As I approached turning 30 on the 1st of November this year. I had multiple moments of reflection on my journey and life so far. While I documented a number of things, and spent some time apart to fast, pray, reflect and prepare for the next phase of my life.
I also thought about what to share in a simplified form with people in my circle of influence. So here are 30 lessons or nuggets you may find as useful.
Wishing you a splendid week.🤍
1. You are not helpless. There is always a seed in your hand. Ideas, Gifts, Talents. Don’t disregard that seed because it comes easy to you or seems too small.
2. Put your best foot forward. Always!
3. Correct people in love.
4. Be the friend you want.
5. Focus on what’s before you. Your lane is yours.
6. Smell good. Smell good for yourself first. Make sitting beside others a pleasant and comfortable experience.
7. You can’t buy the affection of anyone or perform to get their affection.
8. Be yourself and improve to become a better version of yourself. Do it for you.
9. Be happy and laugh often, life is too short to live a sad and empty life.
10. Take joy in the little and big things. Enjoy those moments and let them encourage you.
11. Some of the best advice will come from those much younger than you are, so be open minded.
12. Give your younger siblings the respect they deserve.
13. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, there is no shame in that.
14. Dream big, but start young.
15. Don’t be afraid to start again. With God’s guidance, you can build better this time around.
16. Don’t let the unrealistic pressures of society, dictate how you should live or spend your money.
17. Be prudent with what you have, live within your means and try to have multiple streams of passive income.
18. Don’t give up before you begin to see the rewards.
19. It’s okay to stop, if it’s costing you your peace of mind, health or finances.
20. Prioritize taking care of yourself. There’s no need to feel guilty.
21. Pay attention to your body. Don’t ignore signs when you are overworked, tired or need better care.
22. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Stop stressing over the small things.
23. Just be kind.
24. The world doesn’t revolve around you alone, so be sensitive enough to observe when others need your help.
25. If you don’t have firsthand knowledge about something or someone, give things time.
26. Don’t be a gossip.
27. Handle disagreements with grace. Diverse perspectives help you understand people and also see the world the way others see it.
28. Stop worrying. Pray instead, then do your best and leave the rest.
29. Pray ooo. Don’t get tired of praying. Pray about everything and anything. God listens but you also need to listen too.
30. God loves you unconditionally, so you can learn to love, and trust Him.
Thanks for reading.🤍
Article by Opeolu Adeyemi. Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant. Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!
Appraisal is a very important phase for strategy improvement and implementation in the field of corporate communication and public relations.
It helps publicists and communications specialists define accurately action steps and improvement opportunities required for a brand or business to achieve certain milestones or success.
In light of the present-day communication assets and innovations, a number of things define brand appraisal for Corporate Communications and Public Relations.
Present-day Communication Assets Utilized.
Growth Strategies and Impact of Communication Assets.
Relevance of Communication Assets and sustainability.
Ranking and Search Engine (Optimization and Marketing).
Brand Name, Brand Positioning, and Impression.
Let’s explore some more, these five (5) areas:
Present Day Communication Assets Utilized.
One of the first steps for towards “Brand Appraisal” is identifying the current communication assets being utilized by the brand. You’re most likely to find the following:
Zero utilization of present day communication asset. This is so, for those who just love to do things the old fashioned way and are averse to change, new methods and trying new things. Such brands most likely have a physical outlet and marketing is done through word of mouth and physical exchange of products or services.
Some utilization of present day communication assets. This is so for some brands who have some level of exposure to the importance of establishing some communication assets such as an official email, an online presence for the brand or a simple website.
Full utilization of the present day communication assets. This is the case for brands that recognize the importance of establishing communication assets and strongly utilizing them.
The appraisal here means determining for each of these three categories, if the chosen communication assets are suitable and relevant for the brand. As this affects greatly the growth and impact of the brand, leading us to the next point.
Growth Strategies and Impact of Communication Assets.
The second step towards “Brand Appraisal” is assessment for growth and impact. In terms of communication and public relations, one needs to determine how strong an online presence is and how visible the brand is to the public.
Things like the online presence across key communication assets, the follower count, the visibility of the brand, and the level of engagement for created content etc. All are important aspects to consider. Rich engagements ultimately determine the reach for brand awareness and potential of great content going viral.
In terms of communication, this determines if a brand is doing well enough to reach the target audience.
So you need to ask growth and impact questions like:
How strong is the brand’s online presence?
Is the brand well represented across the relevant and key communication channels?
Is there more awareness of the brand presence, growing across the key communication assets?
What’s the follower count across the key communication assets, in relation to the time of brand takeoff?
What’s the level of engagement by people across the key communication assets? Inquiries, Collaborations, Comments, Shares, Saves etc.
What percentage of sales can be attributed to communication, advertising and marketing efforts across the communication assets?
Relevance of Communication Assets and Sustainability.
The third step towards “Brand Appraisal” is assessment for relevance of the selected communication assets. This is based on the brand focus, the uniqueness of each communication asset and it’s use by the brand.
Case Study: A Fashion Brand
Take for instance, a fashion brand, a great communication asset for great publicity would be one that aids visualization and ease of purchase. Some options for communication assets that would be a good fit for such a brand should be one that enhances clarity, simplicity and aesthetics.
A good match would be a website and social media platforms like Instagram for great images/ videos and TikTok for videos which showcases the variety of fashion items. The choice of content presentation would often vary for fashion brands.
A brand’s budget often determines the approach. Sometimes, brands operating on a cost effective budget may rely on great “Design” (graphics, animation and videos) and “Marketing” using actual products and mockup designs of same. Another popular option with a wider budget for marketing and advertising is the engagement of influencers and models who showcase such fashion pieces or items. So the Short videos on Instagram, Longer Videos on IGTV, Instagram reels and TikTok videos become instrumental for content creation in this regard.
Of course, other communication assets such as Facebook and Twitter and other internal communication platforms for email conversations and email marketing may be useful in the long run, however prioritization should be for the most relevant asset that aids publicity and gives the fashion brand better awareness that ultimately drives growth and sales.
This also implies that relevance and choice of communication asset for brands across different sectors will vary. This is a choice that needs to be carefully decided when prioritizing the relevance of a communication asset for a brand.
Ranking and Search Engine (Optimization and Marketing).
The fourth step towards “Brand Appraisal” is assessment for ranking and search engine optimization for the brand. How often does the brand show up on the web while surfing the web for key things pertaining to the brand’s industry, niche or area of focus?
To address this, it’s important to ask the following questions:
How optimized is the brand’s website?
Can the brand be easily found when searched for on the web?
Is the website adapted for both mobile and web, thus aiding the user experience?
Is the brand’s web content crafted to include relevant keywords for its line of business, including Broad Match keywords, Phrase Match keywords and Exact Match keywords that ultimately aids search for the brand’s industry?
How often do Search Engines recognize that the website has relevant content for search?
How high up in terms of ranking, does the brand’s website appear in search?
Does the brand need to drive some search engine marketing efforts for better visibility?
Are there any local listings that aid search for the brand’s visibility?
These are questions that need to be answered in view of appraisal for Ranking and Search for the brand.
When a brand/business is willing to set aside a budget for Search Engine Marketing (SEM) / Advertisement efforts, then visibility for search can be worked upon. What ultimately drives the success of visibility for search is the “Bid” (maximum amount an advertiser is willing to pay for a click on an ad) for SEM efforts and the “Quality” of content on websites. So, search engines look at these two things before prioritizing content they show to users; those they think are most relevant to the search in question by users.
Optimization efforts and local listings on platforms like “Google My Business” can also be very useful for small businesses/ brands that can’t afford a budget for SEM efforts and advertisements to aid search.
However, it’s very possible to achieve great visibility with Search Engines over time for a niche, an industry or a line of business. This is achievable when relevant content/details are shared often and consistently regarding the area a brand intends to dominate or become relevant.
Brand Name, Brand Positioning, and Impression.
Finally, the fifth step towards “Brand Appraisal” is an assessment for brand’s name, brand positioning and impression.
Some questions to ask for this include:
Is the brand name reflective of what they do (the core area of focus, niche or industry)? Is it memorable and easy to pronounce and recognizable amongst other brands? Does it stand out from similar brands? What do we (brand owners/ strategists/ publicists) want people to know this brand for (for new brands)? What have people come to know this brand for, or what area, industry or niche do people associate this brand with? Are people’s interpretation of what the brand stands for accurate? Are those impressions positive? What are people saying about the brand? What does analytics for the existing communication assets say about the brand? How can we work on the improvement opportunities based on the data obtained from these assessments or analytics?
These are some of the questions that can be addressed to decipher if a brand has the right name, impression and is positioned accurately in the market place.
Remember, data driven decisions are always relevant for growth and improvement for brands, and when one is willing to listen and learn from the information obtained from the appraisal of brands, then a great strategy can be drafted; aimed towards growth, development, brand visibility, brand reach, engagement, impact and ultimately sales.
Thank you for reading.
Article by Opeolu Adeyemi. Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!
In 2020, Nigeria was named home to the ‘largest’ music industry in Africa and undoubtedly continues to gain local and global attention; due to numerous internationally award-winning musicians, artists, managers, producers, promoters, record labels, marketers, and distributors. This global attention also extends to international recognition, comprising innumerable international performances and collaborations with renowned foreign artists and record labels.
Background
The Nigerian music industry has birthed several genres of music with a hearty mixture of hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and gospel as it continues to flourish in the spotlights; as a result, one might be curious about what the financial and economic implications are for these artists and Nigeria as a whole.
According to Statista Research Department[1], This industry’s revenue grew from 26 million U.S. dollars in 2014 to 34million U.S. dollars in 2018 and is estimated to generate about 44million U.S. dollars by 2023. This contributes a tremendous amount to Nigeria’s GDP[2], which was 448.1 billion U.S dollars in 2019 only.
For this article, we would be considering the importance of protecting the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) [3] of creatives in the Nigerian music industry.
Further considering how profitable this industry currently is, one would envisage that ‘top’ safety measures are put in place to secure the intellectual properties of these creatives from infringement both locally and internationally. One would expect that these creatives fully profit from their works without undue hindrance.
However, that is not the case as there is an unusual norm that plagues both the upcoming and the ‘biggest’ artists in the Nigerian music industry. There is an inability to protect IPR from infringement.
CASE STUDY
According to Celebrity Net Worth[4] Wizkid is a Top Nigerian singer, performer, and songwriter who has a net worth of 4 million U.S. dollars. He is widely recognized across Africa and in the Afrobeat community, reaching international prominence by collaborating with famous persons in the music industry such as Drake, Beyoncé, Tyga, Swae Lee, and Major Lazer to name a few. After working with other high-profile musicians, Wizkid branched out into the mainstream music scene. Being the first Nigerian citizen to amass 1 million followers on Twitter; He is undoubtedly one of the most famous Nigerians of all time.
Wizkid V. Wisekid
A Wizkid imposter ‘Wisekid’ set up to illegally profit from copying Wizkid on the digital space. ‘Hosea Yohanna’[5] an upcoming Nigerian artist; acquired millions of streams in just 7 months, starting from October 2020 by cloning Wizkid’s ‘Made in Lagos’ album with his album named ‘Lasgidi Made’ having 9.3 million plays and 1.2 thousand purchases on Apple music alone.
The similarities of both names were unmistakable, and though the album songs had different lineups, all Names were the same. Even the songs sounded similar. Wisekid also went ahead to create a clone Twitter and Instagram account with the handle ‘@wisekidaya’ which was indisputably made to look just like Wizkid’s handle ‘@wizkidayo’ for both accounts having a following of over 8.4 million on Twitter and 12.1 million on Instagram.
Wisekid was discovered sometime in early April 2021 by Wizkid fans when he posted screenshots of his Lasgidi Made album streams on his Twitter page captioned ‘on God’, stirring up so much controversy. After ‘@africafactzone’ on Twitter reported that he was making 30 million Naira monthly, which amounts to about 79 thousand U.S. dollars from copying Wizkid.
Wisekid replied to that tweet stating, “…I’m just an upcoming artist, I know nothing about this…” He also tweeted that ‘Freeme Digital’ distributed all his songs and said that he had no idea, ‘Freeme Digital’, however, stated that although they distributed his old songs, the album Lasgidi Made was never one of them.
Although Wizkid did not respond to the social media frenzy, one of his managers ‘Jada Pollock’ shared on her Twitter that the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) had begun working on taking down the album. Lasgidi Made was taken off of Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify. Consequently, the wisekids Twitter account got suspended.
Akinyemi[6] Opined that ‘Wizkid’ had become a trademark attached to the person ‘Ayo Balogun’, his public ‘goodwill’ building for over 10years. Therefore such ‘goodwill’ is attached to the name Wizkid. He explained; that the trademark was associated with a certain level of excellence. Hence, whatever bears such a mark would attract the loyal audience of the brand who associate it with excellence and cause them to consume its products.
Consequently, if unauthorized persons benefit from the name Wizkid by exploiting or posing as though such a name belongs to them, the person named ‘Ayo Balogun’ the owner of the registered Copyright and Trademark to that name, has the right to bring legal actions against such individuals.
The Benefits of Protecting Intellectual Property Rights[7]
Protects it against infringement by others and ultimately defends in the courts your sole right to use, make, sell, reproduce or import it.
It stops others from using, making, selling, reproducing, or importing it’ without your permission.
It earns you royalties by licensing it.
It may be exploited by way of strategic alliances.
You can make money by selling it.
A farmer, who owns farmland with cattle and cash crops before he starts farming, puts up a fence around his property to protect it. That, in turn, prevents his cattle from straying and also discourages persons from trespassing. The farmer protects his farm and yields a lot of profit in return. Such a farmer experiences little or no loss in his business.
Similarly, if a person would put a fence around his physical property to protect it, what stops an artist from putting measures in place to protect his intellectual property(IP) of great value? Could it be due to the extreme intangible nature of IP; that he does not know how to protect it? Or has he refused to do so for other reasons?
Reasons Why Creatives Do Not Protect Their Intellectual Properties
There are hosts of reasons why creatives do not protect their IP. These reasons narrowed to a few such as;
Lack of awareness.
Attempting to do it yourself (DIY).
Refusal to seek professional assistance (or simply believing that it is not necessary).
Financial concerns.
The “Till I’m big” Mindset.
Reasons as these often pose ‘major’ threats to IP growth and development in the Nigerian music industry. Nevertheless, there are ways in which one can protect their IP rights.
How To Protect The IP Rights of Creatives in the Music Industry
Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, a Music and IP lawyer and partner at Hightower solicitors and advocates, stated in his interview[8] with Entertainment News that; regardless of the persistent problems of creation safety, artists still have options. He noted that the best way for an artist to protect their works is by constantly policing all aspects of their IP.
He further stated that handlers should always be on the lookout for infringements such as Copyright and Trademark, as seen in the case study above. Akinyemi advises that there would always be those who would try and illegitimately exploit the works of others. However, a creator must always be alert and have an infrastructure or Team that constantly policies IP rights.
Recommendations
The writer advises that every creative must prioritize the protection of their works from the onset. Such can either be by way of Copyright, Trademark, or Trade secret protection. No idea or creation is too little; so long it is the creator’s IP.
Creatives may not be able to stop infringers, but they can adequately protect themselves by being aware of their IPR, seeking professional help, and constantly keeping the IPR under scrutiny. Not only does this discourage infringers, but it also gives creatives full access to enjoy and exploit the benefits accruing from their works without interruption.
Conclusion
Creatives at various levels get affected by intellectual property infringement; no one is out of the grasps of this menace, big, small, upcoming, or established. There are always those seeking to take advantage of the IPR of others and make an undue profit. Others ride on the goodwill of creatives which they have worked hard to establish over time. Therefore one must be on the watch at all times.
Article by Ibukun Adeyemi. LL.B 2020 || Intellectual Property Law and Media and Entertainment Law Enthusiast || Legal Assistant.
Two years and eight months (2 years and 8 months), seems like only yesterday when I began, but on some days, if also feels like a very long time spearheading my young company, Brave Publicity.
It’s been an enjoyable experience that has birth much growth and progress, even though I’ve had my share of slow days and days when I felt tired, but, I wouldn’t have it any other way, because it’s all working together for my good, and has brought me here.
So I’ll be sharing seven (7) key things about this journey so far and hopefully, you learn some useful things, that can help you walk better in your own BOSS Shoes.
Motivation
I’ll start off with motivation. As a young business owner, one of the things I’ve learnt to do is encourage and push myself. There are days when I don’t feel like doing anything, getting up from my bed and moving to my workstation. There are days when I don’t get any form of external encouragement, but I still choose to get up every day to put in the work required. That has made a whole lot of difference, because I can literally observe my progress and the depth of improvement I’ve had over the years.
The field of Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Publishing is one that requires a lot of creativity, attention to detail and hands-on experience.
So you may not notice all of your improvements within a short period, but over time, you’d definitely observe much progress.
Remember, CONSISTENCY is KEY.
The Work Place
My work station has been my home for most of the time, except for periods when I need to visit a Work-Hub or go print out my in-house projects/ products by Brave Publicity or projects for clients.
I’ve learnt that having a defined work station even at home is very important. It helps you keep things in perspective and makes you take more seriously your work at your company.
So just like everyone else, when I’m not out at my day job, I’m at home at my work station. Being at home can be distracting sometimes, especially when you live with others, but when you put boundaries in place, others will respect it and understand that you’re at work and not really at home with them.
I will admit that being at home is sometimes lonely, but I try to stay cheerful. Calm and soothing music helps sometimes, and then catching up with what others have been up to online, also helps.
So, when the Pandemic for COVID-19 happened, resulting to series of global lockdown episodes, it wasn’t so hard to adjust, as it had become a routine to work from home. The only difference was, there were more folks at home and it felt more like a work hub on some days, as everyone was working remotely and having virtual meetings right from home.
I do look forward to a time when this changes soon, but for now, a remote work station from home and occasional Work-Hub visits will have to do. It’s called process, so don’t be in a hurry.
Leverage on the things that you can and invest only in the things that matter most. The early stage requires being very prudent and investing wisely.
If you’re privileged to have better, that’s also great. Just embrace your own process, it defers for everyone.
Structures
If there’s anything I’m grateful for, it’s structure. Vision precedes structure, before content. As a young visionary, with God’s help, I’ve been able to gradually map out structures that has helped make running the business much easier.
From Communications Structures, to Corporate Structures or Financial Structures. Some have not been so easy to execute, but I take each day at a time and do what I can every day to make things better, until they become the global standard of excellence and sustainability.
When you have the end in view, I believe that all of your action steps when taken intentionally, eventually align towards accomplishing the end result.
It has required much studying and learning from those who are way ahead of me or those well established in my industry or business in general. Attending trainings, personal coaching sessions, seminars, webinars, reading etc., to learn.
I’ve also learnt to not be ashamed to ask questions or ask for guidance from others ahead of me or even my peers sometimes.
I understand my areas of strength and the things I’m very great at, but I also try not to take on the stance of knowing it all, or being the “Top Professional”, because there is always room for improvement and much to learn.
I also know that there is an abundance of wisdom that can only be found in those who have had years of experience in any career path and this should never be taken for granted.
There is still a lot to figure out, but I’ve definitely made progress.
Respect
I’ve also learnt to respect my young company and that has meant walking away from certain offers that come in the guise of work. Especially from those who see the value you bring to the table, yet choose to overlook that, and approach you as a person and not your company. All because they think you are young.
This really undermines the work and value of any young business owner and the importance of their young business.
If you don’t put some respect on your work, especially in the early stages, I believe that people will abuse it. I’ve see it done to others and I have experienced a bit of that myself. Working alone in the early stage does this, but you’ve got to draw the line and be intentional about what you take up as a consultation for your business.
Respect for my work and young company has also meant saying no to familiar folks, who just want things done for free or below the asking price or value as stated.
It still remains surprising sometimes, when I know that they would never in their wildest dreams approach another business that offers the same services for such.
I’ve also discovered that sometimes, my services are much better, but because of such familiarity, they would rather bid for lower, than pay you what it’s worth or the asking price.
So when turned down, they would rather go elsewhere, paying more to someone else, sometimes for even less value and excellent delivery. Sad, but this happens. Familiarity in business is no joke and should be watch out for and that could sometimes include family and close friends.
Brain Picking
The most annoying part of being a young business owner, who knows her onions is those who approach you in the guise of interest in your services or person, just to pick your brain for ideas or to get answers to questions they have.
Sometimes, these are people in your industry as well, who may need to know some things to revert to their own clients or to make progress themselves.
So they come around and try to be friendly and are very strategic about picking your brain to get answers, without actual consultations, or being willing to pay you for such services, or even willing to undergo proper trainings themselves to do well, without resorting to tricks.
It’s a sad place to be, and when you discover such folks, it can be quite painful, but you’ve got to learn to create healthy boundaries.
Just like a young child, a 2year old is still a baby that needs protection, in the same vein, you can’t afford to mishandle your young business or let others take advantage of you.
There is no harm in helping a colleague when they come clean and you both have mutual understanding and some form of agreement, but tricks are very hurtful and its simply plain manipulation that should not be tolerated.
On the flip side, this also happens when you’re out sourcing for clients.
Some folks don’t really want to work with you, they only engage you long enough to pick at your brain for ideas.
Some go as far as requesting for a mapped out strategy/ proposal. Then they thereafter dismiss your work.
More often than not, you would later discover that those ideas proffered to them in a bid to secure a project or consultation are being implemented in your absence, right after they have dismissed your proposals or they just simply stayed mute and non-responsive to any on-going conversation.
Very sad, but that’s a down side to the early stages of spearheading things in business. Mistakes would happen, and you will sometimes learn the hard way. Working remotely also causes this sometimes.
It’s almost like a power game, because you seem to be at their mercy and in need of clients.
But with structures like a standard portfolio, a website, and evidence of successful and past projects already executed, you can turn things around in your favor, securing good clients, and also avoid being taken advantage of by people who really don’t mean well or have any intention of engaging you for profit.
Clients
Working with clients across various industries has taught me a lot and has helped my business grow faster in terms of quality and speed of delivery.
Every client is different and understanding their needs, expectations and limitations helps you know how to serve them better. What makes one client excited and satisfied, may not necessarily make another happy.
One has got to be patient with them and be willing to point out areas that need their attention. As the professional, you often know better, even though you must pay attention to their needs, and map out a strategy and custom solution that fits and works just for them.
I’ve also learnt that compromising on the asking price for a service to a client is always a bad idea. Sometimes, those who pay less are the ones who are more demanding and expect leaps in delivery for a small budget for their work.
Never compromise on the asking price, especially when it affects your profit margin.
The question that helps set things in perspective when this happens to me is I ask myself:
“If I compromise on the price for this project, would I also need to compromise on the volume of work, time and value that would be put into this project for this client?”
The answer is always “NO”.
Because I love to do excellent work, I know that I would feel bad for delivering less value than promised or less than what I know my business is capable of delivering.
Some folks do it I guess, but I can’t because of my core values of integrity and excellence.
The few times when I have compromised on the price, I have always regretted it, as I seemed to be giving so much more for so much less. A very stressful experience that left me very dissatisfied, that I eventually walked away.
So weigh your options when it comes to asking for your value when engaging a client.
Compromise always breeds regret. You deserve better and deserve to be paid what you are worth, even though your business may be young.
Lastly, understand that not all of your friends or family members will be your clients. It is what it is, so don’t take things too personal or feel too bad if they don’t patronize you or choose to work with you when the opportunity presents itself.
Yes, some may support you doggedly, while at other times, some may not. Not because they don’t want to, sometimes, it’s because they can’t afford to, it all depends on the kind of services and products you offer.
So you must weigh things carefully, so that your friendships don’t go down as a result of their non-participation or support for your business.
Yes, you may hope that they become your clients one of these days, but if they don’t, move on.
Sometimes, you need to look beyond your circle for those who really need your services and products and trust that the right people will stick with you for the long haul, especially when what you offer or bring to the table is of great value and remains relevant to the needs of people.
Balance
By spearheading things at the early stages of my business at Brave Publicity, I’ve discovered from my own experiences as well as from listening to others, that, it’s normal to do a lot at the beginning. Including running multiple roles.
It’s a tiring experience sometimes, but it is through these experiences that one grows and gains mastery of their craft and industry. Making you a better leader when you eventually bring others onboard to work with you.
There are days when I feel absolutely tired, like the work for the day would never end.
So I just simply rest or take a break or take some days off, not too long, because I know progress requires consistency, but enough rest that brings back some normalcy and balance into my life.
Juggling a flexible day job with a full time business is not easy, but when you experience those small wins, the trill of all of the sacrifices you make becomes totally worth it.
I still fight for balance, but I know this is only temporary and may only surface in some stages of business, when growing or trying to scale.
So, that’s a summary of how it’s been going so far. If you’re like me, on your own adventure in business, I hope you’re encouraged.
Don’t let the deceit of “The Instagram Life” or the glam social media and lit pictures weigh you down.
The truth is, a lot of grit, grind and hard work goes on behind the scenes. The thing is, some folks only wear their crowns gracefully, even though it may be very heavy.
So believe in yourself. Enjoy your process of becoming. Embrace all seasons, including the slow seasons and celebrate your mile stones, big or small. They make the journey worth the while.
As a believer in God and Christian, I also trust God for His timely help, favor and guidance, as He continues to open the right doors to me and shut the wrong ones. When I feel discouraged, I know who to turn to for strength and help, and that has kept me going.
I hope you’re encouraged young one, as you walk gracefully in those “Boss Shoes”.
I look forward to sharing some more with you in the times ahead. Thank you for reading.
Article by Opeolu Adeyemi. Corporate Communications and Public Relations Consultant Founder, Brave Publicity Ink!
As a consultant, one of the most common question I get asked often is how I can achieve visibility for a startup or young business. This is an important question that most clients want to know and it’s often a test to know if you as a professional have the knowledge and capacity required to achieve their campaign goals.
I would like to state that Visibility for any business, (including startups and established businesses) is simply about the ‘value’ that can be derived. Value sells and is most sustainable, especially when your target audience come to understand that you are a consistent brand or business.
So here are some highlights of solutions I would often proffer, cutting across the inorganic approach to getting things done, as well as the organic approach.
Visibility for any startup takes time, but with consistency of publicity efforts, you can achieve a lot. An inorganic approach would be to:
1) Drive promotions (paid ads) for content created across the communication assets for the organization or business.
2) Engage with influencer marketing across industries, relevant for your campaigns, where your target audience can be easily reached.
3) Drive Google ad promotions, which helps greatly with search efforts for such a company and its website.
4) Work on press releases regarding your business/ organization, request for magazine profiling / Interviews, as well as place ads in such publications/ Magazine prints, which aids with publicity efforts.
5) Radio jingles is another way to go, but consistent and effective ad placement comes at a very high cost. Depending on the quotes for the chosen radio stations and the number of times such ads will be aired.
To achieve these for quick and high publicity, greatly depends on how much one is willing to spend on ads and campaigns, as well as bids for search phrases and keywords for optimization and visibility of the business.
An organic approach (which is slower, but effective) would be to do some of the following:
1) Drive publicity consistently across the communication assets, taking into consideration digital marketing strategies, branding efforts and excellent content creation.
2) Create Content for company profiling for projects accomplished, projects in the pipeline as well as the company’s service offerings.
3) Content for client projects can be crafted as case studies, as well as consistent development of insightful articles. These two are always a good idea, thus demonstrating mastery of that industry the business belongs to.
4) Driving engaging, consistent and strategic social media publicity efforts, as well as strategic email marketing efforts to contacts (who may be potential clients), your target audience and already converted paying clients helps with visibility. It also helps client or those who have benefited from your services, remember your business when the need arises, as well as recommend your business to others who may need it.
5) Flash sales/ discount sales of complimentary products can become a market penetration strategy, especially at the MVP stage of a business or product by a startup, as well as during festive periods in efforts to stand out of the already saturated market.
6) Lastly, if a website exists, to drive Search Engine Optimization – SEO and Search Engine Marketing – SEM efforts for search relevance and ranking, articles focused on the core areas of services rendered, need to be developed consistently.
This greatly aids search, website ranking and relevance, helping establish the organization as an authority in its field.
The bottom line is being able to project the “Value” that will be derived from the services and products rendered by your business or organization. Value is what sells and when you’ve got quality to offer, as well as great feedback from those already engaged as testimonials, great visibility can be achieved.
Even while pushing for sales at a good price (via the existing communication assets, campaigns, as well as one-on-one engagement with people) can help a startup find its footing and visibility amongst other existing and well established businesses.
At Brave Publicity Ink, we can always get you started with great visibility, we offer excellent services and products that are deeply satisfying and capable of meeting and exceeding your campaign goals.
Brave Publicity Ink! 