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Part-Time Social Media Consultant Who Took Her Business from $0 - $1000/month on the Side in Just a Few Short Months
CASE STUDY #8
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Meet Janet KennedyWebsite: GetSocialHealth.com
https://www.getsocialhealthacademy.com/
Twitter @jkennedy93, @GetSocialHealth
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I have been an active social media user in my community. An early adopter, I had an opportunity to learn from and interact with some of the best in local interactive marketing. I found that my knowledge was constantly being solicited. I joined with two other socially savvy friends to deliver a free workshop on social media that was so well received that the class encouraged us to go into business. I made a decision that I could only drink so many free cups of coffee… so the business was born.
UPDATE to Question #1In the beginning I wanted to make a $1,000 a month for side money - vacation money - to put away for retirement. However the economy has changed and not only did I want to do this - I HAD to do this.
Once I committed to the idea of becoming a social media manager, multiple streams of income opened up and a lot more opportunity was presented to me. I’m actually shocked at how much business opportunity is out there. Now my challenge is to develop the systems and processes to take the business and share that work load.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to make the decision to become a part-time Social Media Consultant. When did you get started and what were you doing before?
QUESTION # 1
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Time management was (and still is) a big issue. Working a full time job I wanted to be sure that I was managing my business on my own time, which is hard if you need to visit a client. They understood my schedule and were able to work with me on timing. The other issue was having the confidence that my knowledge was worth paying for. A free cup of coffee in exchange for “advice” is one thing but asking for hundreds of dollars for information that should drive business took a different kind of courage.
UPDATE to Question #2In the beginning I had challenges around what’s called the “imposter syndrome” but once I was working as a social media manager I realized I knew more than I thought. I had a solid knowledge base and relevant work experience so that feeling faded away.
Now my biggest challenge is be more focused on what types of work I will take on and where I can add a team member or two so I can build a business, a real business.
What were some of your early challenges when you first got started doing this work?
QUESTION # 2
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I work nights and weekends. And maximize coffee at 8am and my lunch hour. Since I love this business and have a passion for it, it’s not a burden. As I have become more experienced, proficient and confident, the time has been cut down so the only thing being sacrificed is a clean house. One more client and I can afford an occasional cleaning service!
UPDATE to Question #3One of the things that happened early on is my day job wanted a focus in health care. I was interested but needed to learn more about the industry. That’s how the podcast “Get Social Health” got started. I needed more information on the unique aspects of the healthcare industry and to my mind the fastest way to learn was to start a podcast. If I needed to learn something I would find someone to interview and learn at the same time. Pretty soon the podcast got traction and I was able to expanded on the network I had created and thought leaders started seeking me out.
You have a current business – how have you juggled the time it took to build up this new stream of income?
QUESTION # 3
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Initially, my business focused on any kind of small businesses but when laser-focused on healthcare it opened more opportunities. It has taken over two years to get to this place however, so it’s not a “quick fix.”
In the beginning I let things slide at home - every minute was spent working on my business - 14 hour days working on the computer. But once the clients started to come in I found the time and energy to clean my own house. Business success, even small successes, gave me an energy boost for all parts of my life. It also gave me the freedom to say, “slow down and take a night off.”
ContinuedQUESTION # 3
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My biggest fear/concern was not the social media or marketing advice. I have been in the field for many years. I have never worked for myself, however, and was very concerned that I didn’t know what it took to set up and run a free-lance business. SMMS was a complete source of information, tools and content that took me off of “square one” and put me in the game right away. If I had to create all the documents, forms, tracking lists and contracts myself I would still be working for free coffee.
UPDATE to Question #4There’s always something new to learn. You can’t know it all and I’m not an expert in everything. Therefore Social Media Manager School is my go-to place for group brainstorming, thought leadership and support. If I have a win or a problem the community is the place to support all of it.
How has Social Media Manager School helped you in your journey?
QUESTION # 4
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I would have had my partner join the Social Media Manager School. I am moving faster than she can keep up at this time. However the real issue is being confident enough to demand the rate my work deserves. Had to turn money down but if I only have a certain number of hours available I need to maximize the time available to the highest revenue-generating clients.
UPDATE to Question #5Since my last interview my business has changed. In my original business concept my business partner and I did not have an equal set of skills. Whereas my new partnership is a nice balance of skills, capabilities and network. I got her in SMMS right away so she has access to all the info too. Now we have a shared reference for content, business structure and learning. This is very helpful for our business arrangement.
What things would you do differently if you were starting over?
QUESTION # 5
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Know your stuff. Just because you want to be a social media manager does not make you an expert. Join the platforms, learn them and give good advice. Nothing will drag the category down faster than “specialists” who only know one thing. I would also say there is a learning curve to jumping into a vertical you don’t know. Make sure you allocate time to learn that business so you can perform well for your clients. If you have strength in a particular business, learn that vertical well and find other similar businesses to maximize your knowledge. Plus develop the resources to turn to handle some of the things you can’t do like photography, copy writing, etc.
UPDATE to Question #6If I had to advise a person new to this world of social media management - I would suggest that you find a non-profit that you love or a small business that loves you and do the social media work for free. As long as they know you are learning as you go and they are good with that, you can learn how to do everything. But it has to be a relationship with the freedom to try things out and learn how things work - make mistakes with no judgement. Then once you have experience you can officially open up your services to other people.
What advice would you give to anyone who was thinking about becoming a social media consultant or manager?
QUESTION # 6
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I have a good reputation which has helped open doors since I don’t really advertise my business. I started my career in radio as a copy writer so I am comfortable writing short form copy that is needed in social media (and think I’m pretty funny). I also like people and engaging with them so social media is a perfect way to extend that skill into a broader arena.
UPDATE to Question #7The business opportunities are there because of the extensive networking that I do. I rarely have to do cold calling and an invitation to be a guest on my podcast has opened a number of doors.. The clients I have now came from the people in my network who have direct experience with me and my reputation in this field and recommend wonderful people to me.
What do you think have been some of the real keys to your success?
QUESTION # 7
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My focus has been on two different targets: “Mom & Pop” brick and mortar local retailers and the healthcare space. For local businesses, social media has been a huge sea-change. Their challenge is that traditional media is too expensive, too fragmented and does not deliver the returns it used to.
Unfortunately, social media is not a perfect panacea. So the biggest challenge is what these businesses need is a marketing manager first and a social media consultant second. With my background, that’s not hard, but could be a challenge for non-marketers entering the field.
In the healthcare space I consult, teach and present webinars on social media and HIPAA compliance. There is a huge opportunity here but I have to build a reputation, which takes time.
What excites me is seeing that there is potential to make both of these specialties a full-time business. The challenge; to know when the time is is right and when I have enough baseline clients to make the move.
What are you seeing in your business now? What are you excited about going forward? Are you planning on going full time with this?
QUESTION # 8
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UPDATE to Question #8The biggest difference between this last interview and now is I have a strong focus in the healthcare space. No more retail Mom and Pop. It makes my business more efficient by just working within this niche.
I now need to hire some help. I need people who can do the research part of my business so I can work on the strategy and execution. My goal is to make healthcare more personal and this is hard for those companies who have been relying on auto tweets.
Continued QUESTION # 8
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Create a podcast in order to connect with industry leaders
Add team members with an equal set of skills
Start with a non-profit to hone your skills Niche to be more efficient in your work
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WHATS NEXT?
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