Meet and Greet: Jaime McKee, SMS

by NISMadmin | Sep 3, 2024 | Meet and Greet | 0 comments

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. We hope that by sharing these stories, not only will you learn more about others who share your passion for being an SMS professional, but 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 by commenting in the section below this article.

And with that, we’d like to introduce you to Jaime McKee, SMS and her story.

Hi, Jaime! Let’s start with you telling us a little about yourself and the work you do.

I live in Asheville, NC and I’ve been working in the online space for my entire professional career (more than two decades!) My first job out of college was as an online producer of a newspaper, and I remember when Twitter first launched. I helped launch the newspaper on social media, while also trying things out with my own personal blog, which I started in 2005. I held multiple roles in the online and news departments before I landed in higher ed and worked for my alma mater. I left Mars Hill University two years ago for an education non-profit where I’ve been managing the website and digital communications.

I’m currently searching for my next full-time role, and I’ve always freelanced. My freelance career began in 2001 when someone asked if I could help update their website. It has evolved over the years and I’ve created and/or managed dozens of websites. I build websites for small businesses and help small business owners manage their social media platforms.

My blog has also become a business since my oldest child was born. I never set out to make money through my website or social media channels, but it happened and I now draw on those experiences to help others.

That’s an impressive journey, blending your professional roles with personal passions. What aspect of your work keeps you most motivated?

I love taking on different projects and helping small business owners thrive. I’ve worked on very large websites and platforms, and I’ve worked on accounts that started with 0 followers. I find it fun learning about different businesses and industries, and figuring out what works for that client.

It sounds like you thrive on variety and the challenge of tailoring strategies to each unique client. What inspired you to pursue certification as Social Media Strategist?

When someone asks what I “do”, it’s easier to say I’m certified as a Social Media Strategist versus saying “I do social media.” I’ve been working in social media for so long and when I started out, there wasn’t a course to guide me or a certification that could validate my work.

I’m glad NISM could provide the certification and validation you were looking for. What advice would you give someone thinking about certification?

Sign up and schedule the exam. Don’t wait. The longer you put the exam off, the more likely you are to not go through with it. If you go through the exam prep, you will probably learn a thing or two. There were a few concepts I learned as I was going through the preparation and now I have additional skills to master.

Continuing education is something we strongly believe in, especially in a field that evolves as quickly as social media. Through your years of experience, what has been your favorite social media platform to work with?

I think I love Instagram the most. I love that stories don’t have to stick around forever, and can be very quick updates. I’ve met really amazing people through Instagram and my DMs are always conversations with people I’ve never met in real life. Threads is a close second. Threads feels like early Twitter, when people were kind and eager to interact with others. It’s very low pressure and it’s an app I open multiple times a day to catch up with others.

Speaking of catching up, we had a great time catching up with you today. Before we go, can you tell us a fun or unique fact about yourself?

It’s not unique, but somewhat humorous. I have a terrible sense of direction. I live in the mountains of North Carolina, and I’ve found myself near the coast because I had the wrong directions (east instead of west) in my head. This is something my mom still worries about when I have to drive somewhere. 🙂

Aside from that, my life is an open book. I started my blog in 2005 as a way to keep up with technology and blogging platforms. It quickly became a way for my family to keep up with me and I used to document everything through my blog (which has slowed down considerably over the past few years.) I still overshare on Instagram!