marketing

  • Freelancing

    How Coworking Spaces Change the Way Work Happens

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    As the trends in the workforce evolve, there seems to be something special about freelancing and coworking that ties them together in such innovative ways. Gone are the days when working at a corporate office or at home are two different choices because now, you can have the best of both worlds in a coworking space – but with a little social distancing.

    Coworking spaces are built in a flexible environment that cultivates community, diversity, productivity, and scalability for professionals to work independently together. Over the last few years, coworking didn’t just change the way work happens but there’s a significant link to how professionals thrive in coworking spaces.

    The Rise of Coworking Spaces

    Studies show that more than 30% of today’s workforce is comprised of freelancers or independent professionals. According to experts, this number is expected to rise by 2020. With this increase comes the need to open more co-working spaces worldwide that plays an important role in how and where freelance professionals could work. As this industry grows, there’s a chance that many small businesses could use coworking as a competitive advantage in their respective locations. 

    But the real question lies on how these independent professionals could leverage coworking as a norm in their chosen career path, and which coworking space offer the best workspace flexibility options that remote workers search for. To start with, here are some of the benefits of coworking space that helps every freelancer thrive in the biz.

    Five Benefits of Coworking Spaces

    Coworking spaces have easily become an attractive option for remote workers, same goes for freelancers and entrepreneurs. The main reason could be that coworkers find an essential value in being part of a diver community of likeminded people – because sometimes, working alone sucks. But before searching for a coworking membership that works best for you, keep in mind these five benefits:

    1. Community

      Taking the first spot is the community. Working alone as a freelancer or an entrepreneur could be difficult because at some point, you may lose your sense of community. But with co-working spaces, you are given a chance to work independently without being alone. Coworking spaces may even introduce you to potential connections allowing you to rub shoulders with other business owners or like-minded professionals. To cut it short, nothing beats the power of a network that you can leverage for your future endeavors.

    2. Productivity

      Imagine working in an environment that’s free from the stuffiness of traditional office space and is built with a structure of the comforts of your home. Perfect, right? Who wouldn’t want to work there all day and smash deadlines like a pro? This is how coworking spaces are created—to boost your optimal productivity. There are no administrative tasks or operating costs to worry about—only you, focusing on work. Plus, being surrounded by hardworking professionals gives an extra push to motivate yourself. There are also other amenities provided that could help increase productivity.

    3. Flexibility

      Coworking spaces offer various membership options and payment plans. Since many small business owners and freelancers can’t commit to lease offices because of the hefty price tag, they opt to choose coworking spaces. Members are free to go from daily, weekly, to monthly—whatever the situation calls for as freelancers often have flexible working hours.

    4. Diversity

      Many coworking spaces have members and tenants who work for a wide range of businesses. This kind of environment gives professionals the opportunity to connect and collaborate with people from different industries. If anything, there is more collaboration and less direct competition in coworking spaces unlike in a traditional corporate office.

    5. Scalability

      Entrepreneurs or freelancers who run a business already have quite a few overhead costs. That is why coworking spaces offer flexible terms for business owners to eliminate those expenses. With coworking spaces, you don’t have to worry about utility bills or service charges. These places are well-equipped with tools that could help professionals and business owners alike.

    Shape the Future of Work

    What really makes coworking fun and innovative? Some research suggests that the combination of a conducive work environment and experience where a diverse group of workers shares energy and ideas are the main reasons why professionals thrive in coworking spaces.

    High levels of motivation seen in people who co-work is due to the fact that they can be more of themselves while at work. To sum up, coworking spaces shape the future of work because of its benefits for the workers. Professionals thrive when they have autonomy and are given their own space with enough support to reach their full potential.

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  • Branding, Marketing

    Find Your Ultimate Brand Voice

    Having a brand voice that is consistent and strong is a surefire way to stand out from competitors and be on top of the mind of consumers. After all, your brand voice is what drives all the content you deliver, from marketing to sales and customer service.

    With the advent of the digital age, lots of brands have flocked the Internet that consumers are bombarded with a cacophony of product information. Not to mention being exposed to various slogan shouts from traditional media like TV, print, and radio. That is why it has become more difficult for brands to have a distinct voice and be heard.

    Simply put, a brand copy is one of the factors that hooks consumers to your products, but the brand voice is the driving force that keeps it all forward and put together.

    When you learn how to marry brand voice with your copy, you’ve got nothing to worry about, because then your copy will work for you.

    But first, research what your potential clients would say and use the language that would pretty much get them the first time they hear about your brand.

    First, what is the voice?

    In copywriting, the voice is the sense, character, or idea the readers get when they read your content whether it’s on social media, website, blogs, etc.

    When you’re able to distinguish between the differences of your friends’ or family members’ personalities because of their own quirks, that’s their voice you recognize. Or when you find a note on the fridge and remember that messy handwriting is from a specific loved one, you know immediately who left that message—because the trust you have for them makes it easier to recognize who it was.

    As a business owner, it’s important to identify a distinct brand voice that would set off your marketing efforts. This will help your potential clients trust your brand and build authenticity for your products and services in the long run.

    To achieve that, your brand voice must have the three main ingredients: tone, rhythm, and vocabulary. Without these, you won’t be able to identify a brand voice that sticks.

    Tone is the character of the voice, it’s the color, it’s the feel of your voice.

    Rhythm is the pattern of the voice. Is it witty or serious? Does your brand prefer long sentences or short ones? It’s the musical quality of your voice.

    While Vocabulary is the words the brand use. It should be based on the tone and rhythm of the voice.

    In order to succeed in branding, the first step is to humanize your brand with a cohesive brand voice. There’s no better way to develop your brand’s voice than these writing drills you can do through the worksheet I came up with.

    By using your imagination and getting help from your team, I’m sure you’ll hit the right note in no time.

    Steps to Identifying Your Brand Voice

    1. Pinpoint your brand’s quirks – personifying your brand is the easiest way to get your buyer personas hooked. This is the main reason why there are brands you’ve completely fallen in love with and maybe, hated—because of the character they portray. Think of it the way authors develop their characters in storytelling, there are archetypes, personal wounds, motivations, and so on. These are the things that fuel your brand to achieve a distinct voice.

      Just like humans, a brand must have a personality that must be compelling enough to evoke an emotional response from consumers. This way, your brand can speak directly to leads, like an actual person.
    2. List down adjectives – This one comes as part of pinpointing your brand’s quirks, but I have to lay it out here to remind you. Talk to as many members of your company as possible to brainstorm ideas. Think of adjectives that describe your company’s purpose, or your company culture.

      To make it easier, describe the kind of character you’re building as you point out its quirks. Once the same ideas have been repeated within your team, then you must listen to that, and use those adjectives to jumpstart your brand voice.
    3. Name your ideal spokesperson. Even if you’re not planning to get one, think of a celebrity or a famous person you want to represent your brand. This is one of the easiest ways to give your brand identity.

      Once you have selected someone, briefly explain your reasons. Maybe you’ve chosen a comedian like Ellen DeGeneres for an endorser, then your brand voice must be funny. Or the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, then you may desire a sound that’s motivational and affectionate. Take your pick!
    4. Narrow down your ideas through a brand chart – Once you have identified your brand’s quirks, ideal spokesperson, and the adjectives that describe them, illustrate their relations in a chart.

      Later on, you will realize how it could be an essential tool that will serve as a reference for the copywriter and your marketing team. This is so everyone in your team can consistently use the same voice while promoting your products and services.

    Final Advice

    That’s it! I’ve created a worksheet and shared it with you all for FREE because I want you to nail down your brand’s voice, so I hope it helps. This is important because it will eventually become a guide to write powerful copy that sells. And once you sign up for one of my web copywriting services, we can dig deeper into this.

    Treat this worksheet like a piece of interview questionnaire wherein you’re trying to get to know someone’s personality through this guide. And that, my friend, is how you will develop your brand voice.

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