How Many Work From Home Work Peaks Do You Hit A day?

Now We Have — Triple Peak Syndrome.

Triple Peak is yet another new term related to work from home. What’s Triple Peak?

From Microsoft: “Microsoft found that its employees had peak work periods before and just after lunch. The pandemic and work from home changed that. Microsoft found that its people added another work peak between 6 and 8 PM.

Findings from Microsoft and its researchers suggest that the 9-to-5 workday is fading in an age of remote and hybrid work and more flexible hours. That pattern was first spotted early in the pandemic, when Microsoft Teams chats outside the typical workday increased more than in any other time segment, particularly between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Newer data suggests the trend is here to stay. Traditionally, knowledge workers had two productivity peaks in their workday: before lunch and after lunch. But when the pandemic sent so many people into work from home mode, a third peak emerged for some in the hours before bedtime. Microsoft researchers have begun referring to this phenomenon as a “triple peak day.”

Flexibility is good. Endless work hours are not.

A Management Cure. Today’s new workplace requires management consciousness and communication.

I just read a study about the new world of work from home + work-life balance from Beamery – “the leading talent operating system that helps companies attract, engage and retain top talent.” The study should keep any agency manager thinking about digital agency work from home up at night. I highlight the digital agency because of the digital management workload and 24/7 activity.

The study, “Employees Have Upper Hand in Pandemic-Induced Power Shift, According to New “Beamery Talent Index” sheds some number light on this management and employee issue. I am into this big time right now as I am currently writing the definitive digital and advertising agency management book. Clearly, the new world of managing an agency in the post-pandemic universe (it’s over right?) will be a critical element of the book. I found Beamery during my research on the HR side of the business.

Beamery and the Digital Agency Work From Home Issue

Here from the research – some major findings:

Two-thirds of U.S. and UK workers who experienced more work flexibility during the pandemic want employers to prioritize work-life balance moving forward and three-quarters acknowledge they are now being heard – but still – half are looking for a new job.

Of the 5,000 employed adults surveyed in the U.S. and UK, almost three quarters (72%) are confident in their ability to find a new job, half (53%) are considering leaving their current role within the next 12 months, and 23% are actively looking for a new job. The majority (81%) say the pandemic gave them time to make that decision with some soul searching leading a quarter (26%) to change their career path and goals.

In fact, more than a third (37%) actually think their work-life balance was better during the worst of the pandemic and 42% want flexible working opportunities returning to the office. In their current roles, 45% of office workers say they will be returning to the office full-time, whilst just 29% will have flexibility as to when they go in. For organizations looking to reassure and retain staff, it’s optimistic to see that almost three-quarters (71%) think their employers clearly understand what matters to them in a post-COVID workplace.

The Key Is Being A Conscious Employer

This finding is worth repeating: “For organizations looking to reassure and retain staff, it’s optimistic to see that almost three quarters (71%) think their employers clearly understand what matters to them in a post-COVID workplace.” [Read more…] about Digital Agency Work From Home

Let’s start this talk about advertising agency video marketing as a core sales tool for business development in two ways. Then I will point you to a super-smart ad agency video series. The videos I’ll show are aimed directly at a client’s needs (strategic needs). These videos are well-produced, and sell the agency leader. A good thing. People buy people. The videos also leverage the power of LinkedIn.

OK, Some Bad and Good Advertising Agency Video Marketing

1. The bad: I am continually amazed at how few advertising agencies use agency-oriented video to help them market their agency. If they do, it is usually a sizzle real. A ganged-up sizzle real that might do more for the creative department’s ego than a tool to sell a future client.
2. The good: Every once in a while I see an agency getting video promotion right. In my mind, this means using video to introduce the agency and its story (quickly), super-smart thinking, a demonstration of agency culture and a look at the people who live inside that agency. Client-people like people so why not show your agency-people to help sell the agency – with some humanness?

Reasons To Use Video

The last truly “revelatory” thing I can tell an advertising agency is that video is a great marketing tool. Like, um, I know that you know this. But, then, why do so many of yous guys not use it for self-promotion? So, here are some reasons to use video marketing – now.

Most advertising agency websites have similar attributes (like the same old same old navigation – not bad – but the same old same old). Few, few, open up with a short but very sweet video to tell the visitor how wonderful (and different) the agency is. No not a sizzle real. A personal message. Not an “I am wonderful” message. A “this is who we” are message. And, even a “what we can do for you” message.

• Clients buy people. Many agencies are GREAT, But, so is the next agency next door. Video will make you stand out and sell your story, soul, and grooviness. Soul is an element often missing from the advertising / digital agency website and general marketing experience.
• Get the video out there – amplify it… Your video can run on your website, importantly in direct emails, on LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and, of course, on YouTube (inside your effective channel).
• !!! Google loves video. Video SEO rocks.
• Video works especially well for your mobile viewers. They will thank you for this. Viewing a video vs. scrolling on a tiny screen will win you points.
• Video drives social shares (like I am doing below).

Speaking of LinkedIn, it really likes videos. A lot. Some words on LinkedIn video from Hootsuite:

In one year, LinkedIn video posts generated more than 300 million impressions on the platform. They also earn an average of three times the engagement of text posts. Plus, early findings from LinkedIn’s beta program show that LinkedIn native videos are five times more likely than other content to start a conversation among LinkedIn members.

Impressive engagement stats aside, video marketing has been shown to boost revenue across social platforms. According to Aberdeen Group, brands that use video marketing grow their revenue 49 percent faster than companies that don’t.

Producing video for an advertising agency is cheap (or, at least cost effective). You do stuff like this for a living.

Ok, on to a very good example of an advertising agency’s video marketing.

Transom Design On LinkedIn: Advertising Agency Video Marketing That Sells

[Read more…] about Advertising Agency Video Marketing