Content Creation, Calamity, Calmness
I am not one for intentional content creation. I find it stressful, & who needs more stress in their lives? Yeah, I did NOT raise my hand on that one as I'm sure you didn't. So, when I sit at the computer to do my daily check ins, get orders printed out for shipping & catching up on items of interest, I don't have MY blog in my brain. What generally happens is this; in the course of my doing my daily's something cool smacks my interest & I turn it into a blog. Or I'll be creating something to place for sale & think, those are nice, I think I shall blog about it, as though any other person on the planet may have interest in what I have to say about anything.
Content Creation: The Complete Guide for Beginners (ahrefs.com)
Content creators are generally running ads or doing promo for whatever fee it is they get paid. Or they are trying to socially drive traffic to their said content. I've been solicited for years, for both my work & my pet photos, but I made a promise early on to myself; I will never allow adds to interfere with my intent or a reader's experience. I find the ads off putting, interruptive and generally a full square pain the tuchus (not my word but keeping it clean). If I am giving you a moment of my time in my sometimes very busy day, I don't want to spend that time clicking X's to get rid of ads. If I do that once, your site is not for me. I'm not saying don't chase that coin, but I am not built to have my processes interfered with as I live by the spoon theory on most days & my energy is not guaranteed.
Now, that said, it is a very personal experience on what you're willing to tolerate to get the info or thrill you're looking for but Internet Calamity is not for me. It's probably why I live & die on some dates, on Pinterest . There is nothing on that site I can't figure out how to make on my own or quickly print a pattern from a free site. I'm just a schematics & visualizer kind of gal & I'm not a patient person on the internet unless I have a raging fever & can do nothing else with my time other than suffer in silence & pretend, I'm being productive while adding songs to my already bloated playlist. It's a strange thing when you're running a 101 fever & THAT is when you want to get up and build, create or do. Something about a 'sick man's jail cell' that will do that to you. I digress, I don't want an ads experience every single time I visit a site. I'd rather check out your Instagram for less hassle.
Here's mine:
Prims & Pretties (@primsnpretties) • Instagram photos and videos
About a month ago, I wiped clean a lot of my accounts, sat on the idea of who or what I wanted to represent in all capacities regarding business. I realized what I had, have used & must maintain has served me well so why change it. I personally, like a site or social page that incorporates business with their personal business (to an extent. No doing the sex toys, fungi toes or depends post. Not my thing). It reminds me of the mom & pop shops of days of ole. You go to the shop, look around & before you know it you know their kids' names, where they're going to school & all the photos come out. I loved it and when I find a place like that now, it's on my favorites to return to.
One thing lacking in business today is customer service & more so since the Covid shutdowns happened. It changed people. Look, I'm as high risk to catch dang near everything due to autoimmune disorders & other health issues. I got Covid early on before we knew enough about it. I didn't lose my mind or panic. I called my Dr then called the CDC & reported my symptoms & then spent about 8 months getting rid of said symptoms. I've had a lot of pneumonia in my life so that was my biggest concern. I never got it, thank God. But I got everything else. I survived. With my mind intact. And I was grateful. Not jaded, not petulant & not blaming anyone. It is what it is & we either adapt or get swept up in hysteria, whether proven or not. I don't succumb to such nonsense. I read, I learn, I listen & apply in all things. But, since Covid, customer service is flat if not hard to find & that makes me more than frustrated. So now, I report to management (or higher). It's unacceptable. I count every dollar we spend & apply the methodology of how many hours did my husband or myself have to work for that dollar I just gave to said business for crappy service. Not this gal.
Which brings me to Calmness. As one gal, female, disabled but still trudging along small business, the greatest attribute I can have .... customer service. It is critical if you want your clients respect what you do & how you operate said business. I've had my lil business for 20 years & only 1 non stellar feedback (4 out of 5, regarding lavender smell vs essential oil smell, oye). It was an easy fix & I'm glad I handled it the way I did. My buyer went from 4 to 5 stars (which floored me as she didn't need to) because of how I handled it. Look, no one wants to be criticized, it calls into question your ability or the idiomatic nature of your choices while designing. You can either take it personally or personally handle the situation like the boss you are. I can sit & fret about the feedback or comment, or I can handle it like an adult & walk away knowing I did the right thing. Being polite, even if hurt, offering a fix, even if uncomfortable to me & accepting when you do the right thing, you may have just attained the greatest thing a small business needs to thrive, a return client. To me, that is the Calm in business. Mutual trust goes both ways, but it starts with the seller, always.
I am grateful for the trust you bestow on me.
Thank you.
