Will Francis

I spoke to someone the other day who’s been wanting to start a podcast for years, but never did, and now thinks it is too late because the market is saturated. That was news to me 🤔 Last time a checked, Netflix is still making TV shows, Pixar is still making movies, and Ronaldo just started a YouTube channel DESPITE there already being a ton of movies, tv shows, and YouTube channels. 🎙️Podcasting is no different If you have value to share… If you can come up with an interesting concept… If you can be 100% authentic in front of the camera… Then you have the ingredients to make a really solid podcast that captures your target markets attention, builds your brand, and generates leads from now until the end of eternity 🤑 Register for The Content Store’s online workshop on podcasting to learn more about how you can begin your podcast journey.

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**A disastrous client project & its fallout** I'm thrilled to announce that our latest podcast episode featuring Matt Saunders is now live! Matt has built a community of over 15,000 freelancers and creatives, and has founded multi-digital agencies. Tune in to hear Matt's inspiring journey from overcoming fear to embracing purpose in business. With over 15 years of experience in digital marketing, Matt shares valuable insights and practical strategies to help you unlock your entrepreneurial potential. In this episode, you'll discover: Overcoming Fear: Learn how Matt conquered his fear of failure and took positive risks to stimulate growth in his business journey. Infusing Purpose: Explore the importance of infusing purpose into your business and how it can lead to mindset shifts towards abundance and growth. Unlocking Potential: Don’t overthink about launching a business, you’ll never feel fully prepared! Matt advises ‘start before you’re ready’. Whether you're just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey or looking to take your business to the next level, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration to help you achieve your goals. Listen now on all podcast platforms and Youtube. Links below

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It’s ALIVE!!!! 🪦 🎃 https://lnkd.in/eQuWktJ3 Our spooky films hopefully made you laugh this week – but behind the stage blood and props there’s a serious message. You see, far too many great ideas, suggested by agencies to clients, get killed before they’ve had a chance to prove their worth. What’s often driving these client decisions? Well, according to our recent research with #Pharma… Fear. Our mission? To remove this fear and inspire a new generation of marketers to be bold — to challenge the status quo and advocate for more creativity in a sector where the stakes have never been higher. It’s time to transform the narrative around what is possible in Pharma. So, I invite you to explore some of our grave ideas, share your thoughts, and join a community of like-minded professionals committed to redefining marketing in the pharma world. Together, we can rewrite the rules. #graveideas #nofear #strongerreturns

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Some thoughts from our head of UK Russ Wilson on the use of AI in B2B (and other research). Would love to get other feedback including from Evidenza if you'd care to comment :) Thanks Russ. #mrx #insight

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Is there one right format for you to focus on when it comes to planning out your offline direct mail strategy? 💌 There are plenty of choices thrown around ranging from a simple postcard design, A4 letters in branded/non branded envelopes or the more complex catalogue format. When it comes to initial investment in tangible media like most things there isn’t a simple black and white answer to the question of where you should start. The chosen route should be built on a number of factors including budget, need for control of design and potential customer lifetime value. You might want to keep costs low through a simple approach or you might want to ensure a range of product and breadth of your offer is placed in front of your customer. Fundamentally it isn’t the initial cost you should worry about, it is the return this investment can generate that should be the most important factor. 💰 Paperplanes helps our partners plan across numerous formats every day, leaning on our 30+ year insights built on our experiences working with Tesco Clubcard insight through to high-growth eComm executions that help our partners nail the right strategy. We can help you uncover the right choice for you, your customer journey and your brand so if you want to find out how direct mail can work for you reach out today for a quick initial today. We are glad to help. 👍 #paperplanes #directmail #marketing #formats

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Remember - your timescales aren't necessarily everyone else's. That's especially true of PR. When we talk to clients about pitching a press release out on a certain day, that doesn't mean it will be published on that day. Or even the following day. There are so many factors at play when journalists and publications are considering featuring your news. Here's a chart of coverage achieved by day, from a release we pitched last Tuesday. Just as many articles were published a week on, as during that first week. And we still have two journalists considering the story. It's not something you can rush - if it's newsworthy and your pitching strategy is right, definitely give it some time. #PRTips #PRAdvice #PRPitching

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To scale profitably, brands don't need good creative - they need creative that's good for business. Here our creative strategist Ellie Spiers talks through the importance of psychological triggers in paid social creative and how you can scale your paid social ideation with the W-W-W framework. In just a few weeks, Target Agency will be launching its proprietary creative framework, 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬. The output of 2 x 1 hour interactive workshops, is a unifying document that gives #eCommerce & #DTCBrands: → A North star metric for creative measurement. → A clear and consistent direction of travel for future creative/messaging, based on brand proposition, positioning, expression and psychological triggers → AI-driven customer listening to help spot key trends, gain creators and pain points in yours and your competitors’ product reviews. → A set volume of new ad creative required each month, based on level of ad spend and bid strategy → A creative process accountability chart - because strategy without execution is worthless. In coming weeks, we want to Beta test 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 with a handful of 7-8 figure eCom brands FOR FREE - all we ask in return is your constructive feedback. DM for more info.

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Real time text to image we are ever closer to the matrix. I envisage in the ver near future advertisers will create generic concepts for ads and someone or a something will be changing those ads in real time due to who is near them or what day of the week it might be. The customisation of content, in real time, will be as important as the actual content. Imagine a walking down a street and it starts raining and suddenly you see an ad in a shop window saying they sell umbrella's or food ads dynamically changing through the time of the day. Some of these ideas are already here however the micro changes that brands will be able to serve will be 100% tailor made to the environment or demographic that they are near. Hope you are ready for the future! #AI #technology #stablediffusion Video from X ( @Dan50412374 )

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The Future of Podcasting is here, pay attention: In Tom Webster's latest Sounds Profitable post he shares his thoughts on the future of RSS and what it means for podcasting, especially in light of new updates from Spotify and YouTube. In his book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, which I recommend to all new podcasters, he writes about the MiniDisc. It was audio tech magic—better compression and swappable batteries. But MiniDisc’s story is a lesson about clinging too tightly to a single tech spec. Here’s why this matters now: Podcasting is evolving, moving beyond its RSS roots. Today, the big players are 𝗥𝗦𝗦, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆, and 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲. If you’re a purist, this might feel like a threat. But as a creator? It’s a time of 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 🔑 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗦𝗦 RSS is magic for creators, but most listeners don’t care how their podcast reaches them. They just want it easy to find, consume, and share.  2️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿 Dave Winer, the creator of RSS, is right: podcast clients need innovation. But not for creators—for audiences. YouTube wins because it’s easier to navigate, discover, and engage. Podcast apps? Too often they feel like empty rooms.  3️⃣ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 Don’t fear “rented land.” Louis Vuitton built its NYC flagship on land they don’t own because 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦. Spotify and YouTube may feel like walled gardens, but those gardens are vast, buzzing, and fruitful. Until you’re the IKEA of podcasts, you need to hustle where the audience already is. 4️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 “𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁” To the average listener, a podcast is simply a talk show. Live, recorded, audio, video—it’s the experience, not the delivery method. The audience has already defined it.  💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Stop limiting podcasting with rigid definitions or clinging to nostalgia. Instead, innovate, adapt, and focus on where the people are. That’s how you grow—whether it’s on YouTube, Spotify, or the next big thing. Let’s build a future where podcasting thrives everywhere—because the walls? They’re all in our heads. Read Tom's full post at soundsprofitable [dot] com

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Bluesky, the next big thing, or just another Twitter wannabe? Some are calling it the next Twitter ( I still call it Twitter out of spite), or maybe a better Threads (shouldn't be hard)? This month alone Bluesky pulled in 700,000 new users in just a week and has now passed the 15 million users. What's Bluesky bringing to the table? Decentralisation, user-first design, and a promise to fix what we all secretly hate about social media. It's got the backing of big names, early adopters are buzzing, and, let's face it, many of us are ready to leave the chaos we know. But is it really the next big thing, or just another platform we'll try for a week before going back to scrolling aimlessly? For brands, creators, and anyone trying to stay ahead of the curve, it's worth keeping an eye on. New platforms mean fresh opportunities, less noise (at least for now), and the chance to establish yourself early. Are you signing up? I'm here if you want to follow: https://lnkd.in/eXqdTXBk #bluesky #x #social ........ Returning soon: ✅ JOIN 780 other subscribers with our Newsletter 'DotDash': Your Dose of: Ai / Brand / Content / Web / SEO / Link in my profile

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🎮 How does a small city like Dundee go from industrial roots to being a global gaming hotspot…? Find out in our latest #PlayableFutures article - in partnership with Ukie GamesIndustry.Biz and Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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A few recurring mistakes that smaller brands tend to make when planning their content strategy... First off, not prioritising video content—photos are great, but in an attention economy, viewer retention is king. Your brand simply won't get the same level of engagement or retention from a photo.  Secondly, brands often mismanage their budget by investing heavily in one campaign, hoping for a quick fix. The game has changed, and brands need to adapt. Posting daily content is now the norm, so budgets should be optimised for ongoing, consistent output. (Remember to entertain or create value) Lastly, many brands don't analyze their metrics properly. I've seen videos I’ve made reach thousands, but brands often miss the opportunity to double down on what’s working. If it’s resonating with your audience, rinse and repeat—it’s that simple.

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Six things we’re hearing from clients right now 🗣️🤝 1️⃣ “The media’s changing and my agency needs to change too” – Every client is conscious that the media landscape is rapidly evolving. That’s probably magnified in the tech sector where so much of the conversation takes place online. Clients want an agency whose work and proposition reflects this shift. 2️⃣ “I’m exploring more paid and owned work and want to know if you’re set up to handle it” – Linked to no.1 above, as the media shrinks, increasing numbers of comms leaders are getting responsibility for storytelling through paid and owned channels. That’s an opportunity for agencies with the right skillsets. 3️⃣ “We need an AI story but we’re worried we’re not at the cutting edge” – Everyone feels they have be able to say something about AI (more for their customers and talent than for the media, in our experience). But they need help identifying what’s interesting about what they do and positioning it with the right tone. 4️⃣ “I’m fighting harder for budget than ever before, so please give me the evidence to justify it” – Comms and marketing budgets have been under huge pressure for the past couple of years. Clients need help making the case to the business about where to invest – which requires a combination of hard-nosed data and persuasive savvy from their agency partner. 5️⃣ “We can’t let the comms basics distract us from the big moments that will move the needle” – With tighter budgets comes more pressure to make an impact with the money that’s invested. Clients increasingly want to see strategically valuable work prioritised and connected more closely to the business – so day-to-day tactics have to run without a hitch and not soak up unnecessary time and attention. 6️⃣ “Understanding our audience has never been more important” – One big growth area recently has been audience research and insight. It’s where marketing, as the voice of the customer inside the business, can add massive value, especially for sales-led activity. As more comms and marketing work targets customers directly, audience understanding becomes a critical differentiator. Do any of these resonate with you? Let me know in the comments and follow me for more posts like this. Delphi Ellie Thompson Louie St Claire

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Calling all passionate marketing managers in Teesside! Do you need.... 🪄 ...your boss to think you're pure magic? ;) 💥 ...to improve audience engagement with eye-popping design + branding? ✏️ ...amazingly creative work, packed full of originality? ⭐️ ...a creative partner that's not going to let you down in your hour of need? 🤔 ...someone to tell you where you're going wrong with your brand? ⭐️ ...a reliable creative partner with 5-star Google ratings? If you answered yes to any of the above, I would LOVE to hear from you. Using branding, design and creativity I can help you achieve your goals, together. Even if you're not exactly 100% sure how we could work together or what opportunities there might be yet, a chat would be brilliant - I look forward to saying hello to you! You can email me at Studio Resolve using beccy@studioresolve.co.uk or by DM'ing me on here. #brandagencymiddlesbrough #brandagency #designagency #design #brand #branding #graphicdesign #teesbusiness #teessidebusiness

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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝘈𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 In the last few months I've chatted to 3 seperate 'ex-Head of's' who have left agency life to go freelance but are specialising in solely working with clients direct ➡️𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 3 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦: 📝Poor briefs 👻Ghosting AND 💸Not paying invoices on time At Interim Digital we value the quality of agency client as much as we do the freelancers And the one thing 𝐚𝐥𝐥 our agency clients have in common: 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 💡From exploring different ways of working to working really closely with us on the briefing/work processes, all our clients put specific focus on developing and improving partner relations 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 100% 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞? Of course not. 𝐃𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬!) 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫? Absolutely. 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: just because you're an agency doesn't give you the automatic access to great freelancers. It's a 2 way street to be great. 📺It's such a hot topic that we're going to be doing a whole episode on IDTV around this📺 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏 #freelancerlife #agency #digitalagency #freelancercommunity

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