townsend.bunksite.com

Tag: search influence

A Look Back at 2019: Search Influence Style
I’m fairly certain that at some point in the first quarter of this year, I fell into a wormhole and recently emerged to discover that 2019 is coming to an end. How did this happen so fast?! And not just 2019, it’s the end of the DECADE, people!

It’s like it happened in the blink of an eye, yet this year was jam-packed with exciting happenings.

Whether you’re still suffering from the nationwide White Claw shortage or re-binge-watching the last season of Game of Thrones while eating Popeye’s new chicken sandwich, you probably agree that 2019 was a doozy. Lizzo rose to stardom, there was a new royal baby, and Stranger Things graced us with a third season.

Clients and employees of Search Influence had an equally eventful year! This Year-in-Review post reflects on and celebrates the many exciting accomplishments of our team and our clients in 2019.

Here’s the TL;DR version of our 2019. More on all of this below!

In 2019, we…
- Kicked off partnerships with 26 new clients 👟
- Launched 84 client campaigns 🚀
- Congratulated 5 newly married Influencers
- Welcomed back 2 more Influencers who “boomeranged” back to Search Influence after going to work elsewhere ♻️
- Said “Happy birthday” to 5 new Influencer babies in the last 12 months
- Moved from downtown NOLA into a historic three-story building in Central City with our own courtyard
- Initiated SMART Goal setting for each of our clients, an effort to hold ourselves accountable while focusing on our clients’ marketing objectives
- Won a PRAL Flambeaux award for our successful digital campaign to produce a favorable vote to evenly distribute taxes among NOLA’s parks and greenspaces
- Traveled to 6 cities in 5 states (Austin, TX; St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN; Denver, CO; Nashville, TN; and Torrance, CA) to develop our expertise, share our knowledge, and visit with our clients
- Began working with clients in 17 different industries, 7 states, and 16 cities across the country
- Achieved a company-wide profit threshold as a unified team through a culture of transparency and collaboration
- Achieved an above-industry standard client retention rate by focusing on client ROI and employee education
- Shared our expertise with speaking engagements at MN Search, Zenith, New Orleans & Company’s Tourism University, 2019 UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar, Mississippi Alliance for Nonprofits, Public Relations Association of Louisiana, and Public Relations Society of America, New Orleans Chapter
- Blushed when three of our leaders were nominated for Ada Lovelace Awards
- Topped off our 14th year in business and marveled at the change from early days around Will & Angie’s dining room table to now
A Happy & Prosperous 2019 for Our Clients

This year our Account Management team put a focus on strategy and client ROI, spending significant time ensuring that our campaigns align with our clients’ ultimate goals. Leveraging the methodology of SMART Goal setting, we worked hard to ensure all aspects of our campaigns are connected to the greater purpose of achieving client goals. And we have made these goals transparent to every member of our agency so that each individual can understand how their work is connected to the big picture.

We launched and ran successful campaigns for key clients, including New Orleans City Park, Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, the Tulane School of Professional Advancement, New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, and many more.

Through a newly-formatted quarterly feedback survey, we solicited valuable insights from our clients about their experience with us and gathered some amazing testimonials:

On Data and Analytics Reporting:

“One of the biggest advantages to using Search Influence is their transparency and collaboration in reporting on analytics. The SI team worked with the Tulane School of Professional Advancement (SoPA) to determine what analytics and benchmarks were most important to us and made sure to align them to our outcomes. Each month, the SI team presents these data and analytics to the SoPA team and we ask questions, discuss strategy, and make data-informed decisions. Search Influence works with us each month to refine both the gathering and reporting of data. As a result, not only do we have a better understanding of the impact of our digital strategy, we are part of a continuous improvement process.”
From Christa Payne, Assistant Dean at the Tulane School of Professional Advancement

On Expertise and Client Experience:

“I tell pretty much anyone who will listen how much I love working with y’all. Jordan and Ariel are both amazing—they’ve done so much for our Editorial Team and our overall approach to content on the site. On top of being incredibly knowledgeable, they do a great job of explaining oftentimes complicated subject matter to our team in a way that’s approachable. 10/10—y’all are the best!”
From Hartley Casbon Wasser, Director of Editorial & Content Marketing of New Orleans Tourism & Marketing Corporation

On Holistic Marketing Strategy:

“Search Influence has been an integral and essential part of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience’s marketing. The team goes above and beyond to make sure we are happy and taken care of. At the beginning of each season for NOWFE, Search Influence sees our vision and then brings it to life, offering advice and suggestions along the way to help meet our goals. I know that when I give the Search Influence team a task that it will be done, and having that kind of trust and loyalty in this industry is everything to us.“
From Aimee Brown, Executive Director of New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

A Productive & Rewarding 2019 for Our Employees

The biggest development in 2019 for our team was our move from downtown New Orleans to a historic building in Central City! Moving from the CBD resulted in savings for both the company and each individual employee thanks to FREE PARKING! We also gained several outdoor spaces for our team to enjoy and use for collaboration. We’ve already enjoyed using our new space to host clients for in-person meetings and lend meeting space to organizations in need. We hosted our first Careers Open House this December, welcoming 20+ prospective employees and others looking to network.

We’re proud to say that our team rallied around a collective goal to achieve a profit threshold this year, and we accomplished it months earlier than planned! Through a culture of transparency (we share financials in our company-wide meetings monthly) and collaboration, we worked together to exceed our own expectations. No doubt this is thanks to the hard work of each individual team member staying connected to client goals and delighting our clients with strong results.

A Focus on Professional Development

Members of our team traveled to Austin, Denver, and Nashville to further their education in key areas of our work, from Local SEO to Analytics and tracking. A key initiative for the year was a renewed commitment to our employees’ personal and professional growth. We kicked off a program enabling all employees access to a mentor from our leadership team (from any department) and empowered them to set SMART Goals for their personal and/or professional lives.

A Focus on Fun

When we worked together to achieve milestones set by our leadership team through quarterly planning, we celebrated with a Stranger Things themed party that featured Eggo waffles and just about any topping you can dream up. We mused. We boozed. We watched movies. We played Clue. We found fun ways to unwind together. Our work—and more importantly our clients—are better because of it!

Can’t-Miss Content From 2019

Our core purpose is to “optimize potential,” the potential of our clients, our employees, and the community in which we work. One way we live this is by constantly growing and sharing our knowledge with the larger community, whether within our industry or to small businesses or nonprofits in need.

This year, our team produced presentations, blogs, and oodles of content to educate the larger community of which we are a part. We spoke at several conferences, luncheons, and community organizations. And we consistently kept our blog updated with useful information. Here are five of our most-read blogs in 2019:
Cheers to 2020

Writing this post has made it clear that capturing the happenings in a digital agency like ours over the course of a year is nearly impossible! With such a fast pace to our work and industry and a company goal of continuous improvement, it was a year packed with fun, exciting changes, and growth. We look forward to dialing up the fun and prosperity—here’s to seeing you in 2020!
December 26, 2019
Five New Influencers in Six Months: Meet the New Additions to Our Team!

Search Influence is dedicated to producing results that matter for our clients. We believe you shouldn’t have to juggle your time between multiple agencies. That’s why our team includes experts across all facets of digital marketing—from sales and account management to quality assurance and content creation. Over the last six months, our team has expanded with the addition of five new Influencers! Meet the new faces that will help grow your business online and beyond.

Shawn Kelly – Sales Manager

Shawn joins the Search Influence team as a Sales Manager. After a 10-year stint in Mandeville and 5 years in Atlanta, he is happy to be back to his native Metairie. A University of New Orleans alumnus, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Outside of sales, Shawn enjoys spending time with his 3 children, ages ranging from 18 to 9, and supporting them at their various extracurricular activities. If he does have spare time, you will see him playing in recreational leagues, as well as catching up on movies & TV shows that make him laugh.

Colin Crumbley – Junior Quality Assurance/Digital Marketing Associate

Colin Crumbley has been hired as a Digital Marketing Associate. Born & raised in New Orleans, Colin didn’t venture far for college. He graduated from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in Planning & Urban Studies. He loves to travel the world and experience new cultures but also loves (almost) everything about his beloved hometown of New Orleans. In his spare time, you can catch him going to concerts, festivals, and trying new restaurants.

Paige Pevlor – Account Manager

Paige Pevlor has been hired as an Account Manager. Paige is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused in Business Management. Before Search Influence, Paige worked as an Account Manager at NOLA Media Group. She is a New Orleans native, growing up in Metairie most of her life. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her fiance and spending time with her dog, Georgette.

Katelyn Mulkey – Account Coordinator

Katelyn joins the team as an Account Coordinator. A New Orleans native, she graduated from the University of New Orleans where she received her bachelor’s in Marketing. While there, she took a lot of Sociology classes which she loved. She is a music lover and constantly searching for records for her collection. In addition to music, she is a huge dog fan and has three of her own.

Sarah Spencer – Junior Digital Copyeditor

Sarah has been hired as a Copyeditor. Originally from Roanoke, VA, she moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology. After earning her multi-syllabic degree, Sarah worked as a Captain at Arnaud’s Restaurant, which gave her more insight into New Orleans’ unique food and beverage culture. She also worked for a small local wedding planning magazine as a digital marketing coordinator, expanding her writing, editing, and communications skills. In addition to enjoying life in New Orleans, Sarah likes to read, spoil her dog, and watch/fall asleep to nature documentaries (so she knows a tiny bit more about dinosaurs than the average six-year-old).

Don’t trust your digital marketing campaign to a machine. Work with a team of experts committed to the results that impact your bottom line. From social media management and local SEO to online advertising and lead tracking, we got you covered. Our growing team of Influencers is ready to help you reach your marketing goals. Get in touch today to request your free marketing analysis.

October 23, 2018
Pubcon Florida 2018: Chatbots Are Cool, But We Gotta Keep Marketing Human

I am sorry to say that until last week, the only Pubcon events I’d attended were in Las Vegas, and of course, when after Katrina the show came to New Orleans in 2013 (wow, seems like only yesterday).

So, last week I went to Ft. Lauderdale for Pubcon Florida. It was a really enjoyable show.

To give a little context, Pubcon Las Vegas is like the CES, SEMA, or ComicCon. There is way too much going on to feel like you’re seeing it all. Kind of like Las Vegas itself.

But this show, the South Florida show, co-produced with the South Florida Internet Marketing Association (SFIMA) is much more manageable.

I was able to bundle a little fun with this trip, stopping over in Haines City, FL (my hotel was in Lakeland, FL), to take part in Ironman 70.3 Florida.

Feel free to read my account of it if you’re interested in the exploits of a mediocre, middle-aged athlete.

We Need to Stop Chasing Google

Every keynote speaker at Pubcon were people I would gladly watch any time. I was sad to miss the closing keynote with Purna Virji of Microsoft but glad I caught both Wil Reynolds and Lee Odden. I have seen Purna speak many times and as I tweeted at SEMPDX Engage, I could listen to her read the phone book.

Wil made some really excellent points about how we as marketing companies need to be thinking about our relationship with the search engines and ad platforms, including a great metaphor about the follow of chasing Google when Google is itself chasing the user (searchers, humans, whatever).

It is really easy for us marketers, especially those like me who grew up in an SEO world, to get enamored of the technology and forget that at the end of the day it’s about humans. Or as they use to say in the Yellow Pages, putting buyers and sellers together.

I like Wil. He’s a northeasterner who has been doing this for a while. Our cultural references are similar and clearly our penchant for a well-placed profanity.

Lee Odden was talking about the intersection of PR and Content Marketing. Lee has been preaching the value of content since the early days—perhaps even before The Content Marketing Institute.

According to Lee, “If you want to be in the media, become the media” ~~– I always enjoy when presenters attribute themselves to quotes in their presentations.~~

UPDATED: Lee Odden was nice enough to give me the right image. I included here a screenshot from Twitter so you can see his message as well.

My interest in these two presentations is a little self-serving. Both were arguing for a more holistic view of both the user (browser, searcher, customer) than that of the typical digital marketer.

Trust Building for Brands

My presentation, entitled “Brands Win Online” was a further expression of a theme that we’ve been presenting on for years.

In essence, brands get traffic because they’re brands. Even when, in a Google search, a brand is lower down the list they’ll get the click because of brand recognition. We see this all the time at a tactical level where we are able to influence search results by doing branding focused advertising.

The first iteration of this idea, done this way, was in a presentation to the BIA/Kelsey show called: Presence + Authority + Trust = Winning

Paula has also banged this drum a few times with her presentations on local branding including her MozCon presentation: Fake it till you make it: Brand Building for Local Businesses

There were, of course, other great sessions. Mat Siltala was his usual brilliant self, and I learned quite a lot from Tony Wright whose presentation I had the pleasure of moderating.

Here’s a link to Mat’s presentation on SlideShare: Creating Content for Social Media

Did you know, Tony studied Opera?!

The Benefits of Going to a Growing Conference

One of the great things about this smaller conference is that there were no must-miss presentations. I could have spent all day in sessions and felt like I was learning a ton. And, of course, there are a number of takeaways for me to bring home to the team. Including a Barnacle SEO reference by Steve Shackelford of DealerOn.

Brett, Joe and the team put on a great show and have been doing so for the past 17 years. If you’re interested in a more manageable show than the big Las Vegas extravaganza, do check out Pubcon Florida next year.

Maybe, this one will get on autopilot and we can hope to see Pubcon back in New Orleans someday!

April 16, 2018
Join Us in Welcoming Our Newest Team Member!

We’re thrilled to welcome Emily Borne to Search Influence. Emily joins our team as a Junior Editorial Internet Marketing Associate. Meet the newest member of our team!

Emily Borne – Junior Editorial Internet Marketing Associate

Growing up in the suburbs of New Orleans, Emily often imagined working in the heart of downtown. Her love of words and language led her to major in English Secondary Education at LSU. Before entering the real world, she worked at Walt Disney World and definitely misses the free park admission. She worked briefly as a middle school English teacher, but she is now happy to call Search Influence home! Emily is a lover of musical theatre, so catch her performing in local productions.

Welcome to the team, Emily!

March 13, 2018
Search Influence Welcomes Two New Account Managers

Search Influence welcomes two new account managers, expanding our team of experts offering personal service and trackable results for our clients.

Leslie Williams – Account Manager

A New Orleans native, Leslie graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing as well as her MBA. Previously, Leslie spent time in sales roles at Nola.com/The Times-Picayune and most recently Cumulus Media. Leslie runs a fashion and lifestyle blog in her free time and is a new mother to 6-month-old Sebastian.

Shauntae Joseph – Account Manager

Born and cultivated in New Orleans, Shauntae graduated from LSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences. After completing her degree, she spent time working in office management and financial analysis. In her spare time (this really doesn’t exist due to her two offspring), Shauntae spreads her light through her personal blog. She is excited to bring her personal and professional glow to the SI Team!

Welcome to the team, Leslie and Shauntae!

December 22, 2017
SI Is Ending Summer With a BANG — Welcome Our New Influencers!

This month, Search Influence welcomed a lot of new faces to the office! Meet the newest members of our team.

`

Jenna Mire – Account Coordinator

Jenna recently moved to New Orleans from Atlanta, GA after the horrific fall of the Falcons in the 2017 Super Bowl. Jenna graduated from Centre College where she received degrees in Behavioral Sociology and Anthropology while playing basketball. She is also the winner of the 2007 Hot Dog Eating Contest, women’s division, sponsored by Energizer Batteries. Jenna enjoys playing Sudoku, parallel parking, and eating Cheetos Puffs.

Katie Burke – Accounting & Administrative Assistant

Katie grew up in Liberty, New York and moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University. She recently graduated from Tulane with her Master’s degree in Accounting. When she has free time, she loves to bake and sometimes sell specialty cakes for weddings, birthdays, and special events.

Ceallaigh Montgomery – Sales Executive

Originally from the North Dallas area, Ceallaigh (pronounced Kay-Lee) graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Before joining the team at Search Influence, she worked as a Benefits Consultant with Aflac for a year where she really got a taste for Business-to-Business selling. While in school, she was in the LSU Tiger Band. So, it’s safe to say she is an avid LSU football fan. In her spare time, she loves cooking up good food and tailgating.

Rhonda Ladner – Sales Manager

Rhonda has spent the majority of her career in some form of sales & sales management. She grew up in technology sales at BellSouth and then AT&T, and over the years she has owned two different sales-related businesses: Sandbox Solutions (focused on sales training) and Ladner Consulting (focused on sales/process consulting). She is a proud born-and-raised New Orleanian with a husband and two sons. In her free time, she loves cooking, traveling, and spending time with family & friends.

To Jenna, Katie, Ceallaigh, and Rhonda—welcome to Search Influence! We’re excited to see all of the great things you’ll do here.

September 6, 2017
Search Influence Makes Inc. 5000 List for 7th Straight Year

Inc. magazine has recognized Search Influence on its 36th annual Inc. 5000 list, making this our seventh straight year achieving this coveted recognition! It’s important to note that the Inc. 5000 list includes an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies and represents the most comprehensive look at the most esteemed segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. The distinguished ranking started in 1982 and has since become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success.

Recognized as one of 47 Louisiana firms included in the 5,000 fastest-growing companies, we remain amongst the ranks of groups such as Yelp, Pandora, Timberland, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, LinkedIn, and Zillow, as well as many other industry leaders who gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 5000.

A Company Built From Search Discovers Its Niche

Our company founded on the basis of search engine marketing began its journey in 2006 when Angie and I obtained our first client in need of SEO services. Three years later, we began delivering Google, Bing, and Facebook paid ads, becoming a Google Partner in 2011 and a Premier Partner in 2016. Having handled paid media budgets from as little as a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands per month, we were able to achieve direct and sustainable results for our clients. Our successes span the nation and even bolster the initiatives of major-league companies like ALCC American Language with their international goals. It has been milestones like these that have fueled our expansion and ultimately become the cornerstone of our agency’s mission in helping our customers to successfully market themselves online by developing tools, technology, and the knowledge of experts who support them.

By 2010, we had begun redirecting our focus on the homefront and started our first enterprise work in the local community with Audubon Nature Institute, thus establishing our dexterity in the areas of tourism, non-profit, and event marketing. Other current and past local clients of note include industries of expertise, like New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, The National World War II Museum, and Tulane School of Professional Advancement.

Recognition as a Result of Innovation

We’re certainly excited to celebrate this recent accomplishment, especially on the heels of our newest announcement which details notable advancements to our employee experience. Our dedicated team consists of 50+ in-house employees and dozens of contractors. Our team includes specialists in content marketing, online advertising, technical SEO, local SEO, social media marketing, advertising, and online PR.

Our ability to sustain long-term growth can be attributed to the dedication of many key employees, like Gabrielle Benedetto, who joined our ranks in January 2012 and has spent 5 years deep in technical challenges & strategies for digital marketing.

Gabrielle notes, “Search Influence is known for crafting a team of collaborative, enthusiastic, and dedicated employees. Around the office, you see tenure flags covered with stars representing the number of years Influencers have spent with Search Influence. It’s our long-standing employees who drive this company forward. We’re encouraged to be leaders and pledged to do what’s best for our clients. When you empower a team to put the client first, the company will always move forward. I’m so excited to be part of this growth, and can’t wait to see what we tackle next!”

It is precisely this kind of dedication that has been the basis for the restructuring of our compensation philosophy. Our recently updated perks and pay reflect a leading-edge approach to talent management reflecting our belief that only with happy employees can we have successful clients.

We recognize our employees are our greatest investment and we’re hopeful that with the recent changes, prospective employees and current team members will see Search Influence as a progressive employer when it comes to pay, benefits, and paid time off, providing the ability to work hard, do great work, and take advantage of all of the great things that life in New Orleans has to offer.

Interested in Learning What Sets Us Apart?

Our drive to help clients find more customers online has enabled us to become the largest digital marketing agency on the Gulf Coast. It has been our ability to achieve reliable results and our desire to teach what we’ve learned that has made us a recognized national leader in digital marketing.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we help businesses grow, please get in touch. To learn more about our approach to talent management, read about our recently updated compensation philosophy and please visit our current openings to learn how to join our team of dedicated professionals.

August 24, 2017
The Big Switch: Transferring to a New Department at Search Influence

Transferring to a different department at a job is not uncommon and, for many, it is seen as an excellent career opportunity. Making a choice to work on another team provides an employee with new training, skill sets, responsibilities, and can help give a broader understanding of a company as a whole. In fact, research has shown that this type of career development can help employers retain their most productive employees given their broad knowledge and understanding of the company.

Influencers Expanding Their Horizons in the Workplace

Here at Search Influence, several employees—including myself—have made the switch when the opportunity arose. Check out these employees’ department moves to see what it’s been like for them to get used to a new team, environment, and job responsibilities.

Jared Jones

Former Position: Senior Internet Marketing Associate (Technical) – 1 year-7 months

Job Responsibilities: My job responsibilities weren’t necessarily confined to a rigid container but instead a malleable collection of duties in relation to helping to improve a client’s search visibility from managing their directory presence, implementing blogs, writing image optimizations, completing competitive research, completing comprehensive site audits, scheduling social media posts, and much more.

Current Position: Web Developer – 4 months

Job Responsibilities: Implementation and styling of various types of content directly on a client’s site.

What do you like about your current department?

Though the description sounds more focused, there is actually still a very wide variety of work due to the difference in CMSs, client-requested content, and the increased technical aspects required to perform day to day job duties. There’s also a nice feeling of instant gratification when you see some nice changes go live (correctly) on your first try.

What has been a new challenge of the department switch?

The most challenging thing about being a web developer is that there is a lot less rigidity in the daily work flow. There are some tasks that may seem relatively straightforward, but there can always be multiple solutions based on a wide array of existing (and even non-existing) conditions of client’s site.

Rosie Nolan

Former Position: Editorial Internet Marketing Associate – 6 months

Job Responsibilities: Writing, editing, and optimizing web content for clients ranging from social media posts to press releases, ad copy, and blogs.

Current Position: Digital Advertising Coordinator – 4 months

Job Responsibilities: Writing and implementing ad copy for Google paid search clients, monitoring and adjusting paid search client budgets, performing ad campaign research to deliver ads to achieve qualified leads, and promoting Facebook advertising.

What do you like about your current department?

I enjoy that this position allows for a lot of client-facing tasks, which really helps me to see the product of my work in a tangible way.

What has been a new challenge of the department switch?

There are a lot more numbers involved here, which was a little difficult to get used to at first!

Ariel Kizer

Former Position: Editorial Internet Marketing Associate – 5 months

Job Responsibilities: Writing and editing content for clients including blogs, articles, social media post, website content, BuzzFeed articles, press releases, and ad copy.

Current Position: Sales Executive – 4 months

Job Responsibilities: Reaching out to a variety of inbound and outbound leads to promote and sell Search Influence’s services through phone calls, presentations, and proposals.

What do you like about your current department?

The sales department is very supportive of one another and is always willing to give constructive feedback, tips, and kudos.

What has been a new challenge of the department switch?

Switching from a non-client facing position to a client facing position has been a new challenge. Learning how to discuss digital marketing without using internal jargon has given me a deeper understanding of our services as well as how we can help potential clients grow their business.

Cory Agular

Former Position: Editorial Internet Marketing Associate – 6 months

Job Responsibilities: Responsible for editing and writing website content, social media posts, press releases, blog posts, business descriptions, amongst other things.

Current Position: Technical Internet Marketing Associate – 1 year-11 months

Job Responsibilities: Managing, editing, optimizing Google My Business, overseeing AWR, and managing Sendible. Schedule blog posts and social media posts. Also, performing SEO audits on client’s site as well as a plethora of backlink analysis, acquisition, and clean up.

What do you like about your current department?

It has given me the opportunity to learn more technical aspects of site design and how all of the processes we do interact with search engines. I’ve also learned a lot about social media management and strategies that are effective for our clients.

What has been a new challenge of the department switch?

Getting up to speed with all the new work processes was basically like starting all over, and although it felt like it took awhile, it was definitely the right move for me.

Making a Long-Term Impact

It’s evident that making a career move such as a department change can be both challenging and rewarding. Employees making this switch can guarantee that they’ll be able to add new skills to their professional toolbox. Transferring to a different job within a company is seen as a motivator for development and makes a lasting impression on a company.

Interested in joining the Search Influence team? We’re always looking for driven professionals! Check out our careers page.

August 3, 2017
Join Us in Welcoming Our Newest Team Member!

SI is happy to have new team member Shelby Emens in the office, adding a bright new face to our endless summer of Influencers.

Shelby Emens (Junior Web Developer)

Recently relocated from rural Michigan, Shelby completed her Bachelor of Science in Technical Writing from Grand Valley State University. She is excited to join the Search Influence team and is looking forward to not dealing with snow during the winter! Outside of work, Shelby enjoys spending her free time reading, playing video games, and spending time with friends.

Welcome to the team, Shelby!

July 31, 2017
#FreelanceFriday: Finding More Time in Your Schedule to Freelance

This blog is part of our Freelance Friday series, where we discuss everything and anything related to freelancers. For more freelance information, tips, and trends, follow us on Twitter.

“I don’t have time…”

As writers, we have all said it at one time or another, most likely as an excuse for not writing more. And let’s not kid ourselves here, it is most certainly an excuse. There are 24-hours in the day for everyone. So, why can only some people pull off a freelancing side gig?

Deciding to add freelancing to your daily schedule probably didn’t seem like that big of a deal at first. You can make your own schedule and work from anywhere at anytime. That all sounds great (and it really is!), but you still have to find the actual time to do it. It can certainly be tempting to let freelancing take a back seat to other tasks and priorities in your life—but don’t let it happen!

For those who truly want to do it, they find the time. Freelancing (and writing in general) are choices. Likewise, you have to choose to find the time. Time management techniques and organizational skills can be developed and utilized easily. In the end, freelancing is all about scheduling and prioritization, especially when you are still working full-time at another job. Make those and other strategies for time management work for you and you will discover the time.

Of course, this is all easier said than done. Here are a few tips that will help you fit your freelance business into your schedule.

Assess and Make A Schedule

We have talked about time management tips a lot—and for good reason. It is the key to freelancing. Start by evaluating your daily schedule. When do you wake up? Eat lunch? Work at other jobs? Go to bed? Fill in the intervening times with potential availability to freelance. Not all of it; just when it works well for you. There are tons of time management tools to help you with this.

When you are getting started or overhauling your time management, try timing how long it takes you to complete this work. Work on improving that time, as well as adjusting your schedule as you need or see fit.

Strengthen Time Management Skills

Even if you are able to find the time, it is equally important to use that time well. Because this time is so valuable, you need to have a clearly defined time management schedule—prioritize, avoid distractions, stay organized, etc.

Try working in small pockets of time in between bigger tasks. While you are waiting for the water to boil while cooking, on breaks at your normal job, during your commute, etc. The start and stop nature of this doesn’t work for everyone, but all of these small increments can add up quickly for those who can make it work.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No

Such an easy word to say, but one that most people are so hesitant to utter. Learning to say no can help your freelance life in more ways than one.

First, it allows you to decline jobs that you are not fully interested or invested in. Why waste precious time on something you don’t want to do in the first place? Doing this could prevent you from working on an assignment or project that is more aligned with your thoughts and aspirations.

Second, saying no can also be employed in order to free up more time to do the actual work. If you made previous plans for multiple nights of the week, think about canceling or turning one of them down beforehand. A lot of work can be accomplished in a single extra evening.

For best performance, you also need to learn how to say no to TV, social media, and other time-consuming forms of entertainment as often as possible.

Find Your Peak Hours

Most people already know if they are night owls, early birds, or in-betweeners. Whatever time of day, it’s all about finding that time period where your drive and mental capacity are at their highest and you are able to do your best work (speed and quality-wise).

That is not to say that your peak hours have to be consecutive. Maybe you can work well at multiple points throughout the day. In fact, you can probably train yourself to work better at one time or another. Try to get as much done as you can in those times—as long as you keep things consistent and don’t waste time figuring out where you left off before.

By finding and using these hours effectively, you will be able to get more done faster without the common plague of interruptions. Whether you like working into the wee hours of the morning or you are an early riser who can get things done with a hot cup of coffee, there exists a time especially for you.

Outsource Your Work

Admittedly, this tip may not be for everyone. But, if you are capable, it can be a huge timesaver to help you budget time. By subcontracting out lesser, but still necessary, chores, you can free up time to perform your freelance work.

So many things (some obvious, others not so much) can be outsourced, including house cleaning, bookkeeping, laundry, cooking, lawn maintenance, house repairs, child care, pet care, and grocery delivery. Not all of these are needed, of course. But find one that fits your budget and schedule, then get to work—this isn’t new found free time, it’s extra time.

In the end, to find more time for freelancing is a gradual process. Find what works for you and allow for adjustments and new routines along the way. Freelancing is still a job, no matter how much time you devote. The changes may not be easy at first, but they are more than doable if you want your freelance career to succeed.

Image Sources:

No Time

John Candy—No

Dog Doing Chores

June 9, 2017