Professional Growth Activity – Course 3.1

Name: Jenn Clore
Activity: Refresh OKC “5 Ways to Snore-Proof Your Message
Description of Activity:  Local professionals in the web design and development industry gather each month to discuss tips and topics relating to the field. This month’s topic discusses how to make your message break through and cause people to listen.

Date(s) of Activity (also include times):

3/29/17 11:30a to 12:30p

Student Evaluation:

Why did you select this activity?

This topic was of interest to me because I’m always looking for tips on how to decrease my bounce rate, increase my social share content and increase my email open rates. I’m also always interested in tips on how to write good content that other people want to read.

Would you recommend this activity for other students? Why or why not?

I do recommend joining the Refresh OKC group because you get to learn from professionals already in the web design field. I also recommend this month’s topic because I believe content marketing is so important to a brand and their message. The five tips that Amber shared with us were simple, real world examples on how to get people to listen.

What did you like best about this activity?

The speaker, Amber Parrow, gave simple, actionable advice to a topic that has been interpreted in a thousand different ways

What did you like least about this activity? How would you make the activity better?

She did go through the slides a little fast. She was on tip #3 before I even realized what was going on. Perhaps a little slower would be helpful.

What is a creative idea/concept you can take away from this experience and possibly implement into your work?

The best tip that she gave was #5 – “Get out of the WE mindset”.  Ms. Parrow explained that a lot of content talks about what “we” can do for you. It’s so true. I know I mostly talk about what my company can do, or what we can provide or what services we offer, but rarely do I talk about what decisions the homeowner has to make or what the homeowner should consider from their perspective. She shared a quote from author Ann Handley, “Get into your customer’s shoes and into their journey.” This is a tip that I will start implementing to make my writing sound more personable and more conscious of the audience’s needs.

Photos courtesy of Refresh OKC