5 From 5 Fold

Five Questions With Natasha Reeves, 5 Fold Social Media Manager

Welcome to this edition of 5 From 5 Fold. Each month, we’ll ask a different member of the 5 Fold Marketing team five questions about themselves, what their job is like, and what they see as the future of marketing.

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Natasha Reeves is the Social Media Manager for 5 Fold Marketing. We sat down with her to chat about how the industry, social media storytelling, and her favorite vacation ever.

1. Where did you grow up, and where’d you go to college? How’d you get into working with social media?

I grew up in Prescott, Arizona. I went to college at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff. I actually got into social media work because I applied to an opening for a journalist, and the company instead offered me a social media position. I said, “Why not? Let’s see how it goes.” It turned out that I really liked it!

At first, I worried that I wasn’t going to get to write or do much. But, then I learned that there was a whole industry behind the position. There’s actually strategy, writing, and creativity.

There’s a lot you can do, and the industry is always changing. So, you’re never going to be bored. Also, you never know what new social media platform could be on the rise and be the new thing.

2. Why is “good” social media so important to marketing campaigns? What, in your opinion, separates “okay” social media from stuff that’s actually good or has an impact?

The most important things are building your brand and reaching people on a more personal and local level. There’s a lot of different ways to go about building a social media campaign, but you want to stand out in some way, whether it’s being informational and helping your audience or having very creative content going out.

It’s all about standing out in the noise and building up what you want your brand to represent.

Things that I emphasize: originality, simplicity, and being relatable. [Read Natasha’s column on successful social media strategy]

3. How do you stay on top of the constant changes in the social media world? What are some of the most impactful changes you’ve seen?

To stay on top of this industry, you have to be proactive. Seek out courses, webinars, and certifications such as Facebook Blueprint.

You really have to go out and look for what’s changing in social media; it’s not always going to be sent to you or just there. Be proactive when it comes to updates and changes.

4. Where do you see the industry going in the future? Is it more toward that storytelling format?

It probably is. I think social media, at its core, has always been about storytelling. I think it’s just going to evolve even further. Personally, I’m pretty curious to see how it’s going to evolve. It’s really hard to predict. Social started out as MySpace—sort of this old format of having a profile—and now it’s getting dynamic to where it’s all about video and interactive elements.

The future relies on new forms of storytelling. That’s what will make new social media platforms.

5. What is the role of businesses on Facebook and other social media platforms? In what ways do they interact with people, and how does that expand their portfolio and reach?

I think it’s in two ways: one, either being very informational about something useful to their audience, or two, making people feel good about something. For example, Dove [soap] runs a lot of campaigns about self-image, which makes people feel positive and good.

Or, there’s informational, where a company is sharing a lot of information about the services or products it provides along with useful industry knowledge, without using the tactics of white noise promotions.

A good example of this is Whole Foods, which does partake in the typical grocery store content of recipes and food, but also is proactive in educating people on labels, nutrition, etc. Pampers also does a good job at giving advice to soon-to-be parents.

Bonus: What is the coolest vacation you’ve ever taken?

I studied abroad in Ireland. That was my favorite trip and experience, although I’m not sure you could call it a ‘vacation.’ I got a unique experience to study Irish literature and myths.

As for vacations, I’ve always loved my vacation up in Washington state. It was beautiful. It was by Mount Olympus and I got to see a lot of wildlife and marine life at the same time.