Working in Brighton, I’ve always enjoyed the variety and number of networking events and casual meet-ups that are available. But wherever I go, I rarely meet other writers.
So, after chatting to Ellen about it, we decided to set something up.
Do you write for a living? If you’re a professional writer, or someone who wants to be a professional writer (like a journalist, copywriter, novelist, poet, travel writer, proofreader or anything else) or just someone who would like to meet writers, come along!
WriteClub is a very relaxed, informal association that consists of drinking coffee and chatting. You can come along to get ideas or support, to find inspiration or tips or to just get away from the laptop and meet other writers working in your area.
What do you need? Nothing. Just yourself and some change for a coffee.
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So Ellen and I will be in Cafe Delice, 24 North Road, on Tuesday 29 September at 8:30 (am). The meeting will last as long as it lasts, but feel free to drop in and leave whenever it’s convenient.
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that my website has been renovated. Shaun Morrison, a Brighton Freelance Web Designer, has tidied up my Wordpress theme. My site is now more compact, more cohesive and nicer to look at.
I can heartily recommend Shaun’s skills as a freelance web designer – he understands the kind of things that matter to me when it comes to web design – usability, simplicity and SEO.
But I confess that I’ve had doubts. I’ve lost faith, and wondered whether blogging is a complete waste of time, if anyone is reading my posts, if anyone cares.
Luckily, before I could get disheartened, I received a flurry of positive feedback and several new clients – all as a result of my blog.
Hallelujah! – Blogging pays off
So I can personally attest to the useful of blogging as a marketing activity. It’s especially good as a way to let people get to know you. Your website may be very slick and beautifully designed, but it’s probably deeply impersonal. People buy from people, not beautiful websites. So you should use every opportunity to show your realness.
It seems that, in business, those that succeed tend to know people. Lots of people. The more people you know, the better. Networking is a key activity for most business people – but I think blogging works well alongside this personal contact.
But best of all is The Werks, Brighton’s best office space. Designed to meet the needs of freelancers and small businesses, The Werks combines normal office space with flexible coworking space for freelancers like me. So I can drop in and work whenever I need an office and some Wi-Fi. But the really great thing about The Werks is the friendly and helpful people who work there, and who create a space that is dynamic, innovative and nurturing.
If you work from home and ever fancy getting out and working with link-minded people, I urge you to give it a try.
On top of all that, there is the unique Brighton atmosphere: idiosyncratic, freewheeling, creative, coastal, fun-loving, passionate and bold.
As a copywriter who specialises in web copy and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) I’m pleased to be able to report that my own website has been steadily climbing up the search results.
Brighton is a great place to work, especially if you’re a freelancer or in any way connected to the geek community. There are lots of regular networking groups and loads of opportunities to get involved with interesting projects.
One of these networking groups is the Farm. Aimed at connecting and supporting freelancers and small businesses, the Farm meets weekly at a Brighton pub. I started going a few weeks ago and have now been invited to join the mailing list, and was given a rather fetching profile on the Farm website.
So if you’re working in new media and want to do a bit of low-key, super-relaxed networking with Brighton’s friendliest bunch of geeks, get on down to the Farm.
‘Social Compost’ [working title] would be a drop-dead simple website, based around an interactive map. There would be an option to add yourself to the map and to offer either kitchen peelings or mature compost. You could use the map to find others who are offering either peelings or compost.
So with Social Compost, those without gardens can find a loving home for their compostable waste.
As someone who religiously cleans, sorts and recycles rubbish, I hate to chuck out so much good fodder.
Visit Social Innovation Camp to register your support for this idea. One day Social Compost could be a reality.
