Savvy 7 Interview Series: Sandy Hubbard

I’d seen Sandy’s name floating around on Google+ for a while before I really got to know her. I was drawn to her because she knows and understands the value of print as part of an overall marketing plan. I grew to like her even more once I started giving her the occasional +1 and posting the random comment. She always makes time to reply and you can tell she really thinks out her answers before she submits those replies. She wants to share the best information, and she’s willing to discuss the content and ideas she shares. It’s the reason I asked her, early on, to be a member of the Collective. Unfortunately circumstances don’t allow for that at this time, so it became oh so clear to me that I needed to get her answers to our Savvy 7 questions!

So, here we go:

1. Please describe yourself, engagingly, in 140 characters or less!

I want to be known as the person who made your business wildly successful.

2. What “AHA” moment, tool, person or feature let you know that social media/social business was the right choice for your career path?

I’ve worked in communications, publishing, video production, marketing and advertising. I embraced social media from the start and saw that it was a game changer.

Social media gives power to regular folks to find, generate and manage information, and it gives a voice and personality to companies large and small.

Anything that powerful, I want to be part of it.

3. If you could go back through your entire social business career and change one thing, what would that one thing be?
In the beginning, I hoarded information. I read everything voraciously but did not share it, thinking that if I knew more than someone else, I would be valuable to them.

I soon discovered that I am a better information source if I share content that I have previewed and deemed worthy.

The content that you share helps you express your personality, your values, your business ethics, and your intelligence.

4. Looking ahead, what “big things” do you imagine coming as social media/business continues to grow and evolve?

A big hurdle for social media in the beginning was that many business owners didn’t see the need for it. In general, I think people now understand that businesses need a social media presence.

However, I still see campaigns that operate haphazardly or on a certain platform because that’s where their personal activity takes place.

As social media marketers continue to prove that awareness, engagement, service and sales are facilitated by a cohesive strategy, business owners will realize that they can’t put such an important part of their business in the hands of a temp or a relative.

5. If you were stranded on a Wi-Fi enabled desert island, with a laptop/tablet that would never run down its battery, BUT you could only access and connect with one social platform, which platform would that be and why?

Without a doubt it would be Twitter.

Where others see noise, I see conversations, dynamic sharing, compelling content, engaging experts, strategic broadcasting, brand positioning, fun people, strange people, exotic people, lonely people, cliques, chats, posturing, posing, people learning Twitter culture on the fly, people managing large networks graciously and generously, and real people who have become real friends.

It’s a fascinating place to be, and I just love it.

6. Besides the actual platforms themselves (Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc.), what one tool or application do you think everyone engaged in social media marketing MUST have/use?

A personality! Be yourself! It will help you have more productive engagement, better empathy and responsiveness in customer service situations, and more accountability in your interactions. In addition, being authentic motivates others to share your content and introduce you to others.

I know it’s difficult to be an individual when that is not how the social media is operated in your company. If you are sharing the duties with others, perhaps you can sign your tweets, as some people do, with your initials. In your brand profile, try to include the personal handles of the folks who manage the account.

If you can, connect personally with the people you meet. Interacting with you as a real person makes it more enriching for all of us.

7. What’s the one thing you wish EVERYONE knew about social media/social business?

Well, here’s a plug for me and for others who do this for a living: I wish people knew how much goes on behind the scenes in strategizing and managing your campaign. The tweets, posts and links that are front facing are the result of a cohesive marketing strategy, your specific market and desired audience, the culture of your company, and many other factors.

Social media for business should not be a random process. You need to have a plan that integrates print, phone, face-to-face, events, website, social media, blogging, etc. so you can maximize your message within your budget and attract the people who will spend money with you.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Wasn’t that an awesome read? Sandy’s a gem, as well as a powerhouse for great content and the sharing of ideas, and we know you’ll want to connect with her. Get to it!

Web: http://www.printmediacentr.com/about/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sandyhubbard
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyhubbardpublisher
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sandyhubbardnow/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/117525133335037923714/posts

• Bio
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google+
• LinkedIn
• Latest Posts

Mallie Hart

Creative Director at The Media Barista

When Mallie isn’t contemplating the creativity of her graphics design work at Go Creative Go!, she’s crafting creative social designs for her social media clients as the Media Barista. This coffee chugging, pretentious hipster music listening, book devouring, mountain biking social media enthusiast thinks there’s something creative to be found in each and every business and entrepreneur. Color connotation, word choice, alliteration and a canny ability to think themes are but a few of the weapons she holsters as part of her social design arsenal. The coffee pot is always on, the music is always blaring and there’s generally a snoring cat underfoot. Ahhhhhhhh…the recipe for chaos to some, but to Mallie? A recipe for creativity! Social design is more than your color scheme, font, avatar, logo and other parts of your identity. It’s the embodiment of who you are and who you want your potential followers and connections to see, know and trust. It’s about layers of tone, connotation, understanding and the ability to create the you that is genuine and more than worthy of the follow, the like, the circle, etc.

@themediabarista

Caffeinated creativity and connections...building the best social media campaigns! #socialmedia #socialbusiness #socialdesign

The edit is as important as the writing! 30 Quick Editing Tips Every Content Creator Needs to Know: http://t.co/szf689wdkb - 11 hours ago

Follow @themediabarista

Mallie Hart

+Mallie Hart

Latest posts by Mallie Hart (see all)

• Google+ Goes Bold & Bountiful - May 16, 2013
• Conversation Makes Sharing Even Better! - May 9, 2013
• Savvy 7 Interview Series: Jim Dougherty - April 10, 2013
• Social Solopreneurs: Shower Yourselves With Self-Care - April 4, 2013