Having had a fair few jobs in my time including croupier, beer picker, multimedia author, pixel-puncher and web developer, I'd say I've got a mixed background, but since the advent of the UK domestic internet in the early 90s, I've been working with, or on, computers in some way. I came to Vividink through a vacancy advertised on a local forum in 2012, applied and accepted in a trice.
I'm a newswriter, and my primary role is to gather information about client news, and write it up into a press release, select appropriate and eye-catching images, distribute it to selected media channels and outlets, and follow up on any coverage. I also write regular columns for our clients in the leading trade journals, write series of blogs for their websites, and pitch articles to news editors on their behalf. I do quite a bit of photomanipulation - tuning up and reframing images for better impact and interest, and proofread and copy edit my colleagues' work. I also manage our extensive cloud services which we rely on for project, job and document management, and provide remote support for my colleagues in setting up apps and services on their devices.
Autonomy and recognition, the flat structure and a family/life friendly ethos. These are all big advantages from my perspective. Our clients are, without exception, fantastic to work with, and our predominant industry sector press titles are an active and colourful lot. Over the years I've been able to write some outstanding articles with content from luminaries and experts in their field, and interviewing subjects on the telephone, with a coffee in one hand and a snoozing hound at my feet, is the most pleasurable part of a working day.
How do you know when you're doing it right?
Client feedback is what makes it worthwhile. Everything we write is personally checked and approved by our clients, so we get a constant stream of feedback on the work we do. So when a client comes back and says "I wanted to rise from my chair and applaud that … what a brilliant piece of writing." I usually think we're on the right track.
It's a really individual thing. Some appreciate the intimate relationship they have struck up with us, and we don't just manage their PR or marketing, but act as a sounding board for their ideas or solutions to pressing issues. Other clients like how we can find an angle on what seems like a superficially uninteresting story, drive their revenues through the roof, support every event at their venue with a news release and social campaign, or drop in a few killer ideas when they need them.