We’re starting a new blog series, speaking to one of our lovely members from the Girls in Marketing Membership every month. Hopefully, this will give you the chance to connect with other marketers and see how the Girls in Marketing Membership can boost your marketing career.
Hey Abbi, thanks for joining us! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi everyone! I’m Abbi and I am a Social Media Officer for the volunteering charity organisation, Royal Voluntary Service. I am coming up to my second year working in social media and graduated from university back in 2017. I am currently working remotely and have been since December 2020 and have a little Frenchie named Willow, who is the perfect WFH companion!
If I am not reading up on the latest social media trends or forever scrolling through Instagram Reels, you would often see me either reading a crime/psychological thriller, eating out at the closest Wagamamas I can find, or binge-watching a series at an alarming rate on Netflix. I have always loved all things creative and enjoy content writing, creating graphics and even doing a bit of crafting in my spare time!
How did you get into marketing? Did you follow a traditional route?
Not at all! When I was a student, I was very much on the fence about what I wanted to do. I didn’t do a degree specifically in marketing but enrolled in a creative media course, which was incredibly diverse and spanned all different kinds of modules. You could learn about copywriting and the world of book publishing in one year and then decide to learn about single camera production and video editing by the second year.
It was only when I reached my final year that I discovered an interest in marketing and it was also the first time I experienced working with external clients alongside my studies.
I later realised that despite loving the creative process, I also enjoyed the messaging behind it all and how you could create something online to show a brand’s ethos or mission and potentially build an online community.
Working in social media was not really considered an actual job when I graduated, but since it has grown to be such a vital part and key pillar within a marketing strategy and it has enabled me to combine my two loves of being creative and building/interacting with a community online.
What is your favourite thing about working in marketing?
My favourite thing about working in marketing is that there is no limit when it comes to creativity. No working day is ever the same and there is always something new to learn (sometimes too much when working in social media!)
I think working within marketing gives you a variety of different creative skillsets too, I find it’s very easy to slip into another area of marketing without even realising that you are doing it and it gives you the opportunity to explore different prospects whether you decide to work for an agency or go freelance.
Marketing can be such a powerful tool to promote but the best thing about it is that it connects people, forms conversations on and off the screen and can be used to be educational, inspirational, relatable or simply just make people laugh.
For me, the best kind of marketing is the type that doesn’t actually feel like marketing at all!
Which section of marketing is your favourite and why?
Although my favourite type of marketing is through social media, I absolutely love Guerilla marketing! I am immediately hooked when any brand does a marketing stunt or creates an innovative way to promote in ordinary day-to-day spaces and locations!
It is the type of marketing that turns heads and can turn a casual walk to the shops or what was a boring early morning commute, into being a part of something unexpected that is funny, interactive and starts conversations.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in their marketing career?
Never be afraid to ask questions! Whether you begin your marketing career working for a small start-up, a fast-paced agency, or a big organisation. The amount of questions you ask does not define or diminish your capability as a marketer.
When I first started out, I remember feeling a little bit apprehensive when it came to asking for clarification on things from managers and found it difficult to voice up in team meetings when I had an idea or a solution. Simply because I was soo shy!
So raise that hand, whether it is on Teams or in person. The questions you raise may even highlight a problem that other colleagues may have missed and it may even prevent future problems or issues later down the line.
How did you hear about our membership? Why did you decide to take the leap and join our member’s community?
I found out about the Girls in Marketing Membership through discovering their LinkedIn page and absolutely loved how inclusive and engaged the GIM community was online. At the time, I was completely new to the idea of LinkedIn. I was a complete newbie, with a fresh new account, no community, no following and was super reluctant to even post. But seeing a group of women, empowering other women within the industry that they loved was just so refreshing and inspiring to see. I remember thinking how much I would love to be a part of something like that.
After following the community for a short while, I decided to take the big leap and invest in my growth as a marketer – and I’m so glad I did! I wanted to connect with other like-minded people who understood a day in the life of a marketer and a community I could engage with.
I joined thinking it would be a good way to network, but now being a member for 7 months now (which is crazy!), I have formed some really amazing friendships already through the membership!
How has The Girls in Marketing Membership affected your marketing career prospects?
The Membership has given me such a wide range of amazing resources, online courses, interactive webinars and action plan templates to further develop my skills in areas that I am still getting to grips with. I am then able to apply what I’ve learnt within my full-time role.
It has also set such a great foundation for me to re-visit areas of marketing that I needed a refresh in and has enabled me to learn about areas I hadn’t really delved into before, giving me the opportunity to further develop my knowledge for my role.
However, I think the biggest thing for me personally is that joining the Girls in Marketing Membership has definitely provided me with the confidence to progress, strive and grow within my career. It has encouraged me to try new things, take opportunities and has given me such a supportive network.
And finally, as we ask all our podcast guests, do you have a motivational mantra that you live by?
A piece of advice that I always try to tell myself is don’t be the one thing that stands in the way of your own success.
When it comes to moving towards your goals or trying something new, you are always going to face challenges along the way, but it’s essential to never make yourself one of the obstacles stopping you from doing what you really want to do. Don’t listen to that niggling voice inside you that says that you can’t do something, or that you are not good enough to try. Taking those gutsy leaps and betting on yourself is most of the way, the rest really does follow and all the while you realise you are just building in confidence.
So, apply for that job, start that business, send that email, and don’t prevent yourself from taking that first step. It’s likely you’ll come out the other side thinking “Jeez, why did I not do this sooner?”
If you’d like to become a member and connect with our amazing members, like Abbie, you can sign up here.
