In the final session of our Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy: webinar series, Finch & Flocksy explored the transformative power of data in driving eCommerce growth.
In this session focused on how businesses can leverage insights to make informed decisions, optimize strategies, and foster continuous improvement, speakers included David Gray, Finch head of product; Justin Jefferson, Keen Head of Strategy and Insights; and Sam Ryan, Flocksy CEO.
The experience wrapped up on a high note, firmly positioning Finch and Flocksy as trailblazing thought leaders in the ever-evolving world of eCommerce.
Moderator Mike Mardis led the group through an insightful discussion of how each executive’s company uses data to get customers and keep them coming back.
Ryan said Flocksy measures its success with a broad scope of metrics, including how the platform is doing in terms of bringing people to the website, convincing them to attend a demo, signing up, whether they stay or leave, and how it does in trying to win back customers.
“It’s all about building a relationship with that client, and it starts with the creative,” he said. “A piece of creative might be really high-performing, but you’ve got to be able to back it up.”
Gray and Jefferson discussed the complex calculations eCommerce businesses have to juggle, including manufacturing costs and marketing mix modeling, or MMM.
“The goal is to understand the performance of your marketing relative to all the other business dynamics at play,” Jefferson said. “When you’re building a marketing mix model, not only do you want your sales data, your revenue data, but we’re also looking at your marketing activities. Your spend, your cost, your clicks – and then we’re looking at the external factors.”
Those are factors like seasonality, competition, distribution, and catalog size. By only analyzing marketing data, businesses limit the insight and understanding they can achieve, he said.
MMM used to be less accessible because of its complexity, Gray said, but AI’s ability to analyze large amounts of data quickly makes it much more attainable for businesses and brands.
Did you miss a session or want to revisit? Check out the recordings here. (They’ll be available any time you need them!)
Key Takeaways:
Key Metrics: Attendees learned how to identify and track the most important metrics that influence eCommerce success. Understanding these key performance indicators (KPIs) helps businesses stay focused on what matters most.
Data-Driven Decisions: The session provided techniques for using data to inform strategic decisions, enabling companies to respond more effectively to customer needs and market trends. Data-driven decisions lead to better targeting, improved customer experiences, and enhanced growth opportunities.
Continuous Improvement: We discussed the importance of making small, consistent improvements based on data insights. These incremental changes can accumulate over time, resulting in significant growth and long-term success.
With data as a foundation, businesses can create a more adaptive and effective approach to their eCommerce strategies.
Series Recap:
Our webinar series has been a great success at sharing our insights throughout the eCommerce sphere!
Throughout this webinar series, Finch & Flocksy have shared key strategies to help businesses create unforgettable and profitable customer experiences:
Session 1: The Collaborative Journey emphasized the power of cross-functional teamwork in creating a seamless customer journey.
Session 2: Creating Lasting Impressions explored how compelling visuals and engaging content can enhance customer interactions and foster loyalty.
Session 3: Foundations of Success highlighted essential tactics for optimizing paid media, improving search visibility, and increasing conversion rates.
Session 4: Growth Strategies focused on blending paid, organic, and loyalty marketing efforts to create a well-rounded growth formula.
In this final session, we tie it all together by focusing on the importance of data in guiding ongoing growth efforts. Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Did you attend the webinars? Let us know what you thought! Visit the Finch LinkedIn page to share your thoughts.
In the penultimate session of our Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy: How To Keep and Win High-Value Customers webinar series, Finch & Flocksy explored a winning formula for eCommerce growth by blending paid, organic, and loyalty efforts.
Four big-league eCommerce leaders lent their expertise to this webinar.
DJ Sprague, Shopper Approved CMO, is a keynote speaker, author, & podcaster who expertly implements online reputation management, marketing strategies, and behavioral science principles.
Nikita Vakhrushev, ASPEKT CEO, has a unique perspective on how to get the most out of a brand’s retention channels after nearly a decade in digital marketing.
Chirag Lathiya, CEO of Feedspace.io, leads engineering & marketing initiatives with user-centric design.
George Ryan, Flocksy CMO, excels in crafting compelling marketing strategies that resonate with audiences and drive business growth.
This session focused on creating a holistic marketing approach that drives sustainable success in an increasingly competitive landscape.
“In an ever-evolving market, the ability to integrate different marketing strategies such as paid advertising, organic growth, and customer loyalty can make a difference in achieving sustainable success,” said moderator Sarah Fitzgerald.
Everybody goes to Google to find the solutions to their problems, Sprague said.
“Ultimately what is going to drive customers to your website is organic search or paid search results,” Sprague said. “And we know statistically it’s going to be those top five search results. We know, also, that the top five organic search results get more than the top paid results.”
Social proof is a powerful tool to help your brand gain authenticity, in addition to SEO and paid search efforts, he said.
Reputation management is really important, and a huge part of that is ensuring people love the product that you provide, so your reviews are great, Ryan said.
He is a fan of using SEO for organic search results as well. He suggested finding the terms and keywords people use to find your business and work those into your web pages and other assets.
“It is a long-term play,” he said. “I encourage anyone who hasn’t done that to get started on it, because it can take a while to ramp up.”
Key Takeaways:
Seamless Integration: Attendees learned how to integrate paid media, organic content, and loyalty programs into a cohesive strategy that amplifies reach and builds lasting customer relationships. We discussed best practices for balancing these efforts to create a powerful and sustainable growth engine.
New Trends & Opportunities: We also uncovered emerging trends and opportunities within the evolving eCommerce landscape, equipping businesses with the tools to stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on new growth avenues.
Customer Relationship Nurturing: A major focus was on actionable strategies for nurturing customer relationships, driving repeat business, and maximizing the lifetime value of each customer.
With a well-rounded approach, businesses can achieve consistent growth while building stronger connections with their customer base.
Series Recap:
Throughout this webinar series, Finch & Flocksy have covered essential strategies for eCommerce success:
Session 1: The Collaborative Journey highlighted the importance of teamwork in creating a seamless customer journey.
Session 2: Creating Lasting Impressions focused on how compelling visuals and engaging content can enhance every customer interaction.
Session 3: Foundations of Success provided actionable insights into optimizing paid media, search visibility, and conversion rates to create a winning buying experience.
About Finch and Flocksy:
Finch specializes in crafting killer marketing strategies that remove friction from the customer journey, using the right people, the right process, and the right technology.
Since 2016, Flocksy has been the most affordable unlimited marketing materials platform, helping brands create high-quality, on-brand content that captivates audiences and drives real results.
Together, we empower businesses and agencies to achieve growth by blending expertise, creativity, and seamless collaboration.
In the third session of our Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy: How To Keep and Win High-Value Customers webinar series, Lee Roquet, Finch CEO, told a powerful anecdote about the tale of two brands.
He was looking at Instagram and saw an ad for shirts. He liked the sharp shirt in the picture, so he clicked on the ad. The link in the ad didn’t take him to the pictured shirt, and a search of the mobile site left him frustrated. He clicked away.
Another brand advertising shirts on Instagram provided a different buying experience. Upon clicking the link, Roquet was able to easily find items he liked, in his size. He bought two shirts in four minutes, and when the shirts arrived at his home, they were packed with care and a thank you note was included.
“It’s the simple things,” he concluded. “Make sure the buying experience you’re providing is the one you want.”
During the third webinar, Finch & Flocksy took a deep dive into the foundational elements that create a winning eCommerce buying experience. They shared what has become a repeating theme throughout this series: every touchpoint of the customer journey is crucial, and businesses must take time to analyze each aspect carefully for the best results.
From optimizing paid media to enhancing search visibility and increasing conversion rates, this session was packed with actionable insights to help businesses from Erin VerDorn, Fireside Head of Strategy, Brooke Baker, Flocksy Project Manager, and Roquet. This session was again moderated by Mike Mardis, Finch Marketing Consultant.
Key Takeaways:
Conversion Rate Improvement: The speakers shared practical tips to increase conversion rates, from refining user experiences to creating compelling calls to action. Every touchpoint in the buying journey was analyzed, with a focus on reducing friction and encouraging customers to complete their purchases.
In the second session of our Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy webinar series, Finch & Flocksy focused on the art of making every customer interaction count. Industry experts Alex Kennedy, Finch VP of Services, Adrian Brady-Cesana, CxChronicles founder, Charles Ryan, Flocksy COO, and David Pedrozo, Flocksy video and motion graphic artist team lead, explored how compelling visuals and engaging content can turn ordinary touchpoints into memorable experiences that drive loyalty and long-term growth
Our second webinar engaged the audience with practical advice and tips from industry experts. Touchpoints of the customer journey, or moments when prospective customers interact with a brand in any way, were the main topics of the webinar. Some examples of customer journey touchpoints might include a conversation with a customer service representative, reading reviews on a third-party website, or hearing about a brand from a friend or family member.
Kennedy said that optimizing every touchpoint for their business’s specific customer base allows Finch to create a customer journey that resonates at every step.
Brady-Cesana agreed, adding that not giving enough attention to every area and designating who in your organization owns that touchpoint can lead to confusion and trouble.
Ryan said brands that subscribe to Flocksy’s services often come to the business for help with making their marketing materials more cohesive. Flocksy’s artists, designers and writers help them tie their disparate brand elements together, he said.
“It’s definitely a struggle a lot of businesses face,” Ryan said.
Brady-Cesana said his company helps businesses by crafting maps of their entire customer journey, from consideration to loyalty. It’s a step that initially induces skepticism but ends up pointing out areas where more attention is needed.
Two things that help companies optimize their customer journeys are getting everyone involved and making sure everyone feels ownership of the process.
Involving others outside of the executive team is crucial, Kennedy said, because just the top-level view isn’t enough to give your company insight into the entire journey.
The webinar’s speakers named creativity, customization and personalization as some of the most important elements to optimization of the customer journey.
Creativity isn’t about always making avant garde art, Pedrozo said, but figuring out how to make the best possible project for the client. The way we share information with our audience is powerful and can lead to them becoming allies and advocates, he said.
Webinar moderator Sarah Fitzgerald told a story of a hotel stay where employees took care to know her name and her preferences, leaving her feeling cared for and like royalty.
Large companies often struggle with providing that level of personalization, Brady-Cesana said. Empowering employees to have access to customers’ names and preferences will help them feel like they have a relationship and a partnership with the brand, he added.
Constant collaboration and communication are necessary for keeping creative and operational efforts aligned, Ryan said.
Three things to sort out for the greatest success include:
Who each employee should go to for what
When to contact someone and when to handle it yourself
Encourage people to be proactive and address client concerns before they become an issue.
“At the end of the day it’s just people dealing with people,” Ryan said. “You need to talk to people, collaborate, and touch base with one another.”
Key Takeaways:
Crafting Compelling Visuals & Content: Effective customer interactions begin with captivating visuals and engaging content. We discussed how these elements work together to grab attention, foster connection, and keep customers coming back for more.
Fostering Loyalty Through Key Touchpoints: Every interaction, whether big or small, contributes to the customer’s perception of your brand. We highlighted the importance of prioritizing what matters most at each touchpoint to build lasting loyalty.
Aligning Creativity with Performance: The session also provided practical tips for ensuring that your creative efforts are not just visually appealing, but also aligned with performance goals. By maximizing the impact of your content, you can drive both engagement and results.
This session was designed for eCommerce professionals, marketing leaders, and business owners eager to enhance customer interactions and create experiences that stick.
Finch specializes in crafting killer marketing strategies that remove friction from the customer journey, using the right people, the right process, and the right technology. Since 2016, Flocksy has been the most affordable unlimited marketing materials platform, helping brands create high-quality, on-brand content that captivates audiences and drives real results. Together, we empower businesses and agencies to achieve growth by blending expertise, creativity, and seamless collaboration.
The first session of the Finch and Flocksy Webinar series, Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy, is complete! With over 90 registrants, we had attendees from across multiple industries and more than ten countries!
Expert panelists teamed up on August 22nd to tackle one of the most critical aspects of eCommerce growth: collaboration. Speakers like Flocksy CMO, George Ryan and Fireside Founder, Drew Himel discussed how a well-coordinated team effort can create a seamless, positive customer experience from start to finish.
“Understanding the emotional triggers at each touchpoint can significantly impact consumer behavior,” George said. “We focus on identifying these triggers and tailoring our messaging and design to connect with the customer on a deeper level, driving more meaningful engagement.”
Mike Mardis, a marketing consultant with Finch, moderated the webinar. Discussing various stops on the customer journey, he emphasized the importance of ensuring equal effort in every area.
“Any one of these touchpoints could be the one that’s kicking people out,” Mardis said. “All of these are very important. In order to make them work, you have to get input from all over your organization.”
Scott Brandley, founder and CEO of Shopper Approved, shared his insights into crafting your company’s customer journey. He said customer retention and loyalty can be the most cost-effective steps, especially compared to acquiring new customers.
Reviews and social proof, when properly levied by businesses, can be powerful tools to inspire this loyalty. He recommended ensuring that reviews and testimonials are consistent across a business’s web presence.
“Show your social proof on the website,” he said. “They say, ‘I saw it on their review pages, and I’m seeing it again on the website. I’m in the right place.’”
Himel said his company uses several apps to reward its loyal customers with incentives and bonuses, which leads to customers ultimately spending more money with them.
“It’s so expensive to get customers, so taking care of them is a ‘two birds, one stone’ type of thing.
Himel recommended eCommerce businesses’ first steps should be to lay a solid foundation across all aspects of their customer journey and in all departments, including sales. The next step, he said, was to find a couple of critical areas to focus on and look for improvements in those areas.
Sarah Fitzgerald, head of marketing at Flocksy, said customers no longer want a strictly transactional experience with brands. They prefer to know they’re spending their money with real people who care about them.
In response, she has crafted Flocksy’s social media to feature more personalized content, including how-to videos from creatives, free resources, and best practices for Flocksy clients, from Flocksy clients.
“We’re fostering more of a relationship among those we call our Flock,” she said. “It’s a community of creatives who want to grow together and learn from each other.”
Key Takeaways:
Collaboration is Key: When marketing, sales, and customer service work together, the customer journey can be dramatically enhanced. By aligning goals and communication, teams can ensure that every touchpoint with the customer adds value.
Optimizing Critical Touchpoints: Identifying and smoothing out friction points in the customer journey is essential for boosting satisfaction and reducing churn. A healthy journey is proactive, addressing potential issues before they become barriers.
Actionable Strategies: Attendees walked away with practical tips on improving customer acquisition and retention through better teamwork. From streamlining processes to focusing on retargeting, these strategies are designed to make every step of the journey count.
Ready to turn your customer journey into a winning strategy? Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming webinars! To register for the next webinar on August 29, click here: https://flocksy.com/webinar/?blog1.
About Finch and Flocksy:
Finch specializes in crafting killer marketing strategies that remove friction from the customer journey, using the right people, processes, and technology. Since 2016, Flocksy has been the most affordable unlimited marketing materials platform, helping brands create high-quality, on-brand content that captivates audiences and drives real results. Together, we empower businesses and agencies to achieve growth by blending expertise, creativity, and seamless collaboration.
This guest post was written by Flocksy writer Rorye Hatcher. You can check out her personal blog here and find her Flocksy portfolio here.
Sitting here typing comfortably in my home office, I wonder how I survived college in one piece. I was somehow able to complete my bachelor’s degree (Go Hoosiers!) perched on a $10 superstore desk chair, hunched over an overtaxed laptop, and chugging more Rockstars than my heart could take today.
But those days are long gone, and now the creature comforts of my remote work as a copywriter are a little more demanding. Or a lot more demanding, considering the bare minimum would have me curled into a ball of aches and pains after half a workweek.
Are you considering making the switch to remote work? Is your employer more accommodating of diverse needs and people who just want to work with their pets in the wake of the pandemic and the Great Resignation? Let me share my knowledge of the necessities for a comfortable, productive home office, as well as a few “luxuries” that make working from home feel extra fabulous.
Technically, you can work on a coffee table, a card table, or your kitchen island, but having a desk of your own has some distinct advantages. First, if you get an actual desk, it should be roughly at a comfortable height for long hours without hurting your back, neck, or shoulders. If you are particularly short, like me, you may need a couple of things like a seat cushion or footrest to get everything right.
I found this L-shaped desk on overstock.com and put it together with some help from my husband. It was definitely one of the most challenging flat-pack furniture experiences of my life (and also oddly affirming that a decade into our marriage, we can still peaceably put furniture together). Still, it’s also really nice looking and sturdy now that it’s complete. It’s great to have cabinets and drawers at my desk for printer paper, salsa packets, and lip balm; you know, the important stuff.
While this desk was a bit of an investment piece for me, you can definitely find more economical options. If you can transport furniture, I encourage you to check out your local thrift stores, like the Habitat for Humanity Restore. They often have furniture and appliances in excellent condition for extremely affordable prices.
Since I built my desk, I’ve made the space feel like mine with candles, office supplies from family members and previous jobs, and tchotchkes like nice rocks and pictures my kids have drawn. If you feel more productive with an austere desk than a cluttered one, you can keep it minimalist. That’s one of the joys of working from home – no one will nag you to decorate or whine if you have too many pictures at your desk.
I also have a workspace pad and a wrist rest to keep my mouse and keyboard from sliding all over the place. The wrist rest also helps keep my hand in the correct position to prevent aches, pain, and repetitive motion injuries.
Desk Chair
I paid the best price for my desk chair – free. A few houses down, my neighbor put a desk chair on the curb, and I snatched it up as fast as possible. It was extremely well-timed because I was just starting to put my home office together. Granted, I have had to add a few things, namely a seat cushion because the mesh seat was too low and too firm for me.
If you’re springing for a desk chair, you will want to look for one that is adjustable in as many ways as possible, not just seat height. You’ll want a chair with lumbar support, adjustable arms, adjustable seat height and depth, and more, or you’ll have to add cushions like me.
You should prioritize the following qualities while shopping for a home office chair:
Wheels
A five-wheel base is the best for providing a trustworthy foundation for moving about during your work day.
Adjustable Seat Depth
According to experts, the correct way to sit in a chair is with your back against the backrest and your knees bent with two to four inches of space between the back of the chair and your thighs. An adjustable seat depth is a key feature of a back-friendly chair.
Adjustable Seat Height
Some office chairs provide you the option of shifting the seat and the back up or down to achieve that exact sweet spot for the all-important lumbar support. It’s another feature the appropriate chair will have to help you modify it according to your requirements.
Adjustable Height
This may seem like a no-brainer, but being at the proper height for your legs will boost your comfort. Nobody likes it when their legs hang over the seat’s edge like a preschooler’s.
The seat’s height is also crucial for avoiding discomfort in the neck. If your chair is too high, you might be gazing down at your computer screen and conclude the day with a shoulder and neck ache.
Adjustable Lumbar Support
This function allows you to modify the chair’s lower back to accommodate your lower back better. It’s a crucial step in finding the perfect fit for your body and requirements in your home office chair.
Built-in Lumbar Support
You may get upper back support in basic office chairs, but your lower back will be left out in the cold. Because sitting for long periods might cause pain, you should look for a chair with a cushion or mesh that will support you. Or if you have a free chair like me, you can jam a throw pillow back there and hope for the best.
Armrests That Can Be Modified
Having armrests on a chair for use in the home office may seem unnecessary. However, correctly placed armrests may keep your arms at a comfortable typing height, reducing the risk of repetitive stress injuries like tendonitis and carpal tunnel.
Armrests are useless if they are too close to your elbows or poke you whenever you shift position. If you want to spend money on a chair with armrests, look for one with adjustable armrests. The armrests may be angled, pivoted, and adjusted in height to suit the user’s comfort.
Modifiable Tension for Tilting
The tilt tension on a desk chair allows the user to modify the effort required to recline in the seat.
Adaptable Headrest
Headrests aren’t required in office chairs, but if you want one, make sure it is adjustable so it doesn’t poke or press your head into an awkward position.
The one thing that bugs me about this chair is that the arms aren’t adjustable, so my poor elbows don’t get any support. But, as I said, it was a free chair, so I soldier on.
Laptop & Stand
What kind of laptop or computer you need depends greatly on what kind of work you’re doing. I deal mainly with Word, Excel, Google docs, and in-browser applications, so I just needed something that could connect to the internet and do the bare minimum. If you’re a graphic designer or something requiring more heavy-duty software, you might be looking at a heftier price tag for your computer. If you google “best laptop for remote work,” you’ll find a wealth of articles from people more knowledgeable than me on the specs you may need.
When I started job searching and doing remote copywriting, I used my husband’s laptop, which was fine. But he likes to connect it to our smart TV and watch YouTube videos, and I wanted him to have his own computer, anyway. Once I got a regular paycheck, I got this laptop, which has been just fine once I disabled the “only allowed to have Microsoft apps” setting. (C’mon, Microsoft. Nobody wants to use your browser.) The only issue was that typing on the keyboard and looking down at the screen made my neck and shoulders ache after a long workday. So I bought a basic keyboard and a laptop stand, which helped a lot. Eventually, I’m hoping to buy a more travel-friendly stand if I ever want to work at a cafe or while I’m on vacation, but the linked stand works just fine for being at home and leaving it here.
I also established a stretching routine at the beginning and at intervals throughout my day. While I was more comfortable, I was still dealing with a lot of discomforts, particularly shoulder pain, which led me to purchase the next item.
Ergonomic keyboard
There are a lot of fancy keyboards that purport to be ergonomic, but I did my googlin’ and found that split keyboards are thought to be best for accommodating a typist’s hands and arms and preventing the kind of nagging shoulder pain I was dealing with. I was a little hesitant for a few reasons. One, I’d never really seen anyone using one in an office setting before. My only point of reference was Donna Meagle in Parks and Recreation saying, “this spaceship keyboard is driving me crazy!”
My second point of hesitance was more budget-based. Unfortunately, the price point rises quickly once you start getting into specialty keyboards. I found a relatively inexpensive Microsoft keyboard that was one piece with an ample wrist rest and an ergonomic split in the middle of the keyboard.
It took me about two days to get used to it, and it also made me realize that I learned how to type incorrectly because, at first, I kept going to hit the ‘h’ key with my left index finger and hitting no man’s land instead. However, once I got used to the split in the middle of the keyboard, I found it pretty simple to adapt to.
Fortunately, my budget spaceship keyboard has nipped the shoulder pain in the bud. I’m thankful because I still can’t quite justify dropping $200 on a keyboard, no matter how cool it looks.
Desk Lamp
I confess I didn’t have a light on my desk until recently. My parents got me a “HappyLight” desk lamp for Christmas that doubles as a task lighting and therapy lamp. It’s nice because you can pick from three different warmths of light and several different brightnesses. I use it every day, but it is extra nice to have on those dreary winter days when there’s no sun in sight. I had a therapy light previously, but it got misplaced or thrown away when we moved back to the Hoosier state.
My dad said his light has been helping his winter blues (also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.) It’s sweet that he thought to get one for me as well. I think it does help! It definitely helps prevent eye strain throughout the day.
Headphones
Headphones are a must-have, especially if you have a spouse who works a different shift than you or kids who might be doing e-learning days. Your spouse can “saw logs” figuratively, or your neighbor can literally saw logs while you listen to music, white noise, or podcasts.
Regular earbuds tend to hurt my ears, so I lean toward the big “DJ-style” over-the-ear headphones. I had a pair of Skullcandy Hesh headphones for several years and enjoyed the quality. I now have a basic pair of Sony headphones that more than suffice.
What kind of headphones you need and how much you should spend depends on a few things. Do you want cordless headphones? Bluetooth-capable headphones will cost more than a traditional corded pair. If you want sound-canceling headphones or a prestige brand like Beats by Dre, that will cost you, too.
One more thing to consider when purchasing headphones: if you’re an iPhone devotee like I begrudgingly am, you likely have one of the more recent models that don’t come with a headphone jack. You can either get Bluetooth-capable headphones, or they make a lightning-to-headphone jack converter.
Organizer/Planner/Calendar
If you are the kind of person lucky enough not to have undiagnosed ADHD, well, good for you. You can remember your appointments and where you put your phone. On the other hand, I need to set at least two alarms in the morning and start reminders for appointments and events two days in advance. If it’s not in front of my face, it doesn’t exist. I had one of those oversized desk calendars when I worked in an office. It helped sometimes. I also used a lot of calendar and Outlook tools to remind me of things.
These days, I am trying a mix of a few things. I use Google calendar, synced with my phone, to remind me of the most urgent and pressing things like doctor’s appointments or school holidays. I bought the Erin Condren LifePlanner, mainly because it’s pretty, but also because it has a big two-day spread of each month, plus hourly day-by-day tracking for when I need it. It also lays flat and isn’t spiral bound, which I appreciate as a leftie. I can endure those spiral notebook marks on my wrist, but avoiding them is nice, too.
If you want more organizational help, especially for remote work, Erin Condren has you covered.
Milk Frother
This one’s a little silly. Sue me. A former coworker of mine mentioned having one, and at the time, I privately scoffed, thinking it was unbearably bougie. Yet here I am today, to eat crow and admit I love my milk frother.
It’s one of the indulgences I allowed myself with the goal of not spending money regularly at any of our local coffee shops. I make my coffee hot and iced, and having a cute little milk frother adds a layer of joy to the process. Mine is purple.
Desk Accessories
Another silly one that makes things more fun and personal is decorating your home office with whatever makes you feel organized, empowered, and centered. I have vintage glass bird figurines, including the little lovebirds that were once atop my wedding cake, candles, crystals, and some fake succulents.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you could consider having fidget toys for focus, organizers, a whimsical mug, or a heating pad. I keep a weighted heating pad around when I just want that extra cozy touch.
Air Fryer
I can hear you now. “Just how is an AIR FRYER a must-have for remote work?!”
Let me ‘splain.
My air fryer was a Christmas gift. Since receiving it, I quickly figured out that it makes BOMB lunch food. Some of my favorites: Sweet potato fries that are crispy on the outside and soft as an angel’s butt on the inside. Crescent rolls with lunch meat and cheese tucked inside for a melty sandwich situation. Homemade crunch wraps. Pork chops. ANYTHING frozen is better in the air fryer. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts? Forget about it. SO GOOD.
Pizza on a bagel! Reheated pizza! The possibilities are pretty much endless and take less time than the regular oven.
Having an air fryer rocks for so many reasons. It is healthier than pan or deep frying because it uses less oil. It makes things soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. And when you know you can make something quick and yummy in your kitchen, you’re a lot less likely to give in to the call of GrubHub.
Did I miss anything? Leave a comment and let me know what’s making your remote work experience awesome.
With the recent news of ChatGPT and AI writing, many are wondering how ethical the practice of having a computer scour the internet and compose copy truly is. While the innovation is impressive, real issues can arise from using it or similar technology to generate content.
So, what is ChatGPT and its GPT-3, and what does it mean for the world of copywriting and language? Is there an ethical concern about AI content? There are a lot of questions to answer, so let’s dig into this growing trend and consider why getting your copy the old-fashioned way is still likely the best way to do it.
ChatGPT is an OpenAI chatbot they created using the GPT-3 technology. GPT-3, or Generative Pretrained Transformer 3, is an advanced language processing AI that OpenAI created. They claim that it can produce human-like text. This ability could mean it has a variety of applications, including language translation, language modeling, and, most concerningly, generating text for websites and consumers to use however they wish. It’s one of the largest, most powerful language-processing AI models we’ve seen, with 175 billion parameters.
Its predominantly been used to create ChatGPT, the impressive chatbot. It doesn’t use pre-programmed responses but can generate them on the fly to create a more realistic conversation between the user and itself.
You can provide GPT-3 with various worded prompts, like questions or requests for a piece of writing on a topic you choose, and it will create the results. But how does it come up with the responses?
In simple terms, the AI was fed text from databases across the internet, including books, articles, web texts, Wikipedia, and more. In fact, about 300 billion words were fed into the system. So, it pulls its text and responses from existing sources on the internet to produce a response.
However, it’s not flawless. You can get incorrect information, and the bot can misunderstand what you’re asking. Additionally, if your prompt or request is very niche, or if you add too many factors, it can get overwhelmed or ignore sections of the prompt completely.
For example, if you’re requesting a tale of two people and provide their jobs, names, ages, and where they live, it can jumble up that information and randomly set each one to the two characters instead of how you prompted it.
And, of course, grammar is always a concern. While there are advanced grammar-checking programs, and the AI likely has a similar internal process, those programs don’t always get it right. You’ve likely dismissed a suggestion from a grammar checker for being a little off and maybe even completely wrong. Who’s to say what rules the AI bot uses for its grammatical structure, or if because it references the whole of the internet’s writing, it will be riddled with errors?
The Ethics of AI Writing
There are a couple of things to be wary of when considering the ethics of AI copywriting. Firstly, it pulls its data from the internet.
As a result of this fact, it can assume some of the internet’s biases, stereotypes, and general assumptions. Off-color jokes or stereotypes about certain groups or political figures can come up based on what you ask and how.
If you wanted a comedy routine, it is very likely that you’ll get some jokes about ex-politicians or marginalized groups who are often the butt of jokes in comedy bits. That can be highly problematic. Depending on where the bot decides to pull the information from, you could potentially get downright racist information in return.
Because internet forums and articles are a huge source of data for these bots, you’ll also run the risk of getting fake news or conspiracy theories returned. The system isn’t perfect, and it may be unable to tell the difference between fact and fiction.
The second primary concern is plagiarism.
When it comes down to it, if you use a content bot to create an article, say that you were totally responsible for it, and release it into the world. That’s plagiarism.
And it’s not just writing where this is an issue. The arguments over AI art also make a strong case for plagiarism. In order to create that artwork, the bot pulls from existing images and piecing them together to create its results. Those artists who put their work on the internet are essentially having their work copied and pasted somewhere else by a computer.
You can’t trace someone’s drawing, color it slightly differently, add a few things, and call it your own.
What’s more, if you’re paid to create an article and have a copy bot do it for you, that’s unethical and likely a breach of contract. You’ve been hired to do the work, and you aren’t doing it. In a similar vein, there have already been reports like this one in the New York Post about students using AI copywriting tools to do their papers. If you think it’s wrong for a student not to do the work, you shouldn’t want your professional writers to do it, either.
Flocksy’s Promise
At Flocksy, we hire real people to sit down and write your copy. You won’t find an AI bot delivering material harvested from the internet that may or may not be correct. Our skilled copywriting experts do the work, create unique content that won’t get flagged by Google, and is easy for readers to absorb and enjoy.
We won’t use AI, and we can assure you that the content you get from our writers will be much better than anything a robot would write for you.
You can see examples of our top-notch copywriting in our portfolio here.
At Flocksy, our team is what makes us incredible, and we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce them to you through this new, ongoing series- Flocksy’s Featured Team Member.
Today, we’ll be getting to know one of our amazing custom illustrators, Sofia Sanchez.
If you’re looking for brand illustrations for your growing business, Sofia is one of the best at Flocksy. Let’s get to know how she started with us, her favorite aspects of working here, and more.
Sofia Sanchez- Custom Illustrations
Getting Started with Flocksy
Sofia is one of Flocksy’s amazing illustrators and can work on various assets your brand might need, including portraits, book covers, comic vignettes, mascots, and more. Sofia mentions that one of the primary differences between illustrations and graphic design is “we are not just doing what we feel looks beautiful and will transmit a feeling. We can also achieve that, but we must consider what will achieve the [client’s] needs.”
Sofia previously worked at an animation studio as a storyboard and background artist. She was looking for a change of scenery to allow her more free time and create a better work-life balance.
“[Flocksy] provided a better space to achieve my goals. They offer the stability I was looking for and are very respectful of our free time. I love working at Flocksy.”
Her Beginnings in Illustration
Sofia has loved to draw since she was a little girl. While her sister may have started as the family artist, it quickly became evident that Sofia was the true “La Chica de Los Plumones” or marker girl. She was always a favorite when it came to group projects for her creative talents, and even though she may have tried pursuing something else, illustration and art called her back.
“I was scared my hobby would become something I hated because of the pressure. So, I tried studying Engineering. I realized I was doing it to make my father and grandpa happy. In the end, I convinced my grandpa it was a serious career.”
Sofia is thrilled that she gets to do what she loves for her career, and nothing touches her like receiving positive feedback from our amazing clients. One kind comment can make her entire day.
Working Her Magic on a Spot the Difference Illustration
One of Sofia’s favorite projects was the Magical Forest at Sunset project. As a spot-the-difference illustration, it was a unique challenge. She said that the kindness and freedom the client gave her on the project allowed her to create something great.
She said, “I enjoy working with her, and with her guidance and the freedom she provided, I really love the final outcome. I think what we achieved was very interesting, and when I see it again, it evokes the magical feel [the client] was trying to achieve.”
Illustrating the Escape
Sofia also really enjoyed working on another unique project, background art for an escape room! The client’s openness to suggestions was so valuable. As a result, Sofia could use Photoshop instead of Illustrator to create a dynamic piece that showcased very effectual lighting and textures.
“As I said before joining Flocksy, I was a background illustrator. This background project provided freedom, and Mary was willing to listen to my suggestions. This is my greatest background to date.”
The Challenge of Horses
As many an illustrator will tell you, horses are very challenging to draw. Their intricate musculature and proportions are unique to their species. In fact, it’s a bit of an inside joke in the industry that horses are a no-go. Sofia, however, loves them and knocked this project out of the park.
“Horses are very hard, but this horse was very fun. And I liked this project because [the client] is always looking for variety. She’s looking for diversity in the styles to keep it interesting. She embraced my art style.”
The challenge of drawing this particular animal and the client’s unique color palette also made this project a favorite of Sofia’s because it tested her skills and kept her on her toes.
Artist Inspiration
Sofia finds inspiration all around her, but one of the most interesting places she says she pulled inspiration from are the client project briefs. By connecting with the brand’s message and story, she’s able to see the personality and heart behind a company. She also mentioned that Pinterest is invaluable.
“I use Pinterest when I need a different color palette. If I need a different art style that comes closest to the brand guidelines.”
She also takes inspiration from real life and has her own library she’s created of poses and scenes from everyday experiences.
“I have this great client that gives you freedom but also is clear. She asked me for a lot of poses for different characters, and she loved how I captured natural poses. I use a lot of references from real life. I heard once from another more accomplished storyboard artist that the best advice he got was to draw everyday life. To go to a park, to go to a coffee shop, and just draw people, so you can have references of real-life poses. I also use my own library as inspiration.”
A Blank Slate or A Plethora of References?
When it comes to having complete free reign or being provided with several reference materials, Sofia says it all comes down to the client’s unique needs. Having creative freedom, she mentioned, allows you to challenge yourself and grow. However, Sofia also believes that references are invaluable when you have specific needs or tastes or if the client has particular brand guidelines.
Sofia’s Role Models & Resources
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Sofia’s heart runs through everything she does. Between her long-time love of drawing and connection to her family, one of her role models is her boyfriend.
“This might be cheesy. I met my boyfriend in college, and we started at the same time. He’s also a very accomplished artist and helps me when I don’t know how to get the right perspective. When you have the camera on top or when you have the camera on the bottom. He has this amazing understanding of depth, perspective, and movement. He’s a big inspiration and a teacher for me.”
She also recommended checking out the work of Dave Pimentel, the storyboard artist for Moana, who shares her Mexican ancestry.
“I love how he captures natural poses. He’s always drawing quick sketches, but he can embody the essence of a person, their personality, in just one quick sketch.”
Sofia also mentioned the great work of Sophie MacPike, an illustrator from Australia.
“She does digital work, and also she does a lot of watercolor painting. Her style is very unique.”
Working to Comedy
Sofia admits that working from home, like many of us started doing during the pandemic, can get a little lonely. She realized that finding laughter throughout her day was crucial to keeping her spirits up and not feeling so isolated.
“Work can be stressful, but just having something or someone to make you laugh is huge. I have my dog here, and I live with my boyfriend, so I have him with me. I enjoy having fun with them while we work, and we listen to a podcast named Leyendas Legendarias or watch a comedy show. I’m currently watching Modern Family. It’s hilarious.”
Her Favorite Things About Flocksy
Sofia’s favorite things about Flocksy showcase what makes the company different. She stressed that the communication between the staff and clients was far and above the best she’s worked with. The community that communication creates makes her feel like she has someone, or several people, who have her back on each project.
She also mentioned that Flocksy recognizes her hard work by saying, “I also like that you feel seen- like I’m not just one more employee. They want to listen to what you have to say, to your feedback and suggestions. They trust your skills and value what you do.”
Building relationships with the clients was another significant benefit. It creates a sense of trust between her and the people she’s working with, which gives her room to be creative. When they keep requesting her on projects, she knows she’s honoring her commitment to quality and delivering great results.
Illustrator Resources
Sofia was a cornucopia of resources when asked, and her suggestions were great. Sofia recommended checking out Adobe Colors. The free program is great for color palettes and visualizing how colors will look together. She also sang the praises of Pinterest again and about creating a library of reference poses and the like.
She also recommended reading three resource books. The first was Directing the Story by Francis Glebas.
“There is one that’s more related to Storyboard artists, but it’s very helpful. He used to work at Disney. He started in Aladdin and talks a lot of perspectives on how the shots make you feel, the directions of the camera, the poses, the body language, and how it’s useful to transmit a story. So even if you’re not a storyboard artist, it’s something we really need to know as illustrators if you’re trying to achieve a story for our client.”
Sofia also suggested Perspectives by Mateu-Mestre. It discusses how the correct use of different perspectives can change an illustration’s feel, making it more dynamic, complex, and real. The technical manual gives constructive ways to employ his suggestions, including options for lighting and mood.
Outside of Flocksy
Sofia is a homebody who loves spending time with her family and friends. She loves even simple times when you don’t do anything but talk about how your day’s going. Sofia is also very into fitness and loves her Fit Pass. She says the variety keeps things interesting.
“Like just being in the gym with weights or on the treadmill is so boring. So I love that. It’s my new hobby.”
When she’s not at work, Sofia enjoys her free time, staying fit, walking her dog, and enjoying the latest in movies and TV, especially animated features.
We love having Sofia on the team here at Flocksy, and we know you’ll love having her on your team for all your future illustration projects. You can check out her full portfolio of work here.
When a person is in love with their industry and passionate about even the smallest details, this level of enthusiastic expertise can be of great interest to others. How can this concept be used advantageously, and how can readers find professionals willing to share their guidance? A business blog is the perfect solution. Enjoy the limitless benefits of creating a business blog.
Consider Your Customers
When starting a business blog, it is important to consider your customers. Gather data about your desired audience, such as who you want to attract, where they live, what knowledge you have to share, and more. By determining these things, it will become clear how to build and shape the blog. In addition to appealing to customers, ensure that the blog is engaging to your staff members and blogging team as well.
Your brand’s personality is largely defined by your target audience. Therefore, your customers’ likes and dislikes deserve careful attention when starting a business blog.
Domain Name, Platform, And Template
Once you have chosen a direction for your business blog, it is time to buy a domain name. Aim for one that is captivating, easy to remember, and not too similar to another brand. A domain name can simply be your first and last name.
There are many platforms available for business blogs. Some of the most common blogging platforms include: WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, Blogspot, and LinkedIn. Each platform varies as far as price, customization allowance, ease of use, and more. The best blogging platform depends on your business needs.
Selecting a template is an important step of designing a business blog. It may be wise to hire a designer if the blog theme needs to correlate with an existing website. Business blogs should be pleasant to view, easy to navigate, and legible.
Table Of Contents
Come up with a list of desired topics that will be included in the blog. Your content might naturally have a similar theme. If blog topics tend to branch out into separate themes, creating a table of contents will be helpful to visitors. At the beginning stages of a business blog, experiment with various content types and topics to test what gains the most attention from your target audience. Explore similar blogs and forums across the web to discover what people are asking. Strive to answer these questions in blog posts to increase traffic and up your ranking on internet searches.
A great strategy to encourage customer interaction is to incorporate a CTA, or call to action, in every blog post. An engaged reader is likely to respond to a CTA, which gives you the opportunity to lead them to another blog post, sell your products or services, or otherwise direct them towards your business.
Find Your Team
A business blog requires consistent posts and management. If you are an exceptional writer and have the time to create content and manage the site yourself, this is a good, cost-effective option. However, in the hopes that your blog will grow beyond your capability to handle everything yourself, gathering a blogging team is crucial for building and maintaining a successful blog.
If your business has a marketing or social media team, consider delegating blog duties to them. Again, your business blog may even outgrow their responsibilities and resources. Although it costs more money, hiring a third party to manage the blog could be worth the investment.
Track Your Blog’s Success
Depending on the goals of your business blog, be sure to track its success. If the blog was created to direct people to your website, check how many new visitors your website receives. If the blog was created to sell more products, evaluate if sales are increasing. Research software can be connected to your blog in order to track analytical statistics. In turn, this data can be observed from a high level in order to examine the blog’s effectiveness. Keeping an eye on the blog’s success will prevent wasted time and money.
Outreach
Tying everything together, the final step of starting a business blog is to construct a distribution strategy. Your target audience, business goals, content topics, and other important factors all have a say in when and how to publish blog posts.
Make a plan for promoting your brand that goes beyond simply posting content on your blog. Integrate your website, email, social media accounts, and other forms of outreach into your business blog. This will increase awareness of your name and attract the unlimited number of potential customers on the web. Brainstorm how to develop new and existing customer relationships through the blog, by posting helpful content that pertains to your products or services.
A blog can be your company’s voice in the busy online marketplace. These online publications are easy to start, even for small business owners, and can help you reach new markets and customers. Learn how to strategically start a blog, target your ideal reader, and learn from measurable impacts.
1. Make A Plan And Determine Your Goals
In the earliest planning stages, a blog is no different than any other business project. Treat your new blog like you would any other decision. You wouldn’t try to launch a new marketing campaign on the same day you developed the idea, so likewise, don’t rush into publishing your first blog post. Give yourself time to plan before going live.
A clear plan and meaningful goals will help your blog be successful. Look to your business plan and consider what a blog can do for your overall targets. Do you want to increase sales or conversions this year? Showcase your services through your posts. Do you need to spread brand awareness? Focus on fun content readers will want to share with their social media networks. Are you trying to strengthen your relationship with your customers? Humanize your company with behind-the-scenes posts and employee spotlights. Decide what you’re trying to accomplish with your blog before moving forward.
2. Think Through The Logistics
Your blog doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy to be successful, but you will need to consider the practicalities before you publish. Decide who will write and maintain the blog, as well as how often you’ll post new articles.
Allocate enough time and resources towards writing your blog. Every small business is different, so you have lots of choices for selecting writers. If you have a marketing or social media position, managing a blog is a natural fit for these roles. In leaner companies, a new blog allows staff to take on fresh challenges. Some small business owners prefer to be the voice of the company and do their own writing. Outsourcing is another option. You can also mix and match these strategies to use a variety of writers.
Whichever model you choose, make sure your writers have space in their schedules. Set aside a couple of hours for each post. Readers respond best to high-quality, engaging writing, which does take time to produce. After you’ve published a few articles, reexamine your workflow and see if you need to make any adjustments.
3. Determine Your Audience
Plan your blog subjects with a particular audience in mind. Think about who is likely to visit your website, what they’re curious about, and how you can add value to their day.
If you’ve created marketing personas or ideal customer profiles, use these exercises to build your blog audience. A marketing persona is a fictionalized character who represents your average customer. Keep these personas in mind and your blog posts will quickly come together.
If you don’t have an ideal reader in mind, learn about your current audience. Look at existing data from web analytics, social media, email campaigns, customer surveys, and more. Use these insights to build a picture of who is already engaging with your business online. Think about this customer’s needs and plan your first series of blog posts about topics that meet their desires.
4. Start Writing
Once you’ve identified your goals, answered the practical question of who is doing what, and found your target readers, you’re ready to start writing. If your writing team is confident and experienced, this might be the easiest part of the process for you to manage. Simply give your goals to your writers and let them get to work.
For new bloggers and smaller shops, writing can be a different story entirely. It can be hard to start writing even when you have a robust plan. Blank pages are intimidating. Luckily, simple exercises can help you get your ideas on paper.
Many people find that speaking their thoughts feels more natural than writing them down. You can probably talk about your small business for hours, so turn on a voice recorder and start talking about your article’s subject. Once you’ve said everything important, you can listen to your recording later to write down what sounds the best.
You can also try brainstorming exercises. Find a stack of sticky notes or index cards and jot down everything you know about your blog’s subject, writing one note per card. Once you’ve written down all your thoughts, look through your collection of notes. What main ideas jump out? Sort cards into piles of similar themes. Then, choose the three biggest piles and adapt those cards into your blog post. Use the leftover notes as a jump start on your next article.
5. Learn and Adapt
After you start posting to your blog, make sure to track its performance. Reflect on the goals you set and see whether the blog is making an impact. Are you finding changes in conversions, web traffic, email clicks, or any other metric? Your posts may be lead to increases in unexpected areas, so take a look at all of your analytics at regular intervals.
As with any project, you can try new strategies when you don’t see enough movement. If you’re not reaching your original goal but are seeing growth in other areas, lean into the success you do have. For example, if you find a growing social media reach, be sure to share all of your blog posts on your social platforms. If email subscriptions are going up, make sure your email campaigns are fresh and current. Engaging, authentic writing will grow your customer base over time. Stay confident and keep publishing.
