March Musings

Taking a Moment to Reflect on the Past Month 

March was a difficult month for me on a number of levels (for reasons I won’t get into here), but I wholeheartedly believe in the power of positive thinking and the overwhelming effects it has on the mind, body and spirit.

As cliché as it sounds, being positive really is a game changer, not just because it calms the heart rate and brings back that twinkle in your eye, but also because it really has the power to adjust your frame of mind and help you to see the good in a seemingly bad situation.

Life is an odd thing but we’re all here, facing its challenges in our own unique ways. I know for one that I am always trying to be the best version of myself possible, whether in my professional or personal life.

Within my content writing, I’m always aspiring to push myself further and further and produce the best work imaginable. With each piece of content I produce, I scour it with a fine-tooth comb, checking it and re-checking it to see how it can be improved. Only when I’m truly happy with it will I click ‘Publish’ or ‘Send.’

As a mother, I’m always trying to educate myself and do the best thing for my children, which isn’t always easy (we all lose our tempers sometimes ;)) but it is a challenge I am wholeheartedly embracing through all the tears, tantrums, trials and tribulations (that’s enough alliteration for one day), and of course through all the joy, laughter and happiness that resonates through our home on a daily basis.

There are plenty of other versions of ‘me’ including wife, daughter, sister and friend, and I’m always committed to pushing myself beyond any metaphorical boundary and being the best version of myself I can possibly be, no matter which role I am filling at that moment.

With that in mind, I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous month ahead.

Here’s to positivity!

Essential GDPR Information (& How it Affects Content Marketing)

With only two months to go until the updated General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) kicks into action, it’s vital that your business is completely ready well in advance of the May 25th deadline. Otherwise, you run the risk of receiving hefty fines as high as €20 million, or 4% of total worldwide annual turnover (whichever is the most).

Any EU, EEA, and UK business that processes and manages personal data of EU clients, customers and employees will be affected by this updated regulation. Further, businesses located outside of the EU that deal with data of EU clients will also be affected.

With only two months to go until the updated GDPR regulation kicks into action, it’s vital that your business is completely ready well in advance of the May 25th deadline. Otherwise, your business runs the risk of receiving hefty fines as high as €20 million, or 4% of total worldwide annual turnover (whichever is the most).

The most important things you can do at this point are to:

  • Research the GDPR in-depth to ensure you completely understand the updated regulations
  • Perform a review of the processes and practices taking place at your business
  • Analyse your platform and infrastructure to determine whether or not you are fully compliant
  • Carry out a data audit to identify all data processing activities at your business
  • Identify the ‘weak links’ in order to strengthen or remove them

The whole point of the GDPR is to strengthen the protection of people’s personal data and ensure that all policies and practices are in line with our digital era.

The revised GDPR will most certainly affect the world of content marketing.

For instance, if you wish to send out an email marketing newsletter, you will need to comply with the GDPR. In order to be compliant, you must first obtain consent from your customers (individuals must opt-in to receive your mail). They must know what they are consenting to while consent must be “freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous.”

So let’s say you’re asking people to sign up for your newsletter. To do this, you must explicitly state that your brand is collecting data, and describe exactly what it will be used for. You will also need to have proof of consent on file, say in the form of screengrabs or consent forms. This must be stored somewhere safe and easy to access when required.

The same holds true for data already obtained, so if you’ve got details on record, you now need to reach out to those individuals to confirm that they are okay with you keeping their records on file. If not, you need to appropriately discard that information immediately.

There is a great deal involved in GDPR so if you’re feeling confused and need some professional guidance, get in touch. I work closely with a leading GDPR and FADP consultancy firm offering specialist services designed to ensure that your organisation lives up to GDPR regulation.

To learn more, email maria@hqcontentwriter.com.