As many of you know I decided a short while ago that I’d be taking a long trip away from the UK. It’s time to get away and try some new stuff or ‘Stop making excuses and get the f**k out there!‘, meet some new people and test out this traveling-working lifestyle.
In light of all this I’ve moved out of my flat. I’d been there over a year and it was my first home away from family – it was strange leaving that’s for sure.
It’s an odd time for me. Mixed emotions. Ambivalent if you will…
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Recently I’d been talking with an awesome content strategist who goes by the name of Gigi Griffis. In aid of us getting a project going Gigi invited this guy *points at self* along to a content strategy meetup and get together type thing in London.
The long story short… it was pretty awesome. I won’t go into detail about what everyone had to say but I will say that each speaker had a very unique perspective and actually gave valuable takeaways – and let’s be fair, that’s very rarely the case as conferences. It’s usually very dry and vague, talking top level tactics which leaves people in the same position they were before!
Anyway, the notes, in order of when they were jotted down and unedited; enjoy…
- Who are our users? If we don’t know everything about our users, we can’t do the necessary research into what’s needed.
- What do users need? Following from above, if we don’t know exactly what they need, we can’t provide the best service/content.
- Start listing all needs, in a spread sheet, mind map. This will get the content juices flowing.
- Use and draw up wireframes, do lots of testing and take in everyone’s opinion. More brain power the better!
- Launch, then test. Don’t dilly-dally and waste time.
- Make sure your company has a content style guide, words to avoid, what to say, everything!
- Team all sitting together allows for all content wording, design and development work to seamlessly flow together. Better end product!
- Create an ‘easy to understand how everything works’ page…
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What’s with all this bullshit pressure that surrounds the digital industry to choose a niche and stick to it? I think sometimes people, including myself, are so caught up in trying to achieve they forget why they’re trying to achieve.
One message that’s been pouring out of digital gurus for a long time is to choose a niche and stick with it, specialise in it, be it, do it, live it. As much as I agree, it’s become a bit of a “thing” and is actually creating a barrier for many new-to-the-game first timers. This is a terribly high wall to climb.
Why is this creating a barrier? Put simply, it’s being drilled into so many people’s minds that if they do not choose something and stick with it – they will not succeed. Not true. Then, struggling to choose a niche that isn’t saturated they give up before they’ve even begun! One might say these are the people that were never going to succeed – but at what point did we lose sight of the importance of trying?
Why is this causing pressure? People like me who run blogs, or as above, feel pressured into deciding what they want to blog about. Even now, after half-arsedly running my blog for a couple of years I still don’t really know what it’s about! This frustrated me for a while. Why do you think I don’t blog more regular? I’m always procrastinating about the fucking topic.
So what do you do about it? Stop caring.
Boom. Simple. Just stop caring…
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About a month ago after realising my life really is now changing and the possibility, nay probability, of my pending move away was driving ever closer. I decided it was time to create a bit of spare cash and focus my funds, time and effort into things I actually care about.
When Londoner's Came Together to Clean Up After The Riots
Eh? What’errr don’t you care about?
If you’re into online marketing, SEO and the world that comes with it – you’ll be no stranger to trying your best to spot gaps in the market, hunt down bargain domains and make some money.
In this industry one can get so caught up in the excitement of starting something; what with all the freedom that comes with having your own business. Everyone is trying to ‘get on it’!
With that… come wasted money, wasted time, and wasted talent. Robert De Niro said in A Bronx Tale (1993, awesome film) – “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”
What I didn’t realise, consistently failed at and didn’t rectify quick enough was – properly assessing a purchase. I’d get far too excited about something, move in too quickly and end up with a domain name I’d do nothing with. At a time when finding a quality domain name is actually quite difficult, you feel the need to buy on the spot. Or not allow yourself enough thinking time.
My portfolio of domains over the years has been ridiculous. With some of the silliest domains you’ve ever seen… 3dwomen.co.uk… yes it’s true *pulls ashamed face* is worth nothing. Yet some awesome domain name finds, especially for my company…
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Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
View From Heaven – Yellowcard
On the 17th August 2012, at 11:33pm, I decided my life wasn’t good enough and I vowed to a new way. Project133 is that way.
Just five months later and the decision is final. I move out of my flat and leave for Atlanta, Georgia on April 15th 2013 (where I hope to run into a few walkers?). Three months away, damn, that’s pretty intense!
Throughout this journey I will be blogging. Updating you guys with useful travel tips, tools I’m using, devices saving me money, and whatever else I stumble upon along the way.
Keep updated by subscribing to this blog. Alternatively follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
The Walking Dead, Atlanta, Georgia
Ok, So Here’s The Deal
Literally. There’s a deal in place with my business partner. If after 3 months of my being away all is well with our business, things are still running smoothly and we are both happy with the situation; then I keep travelling.
If not. I must return, look at what has been going wrong, restore peace, calm and order (lol)…
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Who Is Michael Charalambous
I’m Michael Charalambous. At 22, I’ve already been in the digital space for 7 years. I’ve worked with some of the UKs highest profile digital marketing agencies – I love it.I’m working my hardest in order to do what I like; achieving freedom. However, I want to like what I do; achieving happiness.
What do you desire? I want it for you.
Connect with Michael
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