Avant Marketeer Nikki Alvin-Smith Offers Timely Insights For Your Marketing Delight
“There are many reasons people write. There are many reasons people take to marketing and content writing. For some it’s part of a bigger picture. A necessity to grow their business and spread the word of their great service or product. For others, it’s a job. Yes it brings in money to pay the bills, but it is more than that for many of us. It’s also about making a positive difference in the life or lives of someone or something else.
To be successful as a content writer you not only have to have a passion for writing, creative talent, and wordsmith wizardry, you also need to have a true passion for the topic and marketplace you are addressing.
The reader knows the difference between boring business sales rhetoric that garbles out self-serving information and true belief and passion for the product, service, or person. Just as the camera is unforgiving of any pretense or falsehood seen onscreen of a presenter, the enthusiasm and belief in a product or service does need to be real if the writer’s work is to be taken to heart by the reader.
Some of the best career advice I’ve ever been given was from a Managing Director of a prestigious PR/Marketing company in London when I was sorting myself out at age 19. The meeting was arranged thanks to the foresight of my late father. Dad was a successful self-made businessman who built his own international freight forwarding corporate enterprises during his illustrious career, and he dispatched me from his Heathrow office to sit down at a huge shiny conference table at the marketing company’s Fleet Street corporate location. The idea was that I would garner some ‘outside the family’ input for suggestions as to what I was to do now I’d decided to change direction in my studies.
“What are you good at?” was one of the first questions the executive asked me. I racked my brain, and he had to push further to exact the information that I had excelled in school, particularly in English, Biology and Chemistry and was a reasonably accomplished horse personage and on several school sports teams and loved to read and write. A lot.
“And do you like to do what you are good at?” he quizzed. Knowing of course the answer would be affirmative as most people enjoy doing things they excel at executing.
“What are you passionate about?” he asked. I recall hesitating to answer. I thought passion was something between two people. A recently acquired boyfriend came to mind. As I procrastinated and my complexion probably turned bright red. He delved further.
He switched tactic. “What was the last book you read that you enjoyed the most?”
That was easy and elicited an enthusiastic reply,
“Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.” The next question was the predicable,” Why?”
He had opened a door to my heart, and I remember babbling on about nature and wildlife and our planet in general and how important it was not to destroy it with spraying the world with DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane – that mouthful was beyond me) chemicals and generally ruin everything. Ah – the idealism of youth.
“If you could what would you do about it?” he asked. A tough question even today. Anyone care to answer?? Not sure we’ve figured it out yet.
“I think I’d learn more about the environment and how we could do things better and write about it everywhere, so people knew about it,” or words to that effect popped out of my mouth.
“You’d like to write and research to help make the world be a better place. What do you know about environmental science? Are you studying that at college?” I wasn’t. Agricultural Economics and English Literature were the current tasks.
“Why agricultural economics?” somehow he hadn’t seen that coming.
“I want to help people learn how to feed themselves.” Another noble cause born of the naïve idealism of youth, ending world hunger.
“Now I understand why you are working at the Ministry of Overseas Development. They spend a lot of money around the world don’t they on projects to teach communities like how to farm and feed themselves, well-drilling projects and the like. I expect your degree in Ag Economics will be a perfect fit job wise.”
I thought for a minute. Should I relay my recent discovery from my time working with a team of scientists just home from Yemen and the Top-Secret files I’d accidentally discovered in my wanderings in the special access libraries when I was sent to retrieve files for Directors, that the projects were real. But that the funding wasn’t really so much about helping nations as establishing political loyalties and access. I thought of the Official Secrets Act I’d had to sign to start work and about being honest but also honorable. Better not mention all that I thought. Though the duplicity was the reason I quit the job. That and the fact that females were apparently never sent out in the field, only males, because the housing was all barrack style, and the government did not want the responsibility of deploying women to work in 3rd world countries during their term of employment. I had been passed over for missions abroad on several projects in the past few months. A fresh out of school lad who was wet behind the ears took my earned place. Not a glass ceiling but it might as well be. Sadly perhaps, my idealistic nature was being reformed as I grew up, but it was not being extinguished. But I digress..
The interview style meeting continued for a long while. A tray with fine china cups of tea appeared, a biscuit or two, and this kind man took much time out of what I’m certain was a very hectic schedule to share his wealth of experience in the world of advertising and PR/Marketing.
“My best advice to you I’m sure you have heard before if you want to write, is to write what you know. But my other advice, is write from the heart. Write with passion, write with a care.”
So that set me off on a course I do not regret. As a writer it is a blessing to be able to share your passion. For me the love of horses and all that goes along with them is forefront in my writing. I still love to delve deep into biomechanics and biology, the holistic horse, and its complexities. Helping to educate horse owners so they can make better choices, writing about products and services in which I truly believe.
The idealistic Nicola has not disappeared or withered away with age. Rather the writer has emerged that was always there. Waiting to be tapped. Trying to make the world of difference one stride at a time. I urge fellow writers who seek to make a career in the world of producing good work to follow their hearts. Stay true to yourself throughout. You’ll get there.
As always, I am ready to help business owners with their content needs, provide consultation services on brand building and offer strategic marketing modules that will build a brighter and better future for equine and pet industry concerns. It’s fun, I’m passionate about it, and it’s what I love to do!”
If you would like to engage Nikki Alvin-Smith’s services via her company Horse in a Kilt Media Inc., please don’t hesitate to reach out to find out what’s on offer. Individually tailored marketing package pricing is more affordable than you may think and having a professional content producer on board for your pet or equine business will make all the difference in your branding and market presence.
Trot in and visit Nikki Alvin-Smith, Horse in a Kilt Media Inc., to learn more about her stable full of marketing skills as a content writer, equestrian blogger, columnist, and marketing specialist. As a British/American professional Grand Prix competitor/coach/clinician she brings a unique experience/angles and thought leadership/authority to her wordsmith wizardry.
About Nikki:
Internationally published writer, content creator, PR/Marketing specialist, photographer and equestrian Nikki Alvin-Smith offers “Engaging Content that Engages Riders to Read,” with unique and fresh material for your horse or pet related business, magazine, website, newsletter, blog, and email blast sales machine. Her portfolio of works is extensive and includes equestrian and pet features that have been published worldwide in over 230 different magazine titles. Her clients include equestrian and “B” list movie celebrities for whom she regularly ghostwrites and provides PR services; manufacturers of equine and pet related medical devices, feedstuffs, supplements, grooming supplies, fencing and barn equipment, horse transport, horse structures and professional equine service providers; profit and non-profit initiatives and organizations; and non-equestrian related businesses/publications in the pet industry, investment, real estate and international travel and rural lifestyle.
Nikki Alvin-Smith is a British international level Grand Prix dressage competitor/trainer/coach/clinician. Together with her husband Paul, who is also a Grand Prix dressage rider, Nikki operates Willowview Hill Farm in the Catskill Mountains of New York; a full-service horse training facility. The duo provides ‘team’ clinician services to clients worldwide to riders of all levels and many riding disciplines.
Contact: Nikki Alvin-Smith: Content Writer; PR/Marketing Specialist
Email: Nikki@NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Websites: https://www.horseinakiltmedia.com/
https://nikkialvinsmithstudio.com/
Cell: 607 434 4470