Question: Who is Elvis around here?*
That’s a question that Bono used to ask whilst campaigning against Third World Debt. Not wanting to waste time with the middle-man, Bono wanted to cut to the chase and deal with the creative guy who would get things done. You know the type, the person who might break a few rules and be a bit of a maverick, or who simply shines a bit brighter than the rest. And surprisingly, if you walk into an office, most people seem to know who “Elvis round here” is. Try it.
The question is particularly pertinent these days for SEOs. There is a certain misconception I have found, certainly in large media agencies, that there is little space for creativity in the field of Search Engine Optimization. We’re just technical, right? How’s our page load time doing? Did you pull that Analytics report yet? Or, very often: “damn, my computer won’t start, help!” And yet, what with updates such as Panda and Penguin coming into our lives and rewarding highly engaging content, surely we need to be more creative and inspired than ever?
My answer is yes. As Rand would say, it isn’t enough to just produce good quality content – sorry, that just isn’t enough anymore. And so how are we going to do it?
I recently was fortunate enough to attend a week long training course by creative guru Chris Baréz Brown, who runs a company called ‘Upping Your Elvis’. Hey, it wasn’t Mozcon, but it was pretty damned good. He is a real thought leader in the area and he taught us some really simple – but incredibly powerful – ways of ‘Upping your Elvis’. In lots of ways I think that his whole philosophy sits very nicely with Agile Marketing. And I’d like to share some tips on how to Up Your Elvis and become that inspiring creative leader you know you can be:
- Manage Your State
To put it simply, your ‘state’ is how you are at any given point. You can break down state into four main categories: the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. Being aware of your state and what is influencing your state is incredibly important, as being in the right state can let you access your subconscious – that hugely powerful part of your brain where all your best ideas come from. And so if you aren’t in the groove, it is time to employ a ‘state breaker’ to get yourself back in the flow. Take some deep breaths, take a break, go for a walk in the park, stretch, listen to a song which inspires you, read SEOmoz: do whatever it takes to find that creative state.
My all-time favourite state breaker is going for a surf (here in the Basque country) – but it isn’t the most practical nor frequent one I use!
- Don’t Be Scared of Failure
So you probably have heard Samuel Beckett’s: ‘Fail again. Fail harder’ a million times already. But if you have a gut feeling or if your heart is racing at the thought of an idea, you are experiencing a change in state. And there is a reason for that: your awesome subconscious mind is beginning to take over your conscious and you might be on the cusp of a new and exciting opportunity. Don’t turn away from the risk, embrace it. Even if it isn’t the “best” idea, something much better may well come from it. In his book on having kick-ass ideas, Chris Baréz Brown quotes a line from William Shedd: “A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”. Nice.
- Have Fun and Stay Fresh
If you are feeling like you are stuck in a rut, chances are you are not in the right state. It may be time to inject some energy. When Rand presents Whiteboard Friday, does it look like he isn’t having fun? The world of SEO is constantly evolving and changing so we need to keep evolving, staying fresh and having fun as well. The only constant thing is change: so keep your creative juices flowing by taking up a new hobby, walking a different way to work, eating a food you thought you hated, giving a beggar more money than you would usually. Break your usual patterns and you are more likely to come up with something interesting or different.
Take last week for me, I ran a different route to work and discovered this amazing artwork saying: “Life is Beautiful”. Now that’s inspiring!
So SEOs, go out and up your Elvis!
Creativity is hugely important for SEO and inbound marketing. And you don’t have to be an artist to be a creative SEO – everyone can. If you follow Chris’s advice and ‘Up Your Elvis’ – or even Up Your Rand – then you’ll produce better work, more opportunities will come your way, you’ll be better prepared long-term for whatever Google rolls out – and what is more, you’ll be happier!
*Answer: You!
