I had a very long talk with my husband last night. During the 3 hours, I told him all about my recent business struggles, concerns, opportunities, and ideas. We bounced some content ideas around, and I felt more motivated by the end of the conversation. He told me, "whatever you decide to do, just don't give up." It hit me hard.
Not that I was considering giving up, but I was definitely feeling a bit lost this past month. So many things have seemingly fallen out of my control, despite rigorously following my plans. But as I've learned earlier in my career, hard work is really not a virtue; knowing how to work smart is.
So, I've been dedicating this month to figuring out what my next "work smart" path looks like. I started by asking myself, what do I want to do?
1. Mentorships and training programs
Contrary to most agencies (which is why I don't even label Joyce Tsang Content Marketing Limited as one), I never wanted to do retainers.
All I wanted to do was help entrepreneurs build their content strategy. Then, educate them on distributing their content via social media and digital marketing. Yes, I know how to create content and analyze data, but that isn't the core of my business. What truly gives me fulfillment is when I create a content strategy. I feel the happiest when clients appreciate it, use it, and see the difference in their content when they follow it.
So, I know this is the month for me to steer my ship back on this course. Over May, I have spent a lot of time building my two educational programs - i) Mentorship for Slashers and ii) Upskill Training for other content creators, copywriters, marketing executives, and entrepreneurs.
I haven't even officially launched them yet, but the traffic on these landing pages skyrocketed. I am blessed to have one mentee enrolled and two others waiting to get on board. With full transparency and disclosure, moving away from retainer programs and focusing more on education takes a toll on my income, full stop. Indeed, I questioned myself in the beginning if this is the right thing to do. But then, I compared the overall feelings I had when I taught someone something versus when I just provided services off a checklist. And I know this is a tough but the right decision for me.
2. Testimonial of Joyce as an educator
Now, this doesn't mean I'll stop all retainer programs. I've refined it into my Codify Retainer Programs. That means I'll introduce a more structured system without forfeiting tailored flexibilities. But prices are fixed, contracts are more detailed, and I will be more selective with the clients I take on.
Apart from giving much thought to developing my service offerings, I was invited by Pioneer, a US-based gamified accelerator program for aspiring entrepreneurs to join as a Fast-Track participant. I have yet to dive in and actively take part in their tournament, but other entrepreneurs have already been giving me feedback on Joyce Tsang Content Marketing's educational programs.
It was very nice to receive such positive comments on my landing pages, particularly because I have recently posted on how I don't enjoy the websites of local agencies that claim they provide content marketing services. It would be a big slap in the face if I'm not doing a better job than they are.
3. Self-learning
In May, I have also spent a lot of time on personal growth. I have watched more webinars and read more articles compared to previous months. What started as research into business-related insights soon became somewhat of a personal journey.
Many individuals in the US are doing what I would like to do. Namely, going to different places as a keynote speaker, coach, or educator. Brené Brown, an American researcher, attracted me the most. I enjoyed her way of storytelling and would love to do so myself. It's not going to be an easy path, considering the keynote speaker environment is pretty much non-existent in Hong Kong. I also feel like I need to do a lot more for my name before such opportunities pose themselves.
How I will get there, I really don't know. But I will keep motivating myself to do all that I can. I have already filled up my content calendar for June and can't wait to share all the thoughts and ideas I have on content marketing with my audiences. Thank you for your support and I can't wait to meet more of you soon.
- Joyce