding creative solutions to getting their work done. Of course, other factors also contribute to this, but let’s focus on the aspect of creativity for now.

Forget about your team for a moment. Think about yourself. When you feel overwhelmed, the best course of action is not to overwhelm yourself more. Thinking about how close your deadline is. How spectacularly you’re going to fail. And how you can never do anything right in life.

It’s to take a few belly breaths. Make yourself a cup of tea. Maybe lie down or take a power nap. Or sleep on it overnight. (Research shows our brain solves problems while we sleep). Ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen if you fail. Accept that scenario. Basically, do whatever it takes to calm yourself down.

You know that that’s when all the great ideas hit you. Because you finally let your super incredible subconscious tackle the problem and find magical solutions.

If I were to put a few points together on how you as a team leader or manager, (or simply as a manager of yourself) could find ways to relax and maximize creativity, here’s what I’d recommend:

• Wellbeing: Look after your wellbeing and that of your team. Make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself and others. This means that you get enough rest, eat well, and reduce as much stress as possible. ‘Healthy lifestyle choices’ isn’t just a cliche.

• Slack off: Don’t overload your daily work. Make sure you have some free time during your workday. And remember to do the same for your team members. If your brain is constantly hammered by a long to-do list, it’s too much pressure on yourself.
• Play: Playing enhances creativity and relaxation. Do something fun and playful as often as you can. Board games on weekends, colouring books, video games and table tennis at work. Anything that lets your inner child feel happy. Encourage playfulness with your teams. Crack jokes, send GIFs in work chats and emails. You don’t have to be so serious all the time.

• Prioritize Comfort: You’re not going to feel relaxed if your work makes you feel uncomfortable. And look, maybe you hate your job but you have to do it to pay the bills. But that’s even more reason for you to make your workspace as comfortable for you as possible, right? So light a candle, add a comfy cushion, personalize your desk. Or choose to work from home if that makes you feel more comfortable. And remember to wear comfortable clothes. When you’re comfortable, you’re in a better mood. It’s as simple as that.

• Find the Humour in Everything: A great sense of humour helps to relieve stress in every situation. Client giving you a hard time? Make a joke out of it. You failed at something? Laugh at yourself. And keep the humour clean. Don’t make too much fun of anyone and don’t get too self-deprecating. There are always boundaries. But find ways of laughing at yourself and laughing at the situation. Laughter will always help you think better.

These were just a few tips on how I like to keep my team and myself relaxed and happy while working. I’m sure you have your own ways of doing this. And even if the only take away you got from this article is to reduce pressure on yourself and your team, then my work here is done.

About the Author

Shabana decided to start her own creative agency after becoming jaded working in corporations. She has experience marketing international brands like Burger King, Mango, Papa John’s Pizza, DQ Grill & Chill, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Nutella, Costa Coffee, and more. Shabana is a published author, an anti-FGM/C activist and a group fitness instructor who enjoys her MMA classes a little too much.

To be Creative, You Have to Relax was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Last year, I interned at a reputed digital agency in Mumbai, India. When working there I was surprised at how an organization could treat their interns (as well as their employees) so poorly. It was an unpaid internship. And I was easily working 12–13 hours every single day. Even most weekends.

One time I was having a terrible migraine, I was told to rest for a couple hours, but come back to work. The experience changed my perspective on internships drastically. And made me want to write about how interns should be treated.

Interns are often perceived as young and inexperienced. But most importantly, as staff that’ll stay for the short-term only. So it doesn’t make sense to invest time into them, right? WRONG.

Interns might not have as much experience, but they’re there for the purpose of learning. If they choose a particular company to intern at, they’re most likely interested to work with them. They want to gain exposure in the field. They might be inexperienced to start with, but a kind mentor, a good work environment, and respect can go a long way.

Interns in many organizations are usually perceived as grunt workers. I’ve personally heard about situations where all the interns did was get coffee/ tea for their superiors and print out documents. In addition to the tasks being meaningless to the job role, they’re also repetitive.

And usually, a mentor shows the intern one aspect of the work, and then the interns are told to continue to do that daily. Thus limiting the exposure of what they can learn. These types of tasks don’t help interns gain exposure and learn. And they’re demotivating as the interns are there to offer their time, and are enthusiastic about wanting to contribute and learn.

How you should treat interns:

• Make sure you have a program or an idea of what you want them to do, It makes the whole experience easier for both you and the intern.

• Delegate specific tasks to them and once they get the hang of it, let them take over! This not only motivates them but also boosts their confidence and shows that you trust them.

• Interact and check up on how things are going, but don’t interfere daily or impose your method of doing something on them. Let them try to figure it out. One of the hardest, but most important attributes in the relationship between the intern and the mentor is comfort, which makes a huge difference.
• Allow your interns to ask you anything any number of times without judging them or scolding them. It’s much better to clarify doubts than to make mistakes with clients.

• Appreciate them and show them that you care. There’s no such thing as being too kind. Once a mutual understanding is established, the quality of work will improve. And the enthusiasm and the creativity that an additional mind brings will start to show.

• Please don’t yell when they make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes; after all, we’re only human. What matters is how the issue is solved, not who caused the problem. Explain your point of view to them, share ideas, have a conversation and be considerate.

When interns come to your organization to gain exposure, don’t forget that they’re one of your biggest marketers. They have large networks from their school, college, social circles, etc. The way they feel about your company and its work culture is what they’re going to tell others outside the company. So in a way, they play an influential role in the image of the company. Treat your interns right, treat them with respect, and don’t forget to be kind.

How to Treat Your Interns was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Shabana Feroze- Founder, Managing Director, Silver Kick herself

Please find attached.

Yours sincerely

Kindly expedite the process. Kindly revert on this issue. Kindly pass me the salt.

If you’re still writing your emails like this, here’s my plea on why you should stop. And how you SHOULD be writing your emails.

Because this old-fashioned formal Business English for emails is dead. Let it die.

So why stop? This type of writing was used so much that if you’re a Gen X-er or an older Millennial, you’re super used to writing your emails this way. It comes naturally, almost like a second language.

I remember sending emails with just 3 letters- PFA. FYA. FYI. (Please Find Attached, For Your Approval/ Action, For Your Information). So what’s the problem?

The problem is that they’re boring, impersonal and dry as hell.

They were okay at a time when we didn’t have text messages. And we certainly didn’t have WhatsApp. Once we started using WhatsApp for friends and family, we segued into using it for business. I’m talking about when it just started and Slack wasn’t even born.

Because messaging platforms like WhatsApp are used for informal communication, the way we write messages to colleagues on WhatsApp are also informal. We’re not writing ‘kindly’ and ‘yours sincerely’ when we send WhatsApp texts to colleagues or clients. If you are, please stop.

We write more informally on text messaging apps. We use emojis. And now, we use stickers and GIFs. This has drastically changed the way we communicate in writing.

Before, emails were a second option to handwritten business letters. We started mails with ‘Dear’ and ended them with ‘Kind regards’. Like we did in letters. Now we start emails with a hi or hello, or even a ‘hey’. Emails now have become a second option to WhatsApp, Slack and Microsoft Teams. We do all our business communication through these apps and send emails when we absolutely need to.

It’s super weird when you message your boss “I’ll mail you the report right away”, and then email them saying “Dear Mr. Boss. Kindly find attached the report of ….”.

Do you see what I’m saying? You’re already talking to your business contacts in an informal, conversational way. Because of this, your style of writing emails needs to be the same style in which you’re messaging. I.E, write the way you speak. Let your personality shine through. As long as you’re not using a ton of exclamations and emojis, your mails will read well. And they’ll be really easy for you to write. Because you won’t be sitting and scratching your head as to how you have to convert a casual sentence into formal business English.

So ditch the formal, uptight style of writing emails. Write the same way you’d be messaging. Or talking to them if they were in front of you.

I’m not saying you have to ramble on in your mails now. Keep them simple, concise and clear. All the features a well-written email has.

I’m saying write the way you’d speak or message. Throwing in a GIF won’t hurt anyone.

And please, PLEASE, stop with the ‘kindly’!

About the Author

Shabana decided to start her own creative agency after becoming jaded working in corporations. She has experience marketing international brands like Burger King, Mango, Papa John’s Pizza, DQ Grill & Chill, Peugeot, Mitsubishi, Nutella, and Costa Coffee. Shabana is a published author, an anti-FGM/C activist and a group fitness instructor who enjoys her MMA classes a little too much.

Kindly Stop Writing Your Emails Like This was originally published in The Silver Kick Company on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.