Want to know more about social media marketing from an industry expert who shares our core value of "when women gather, connect and share - incredible things happen"? Then this interview is just what you are after GF! Today, I'm chatting with Gianni Martinez, Social Media Marketing expert and founder of Girl Socially for our latest #mymoderncareer interview. We talk all about Gigi finding her true passion and creating her own business, providing a women focused service, Gigi's most rewarding projects so far, some social media advice and why empowering women is so important to her. I know Gigi is the real deal because I have been working with her over the past month with one of her beautiful clients and can honestly say not only is she a huge supporter of women and helping them to glow and grow, she also knows her stuff! Let's get into the interview...
Hi Gianni, thank you for joining me today for our #mymoderncareer series and sharing your journey so far. Let's kick things off with a bit about your background, both professionally and personally.
I studied Communications in Media in college and as for my Masters, I went on to further my education in Digital Marketing and Advertising. Currently, I live in Tampa, Florida with my two roommates! I decided to make this my full time career when I had my first internship. I just knew that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I love the creative side just as much as I love the strategy side of my profession.
Now let's chat all about Girl Socially, your amazing social media marketing agency! When did Girl Socially start and how did it come to be?
I’ve always wanted to have my own business. I remember wanting to start my own business as early as my teenage years. I always knew I would start one, but I just thought it would be way later in life. But, when I started interning and working in social media marketing I realized that maybe this could be it. This might just be the business I’d always been wanting to start. Girl Socially captures all the things that I am passionate about. At first, I became a social media coordinator for a company working from home and then looked at the possibility of taking this further and getting more clients. I did some research and decided that starting Girl Socially was more attainable than I thought. I worked on my website, girlsocially.com, and hired a graphic designer for my logo. I went on to decide what my services would entail and how I would price my packages. From there, everything else pretty much happened really fast. I started reaching out to potential clients and before you know it this became my full time job.
Girl Socially believes that when women gather, connect and share - incredible things happen. I couldn't agree more,Gianni, and it's exactly what we are all about here at TDP. How do you live this belief in your business and for your beautiful clients?
I think there’s something so special and magnetic about the things that happen when women come together. When women come together, the energy is so different - in the best way possible. But as soon, as a man steps in the room the dynamic completely changes. What I would love for every woman to know is that once we unlock our inner power, there is no stopping us. We can do it all.
Girl Socially specialises in working with female owned brands, how do you provide that more focused service that is especially tailored for women in business?
This can go both ways! So yes, I love working with female owned brands because that is my niche. I want to continue helping fellow female entrepreneurs reach their business goals. What’s fascinating is that US women-owned businesses generate $1.8 trillion a year and 40% of US businesses are women-owned. We've made great strides, but there is so much left for us to create and uncover. So yes, I work with female owned businesses majority of the time. But, that's not to say that I wouldn't sign on a client who isn't a female owned business. I also allow myself to work with businesses who serve mostly women regardless of who owns the company especially if I'm particularly interested in what they have to offer. This is because I understand how to market to females being one myself. I understand our purchasing behavior and how to market to females. Did you know that women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions? So, to me, it makes sense to be specialized in working with female brands.
The really awesome thing about working for myself is that I get to decide what companies I work with so I’m always really excited and interested in the service, product, or industry they’re in. I am so passionate about the work that my clients do. I believe in them and in their business wholeheartedly!
"I believe that when your company is glowing online with it's presence, its going to grow. That is just bound to happen because your brand is being the best version of itself when it is glowing. Just like when a person is glowing, they are radiating this inner beauty and staying true to themselves."
- Gianni Martinez
I'd love to explore the Girl Socially service offering, what are your key services and ways you work with businesses to get the results they want when it comes to social media marketing?
My main services are social media management, influencer marketing, and public relations. With social media management, my clients get everything they need from feed posts, hashtag research and strategy, reels, captions, etc. This is actually my most common service. With social media management, I'll create a customized plan for them based on their goals and what they're looking for. Influencer marketing is so fun to me because this is where I’ll reach out to influencers and ask to see if they’d be interested in working with my client. Influencer marketing is growing so fast and is really helpful to most brands! And, with public relations, this relates to getting my client featured on podcasts, blog posts, giveaways, etc. Public relations is way more important than people realize. I always love getting new PR clients!
Some of my clients have even asked me to create a blog, do email marketing, manage their SEO, and even create websites for them and I am always more than happy to do so. Those aren’t my main services but they are great add ons (that’s what I call them at least!). I am always willing to help in any way I can!
Your mission is believing in the power of girls and knowing that the future belongs to us! Why is this such an important part of the fabric of Girl Socially and for you personally?
Yes! The future does belong to us It’s so important to me because believing in females and female empowerment, in general, is something that I have always been so passionate about ever since I could remember. It just made sense for me to have a business that incorporates two things that I’m passionate about: social media marketing and female empowerment. It’s what I believe in so I am that much more invested in my clients’ work because I want to empower them and their business. I love seeing women in the entrepreneurial space because it means we're overcoming the effects of the glass ceiling.
What has been one of the most rewarding projects that you have worked on so far?
I helped manage a book launch. The book is called, “At Least You Look Good” and it was so successful! It was a great experience and in that project, I was essentially doing all of my services: social media management, influencer marketing, and public relations. It was extremely rewarding because we surpassed all of our goals and that was just the best feeling ever!
What advice do you have for business owners or personal brands who are feeling stuck or perhaps a bit lost with their social media?
You need a social media plan! Plan out what you’re going to do ideally a month in advance. If you can’t get a month’s worth of content at least try to get two weeks worth of content planned out. Once you have a plan, you can start to notice any trends and go from there. Do whatever feels right and performs well! Make sure you’re always providing value in your content. This will make your followers engage with your content. Provide valuable content whether it be tips, how tos, or even share a relatable meme! Every audience is different, so it's hard to say what will work. But, planning out content in advance will give you a great overview of your feed so you're not scrambling to find something to post last minute.
As far as feeling stuck or uninspired, I usually ask myself, "What would this audience want to see me post?" I put myself in their shoes. I identify what they want to see, so that I'm consistently providing them with value.
Tell me more about your approach to helping brands "Glow and Grow"
I believe that when your company is “glowing” online with its presence, it’s going to grow. That is just bound to happen because your brand is being the best version of itself when it’s glowing. Glowing can mean so many different things. Just like when a person is glowing, they are radiating this inner beauty and staying true to themselves. They are living out their purpose and mission. So, my approach is that your brand will glow + grow socially! Hence, the name Girl Socially. They go together! When you glow online, you will grow socially.
Where can we find you?
Find us over at Girl Socially on Instagram: @girlsocially and I am at @girlyygigi, check out the website www.girlsocially.com or connect via email gianni@girlsocially.com.
Thanks so much Gianni for chatting with me today, sharing your career journey and some really insightful information on social media marketing. Thank you for all of the amazing work you are doing and supporting women through Girl Socially, you rock!
Hayley x