What are the most important steps to take when seeking a promotion in Creative Strategy?

Whether you’re a junior starting out or a seasoned vet, your portfolio needs to reflect the work you want to create in the future. You don’t need to have experience in something to demonstrate you can do it. Write your own briefs, put innovative things out into the world, find people to collaborate with. It’s never been an easier time to visualise an idea so dont wait for the opportunity to come to you.

I would say the following strategies provided a lot for myself and career path of many of my coworkers: - Demonstrating consistent value through work ethic, contributions, & a positive attitudes - Communicating achievements regularly, not just during reviews - Integrating skills into a niche area for leverage & effectively working the personal assignments in becoming an expert in current industry trends - Continuously showcasing flexibilities also drives the initiatives to elevate your positions & salaries - Developing fundamental skills like listening, and problem-solving. Above all, mastering the skill of keen observation, and remaining attuned to global trends for sustained success is a gamechanger!

It's crucial to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Consider your environment. Remember that value is not determined until the client says it is. Adhere to established organizational processes or seize the opportunity to create a systematic work structure for clear client interactions. Maintain an open mind in the dynamic realm of Digital Marketing. While process adherence is essential, occasional deviation is necessary for success. Master the art of presenting results. Many creatives struggle to convey their work effectively. Present results in a clear, story-like manner accessible to a 5-year-old. By following these steps, you'll undoubtedly make a great career as a creative strategist.

Los pasos más relevantes a seguir pueden ser: Definir los objetivos, Conocer la audiencia, Identificar la propuesta única de venta, Desarrollar la creatividad y Planificar los movimientos.

Make your portfolio interesting! Not high profile. Interesting problems solved, fascinating client challenges, great ideas. Kill all the buzzwords and complication, a good strategist can see that's a way people hide. Each project should tell a story.

Knowing people actually helps. It’s like Charles Bukowski. He was a raging drunk, but a better writer, who couldn’t get any work. Until he met a publisher at a bar who felt sad and hit a jackpot at the same time with Bukowski. So always network with people, make em your friends, talk work as a casual thing, learn a lot about the industry and its changes through others cause that’s how you keep a good network

Show your dedication to the industry and your community by engaging with peers, clients and influencers. This means going beyond a like on a post, and providing thought leadership and adding to the conversation.

When I think of expanding your network, I think quality over spamming members on LinkedIn. Very easy to press a button and not be interested. But quality in the context that, the other individual will respect you also. They will be keen to ask you questions and learn more about you. Showcasing yourself in a manner that is of interest in your field and to others.

I agree, and I would add put the things you are passionate about at the top of your list. Who are the people connected to your passions. That existing energy is the low hanging fruit.

Networking is crucial for career advancement in any field, including creative strategy. Attend industry events, join professional organizations, and engage with fellow professionals. Building connections can lead to valuable opportunities, mentorship, and referrals. Stay active on professional platforms such as Linkedin and participate in online communities to expand your network globally.

Observation is what matters when it comes to creative strategy. Because you have to observe the trends that is happening around the world Because if you think that is enough, boy you’re wrong. Nothing is enough in this world. Observation is the skill that you have to mold very well

Collaborate. Collaborate. Collaborate. It is key as a creative strategist. When you lead by lifting others and listen to what client partners and creative team members have to say, you not only develop powerful creative strategies, you build credibility, trust, etc. It may not be the "loud" way to get noticed, but important people will see you for who you are. And realize they can depend on you to have the greater good of the agency/company in mind. Talent only gets you so far. And there are a lot of smart people in this business. Be the smart creative strategist that everyone wants to work with. The person people come to when they have questions. The authentic voice that speaks after listening and brings people together.

It often helps to 'skill into an area' that you can own (types of work / sector / etc) and then you'll have leveraging power. It also often makes sense to become an expert in whatever trend (or fad!) is running through client world at that point. (Ai, digital transformation, Bitcoin) because that'll get a chunk of money thrown at it. Doing this repeatedly demonstrates flexibility, and will level you up on salary, but you'll need to develop the general fundamental skills (listening, problem solving, ideation) of a creative strategist too, or you're building on sand.

With so many tools, including AI to create a variety of content options, make sure you are taking classes or webinars, attending conferences and exploring tools and trends to see what works for you and your clients.

If you are not using AI to enhance, expand and deeper your strategic chops, you are falling behind. Quickly. It’s an entirely new world of discovery. Open your mind.

Obviously step one is to demonstrate your value, on an everyday basis—that's best accomplished through good work ethic, consistent contributions, and a great attitude. Communicating value should also be done, informally, throughout the year—don't wait to show off your amazing accomplishments until a formal review. Agency planning - including promotions - is often long-term, and waiting until a formal review period might cause you to miss an opportunity.

There is a key word there in that last sentence: showing. Rework your approach from TELLING how you are valuable to SHOWING why you deliver value.

I would like to mention the need of foster collaboration by building strong relationships within and outside the organization. Highlight not just individual contributions but also your support for the team, department, and organizational vision. This multifaceted approach ensures you not only communicate value but also embody innovation and collaboration, essential elements for thriving in creative strategy fields.

Communicating one's value entails leveraging thought leadership content formats to build trust in the minds of an ideal audience.

This is a tricky balance, as you need to create just enough jeopardy. Companies are unlikely to reward you for your value, unless they're at risk of losing it. The obvious way to do this is to have other job offers, but that's sometimes going too far. Simply asking to be rewarded for your good work isn't going far enough. Good companies (and managers) will recognise the value their good people bring, and work with them to make them feel rewarded, although this is extremely rare now.

Leadership also means being able to be open to coaching and improvement. Learning never stops, especially in the content marketing game.

Often promotions in more formalised companies are like forming a legal argument as much as they are actually being good at your job. Make sure your objectives are SMART, achieve or exceed them, tick all the boxes the company asks for in their values (and in your job description). Then they'll have no justifiable reason not to promote you, or they'll need a really good excuse.

For better feedback, try getting specific with your questions. Instead of a general "How did I do on that presentation?", you might want to ask something like, "What were the strong points of my final analytics presentation, and what's one thing you think I could add?" This not only shows you're really open to constructive criticism, but it also steers the conversation towards useful, detailed feedback that can help you grow in the areas you're focusing on. Perfect for honing your skills!

Seeking feedback is vital for personal and professional growth. Request constructive criticism from managers, mentors, supervisors, and colleagues to gain insights into areas where you can improve. Actively listen and implement feedback to refine your skills and demonstrate your willingness to learn and grow. Some feedbacks can be hard to take but don't take it personally.

Work on Yourself - Personal growth and self-improvement are integral to career advancement. Develop habits that enhance your productivity, time management, and creativity. Cultivate a growth mindset, embrace challenges, and be adaptable in the face of change. Continually strive for self-reflection and self-awareness to become a more effective and well-rounded creative strategist.

Don't worry about titles. They're usually quite meaningless. Focus on the kinds of work you'll be doing, who you get to work with, opportunities to learn, and of course remuneration. People who chase titles end up incapable of doing the role they're in, and sooner or later there's always a fall from grace. The higher they go the the bigger the fall.

To quote Wayne from Wayne’s World when longing for his dream guitar. “It will be mine…oh yes, it will be mine!” 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸😀