Local Love

As a freelancer and a creative, it can be difficult to know when to switch off and take some time out for yourself and when to push through. In this week's podcast episode I discuss how rest is just as important as hustling. It's not only a way of recharging but it is also a way to take a step back and re-align! 

Being busy doesn't necessarily mean you are being successful and that is an important thing to remember!

Some of you may know (some of you may not) but music has been part of my life since I was very young. It wasn't until after I finished University that I actually got into producing and recording. It felt like there had been this massive build-up throughout my whole life to this point and when I got there quickly fell out of love. The pressure I put on myself really affected me and it took me ages to realise that maybe it's ok to take a step back from it! 

In this week's episode, I touch on my music journey and being ok with letting writing, recording and performing go. It's something I know I can come back to.

If you've ever had a creative project, or you're in one now and felt pressure to perform when nothing seems right - then hopefully this podcast episode can help you in knowing you're not alone!

Pinterest is a social media platform that many businesses overlook. In this week's podcast, I look at why you should be on Pinterest and how it can be beneficial for you to use as a business! 

Social media takes up a large portion of our lives. Whether we work in socials or just find ourselves an avid user - it can be hard to find a balance or know when to put the phone down. I have worked in digital marketing for over 8 years and spend a large portion of my day on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and across various website as part of my job. It got to a point where I found myself so addicted and spent more time glued to my phone even when I was out with friends. Finding a balance and knowing when to be present in the moment has been something I've really had to learn! They say - it's not real if it's not on Instagram but truthfully, I'd much rather not put it on Instagram and enjoy the special moments - big and small!! 

In this week's episode, I talk about finding that balance and why it's so important!

In this week's episode, I look at how the News Media Bargaining Code being enforced by the Australian government is impacting independent music media outlets. To get some more insight into how it is affecting local media I asked some questions to local blogs Purple Sneakers and Stoney Roads to find out what they have done since the ban took place and what their future looks like with social media marketing. 

While the intentions of the Bargaining Code are good it does seem that they don’t take into account small media outlets, it also begs the question of whether the ACCC who has created the code actually understand the way these digital platforms work and why they are only really focused on Facebook and Google - not to mention… are they listening to the needs of the actual outlets?

Advertorial, editorial and pictorial are three marketing terms that you don't hear that often any more but their theories still stay the same. Understanding what these terms mean can really help you to work out your marketing budget outside of your social media ad budget and create a holistic marketing campaign to really sell your music, products or services. 

In this week's Local Love podcast episode I deep-dive into these three terms and discuss how you can use them in a modern marketing campaign.

When you first start a new project you’ll choose the social media platforms you’ll want to be using. This will usually include Facebook and Instagram - as well as some others like Pinterest, Tiktok, LinkedIn etc. When you’re advertising your product, brand, services or music you’ll want to pick a social media platform you’re active on - however, think about this! 

At any time your account may be restricted or deactivated. You don’t own the social media platform so if something happens you will lose access. For example, there has been a lot of speculation about TikTok and whether it will be banned. If you put all your efforts into TikTok and something happens to the platform what are you going to do? You’ll have to start from scratch on another platform. 

While it may be hard to spread your resources across multiple platforms it can have many benefits - reaching a wider audience is just one of those. The other is that you’re not only relying on one platform to succeed.

In this weeks podcast I talk about the reasons why using multiple platforms for advertising are good and my experience with having an account restricted,

It's been a goal of mine to launch an online course. It wasn't until after I started teaching the Social Media Management class at RMIT University that I really knew what I wanted to teach. I filmed this 30min course in October and have finally finished editing it and I'm about to launch it!!! 

For my first course, I really wanted to do a short one - nothing toooo in-depth but just a real taster of what it's like to start thinking strategically about your Instagram content strategy! 

In the course I cover:
• Brand personality
• Tone of voice
• Content pillars
• Writing copy
• Curating images
• Scheduling

The course also includes a workbook for you to be able to complete the activities as well as a one-month social media and content pillar template. For a limited of time, it is 50% OFF for pre-orders (only $50AUD). You can find out more on the Hunger Digital website here: https://www.hunger.digital/all-products-and-downloads/p/nailing-your-instagram-content-strategy-online-course

It is pretty obvious that 2020 was a ROUGH year for so many people. Many of us struggled with huge financial burdens, uncertainty, loneliness and overall stress! To help cope with some of these feelings I piled on the work. While it was distracting at the time I did eventually burnout and end up in a worse of state than I was prior. Over the last few months, I have reflected on this and set myself some goals for 2021 both personally and professionally.

I hope that this episode can enlighten you and if you've been faced with a huge burnout from 2020 to know that you're NOT alone!   

I'm looking forward to a wonderful 2021 and to put myself first and do the things I love!

The inner critic is something we all face! Being a creative or freelancer can make that inner critic feel more prevalent and it can become somewhat overpowering and make you spiral into self-doubt! While Local Love is a podcast that focuses on social media, I thought it was important to also look at some mental health aspects that come with working in a creative landscape or putting yourself out there. That's why I caught up with my good friend and Occupational Therapist, Harriet Muse.

In this episode, we talked about how your inner critic comes about, the negative side of it as well as some of the positives and most importantly - some tactics for quietening that critic so you can feel confident in putting yourself out there through your social media!

In this episode, we talked about how your inner critic comes about, the negative side of it as well as some of the positives and most importantly - some tactics for quietening that critic so you can feel confident in putting yourself out there through your social media!

Some resources Harriet shared that you may find useful are:
Moojiji
Sam Harris' app Waking Up
Deepak Chopra
Dr. Kristen Neff
Brene Brown