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As a Search and Selection Agency, we get asked a lot how to create a corporate tone of voice, as part of our project brief template. Given the frequency of the question, we thought others may find our long-form answer helpful. This is the first of a three-part series written by our resident Copywriter and Content Editor, Danielle Stagg, outlining our pointers for capturing your corporate tone.

A friend makes the best cupcakes in the world. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating…but I’ve certainly sampled my share of these golden and delicious pillows of goodness and consider myself of discerning taste. Hers are incredible cupcakes. And they’re just as beautiful as they are delicious. So, chatting with her a few days ago, I was surprised to learn that she’s struggling to sell her covetable cakes.

This conversation with my friend made me again realise a lesson I’ve learned over and over again (though sometimes, even I, choose to ignore). Start-ups must be brave in asking for help when they need it.

Many brands that we speak with are suffering overwhelm. Social media has changed the way they need to operate. They’ve previously hired interns to handle social media, but have found that social media’s such an important aspect that they need someone with a bit more worldly perspective to generate good, worthwhile content. Meanwhile, loads of journalist friends are finding themselves in a new world. No longer employed by news outlets, they’re having to find jobs in the business world and suffering a bit as they don’t feel that they can be as objective and independent as they were once able to be.

Increasingly, we’re seeing journalists take (oftentimes invent) posts as client-side social media content developers; a perfect marriage which fruits impressive results. And, what’s more, this client-side role is easily done as a freelancer, allowing journalists near-complete autonomy. A recent post floated up on Stumble Upon along this theme.

Advice for technology start-ups by Cordy Griffiths, UK General Manager, Ballou PR (www.balloupr.com)

According to some counts of late, there are over 16,000 marketing and communications agencies in the UK. And as someone who spends most of every business day speaking with, reading about and selecting agencies to be put forward for client briefs, I’m continually disappointed by how many marketing agencies neglect marketing themselves.

I find myself in conversations with clients daily to the tune of ‘Believe me, they’re a good marketing firm with talented people onboard…they just aren’t great at marketing themselves.’ How sad.

by Simon Steel

by Guest blogger Ronelle Bester, Managing Director, Red Ribbon Communications

by Pete Goold

Our view is that it’s best to take some measure of risk when selecting a marketing agency.

In ~75% of cases, clients ask that the agencies we longlist for their brief:

• Have prior industry experience
• Be located within an hours’ drive or train ride