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Readings

Part 1

In the world of online businesses, one of the most crucial things that you can have is a fundamental understanding of not only content creation but also having an understanding on content and marketing strategy. Having a grasp on both concepts can be the catalyst for success if you want your business to thrive. At least that is what I took away from Matt Bowman’s “Content Strategy vs Content Marketing, what’s the difference?” written for Forbes Business magazine.

Going into great detail, Matt explains how important these two concepts are, providing examples of both content marketing and strategy, namely in writing blogs. Like many students in this program, I want to be as successful as I can not only in this program but also in the future. Most of us want to have every advantage we can as we enter the workforce for either a company, or agency or go completely freelance, and this article is a source to further improve our knowledge and skills in digital marketing. In addition to this reading, we were fortunate enough to watch a video of our guest speaker. That speaker being…

Entry: Dee Thompson

Dee Thompson has been writing her blog, “A Dash of Dee”, for over a decade. A wizard behind the keyboard, spinning stories that have captivated an audience of thousands. Starting in the beauty industry after graduating from Western University, Dee got her big break in content creation when she was given an offer from Shoppers Drug Mart. They wanted her to write for their now-retired beauty magazine. From there it was off to the races, Dee fell in love with blogging and began writing a personal blog herself, adding in other topics she is passionate about such as travel and lifestyle tips, in addition to beauty. She currently has over 15,000 on Instagram and over 2500 followers on Facebook where she posts her blogs. 

Entry: Resonating 

There is one quote that stood out to me when watching Miss Thompson’s presentation.

“People are going to feel your passion, pick things that you are excited to talk about.” (Dee Thompson, 2023)

That message, to speak about your passions, is something I hold close to. We all have our interests, and others may share it or want to learn more about it. There is an entire audience waiting for you, you just have to find the right way to reach them. To make it far in this unforgiving business, having something you are interested in helps. You can make your interests the focal point of anything you wish to create. That passion, that interest, it draws people in. People want to hear what YOU, know, not something that has been written down for you. It’s more fun for you and makes you get creative. That’s something we all want when we are working on something no? Something fun, something that challenges us, something we can be happy writing.

“It’s okay to take a step back. You are in a creative business, and a creative business can be hard. Keep your mental health in check.” (Dee Thompson)
This business, even though it can be fun, is hard, and unforgiving, and easy to get burnt out. There are going to be times when you are going to be stuck, you’re going to break down, you’re going to feel overwhelmed, and that is okay. It is perfectly normal for people to feel this way, and it is okay to take a step back and check your mental health. This is one of the best things that Dee could have said. It is something everyone needs to hear, “Take care of yourself, you matter”. We always think that getting things in on time = a good product. However, sometimes making a deadline means that the project is probably going to be rushed, and this adds to the stress of the business. Competition, deadlines, and imposter syndrome are all causes of stress. But as the old saying goes, quality over quantity and slow and steady wins the race. The higher the quality of your work, the further you will go. Take your time, and check in on yourself, with friends and family. If you feel like you need time for yourself and are feeling overwhelmed. Take it. Love yourselves, guys.

Ending Stage:

The difference between Content Strategy and Content Marketing is something all up-and-coming content creators and online business owners must know. Not to mention strategising and planning play an important part. Dee’s wonderful and inspiring presentation was something I think we all needed to hear. Giving all of us a first-person view of the business we are learning so much about. Especially if we are looking to use blogging as a medium for business and entertainment.

And that does it for week 2, and the first blog of the year. See you guys soon!
D.