Dee Boswell-Buck is an emerging social media queen. She went back to school after having her baby to become certified in Social Media Marketing and is now officially a #mompreneur. Read our interview with the lovely Dee below…
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
I was very lonely socially while on maternity leave with my baby girl and it was a confusing time as a new mom. I started a mommy group on Meetup.com and posted the type of events that would be interesting to stay at home moms. Within a week I had 40 members and in a year I was at 450. I started a blog and created a Twitter account and Facebook page both of them grew to over 800 followers. Before returning to work I updated my LinkedIn account with what I did and found out that companies paid people to manage their social feeds. And with that I went back to school as a part-time student and became certified in Social Media Marketing.
Tell us about your business.
I started a Social Media Consulting company that helps start-ups reach their target audience with their brand voice and through the right Social Media Platforms.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
With my company focus on social media, I felt it was important to develop my social platforms first. I started with my blog, Facebook Page, Twitter, and I began to incorporate posts about building my business on Instagram. I also set myself up on Google plus and LinkedIn.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
I use my blog to inform about my business and share social media tips. I use Twitter and Instagram to draw my audience back to my blog. I share my posts on Twitter at 1pm and on Instagram after 6pm. I use catchy phrases and appropriate keywords in my hashtags.
What has been your biggest challenges so far?
My biggest challenge has been being comfortable with my prices.
My other one is how much time I spend on social media. It’s so easy to click on something that has nothing to do with my current project.
How did you overcome these challenges?
To overcome this, I have researched the competition to see what services they offer as well as how much they charge. And for my time management I have literally had to create a schedule for myself and make sure I stick to it and move on to the next tasks at the times assigned.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
To keep myself motivated I have to remember not to focus on the fact that others offer this service. Otherwise I begin to worry about if people are second guessing my experience.
What is the best advice you have received lately?
The best advice I received was from my husband and it was over paying for my professional photos. He said, “You have to invest in yourself and your business.” Purchasing my photos was one of the best decisions made. They have given me so much credibility and I look like a powerhouse!
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
The best advice I have for business owners is to build your lists. That is my goal this summer. Even if you don’t have something to offer collect emails until you do. You can have them to launch your product or service and even start an online group.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
I love using Co-Schedule to posts my clients’ content ahead of time on their social platforms. I also enjoy Pinterest where I have organized my boards with all things social media that I use later to share in my articles.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
· Twitter @DeeBoswellBuck
· Pinterest @DeeBoswellBuck
· Instagram @deeboswell_buck
· Facebook www.facebook.com/
· Google+ www.plus.google.com/
· LinkedIn Dee Boswell-Buck
· Personal Blog – How to Authentically Grow a Meaningful Audience read it here.
· Hashtags #ladyboss #femalebusinessowner #femaleentrepreneur #socialmediaconsultant #socialmediamarketing #
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
I really enjoy starting my morning off reading posts from Social Media Examiner. I find it informative and a great way to stay up-to-date about social media.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
As usual my goals include building my business but most of all grow my Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram to 1000 Followers each with engaging posts and obtaining leads from them.