Observer | Writer | Vagabond

The Next Time You Come Across An Opportunity

Sometimes it is better to share a would-be client than to simply deny extra work

If you find yourself in the advantageous situation of having to say no to working with new clients, you have a great opportunity. Instead of telling the client that you don’t have the bandwidth to help them at the moment and adding them to an impersonal newsletter to “nurture” them and have them convert at a later date—point them to someone else who can help them.

Part of a good business strategy is to deploy kindness at every chance you get.

Just because you can’t help the client doesn’t mean that you also can’t help them find someone else who is just as capable as you are at getting the job done. Even if you miss out on more revenue for your business, you don’t necessarily need that client to pay you in money to help you out.

If you refer another consultant or freelancer to a client you can’t help at the moment, they will definitely remember your kindness. You can then leverage that favor you did for them in the future, for a potential referral to someone in their network, who may need your help.

Business at the end of the day is in large part based upon who you help the most. Sometimes you don’t need to help a client directly in order to grow your business.

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Don’t Shoot Down Ideas Without Testing Them With Data First

Do we have a report to support our claims?

One challenge that will regularly come up when serving a client is trying to convince them that all ideas are valid, unless there is data that proves otherwise. It is okay to deploy 50 versions of an ad—testing the image, video, CTA button, copy, and other variables.

We should try leveraging every audience targeting parameter available. We should test every assumption and not come to a conclusion without a report.

We also have to resist the urge to omit data or skew it in a way that sustains your relationship with the client, out of fear of being seen in a bad light because there isn’t a constant improvement. It is absolutely acceptable for some campaigns to not perform as well as others—so long as we can learn from the data and come out the other end with action items and concrete lessons.

Data can tell a story. We have to make sure that the story is told, that it is unbiased, and that it teaches us something. Without these stories, we are praying and spraying. And that type of marketing is a thing of the past.

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Black Lives Matter, Here’s Why

They matter because no one should ever have to explain to their child that their father isn’t coming home tonight because he was killed by a cop.

They matter because they contribute to our country. Without Black History, where would we be today? What would our culture miss out on?

They matter because they are alive and they are human. They bleed red, just like you do.

They matter, not more than you, just as much as you. We are all equal. Or at least we should be.

They matter because at the end of the day, everyone is just trying to live their lives peacefully. We are all just trying to define and find our own happiness.

They matter because even if you don’t believe in conspiracies, there are definitely coincidences. Whether it is subconscious or not, the main reason there is so much strife right now is because the negative coincidences we see everyday skew towards one group of people.

There has been progress but, the situation won’t get better until everyone in this country can leave their home without having to fear for their life.

We are a first-world nation, we need to act better.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” ― James Baldwin

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Are You Practicing Good Internet Safety?

When’s the last time you updated any of your passwords?

If the answer to this question is more than 6 months, you are making yourself vulnerable. By using a site like Have I Been Pwned? you’ll be able to see if your email address is vulnerable and on which platforms.

Do yourself a favor and update your passwords anyway. Be proactive instead of reactive.

It’s better to take the initiative to protect your data and potentially your finances, then to have something happen to you and you have to spend time trying to recover.

And don’t forget to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when using public wifi.

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Even If It’s Your First Time, Say Yes

**There is no safe way to grow**

An online course can only teach you so much. Using the tools on your own, clicking around and looking at all the settings can help, but there is truly only one way to learn how to use a tool. You have to be put in the position to have to help someone who gives you a task regarding the tool.

Back in 2015 when I started this blog, I didn’t know anything about how to manage a website. Within these five years, my site has broken at least 30 times and in 28 of those times, I didn’t have a backup file that I could rely on.

My site has been hacked and people have put malware on it (now I use reCaptcha on my login page). SEO was a big issue for me too but, now if you search “Kenny Soto” on Google, I’m #1 on the search.

However, even though I’ve learned from my mistakes I have learned more about WordPress in the past year creating and optimizing websites for my clients, than I have from working on my own website. The best way to learn how to use a tool is to get paid using it. Even if it will be your first time using the tool, take the chance to learn how to use it as you go.

In the ideal scenario, even without experience you will be assigned the task because of your eagerness to learn. It’s better to ask for the assignment and get rejected than to stop yourself from learning a new skill.

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