Our SMS professionals serve as ambassadors for our certification program here at NISM. Not only are they knowledgeable about our curriculum, but they also share our passion for social media. Best of all, their stories help shape our organization and the work that we do here.
Our “Meet and Greet” series introduces you to one of our SMS professionals and shares their story. It is our hope that by sharing these stories, not only will you learn more about others who share your passion for being an SMS professional, but that you also will want to connect with them further. We encourage you to “meet” this featured individual by reaching out to them through your favorite social media platform or comment at the section below this article.
And with that, we’d like to introduce you to Amie Thompson and her story.
Hi, Amie! Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get started working in social media?
I started running Creative Allies, a digital marketing firm in 2018. Social media is a big part of marketing and we offer support and training for our clients. While I was on social media before, personally, 2018 is when it really became a part of my everyday life.
What do you love most about the work that you do?
I enjoy helping other people. I am a lifelong learner and being able to share my knowledge is very interesting to me. Everything won’t work for everyone, but there are some foundational things you should know about marketing no matter what type of business you work for you.
Speaking about foundational marketing things –– you have a passion for diversity and inclusion, how can marketers do a better job here?
Diversity and inclusion, along with equity and accessibility should be a part of all marketers’ everyday thinking. If the goal is to help clients market to an audience then we need to understand every type of person in that audience. That may mean various backgrounds, cultures, abilities, etc. People are different and that isn’t anything new. My best advice is to not think of diversity or inclusion as something separate but rather as a part of what you do.
As marketers a few things are important to do a better job in this area:
- Use common sense. Everyone in an audience isn’t the same. Go beyond age, location, and ethnicity and think about other ways people are different. Respect people’s differences and learn the most effective way to communicate with them.
- Educate yourself. There are plenty of experts who share experiences, webinars, articles, and more of different ways you can be more inclusive in your marketing.
- Ask people for feedback. Don’t forget to communicate with people and be social. Find out what’s working and what isn’t from the actual community. Get suggestions and feedback from the very people you are looking to communicate with.
What was a favorite social campaign you’ve worked on and why?
To this day, my favorite campaign was working with Twenty One Pilots in 2019. We’ve worked with this band multiple times but this was my first time as CEO and being really involved. The band comes to us every few years to run a social media campaign with their fans to promote their tour. We run a graphic design contest and use social media to promote the artwork that is submitted. In this campaign, we had fans send us videos about their art but also what the band has meant to them. Hearing, seeing, and sharing those stories is what was most impactful to me.
How cool! What do you expect to change in social in the next year or 3 years?
This is a million-dollar question! There is so much going on now with privacy, advertising, and misinformation. There are also new, smaller platforms popping up. It will be very interesting to see if the current front runners (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok) are still as popular in 3 years or if others take over. At Creative Allies, we don’t do much social media advertising, so those challenges do not impact us but may impact some of our clients. In that area, we have to get creative and think of other ways to increase awareness or drive traffic.
I think the core of social media will be the same, it’s a place to build a community and communicate with your audience. It will be important to continue to instill trust in what is presented as that is one area people are losing a little faith.
What prompted you to explore certification as a social media strategist?
I wanted to add some credibility for myself and my team. While social media is something we do, having that credential can go a long way in demonstrating a higher level of expertise. I also am looking forward to meeting other strategists and being a part of the NISM community.
Hopefully strategists reading this blog connect with you on social! Before we finish, can you tell us something about you that not everyone would know?
I am a proud introvert. I’m not sure how unique that is since about half of people are introverts! But, most people wouldn’t generally guess this about me. I am very confident, I’m not shy, and I focus on doing what gets me to my goals. But in my natural, comfortable state I am not very social or outgoing and love being alone. I get my energy from my within and being around people can be very draining for me, so I do it sparsely!
Amie, thank you for your willingness to share your story with us. Keep up the excellent work!
You can connect with Amie here:
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