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10 Reasons Why You SHOULD Join a Startup: Part I

I’m a big fan of startups. I interned with startups, I’ve worked at startups (and currently work at a startup), and I support startups, so when I read John Rampton’s “10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Join a Startup” via Entrepreneur.com, I took it a little personally. Startups don’t have the best reputation, I get it. They’re flakey, unstable, here today gone tomorrow. But it’s a reputation that’s undeserved.

 

There are, of course, pros and cons to joining a startup, as there are when joining a major international agency, but I feel that a person’s reasons for working at either are mutually exclusive: some go after the money, others follow their passion. Rampton states that joining a startup could change your personal and professional life, and I truly believe that it does… for the better.

 

Here are 10 reasons why (in my opinion) you SHOULD join a startup:

 

1. You will get paid. There’s this assumption that because it’s a startup, there is not enough money to go around, but startups wouldn’t hire people if they couldn’t afford to have them. The salary you’re offered probably won’t be as high as you would like it to be if you’re experienced, or it may be higher than you’re used to if you’re entry-level.

 

In my professional and personal experience, money doesn’t mean happiness (it wouldn’t be a cliché if it wasn’t true!). You could make double the salary at a bigger agency and have no work-life balance, a toxic boss, ridiculous hours, etc., and for what, a better paycheck that you can’t enjoy? Been there, done that, was miserable the entire time.

 

Don’t not take the job with the startup because the pay is not what you think you’re worth. The experience you will gain will be invaluable, the startup will see and appreciate your worth, and I promise you it will get you to where you want to be. You have to start somewhere!

 

2. You may not land a role on the executive team. But you just might. Everyone has to climb up the ladder, no position will just be given to you. You want the role of CMO? Show the CEO you have what it takes. Could it take years to get there? Sure, but nothing happens overnight. What if the role doesn’t exist? Create it. One of the best things about working at a startup is that thoughts and opinions (that provide value) are welcome. If you think a position/title should be offered that’s not, speak up. More likely than not, your boss may agree and if funds are available (and necessary), that position could be created – and you just might be the person to write the description for it, or fill it!

 

And don’t worry so much about titles – industries and companies use them differently, so while you may be “Senior” at one company, you could be “Assistant” at the next.

 

3. Some startups fail. And some don’t. Rampton states that there’s a “very real chance” that the startup will fail (citing a Wall Street Journal study, which found that 3 out of 4 startups between 2004-2010 failed). I personally have a problem with studies for a number of reasons which I won’t go in to, so I’ll just say that I wouldn’t give that study too much weight in your decision to join a startup.

 

If you’re concerned about the “status” of a startup you’re interested in and/or interviewing for, ask questions. Many questions. Specific questions. Do your research online, ask people in your circles if they know anything about the company and the people. If you sense in the interview and/or email exchanges that something is not right, you’re reading/hearing that the company is not doing well, then go with your gut. But don’t be afraid to take a chance, either, especially if it’s for a company that you really, truly believe in, and genuinely want to see it succeed, and you have ideas on how to gain that success.

 

4. You’re going to work really hard. I hope that no matter where you end up working, you’re going to work really hard. Here’s the difference, and this is why I love startups: each day is not the same. Like I stated in the beginning of this post, I’ve worked at the major international agencies and I’ve worked at the boutique agencies, and let me tell you something, there’s a big difference in the “work” part.

 

Yes, you have the same responsibilities and clients and deadlines, but with startups there is far more flexibility in the day-to-day. The structure is not so solid; there’s room for improvement, suggestions, ideas, changes. You, in a sense, help to build the startup (or keep it growing) – you’re a piece of the building block so your input is valued, important, and, quite frankly, necessary. At an established company, you are a tack on the ladder and trying to change anything or point anything out, well, don’t bother having to deal with the bureaucracy of it all. Unless something is absolutely unacceptable, it’s best to keep things to yourself because not doing so might actually hurt you.

 

And don’t be deterred by Rampton’s statement that “you might work like a maniac for an excessive amount of hours each week because the startup is in a race to beat the clock”. Sure, that happens, but this is not the “norm”. With any job, if there are many deadlines arriving around the same time, of course you’re going to work around the clock to meet them. If there’s a big client event next week with top tier press attendance, yes, you will be working long hours, evenings, weekends… but that all comes with the territory, no matter which industry you’re in or who you work for.

 

And I would think that you choose to work at a startup because you feel a connection to it, you are passionate and excited about the product/service, not just because it’s the only job offer you get. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t really feel like “work”, does it? You’re just doing what you love, and getting paid for it, no matter the work schedule. What could be better?

 

  • Number 4 brings me to another point, which wasn’t mentioned in the original “10 Reasons”: In a startup, as with any company/organization, there are titles: you know who the boss is, you know whom the CMO and interns are, but you don’t feel like anyone is “above” or “below” you. Startups truly feel and function like a team, because you’re all working towards the same goal: a successful, growing, thriving business. I have experienced very few negative “typical corporate atmosphere attitudes” (read: toxic environments) at the startups I have worked at, and am currently working at. No one is out to “get” another person because no one will “profit” – if anything, the startup will suffer, and then everyone loses. However, the same can’t be said for established organizations – there is far much more to gain (and lose) when there are many “I”s in the “teams” (which there are). Choose your poison wisely.

 

5. Your list of responsibilities may be lengthy. Let’s be honest – if they aren’t lengthy, you should be worried.

 

Rampton states that “you may be asked to do multiple jobs” and “startup jobs also include the same mind-numbing responsibilities that the big companies have.” I agree. Like I stated in point 3, you won’t know any specifics unless you go on an interview and ask questions. There is no negative to either situation, it just depends on what you prefer. Do you like wearing multiple hats or knowing exactly what you have to do? I’m the first – I love unpredictability, I thrive off of not know what is going to happen next, I enjoy constantly ‘getting my feet wet’ in different areas and always learning and experiencing new things. Then there are others who don’t like change; they need structure and a guide to follow, which is perfectly fine, too.

 

It also depends on what, and how much, you want to get out of your job and how you see your future. I personally don’t think maintaining status quo is something that should be strived for – I think you should always be challenged, and challenge yourself, in anything and everything that you do, otherwise you don’t learn or grow.

 

As I mentioned in point 4, startups (should, I hope) welcome constructive criticism and valuable feedback. New ideas need to be thrown around, inspiration boards need to be created, trends need to be followed and implemented. If you want to wear a different hat or sombrero or baseball cap, or try on a new one, perhaps of a different size, let someone know. Trust me when I say that you will only get out of your experience what you put into it, so prove your worth and make it priceless.

 

Stay tuned for part II…

 

Social Media 101 – The Basics

There’s no doubt that social media is an important aspect of many people’s personal lives. Over the past few years, however, more and more people have begun using social media from a business standpoint: marketing a new product, booking performances or presentations, or just expanding their online network. Social media is an incredibly powerful tool, not only for promoting yourself or your brand, but also for listening, gauging the sentiment of your followers, and facilitating conversations with potential new customers. While some businesses have been using social as a part of their marketing process for a number of years, there are plenty of others who are just discovering the power of social media. If you’re new to the social media marketing game, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.

The best way to begin is with the fundamentals. Want to find out the best time to post on Facebook? Wondering how to effectively use Google+? Need to know the optimal character count for a Tweet?

Here’s a taste of the basics:

 

Want to learn more about how to use social media to your advantage? Download the full version for free: Social Media 101 – The Basics

Did you find this guide useful? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below!

Instagram Ads: 3 questions + A Fatal Flaw

After Instagram’s initial announcement that ads were coming to it’s social platform a few weeks ago, we didn’t hear anything more.  Just that they were happening “soon”.  Last week, we got our first glimpse into what they would look like.

Instagram Ad

Beyond the initial announcement and the first mockup of the ad, the whole event has been shrouded in secrecy.  There’s been no word on algorithms or how Instagram ads work.  And while I understand the hesitation of over-promising and under-delivering on Instagram’s part, I can’t help but have the following concerns when it comes to what we don’t know about sponsored posts coming to one of our most beloved social media platforms:

Will it dilute the Instagram experience?

It’s scary to think about, but I can see the day where you can’t continue to scroll through your Instagram feed until you stop and watch Levi’s 15 second Instagram video for their #MakeYourMark campaign, a la YouTube.  When that happens, and users are unable to use their newsfeed the way that they want, the experience will be completely diluted.  Really hoping this doesn’t happen (are you listening, Instagram Gods?!), but again, I wouldn’t be surprised…

What’s the difference between a sponsored ad and a regular uploaded ad?

I’m confused as to why Instagram would activate ads in the first place, since each image a brand uploads is already somewhat of an ad for that brand.  Sponsored ads don’t seem to do much more than regular photo uploads (at least in these initial mockups we’re seeing).  So what’s the value of doing them?  Which brings me to my next question…

What’s the point?

How exactly do these ads help a business reach it’s goals via this platform.  Really what I’m asking here is what’s the problem that Instagram ads solve?  Right now, it looks like the only benefit is that brands get the opportunity to reach more users, according to their initial ad announcement (“Seeing photos and videos from brands you don’t follow will be new, so we’ll start slow”).  This is great for getting more eyeballs on your photo and maybe a few new followers.  But after a user follows you on Instagram, that’s pretty much the end of the relationship.  Which brings me to Instagram’s huge missed opportunity and it’s fatal flaw:

The inability to including functioning URLs within an Instagram caption!!!

Why has Instagram not implemented this yet?!  URL’s STILL do not work in Instagram captions which is extremely limiting for all users, from bloggers to brands.  What would have made this ad rollout significantly more valuable is allowing functioning links to be added to captions, so that when Burberry uploads a photo of it’s new winter trench coat, there’s a direct link to buy it (imagine the sharing capabilities here, as well!).  If they had implemented this as a premium feature for brands choosing to advertise with them, companies would have been chomping at the bit to sign up – it would have been the proverbial “game changer” for Instagram.  Instead, they’re charging brands to do exactly the same thing that all users can do, with the only added “benefit” being that they can reach more people.  And while there is value in reaching more users, the purpose of doing so is rendered ineffective because the users can’t take any further action (like learning more about the product or clicking through to view the product) besides simply following the brand on Instagram.  The way I see it, it’s a huge missed opportunity for the platform and seems like an ineffective way to monetize and maximize the ROI of advertising on the platform.

I’m curious to see whether Instagram ads take off or whether they’ll be a bust.  Until then, look for the new ads in your Instagram feed, come back and tell us how you feel about them.

5 Ways to Expand Your Social Media Marketing Beyond Facebook

If you think social media marketing is limited to Facebook and Twitter, it’s time to zoom out.  While these social networks are an excellent place to begin your social media strategies, expanding it to a wider range of social media platforms can help your business market to new audiences, build brand awareness, increase brand loyalty and increase the amount of traffic back to your website. 

1) Review boards and recommendation sites (Yelp.comTripAdvisor.comEpinion.com)

The opinions of the e-crowd are taken seriously by people who are looking for advice and recommendations.  If your brand can provide your own recommendations and interact with those who are talking about your brand, it gives you the opportunity to expand the awareness of your brand and show that you care by actively engaging.

2) Comment Section of blogs, news sites, etc.

Enter the conversation! If you sell swimming pools for a living, comment on news articles or blogs where people are talking about swimming pools (in fact, one of my favorite entrepreneurial gurus, Marc Lyons did just this and saved his pool business!).  Your target market will be searching for these articles and blogs to gather content about decisions they are looking to make.  If your brand can provide content that adds to the blog post or news article, they may click over to your website to learn more.

3)  PhotoSites (Flickr, Picasa)

Today, you’re wearing your favorite Converse sneakers and decide to take a picture of them, which you upload to Picasa.  Suddenly, you get an update.  Converse commented on your image saying “Great shot!”.  Your loyalty to Converse has just been fueled, right?  People want to engage with you as the brand.  When you surprise them by finding them in unexpected places, it just strengths the relationship they have with you.

4) Forums (Quora, etc.)

Every industry has it’s own forum (literally, every industry).  There’s weight loss forums, motorcycle forums, video game forums, beauty forums — it’s overwhelming…and it’s also a great place to engage with your target consumers through content marketing.  Imagine you’re Harley Davidson’s Product Expert and you jump into a motorcycle forum and see a thread about a user looking for new riding gloves for his bike.  You contribute to the conversation and provide a real, relevant (read: not ‘salsey’) answer that helps the user decide what gloves to purchase.  Will he buy Harley Davidson gloves?  Maybe, maybe not.  But at least the relationship between the user and your brand has started…and that relationship has every chance to grow and flourish until you have a 100% loyal consumer.  Relevant interaction and engagement is key.

5) Answer & Question Sites (Yahoo Answers, ChaCha, even LinkedIn Discussions)

People come to the Internet to answer questions and identify solutions.  And they’re not necessarily using Twitter or Facebook.  Going the extra mile to visit some Question and Answer sites allows you to demonstrate thought leadership and introduce them to your product through content marketing.

Remember -Social media doesn’t play well with the hard sell – it just wasn’t created for that.  So if you do decide to explore these as marketing avenues, be sure that you are providing relevant, real and educational information.  Show you care by engaging.  Show that you want to get involved by answering their question and providing solutions.  At the end of the day, that’s what’ll get the consumer’s attention.

Have you used any of these methods before with success? 

What platforms do you regularly engage on that aren’t Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.?”