TheWayoftheWeb

Content and Digital Marketing Specialists

employment

The end of an era…

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It’s been quite a momentous week for me, hence the lack of blogging. Aside from celebrating my son’s first birthday, the big event concerns my employment.

After an immensely enjoyable and educational eight years, I’ve left Bauer Media.

I hadn’t been actively looking for a change, but a couple of interesting opportunities had been put my way, and one of them in particular seemed to offer the right mix of new challenges, new experiences, and the chance to learn some new skills (More on my new job in a future post!)

And what better time to make a change than with a young family and during a recession!

But it does mean leaving some incredibly talented colleagues and some incredibly good friends I’ve been honoured to know and work with since I originally joined Emap back in 2001 (The consumer side of Emap was acquired by Bauer Media last year). During just under seven years on MCN, I was involved in two site relaunches, met almost all of my childhood heroes, broke some big news stories and went on some great trips. I also got to enjoy some great motorcycles, hit 170mph+ on test tracks, and rode some of the best UK race circuits.

And my move to marketing and social media meant I got to know people across the company, working with some hugely talented editorial, marketing and commercial teams, and getting to look at how social media and digital content and marketing works in a number of different settings.

If I listed all the people I’d like to thank, we’d be here for a very long time, so I can only hope I’ve made decent efforts to mention my gratitude over the years.

And despite the tough conditions for the publishing and media industries, knowing so many talented people across the Bauer Media business means the company is well-placed to take advantages of the opportunies available and evolve to remain a hugely successful media business.

It’s amazing how fast eight years can go when you’re enjoying yourself!

Interesting take on digital employment prospects…

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Here’s an interesting, possibly controversial, possibly visionary approach to restructuring from Giles Rhys Jones and Jonathan MacDonald. Both blogs are essential reading.

I’d be interested in seeing whether people agree or violently disagree… Certainly makes more sense than the vague notion of an impending headcount reduction based on undisclosed criteria.

(Most definitely a comment not related to any particular company, including my current employers!)

Edit: In a moment of incompetence, I forgot to point out that it’s in relation to media companies.

Forget the economy – life is great!

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Easier said than done, but in the unavoidable discussion of the current state of the economy, I’ve noticed a few people discussing whether things are as bad as people perceive, and which industry will be best placed to surive etc. And in the grand scheme of things, I’ve decided I’m not an international finance expert or politician – so the best thing I can do is to focus on the things I can to do to improve my position as an individual and just get on with life.

For starters, I’m currently cutting down and quitting cigarettes, with the aid of nicotine lozenges, and some positive thinking inspired by the 7 Habits of Effective People. I haven’t gone cold turkey, but after 13 years of smoking, I’m happy that over the last four days I’ve gone from 20 cigarettes a day to four, and then to two for the last two days. I’m aiming for one or less over the next couple of nights and to be smoke free by the end of the week.(I’ve also had plenty of support on Twitter, which is helping!)

I’ve also seen a reward for some effort in keeping up the content on this blog, and on my microblogging site, www.140char.com. I’ve recently published an interview with the creator of Twitter advertising tool Twittertise, and by the time this is published, there should be a feature on Mobatalk on 140char. Not only is this leading to more traffic to the site, but I’m also getting to chat with some really cool people who are innovating around microblogging. It means I have more useful tools and networks at my disposal – and it’s inspirational.

Plus I appear to have more RSS subscribers here and on 140char.com than ever….thanks everyone – it’s great encouragement to try to constantly improve the content and frequency of both blogs.

I’ve also had a fun conversation with someone today, who explained they got a new job recently due to the fact ‘someone’ persuaded them to join LinkedIn. After a bit of prompting, they remembered the invite came from me! And I’ve gained another practical example of how social networking works. (Funnily enough, Venturebeat has reported the shakey economy has boosted traffic to LinkedIn!)

I’ve also finally taken some steps to make my working life a bit easier, and streamlined some reporting which I’d meant to improve for ages, but hadn’t prioritised – it was in the Important not Urgent section of life which the 7 Habits teaches you to work in. And it’s starting to make a difference and allow me to work on some interesting projects and plans without getting as distracted.

And I’ve even got back into Facebook, after a group was formed for some people I haven’t seen in about 15 years – it’s quite funny to see responsible 30-something adults with similar features and the same names as the nihilistic hooligans with whom I spent much of my formative years.

And putting social media in with a shoehorn, there really are two ways to go at the moment:

  • Give people more tools for getting through the current hardship
  • Give people more tools for having fun, doing positive things and escaping the current hardship.

If you’re doing one, or both of those things, you should be on the right lines. The flip side is to stay calm and ensure that you’re measuring the effect and highlighting what this does for the bottom line correctly – the more you can show social media is a cost effective way to help your company/brand survive through any hardships, the better off you are.

One of the things I’ve been meaning to do is to compile the tools available for measurement and reporting, so if you want to recommend any for inclusion, drop me a comment.

Do job titles matter any more?

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This really is an open question, because I understand that outside my network, and even within it, my job title can influence how I’m perceived. And within large companies there can be a need for infrastructure.

Do job titles matter any more?
Do job titles matter any more? (Pic: Russell Davies on Flickr)

But at the same time, in my formal paid career I’ve been a: Freelance writer, Editorial Assistant, Reporter, Products Editor, Web Producer, Webcast Presenter, Community Marketing Manager. In my informal career I’ve been a: Freelance Journalist, Contributor, Writer, DJ, Blogger, Publisher, Editor.

Does my role as Editor for an online magazine with a small readership mean more on face value than Web Producer on the leading title within a global marketplace? What about the period as Web Producer that I essentially ran the site, compared to the times as Editor when I was pretty much absent?

You could actually sum up all those roles in two lines:

  • I create content: text, audio, video.
  • I distribute content, mainly socially, but with some knowledge of SEO and traditional marketing.

But then you have the other things I contribute. I’m hugely interested in not only looking at emerging technology, but spreading that knowledge throughout my network, and spotting where there are opportunities to use it within whichever company I’m working for. And I seem to have developed an enjoyment and small skill at building networks of people who are incredibly knowledgeable and talented in various areas related to my work and interests.

  • Maven/Connector (Not keen on those terms, but two words for four lines!)

So how much do any of those titles on my CV matter then three lines, links to my work, and knowledge of me via my network can tell you a lot more? Does Community Marketing Manager (Strategy,Technology,Tactics across 9 brands) get confused with the now more common term of Community Manager (focused on managing one community)

So does someone’s title affect the way you look at them? Do they still have a place in small companies, or in larger infrastructures? Or is this a time when structures like Gore (makers of Gore-Tex etc) make sense? From the link:

‘There are no traditional organizational charts, no chains of command, nor predetermined channels of communication.

Instead, we communicate directly with each other and are accountable to fellow members of our multi-disciplined teams. We encourage hands-on innovation, involving those closest to a project in decision making. Teams organize around opportunities and leaders emerge. This unique kind of corporate structure has proven to be a significant contributor to associate satisfaction and retention.

Associates (not employees) are hired for general work areas. With the guidance of their sponsors (not bosses) and a growing understanding of opportunities and team objectives, associates commit to projects that match their skills. All of this takes place in an environment that combines freedom with cooperation and autonomy with synergy.”

Is that what all companies should be modeling themselves on?

Web Producer vacancy on major motorcycling website

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There’s a vacancy for a Web Producer role on top motorcycle website www.motorcyclenews.com. (Disclosure: I work for the publisher of the website, and work with them on Community Marketing).

It’s great for anyone who has a love of motorcycles as well as a love of working with websites and digital technology. And now for the corporate speak bit:

“You’ll get to write, edit and publish content viewed by the biggest audience in motorcycling as well as learning how to create, edit and produce multimedia content.
You’ll be bursting with new ideas to drive people to the website and ways to market the website throughout the internet,
whether it’s on social networking sites, video sites, or  an entirely new way to reach more motorcyclists.
You’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to the print edition, travel to bike launches and events in the UK and abroad, and even take your motorcycle licence and test the latest bikes.
Writing or blogging skills are essential and previous experience in website production is preferable, as is a love of all
things motorcycling .
The position is based in Peterborough, UK. To apply, please email your CV and any examples of previous work to
angus.farquhar at bauerconsumer.co.uk.”

And if you want the inside info on what it’s like, you can always message me, because my previous role was as Web Producer for Motorcycle News!

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