Tag: networking

Social Media Mayhem or Effective Marketing?

Having recently helped promote a workshop on Facebook and LinkedIn, it was interesting to have some feedback on our main topic of marketing. Although not universally popular, it is necessary if you want potential and existing clients to know what you do and whether what you offer has changed.

[Photo by Merakist on Unsplash]

How can clients find you?

So, what is marketing? According to Oxford Dictionaries, marketing is “the activity or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising”. CIM, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, defines marketing as “the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.” This may sound somewhat cold and calculated, but, unless you are translating as a hobby, you presumably need a strategy to make this your career.

Do you know your market?

If you have professional experience or qualifications in a specific subject, besides languages, this could be your main source of work. Do you know the clients who would benefit from translation in this field? Where are they based? Could you work for them directly? If you don’t have any specialist experience, do you have any hobbies or interests that you could develop into a specialism? Do you work for agencies? If so, are you happy with the projects on offer and the rates paid? How can you change this, if you’re not happy?

Do you have a website? If not, how do you communicate to potential clients about what you do? Can they find you on a professional database, such as that of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) (https://www.iti.org.uk/find-professional-translator-interpreter.html) or CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists) (https://www.ciol.org.uk/find-a-linguist)? Do you have a blog? Do you use social media? Do you network with colleagues? Do you attend trade shows and conferences?

[Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash]

So many questions, so little time

If this all seems overwhelming, take some time to reflect on whether you are happy in your work. If something could be better, do something to change that. There are so many opportunities to improve your situation. You may also find you enjoy particular projects and want to increase your work in that area. If so, tell your client how much you enjoy what they do and how you like being part of their team.

Meanwhile, if you want more expert advice, ITI’s Western Regional Group (https://www.itiwrg.org.uk/news.php) will be holding its Members’ Day on Saturday 15th November. Here, Sara Witham of Evil Empire Marketing (https://evilempire.co.uk/) will offer you some answers on how to market yourself. If you have any ideas and wish to share them, please drop me a line in the comments.

Ode to Autumn Networking

John Keats described autumn as the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. So, it feels like a time to wind down before the year ends. It is also, in contrast, the start of the new academic year and, therefore, a time to refresh our perspective. For me, there have been several networking events from a Business Boost Day to the Members’ Day for my regional network through to ‘Netwalking’ (walking and networking in the Forest of Dean) alongside online events in my subject and language networks.

[Fallen leaves near the Dean Heritage Centre, Gloucestershire]

Becoming fruitful

As freelance translators, it’s easy to keep working without reflecting on our business strategy. Momentary disappointments may seem huge without taking time to assess our successes. At a Business Boost Day in September, we were encouraged to assess what has changed in the past 18 months in terms of our workload, client base, specialisms and earnings. Then, we discussed how we can react and adapt to change. We also talked about our success stories with an action plan to focus on work from our favourite clients.

Being mindful

A session on mindfulness at our Members’ Day made a room full of linguists fall silent – more than once! Focusing on our breath, however, brought clarity of thought and new insights into how we could improve our working day to stop us feeling overwhelmed. Even walking can be mindful if you take each step slowly and keep your mind free by again focusing on your breathing.

Netwalking

Spending what turned out to be a splendid autumn day walking in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, was a great escape from our desks. It was a chance to discuss work, network and walk – hence the term ‘netwalking’. Appreciating our surroundings, our colleagues and considering our work/life balance was uplifting. Our reward for a good 2 hours of walking was delicious refreshments in the Dean Heritage Centre Café.

[The Forest of Dean, Soudley, Gloucestershire]

The year ahead…

Bringing together these positive experiences gives me renewed energy. I look forward to working with focus and creativity for my clients and with my colleagues.

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With thanks to Becca George (ITI Western Regional Group) and Lloyd Bingham (ITI Cymru Wales Group) for the Business Boost Day, Claire Moreau of Bridgemaker Mindfulness for the mindfulness session as part of the ITI Western Regional Group’s Members’ Day and Astrid Freuler (ITI Western Regional Group) for the guided ‘Netwalking’. More details about the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) are available here:

https://www.iti.org.uk/