The title is misleading because we are not ‘a digital agency’. Neither are we ‘The Digital Agency’. We are unique and quirky enough for us not to warrant an ‘a’ but not yet special enough for a ‘the’!
How it began:
I joined on the 10th of July as a content strategist with loads of theoretical knowledge of digital and content marketing, but no sustained experience of running successful campaigns.
After over 6 months of frenetic activity and learning, here’s what my daily schedule currently looks like:
10:00 am:
Earlier, I used to come in at 10.30, having been afflicted with the bad habit of working till late and waking up late. I would try to silently creep into the office and my seat, avoiding the mocking eyes of my colleagues and the angry eyes of Rishi, the CTO, and our boss. It never used to work!
I have since thankfully managed to conquer this bad habit, and now I make it in time for the 10 am stand up meeting- where everybody in the office shares what he or she are working on for the day. As the primary point of contact for multiple clients, this is where I let other individuals (ranging from Graphic Design, Development and Testing) know what I need from them that day.
Unfortunately, this is also the time you’re held accountable for your work. Rishi and Dhawal have high expectations and it’s an everyday battle to not disappoint them!
The First Hour:
Digital Marketers will testify that what they do is a never-ending process. The dynamic nature of the web and the continuous process of SEO and adding content means that there are always certain tasks left over from the previous day that one could have done.
I thus start by making a list of these unfinished tasks and taking stock of new ones that might have sprung up. If the priorities allow, I prefer starting my day with short tasks to reduce (at least visually!) my workload and build up momentum during the rest of the day. These tasks including providing captions, answering emails, conceptualizing individual posts, and updating social media pages.
Also, during this period, I persuade/cajole/beg/scold/rage at the office boy to get a cup of coffee. It’s not always successful!
11:30 am to Lunch:
At this point, I pay attention to the tasks I need other individuals for. Resources are always stretched at a startup, and getting these tasks accomplished is tricky as the colleague you are dependent on always has loads of other work, and is thus not pleased to see you!
However, there is a fantastic sense of camaraderie around the office, and a smart-ass comment always helps to lighten the mood.
After having assessed the situation of my projects, I get cracking on the tasks that require a creative input from my end. This involves conceptualizing on tasks ranging from overall Digital Marketing strategies to more granular emailer, social media, and search engine advertising campaigns.
Google and Facebook are usually at the receiving end of my ire for their character limits at this point!
Lunch:
Jokes are exchanged, insults traded and stories told. I go in for a quick walk and then get back to my desk for the second half of the day.
2 pm to 3 pm:
Like the 1st hour of the 1st half, here I try and focus on other tasks that can be finished quickly. This is where the post-lunch laziness starts to come in!
3 pm to 5 pm:
This is where the day starts to diverge. On non-crisis days, I combat the post-lunch laziness with super strong cups of coffee. On Crisis days, there is no need for it!
The list of unfinished tasks now begins to loom large. I take a quick situational check, and work furiously on the most urgent ones at this time.
5 pm to 6 pm:
Now is the time to finish any graphic/development testing work remaining and report the same to the clients. Any crisis which has been brewing all day usually comes to a head this time as well!
6 pm onwards:
As people from the office slowly begin leaving, I settle on to content writing and blogging tasks at this point. But at the end of the day, it always comes down to making a choice of what not to finish on that particular day and hoping that our boss doesn’t remember it during the stand-up meeting!
Conclusion:
That’s what you can expect. Lots of hard work, stress and getting work done of other people, but also multiple opportunities to learn. The end of the day either leaves me with a sense of contentment for a job well done or a tinge of regret for not giving my 100%.