Love for creating content can find you anywhere. For Tasmin Lofthouse, founder of her own content marketing agency Fika Digital, this love story began while studying Psychology. Since then, she has become a freelance copywriter and uses her fascination with human minds to create powerful content for her clients.
For our interview we asked Tasmin about her career path and freelance days, how she maintains connection with her clients, what makes up outstanding content marketing, And, of course, what drives her professionally and as a person to become greater.
You’ve started your journey while studying Psychology. What initially drew you to the mind’s secrets and how did it turn into the love for content marketing?
I studied Psychology at college and was fascinated by all the nuances of human behaviour. That fascination led me to study Psychology at university where I was introduced to Consumer Psychology. Studying Consumer Psychology unlocked a whole new level of love and intrigue for Psychology! I loved learning about the different motivations, emotions and behaviours underlying each and every purchase decision. This consumer psych knowledge complemented my love of writing, allowing me to create content that really speaks to people.
What was your first job in marketing? What was the most challenging for you at that moment?
When I left university, I secured a marketing role for a local B2B manufacturing company where I was responsible for marketing activity across various European countries. Aside from the low pay, the most challenging aspect was learning all of the new skills and processes associated with performing marketing activity that is localised to different regions. It meant working with various languages and global teams. While it was challenging to begin with, it was a fun challenge to have and really helped cement my love for strategy and accuracy.
What inspired Fika? How did you decide it was time for your own business?
I had been freelancing for roughly 18 months before I started Fika Digital. Freelancing had been going well for me and I just knew that it was time to make it “official” by creating a business that was bigger than just me. Building Fika Digital was fuelled by a desire to create an agency that holds community, connection, and well-being at its heart.
Do you miss your freelance days? What did it teach you?
While I may have transitioned to an Agency Owner, I never really left my freelance days behind. So much of what I have learnt from freelancing has followed me into my new journey as a business owner. I’m careful to never lose track of the things that make freelancing so beautiful — the work-life balance, autonomy over your work, and the close relationships you build with clients. Those are the aspects of freelancing that I plan to maintain in my role as an agency owner.
You value connection and community. What allows you to maintain deep bonds between you and your team and your clients?
I believe the success of any business relies on its ability to forge genuine connections and build a community. Everything I do is focused on building trust and helping my team and clients achieve their goals.
Fika Digital is actually named after the Swedish tradition of Fika whereby people take a break from whatever they are doing to slow down, eat cake, drink coffee and connect with people. It’s a state of mind and something that I want to embody within Fika Digital — this means always being transparent with my team and clients, making sure everyone can see what we’re working on at all, being down-to-earth, and just speaking to people like humans. There’s nothing worse than a stuffy, corporate approach. We’re all human, so let’s act that way.
In your opinion, what makes up great content marketing?
Psychology! You need to create content that connects with your target audience. There’s no point writing content for Google, or creating social media posts because they “look good” if they don’t connect with your audience. You’ve got to get clear on who your audience are and what they want — tapping into consumer psychology allows you to explore these emotions, motivations, and behaviours so you can create content that your audience love.
What inspires your growth professionally and as a person?
Everything I do is inspired by possibility and curiosity — what happens if I do this? If someone else can achieve X, why can’t I?
Having a curious mind means you can look at all the opportunities around you and see them as possibilities. Then, it’s just a case of putting those dreams into reality. You need to take action. Curiosity + action = growth.
Do you have any advice for young freelancers and content creators?
Step out of your comfort zone and trust in your power — the feeling of fear never really goes away. So, you’ve got to learn to see that fear as a motivator. See it as an opportunity to push the boundaries of your comfort zone and try something new. Chances are the worst thing that could happen isn’t really that bad at all. Just trust in your power and do the damn thing!
