When it comes to crafting content, there is far more than meets the eye. Each brand and client speaks with their own unique voice and style, and our clients run the gamut from real estate and healthcare to production print and industrial manufacturing. Content Developer Nick Ostdick brings with him a passion for all things sports, delicious beers, and, most importantly, content creation.
For the past several months, Nick has been tackling these Trekk Talks and giving us an in-depth look at the different people in the Trekk family, but now I’m turning the tables on him and putting him in the spotlight.
First of all, thanks for taking some time to answer these questions so our lovely audience can get to know the man behind the blog. So, we’ll start off easy: What do you do as part of the content team?
Well, first off as a Content Developer, my role is to help conceive and then create content for a variety of applications, be it blog posts, email marketing campaigns, social media, video scripts, or print pieces like direct mail campaigns. The variety of sandboxes I work in makes the work dynamic and exciting because I’m constantly moving between mediums and using different content creation skills to fit whatever platform or context I’m working in.
How did you get into the content development field? What inspired you to pursue this career?
I guess you could say I’ve been writing or working with language for as long as I can remember. I studied creative writing in college and at the graduate level, and then after that I worked as a print journalist and freelance writer for publications in the food and beverage, rare book and manuscript, and publishing industries. I love telling stories and putting ideas together on paper in a way that can move someone, make someone laugh, or make them think.
Alright, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. What does your average day look like here at Trekk?
What’s the old saying in marketing? No two days are the same? But that’s part of what I really love about the kind of work we do at Trekk. I can start the day working on a blog entry for a client in the automotive industry, switch over to social media strategy for a construction company after lunch, and end the day putting together a script for a video testimonial. The ability to pivot and work on so many different content creation projects is part of the game and it’s a part I’d like to think I’m pretty good at, which helps.
What other assets might someone need if they’re looking to break into content marketing? Do you have any advice for aspiring content developers?
To be successful in this kind of career, I think you have to be a curious person by nature. I think you have to be enamored with ideas and with making and building things, and you also have to be comfortable with destroying something you just made. Yes, a love of and facility with language is important, but very rarely do the right words come out the first time you try, and so I think you need a sort of fearlessness to delete what you just came up with and a desire to discover what the right words or ideas are and how you can use them to achieve your end goal. I think curiosity plays a foundational part in the ability to create something, get rid of it, and then keep trying.
Now on the flipside — put yourself in the mind of people like our clients: What advice would you give for someone looking to hire a marketing agency to help level-up their content?
I’d have to say never underestimate the value and impact of storytelling when it comes to marketing strategy and the content you’re putting into the world. I really believe as human beings we gravitate towards stories or making meaning out of things. Storytelling is important for building brands, making connections with customers, and demonstrating the value you can provide for that customer. I think it can be easy for companies to lose sight of that because they have so much to say about the technical side of their products, and while that’s important to communicate too, wrapping it around some kind of narrative is where messaging gets potent.
So, you clearly love your job — what makes your work rewarding?
For me, it’s rewarding when I helped create something that wasn’t there before that brings a smile or relief to the client because we provided something they needed that they could not have created themselves.
Okay, now let’s move on from the work talk. What do you do outside of Trekk? Who is Nick Ostdick outside of the office?
I have a very spirited 5-year-old daughter, so that’s a full day right there, but when I’m not hanging with the family you can usually find me reading about beer brewing and beer history, running (10-year distance runner), writing songs (guitar), or cheering on my beloved Milwaukee Bucks (2021 NBA Champions!), Green Bay Packers, or Chicago Cubs. Ostdick Manor is a sports-loving household without doubt.
Sure sounds like you keep yourself busy! But it’s always good to have hobbies that fulfill you outside of work. On that note, I have some final random speed round questions so we can get a look at what makes you tick. Favorite season of the year and why?
Fall. Football, Thanksgiving (best holiday, right?), cool weather, hoodies...need I say more? Plus, my daughter was born in the fall, so it’s kind of a special time.
Last TV show you binge watched?
Only Murders in the Building on Hulu with Steve Martin and Martin Short. It’s outstanding and a reminder that Martin and Short are comedy treasures.
What’s one guilty pleasure you have?
House Hunters on HGTV. Every once and a while HGTV runs a 10 episode marathon on Saturday afternoons, so I’ll close the blinds so nobody can see and just go to town on that show.
How about a couple of questions because the holiday season is coming up…
When is the appropriate time to start listening to holiday music?
After Thanksgiving. Not a moment before, not a second after.
Finally, what’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Great question and quite timely! The weekend before Christmas is spent in comfy pajamas and just powering through our favorite Christmas movies: Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, all the classics. There are plenty of Christmas cookies and hot chocolate for the kids and a nice, robust beer or two for the adults. Merriment for all.
Thanks again to Nick for joining us for this month’s edition of Trekk Talk. Check out our previous installment of Trekk Talk featuring Senior Graphic Designer Alyssa Watkins.
