At the beginning of September, I set myself a goal of posting on LinkedIn every week with updates about the Year Here incubator and my More Diverse Voices founder journey.
Part reflective practice, part relationship builder, part communication strategy: the posts gave me a point each week to celebrate the small wins and allowed me to write down some of my thinking, which as a dyslexic person I struggle with from time to time…especially when I’m excited.
Below are some reflections on my reflections:
- It kept me accountable, but on my own terms – I have Rebel/Obliger tendencies (read the Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin for more on this) so it was the perfect combination for me. 📆
- I love the build in the public model. It’s really nice to look back at the past 12 posts and see what I’ve been able to grow day-by-day, week-by-week. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. 🧱
- Writing is one of the most powerful things you can do – it helps you heal, process things and get your ducks in a row. It helps you find your voice and understand your own philosophy and approach to life. ✍️
- Make sure you mix up your content! Ask questions that people might want to engage with, but not every single week. Don’t always talk about yourself/ your business (you WILL run out of things to say), use it as a way to uplift others and share their stories too.
- 5. Draw inspiration from lots of different places. Whether that’s a book or a quote or a TV programme or conversation with a friend – inspiration is literally everywhere 🎆.
- 6. It’s a great conversation starter. Over the past three months, it has helped me: secure clients, build my reputation and confidence as a commentator and helped me book speaking engagements 🗣.
- 7. If you’re looking to boost engagement ask for help. I think this is especially important when you start to build a reputation or community! There’s no shame in asking for a cheeky like on Slack channel or a WhatsApp group (PS thank you so so so much to all the people who I’ve badgered these past few months, especially the Year Here fellows and staff ❤️).
- 8. To create a habit, the secret is to not set yourself up to fail. The weekly post really worked for me, because it’s something I could manage with my schedule. I now have a new commitment that fits into my life and one that I’m keen to keep up going forward🥅.
Now it’s over, I’m going to take a little break for the holidays and be back in the new year with my communications strategy 2.0. This is the plan for it so far:
- Continue to post about More Diverse Voices each week – hopefully, I’ll be able to share more about the work we’ve done with our clients so far
- Share my opinions on breaking news stories on diversity and inclusion topics to develop my voice as a spokesperson
- Pitch and secure an opinion piece in a trade publication or national to share with you lovely people