Poppy Thorpe is Social Media Manager for VerticalResponse, an email/direct mail marketing firm.
Bryan: What advice would you give to someone starting an online business?
Poppy: Coming from an inpatient person, patience is a virtue! Keep in mind that it takes time to grow an engaged following from social media and good, lasting results do not happen over night. I’m going to be a cliché here and bring up the Old Spice campaign. That was a great marketing campaign, but you have to ask yourself, where is he now? Are all the people they picked up from this still engaged? Chances are many people dropped off by now and they have to think of the next big thing to top that. Be patient; take it slow and then once you have your footing, really amp it up.
Bryan: How is social media like a reality TV show?
Poppy: We came up with this concept because on a daily basis we find that people say things on social media that they probably shouldn’t, or even might regret. Which is pretty similar to a reality show, it seems that most people forget that they are on television and that they are projecting an image out to the world. The same concept applies to social media, what you say sticks and it represents you and your company. It sounds a little cryptic, but somebody is always watching and you really should think before you tweet and post.
Bryan: What is up next for you? What are you reading now?
Poppy: I am really excited to start of 2011 with a bang. We are going to be rolling out some interesting social media initiatives and I always love to see those things come to life. I think 2011 is going to be an even bigger year for social media and small businesses. People are going to accept that it is not just a fad and we are going to see it being used in some really innovative ways. Right now I am reading a handbook from MarketingSherpa Social Road Map Event I attended a few weeks ago. It’s pretty extensive, but also very informative. On a regular basis, you can find me reading blogs like Mashable Techcrunch and SocialMediaToday on my iPad. And when I need to get away from social media, I read street style blogs and fashion magazines.
