Hi friend,
Have you also felt extra stressed out by your timeline lately?
I don’t know what it is, but lately things have felt exhausting and anxiety-inducing more than creative and exciting.
It’s a good moment to remind ourselves that it’s okay to close the laptop, turn off the screen, and walk away.
It’s totally fair to protect your peace and your mental health by not engaging.
Sometimes you’ll try to do this and you’ll fall down the black hole of social media and come up hours later from reading all the hateful, ignorant comments from trolls. That happens too.
But if you can avoid what’s causing you stress on the internet, you have every right to do that.
Don’t force yourself into stressful, exhausting, anxiety-inducing moments. There’s enough of that already in life.
Take care of yourself, friend. Protect your peace.
with warmth + love,
N
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📚 The Click Throughs
Long-form reads for the marketing geek + content creator
Adweek: 10 Takeaways From Chewy’s Master Class on Customer Care
Every so often the pet brand Chewy goes viral, and for good reason. They’re famous for their above-and-beyond customer service which employs empathy like no other brand. One of my favorite experts on community, Christina Garnett, writes about their brilliant strategy in this piece.
TechCrunch: The next big social platform is the smartphone’s homescreen
A more tech-y look at social networks, but an important one nonetheless. In recent years with the expansion of customizability of iPhone screen designs, apps and social networks have gotten creative with their branding. This piece discusses how networks like BeReal are changing the game with innovative app designs and widgets.
New York Times: How Louis Theroux Became a ‘Jiggle Jiggle’ Sensation at Age 52
I’m so sorry if you saw this headline and started singing/rapping the TikTok song… because I definitely did too. This piece is especially interesting for those of us not in the U.K. and familiar with Theroux’s previous “Weird Weekends” BBC Two fame.
The Conversation: When texts suddenly stop: Why people ghost on social media
We’ve all had it happen (and maybe we’ve even done it). You’re talking to someone via text or social media and the conversation just drops off a cliff. This piece from a Professor of Psychology at Wesleyan University highlights a study on the mental health impact of this phenomenon on college students.
Real Life Magazine: Influencer Creep
This piece is a long read, but a really fascinating look at how influencers that were once creative creep towards optimization to satisfy network algorithms. If you’re a communications theory nerd like me, this one’s for you.
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🧘🏼♀️ Mindful Moment
One actionable thing to get you through this week
Back to basics again. Let’s do this ~3min meditation together. You deserve a moment to yourself today.
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🔗 Link(s) in Bio
Things I’ve been loving that have absolutely nothing to do with marketing or business
Today’s links are mostly a collection of me nerding out about my friends and favorite people. You’ve been warned.
First, the absolutely incredible (and sometimes known as “Ad Daddy”) David Griner has launched a non-profit organization with branding queen Dionna Dorsey and aspiring actor Ryan Reynolds called Creative Ladder which aims to make creative careers more inclusive and accessible. I’m so excited and emotional about what a difference an organization like this can make on the advertising and marketing world.
Second, my friends at Social Media Tea launched an apparel line! You too can remind people you’re not an intern and full of chaos by wearing it on your sleeve (actually, there are no sleeves, you wear it on your leg and chest but that copy isn’t as good). I’ve also been told these are the ultimate comfort pieces, so grab yours now so you’re all cozy and chaotic this fall.
Third, I’m doing some fun writing projects on the side that I can’t wait to tell you about. But as a spoiler: one of them involved talking with one of my favorite TikTok creators Jeff Guenther (aka @TherapyJeff). He’s a therapist who creates mental health content about relationships (romantic and non-romantic) in a way that’s truly real and honest. If you haven’t followed him yet, you certainly should and if his content really resonates with you, he just launched a Patreon where you can get exclusive content including deep dives and taboo topics for just $4/mo.
Lastly, if you’re just here for the random reads, here’s this week’s little list 😌
CBC: Let sleeping humans lie… in these dog beds designed for people
Wired: Therapists Should Build a New Culture Competence: ‘Onlineness’
Every’s Superorganizers: How to write a bestselling book with a friend (even when it’s hard) [Note: This one’s with Liz + Mollie, of IG fame!]
Vox: Why we need rituals, not routines
Ness Labs: The psychology of unfinished tasks
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💭 Content Calendar
Ideas for you to take into your week ahead as a content creator
Do you know your brand best? Yes – or at least, you should.
Does your audience also know your brand? Yes – or at least, they should.
Being a social media manager or content creator or community manager is knowing how to lead with best intentions for your audience.
But when your audience is all shouting about the way something’s done, maybe it’s not a bad idea to listen to them.
If you’re facing major extreme reactions from your audience, maybe it’s time to adjust.
You should know your brand best, but your audience does too. Listen to them.
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👋 The (ring) Light at the End of the Tunnel