Creative Inspiration with Cole

Welcome to Making Your Vision Come to Life Through Story, a podcast about the power of storytelling in business and entrepreneurship, brought to you by Helm Creative Studio. Today we sit down with Cole Ryan of Ryan Digital to talk about how we can use digital marketing to tell our story online, and to ultimately leverage the internet for good. Helm Creative Studio: helmcreativestudio.com Ryan Digital: ryandigital.org

This week at Helm we had the privilege of sitting down with Cole Ryan of Ryan Digital and just hearing his heart for digital marketing and advice he shared with us! Cole is such an inspiration to everyone he talks with and shared some awesome insight on digital marketing and the creative world that we’re excited to be able to pass on!

Cole got started in the digital space by interning at his local church. He went on to work with Francis Chan’s Crazy Love Ministries, managing their social media and helping them start their chart-topping podcast. Since then he has worked with numerous nonprofit organizations. Cole is currently the Director of Digital Marketing and Communications at PathLight International, a nonprofit giving the gift of education to at-risk children in Belize. He has recently started his own agency, Ryan Digital, which seeks to “help nonprofits, social enterprises, and others communicate effectively online through digital marketing.” 

After listening to Cole’s story, we feel totally inspired! He shared that although success definitely starts with just going out and doing it, it’s crucial that we offer valuable content to the world. “We have such a unique ability to leverage the internet for good” Cole expressed. There’s so much noise circulating the web. As content creators, we have the tools and abilities to make a real impact on the world, which is why it is so key for us to learn how to communicate effectively.

Cole shared so many helpful tips and tricks regarding digital marketing and mass communication in general. Check out some of the highlights below and use them as a guide when you are creating content to be distributed.

1. When it comes to digital marketing, content marketing is key. So many people are trying to take as opposed to give. If you or your company want to stand out, give something INVALUABLE to your clients. Provide them with content, resources, and anything that they really can’t get anywhere else. If you give rather than take, clients will go out of their way to find you. When creating marketing campaigns ask yourself:

   • Is it invaluable?

   • Is it original?

   • Am I taking or giving?

2. Always keep in mind the audience you are trying to reach. Although this concept may seem fairly straight forward, it is so easily forgotten. As creatives, it’s important to stay true to yourself and your own personal convictions, but you also need to keep in mind your target audience and not just your personal preferences. Ask yourself:

   • Is this what my market needs/wants?

   • Will this be appropriate for my audience?

   • Am I adding my own unique twist to this project?

3. Don’t just invest in channels you’re familiar with. This idea definitely goes hand and hand with keeping in mind your audience. It’s so important to explore all forms of mass media, not just the ones you’re used to using, especially if they aren't specific to your audience.

   • Are the channels I use effective with my target audience?

   • Have I explored all the mass communication possibilities relating to my content?

   • Am I up to date with the latest statistics regarding demographics and media?

We are so excited to implement these awesome concepts into our daily work at Helm and we encourage you to do the same!