Steph Tod

— In an expert comment series for The Lincolnite, Lava’s PR manager, Steph Tod, highlights the top things to remember when applying for work in today’s competitive job market, whether you’re looking for work experience or long-term employment.

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Last Thursday thousands of young people across the county found out if their hard work had paid off when this year’s A-level results were announced. But with the TUC claiming that more than one in five people aged between 16 and 24 are out of work, how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd when applying for a job? By marketing yourself, that’s how.

Marketing activity doesn’t just have to focus on products and services. People can be marketed too – and not just pop stars or celebrities.

Standing out from the crowd is essential for job hunters – so what can you do to market yourself?

Try following the same approach businesses take when developing their marketing strategy: research you audience, tailor your message and publicise yourself.

1. Do your research

Find out the correct name of the person you need to send your CV to. Nobody at Lava goes by the name “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To whom it may concern” so don’t address any emails or letters to them – they don’t exist!

2. Tailor your CV

You don’t have to rewrite the whole thing, but it’s good to have an introductory paragraph that explains your key skills and experience and how they are suited for the job you’re applying for.

3. Investigate the company

One of the most popular questions employers like to ask is “What do you know about our business?” This is your chance to show that you have researched the company and gives you an opportunity to explain why you want to work for them. Investigate their website, find out who they work with, trawl the local news websites for any coverage on them.

4. Build your personal brand

Try and get as much work experience as you can. Get involved with the newspaper or magazine at the University, write for the local paper, get a placement with a local business, set up your own blog and make sure you update it regularly.When it comes to interviews not only will you have a good insight into the world of work, but you will also be able to present a portfolio of work you’ve produced.

5. Be original

From branded pots of Play Doh to stop motion videos, it’s the quirky and original job applications that get people noticed. However it can’t be style over substance, if you’re going to do something different it still needs to deliver the relevant information that a word-processed CV would.

6. Arrive on time for the interview

It’s an obvious one but remember first impressions count and if you’re not punctual then it looks like you’re not bothered. If you know you’re going to be late for whatever reason, ring the company ahead of the interview and apologise. They will be more appreciative that you’ve let them know. On the other hand don’t turn up too early either, aim to arrive five minutes before the interview is due to start.

7. Be yourself

If you’re knowledge of social media isn’t that great or you haven’t built up a great wealth of media contacts then be honest. Explain that it’s something you’re interested in learning more about or turn the conversation around to focus on your strengths. But don’t pretend you know how to do something when you don’t. Trust me, you’ll soon be caught out further down the line!

— Steph Tod is a PR Manager at Lava, an award-winning marketing communications agency in Lincoln. In an expert comment series for The Lincolnite, she explains how hype is created and the pros and cons it can bring to your business.

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You can’t turn on the TV, pick up a newspaper or surf the web at the moment without seeing something about the book Fifty Shades of Grey.

The erotic novel has taken the world by storm, overtaking the Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter to become the fastest selling book of all time.

The media has been rife with stories, from Virgin Atlantic offering the book to passengers on flights to reports that the book is responsible for a baby boom set to sweep the country.

In Lincoln, bookshops are struggling to keep up with demand. Waterstones’ Cornhill store reported that they sold nearly 400 copies of the book in the first week alone.

But with many book critics slamming the novel, what is the all the fuss about? Is hype a natural process or can it be manufactured? If so how can you achieve the same level of publicity for your business?

From the hysteria surrounding the Twilight Saga to England’s eagerly awaited participation in football tournaments, hype gets people talking and interested.

Take Apple for example – they neither confirm or deny speculation around upcoming products, fanning the fire even further amongst bloggers and Apple fans on forums. Interviews are seldom and what is divulged during them is vague to say the least. The result? Apple creates a frenzy among fans and foes alike.

How much of this hype is down media coverage? If the public hadn’t been bombarded by wall-to-wall coverage of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, would we have been as captivated by the proceedings as we were?

Creating hype is a difficult thing to do but there some common denominators, whether it be Shades of Grey or Apple.

Little and often: Whet people’s appetite by teasing information, issue regular updates which add a little more to the story, don’t give everything away all at once.

Put the emphasis on people: Apple don’t talk about the processing speed of the latest device, they show how the product will help the people who use it and the benefits it will bring to their lives. Shades of Grey, well we all know what this book is bringing to people’s lives …

Secure influential support: Everyone is influenced by someone or something. Securing the support of a trade association, a respected body or a person, who is prepared to talk about your new product or service will give you credibility and third party endorsement, which again adds to the hype.

Pre-Launch publicity: Before offering your product or service to everyone, set up trials or send out review copies. Building a sense of excitement and anticipation through reviews and endorsements will contribute to the anticipation.

Post Launch publicity: Keep the story going once the product is available with stories that excite people and create demand – Shades of Grey is flying off the shelves and people are worried if they don’t buy it now they’ll miss out on the shared experience of talking about the novel with their friends. People don’t like missing out on things.

Controversy: Don’t forget this one! If a product is banned or extreme in some way, people will not only talk about, they’ll want to get their hands on it to see if it’s as shocking or risqué as everyone say it is.

Belief: This is the most difficult part of creating hype. People have to believe in the product, service or person. We had to believe that Andy Murray could win Wimbledon. Otherwise, the media coverage around him would of fallen on deaf ears. We have to believe that Shades of Grey will change our lives.

But as good as hype can be for stirring up some interest about a new product launch or event, it is only a short lived form of promotion. Therefore it is important to adopt a long term marketing strategy to promote your businesses rather than rely on instant publicity that is prone to fizzle out as quickly as it blew up.