“You clearly love your jobs and value your clients. You go above and beyond what is expected…” of a public relations and marketing agency, and you’ve ensured that we have all the information we need for our review.”

Jill Felska is POP! Social Media’s resident human sparkler. Always positive and overflowing with energy, she specializes in brand strategy, “big ideas” and online interaction. Jill utilizes her understanding of brand value and messaging to create meaningful online conversation with consumers on behalf of clients. Jill also oversees event management, working to align client’s online presence with offline consumer experiences.

Previously, Jill has worked as a digital Assistant Account Executive for Weber Shandwick and as a brand manager for Red Bull North America.

While at Weber Shandwick, Jill helped coordinate and execute public relations and consumer marketing programs, including media relations, digital communications initiatives and special event planning for clients including Kraft Foods, Campbell’s, DiGiorno Pizza and Mars Chocolate. For her clients, she captured and interpreted media coverage, pitched multiple media outlets, and worked closely with bloggers to effectively reach targeted consumers.

During her time as a brand manager for Red Bull, Jill oversaw multiple events, including the first Waterball tournament in the U.S, and assisted with the formulation and execution of marketing strategies in support of both long and short term branding goals. Prior to working for Red Bull, Jill served as the public relations manager for Curb Magazine and the marketing intern for Hilldale Mall Corporation.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jill holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with an emphasis in strategic communications. She is new to Chicago, and while she can’t wait to take in many baseball games this summer, her loyalties will always lie with the Minnesota Twins.

Jill can be reached at jill@popsocialmedia.com.

Jenn Korducki is POP! Social Media’s resident creative writer. Always inspired to live life with passion and purpose, she specializes in content management, “details” and online measurement. Jenn loves to put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard and create stories that leave the reader wanting more, calling upon her experience in a wide variety of communications — including broadcast and print journalism, public relations and social media — to develop thought-provoking, authentic conversation starters for targeted consumers. Jenn has experience in event planning and execution, both in person and through online parties on Twitter.

Previously, Jenn worked as a digital Assistant Account Executive for Weber Shandwick and within the technology practice at Burson-Marsteller.

During her time at Weber Shandwick, Jenn developed Facebook and Twitter content for top-tier consumer clients, including the Milk Mustache campaign, Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs and Degree Women. She coordinated planning and execution of major client events and co-hosted client Twitter parties with mom bloggers that generated more than 1,300 tweets in 60 minutes.

Jenn also built solid media relationships with both bloggers and print reporters, securing placements in regional print publications, magazines and top-ranked mom and food blogs. She monitored and analyzed traditional and social media coverage, and also wrote and developed fact sheets, key messages, and press materials.

While at Burson-Marsteller, Jenn wrote byline articles and editor pitches on behalf of Hewlett-Packard. Additionally, she monitored and analyzed press coverage to aid in the company’s Q3 media audit. Prior to working for Burson-Marsteller, Jenn served as news intern for two top 15 television market stations, KNXV-TV in Phoenix, Arizona and KSTP-TV in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Jenn holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism with a minor in business institutions that emphasized marketing management and consumer behavior. A self-professed foodie, Jenn has been blogging about recipes, food products and restaurant reviews for two years at Eating Bender, a site that has generated over 750,000 page views since its inception. If you meet her in person, be sure to ask what she will be having for dinner tonight.

Jenn can be reached at jenn@popsocialmedia.com.

Learn how we can help educate you on ways to build your unique voice and brand presence in the social media space. Just start by clicking around.

• Want to find out more about our team? Check out About POP!
• To learn more about campaigns we’ve worked on, view our Portfolio.
• Interested in working with us? Visit our Services page.
• We look forward to chatting, so when you’re ready, Contact Us.
• Stay current on the latest social media news by checking out the Buzz.

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]]> http://www.popsocialmedia.com/2010/03/we-spark-conversations/feed/ 0 http://www.popsocialmedia.com/2010/03/small-businesses-use-social-media-at-greater-rates/ http://www.popsocialmedia.com/2010/03/small-businesses-use-social-media-at-greater-rates/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:14:39 +0000 POP! Social Media http://www.popsocialmedia.com/?p=44 The Small Business Success Index (SBSI) has released a report that shows small businesses are increasing their use of social media. In the past year, the social media adoption rate has increased from 12 to 24 percent.

The report was sponsored by Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business.

Here are some key findings:

• Small businesses have turned to social media as a result of the economic downturn
• Small businesses are using social media to identify and attract new customers, build up their brand awareness and stay engaged in two-way conversations

• Half of small business owners believe social media takes more time than expected

You can read the full report by clicking here. Plus, watch interviews with industry experts in the video from SmallBusinessNewz below. Social media takes time, but the relationships that are created and maintained through social channels are worth the effort!

You are likely reading articles about social media or being told by others that social media is an effective means for small business owners to establish a two-way communication online. Perhaps you are already even on Twitter, have a Facebook account or fan page, blog or use another social platform. You took the time to set these up as a way to foster authentic online conversations with the people who matter most to your business. That’s great!

What you weren’t prepared for was the issue of time.

Source

It takes time to manage, upkeep and continually engage on social media channels. Time that, as a small business owner, you likely don’t have much of to begin with. You do have a business to run, after all.

You try to check in on Twitter or Facebook as often as possible, but often times, social media falls by the wayside due to the desire to focus your energy on what you’re best at: managing the day-to-day at your business. Writing a blog post after working a 12- or 14-hour day? It’s probably not going to happen.

That said, you still recognize that social media is important. You’ve seen other companies who are using social media to its fullest potential and have had a lot of success. Results from studies you’ve read show that the more time you invest in using social media, the more you’ll get out of it. The more content you produce, the easier it will be for consumers to find your business online, thereby increasing your visibility among those who have an interest in your product or service. This drives traffic not only online, but into your store.

So what’s the secret?

There’s not a magic formula for achieving social media success. Every business is structured differently and therefore, every business needs a different social media strategy. But there’s no arguing that no matter how you decide to implement social media, it will take time to do it right and have measurable success. We’ve got the time, the tools and the experience.

Ready to start the conversation?

Read more:

• SmallBusinessNewz: Social Media Marketing Takes Time
• Mashable: 5 Ways Businesses Can Avoid Social Media Panic
• Real-World Retailing: Social Media Takes Time, Dedication and Thought