Getting to know you

Well hello there! 

If you follow PMQ Pizza Magazine on Facebook or Twitter, you may have noticed a recent surge in posts last week. The reason being is that it was my first week on the job as the new Social Media Director for PMQ Pizza Magazine.

First, you may be asking, what is a social media director? And that is exactly what I hope to expound upon with this blog, not only to track the changes we are making here at PMQ, but also to give you insights into the ever-changing world that is social media. A social media director wears a few different hats. Among the top responsibilities for such a job is:

• Create the social media strategy both for short and long-term.
• Post on social media (that one should go without saying!).
• Coordinate with PMQ employees to ensure the effectiveness and adoption of relevant social media techniques
• Coordinate the planning of social media campaigns
•  Provide benchmarks and analyze data
•  Monitor and comment on trends in social media and refocus goals based on changing trends
•   Monitor the competition and be aware of market changes

To be a social media director, one must be:

• creative
• diplomatic
• cool under pressure
• strong at interpersonal and presenting skills
•  skilled at project management
• organized
• knowledgeable of social media and networking platforms
• able to build a strong network of peers and partners

But most importantly, one must have the time to be able to do it right. That is the struggle for many small businesses today. But if you don’t have the resources to hire someone full-time, there are still many strategies and tips to help make your online presence felt without consuming your entire day.

A little about me

I have worked in the print news industry at a daily paper for the last five years while volunteering my free time to help run a film festival where I did the social media for both. I attended Cal State San Marcos for my bachelor’s in literature and writing studies degree with a minor in film and the University of Mississippi for my master’s in higher education and student personnel. I’ve worked previously as a secretary, in politics, as a tutor and even spent a couple years at Papa John’s Pizza when living in Escondido, CA. I look forward to working at PMQ for many years to come.

Now about you

I have spent the first week on the new job researching and getting to know you. While I will continue to work on finding out more about what social media you are using in the coming weeks, early results show that about 50-60% of you are on Facebook and less than that on Twitter and Google + with only a handful on MySpace.

As for Yelp, Foodspotter, UrbanSpoon and other various foodie sites out there, a lot of you are listed but there are just as many that are not.

My hope is in the coming months we can learn together as partners and that I can help you navigate your way to a successful online profile that will boost customer recognition, reviews and hopefully, even, sales.

What are you most looking for out of social media? How can PMQ help you with your online presence?

And if you haven’t liked us, tweeted at us or followed us yet, be sure to do so today so you can follow along on this new journey with us.