Jennings Social Media Marketing Celebrates a Decade of Business in June
By Joe Davis, content marketer at JSMM & Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM & VBM
June 2013 marks the 10 year anniversary of Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM). While the company’s core offerings have morphed many times, undergoing several strategic brand changes to overcome social media demands in the marketplace, Valerie Jennings has been at the helm since its founding in June 2003. Clients range from publicly traded to start-up companies, and Jennings attests that her business’ strategic insight into the many layers of social media, SEO, PR and comprehensive online marketing has made her business a success.
Jennings said that many of the clients JSMM represents face turbulent marketplace demands from growth to competition and require consulting, tactical feedback, expertise in a myriad of marketing areas and impeccable analysis to drive ROI. “JSMM is in a great position right now. We have 10 years under our belt and eight years in social media, which creates a very balanced, competitive business model for future growth. Our team is as diversified as our client roster and we look forward to assuming and leading companies’ comprehensive digital marketing!
JSMM started in social media in 2005 with a dirt track racing start-up. “We didn’t even know we were working in social media because it seemed so natural to add an online SEO press release with global distribution to announce this new company. The online results triggered a new layer of services which we branded as social media in addition to our traditional PR portfolio. Today, we are all digital and continue to use the online, SEO press release tool. It’s a great way to show ROI and continue website referral traffic.”
JSMM provides comprehensive social media marketing, e-Newsletters, SEO, PR, digital strategies, social e-commerce, Web design and development and a social media monetization approach for B2B and B2C companies. To review a complete list of services, visit the Our Approach page.
As noted in the previous blog, JSMM has already had an amazing 2013 with no signs of slowing down. Valerie also launched a second company, Viral Bolt Media, in October of 2012. This is a sister company to JSMM, providing YouTube video production and distribution services. It’s starting to take off and Valerie notes she will be driving that company’s vision as well. Don’t forget to check out VBM’s new video blog packages!
Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing valerie@jenningssocialmedia.com or calling 816.221.1040.
JSMM & VBM News Brief!
By Joe Davis, content marketer at JSMM
We have been extremely busy this spring at Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM) and Viral Bolt Media (VBM)! Here are some key highlights from the past several months. Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing valerie@jenningssocialmedia.com or calling 816.221.1040.
- JSMM added eight new clients this spring: The addition of eight new clients has diversified our portfolio and led to a lot of amazing opportunities in JSMM, as well as VBM. Industries range from sports to finance and consumer retail products to commercial interior design and planning. We look forward to building relationship with our new accounts and continuing our relationships with our current accounts for years to come!
- Viral Bolt Media (VBM) rolled out new video blog pricing for the summer: Viral Bolt Media, which is a sister company to JSMM and launched last year, has a video blogging package for every business. Whether you’re a one-man operation or a corporation, each video package can boost your online presence! Valerie Jennings decided to add these new summer rates for clients who want to take advantage of YouTube, but need more easily-consumable content like fast-food for YouTube. Additionally, VBM is still offering high-end promotional style videos, too. Check out the video blog packages.
- New JSMM team members: Josh Coleman, Joe Davis, Brandon Foster and Brianna Suffety joined the JSMM team this spring.
- JSMM’s new services: JSMM featured more services in 2013, which led to the development of a diversified team and offerings! Check out the additional services which has opened up enormous opportunities for the company to have a comprehensive digital and social media strategy for its clients. These projects allow for more advanced ROI reporting, which Valerie Jennings and Josh Coleman are leading together.
- Baby on board (almost): We saved the most exciting news for last. Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM and VBM, is expecting a baby girl in August! Alexa Ann will be arriving soon.
If the first five months are any indication of what is to come, 2013 is going to be a very great year. Keep in touch with us! By-the-way, JSMM is celebrating 10 years in business in June. We will have some special promotional content planned throughout the month! Cheers.
Does Social Media Sell? Influencer Over Purchase & ROI
By Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM
Social media marketing can sell, but what about influence over purchase? In this recent article about social media and sales, some brands still believe that social media shouldn’t be utilized for generating revenue. What a conundrum for a CFO: spend more money on social media but don’t use it for sales? JSMM disagrees. Social media should be utilized for sales for B2C brands and B2B brands should still have a ROI strategy, even if it’s just SEO.
Find out how retailers are making money from social media and how to tap influence over purchasing power.
(Image Source: The Guider Group)
Why Fab proves that social media sells
With high profile brands such as Gap, Gamestop and, in the US, JCPenney, having opened and then subsequently closed Facebook stores (presumably because they weren’t delivering ROI) it would be easy to assume that social media is not suitable for sales – too easy, perhaps.
But those who dig a little deeper may find that opportunities abound if social media is leveraged in the right way.
“We haven’t tried to use social as a sales channel at all. It doesn’t suit our demographic and we’re not a discounter,” argues Andrew Curran, chairman at luxury homewares e-tailer Amara. “Having said that, there are examples – take Fab – of retailers for which social is a significant proportion of what they do and drives a large percentage of their business.”
He’s not wrong. E-commerce site Fab, which specialises in “everyday design” items, grew sales by nearly 300% in January 2013 over January 2012. In Europe alone, 50% of its members have come from social sharing and lead to 33% of revenue in the region. Its member base grew to 11m people, up from 1.5m at the start of last year. With social networking sites and mobile apps forming a significant part of its business model, the innovative company has won a raft of awards.
What is Social Media E-Commerce?
Posted by: Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM
I get a lot of questions about what is on the horizon for social media e-commerce. Here is a quick Q&A regarding the basics of social media e-commerce. If you have additional questions, please post via the comments.
1. What is social e-commerce?
Social e-commerce is the integration of social media and traditional online shopping.
2. Why should brands care?
Social media marketing may generate revenue for B2C brands. Utilizing new social media channels, apps, offers, coupons, etc. brands can capitalize on a quantifiable ROI.
3. How do you measure social e-commerce?
Facebook may be the easiest channels to point to. Its new “offers” feature allows brands to track how many consumers claimed an offer. However, tracking links, coupon codes or landing pages, may be the best way to drive metrics.
Thank you Gus Wagner of Mo.com for Interviewing Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing and Viral Bolt Media, for Her Business Success
Posted by Micah Pratt, president of JSMM
Mo.com, a business entrepreneur website, featuring top executives, professionals and companies, recently interviewed Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM and VBM. Here is the interview.
Valerie Jennings – Jennings Social Media Marketing
Gus: How have you managed to launch Viral Bolt Media by leveraging the experience and success of Jennings Social Media Marketing?
Valerie: I took the best assets of JSMM such as our trade secret monetization process for social media and incorporated it into the new company. I also added additional services, which JSMM was not offering via its trade secret process to add value to the YouTube videos, SEO video content and provide robust user-generated content (UGC) strategies. Additionally, JSMM had a lot of clients that required niche video content, which we were providing, but not in an exclusive model that enhances YouTube video distribution. Moreover, we are excited to test emerging distribution software that will enable clients to upload, distribute and SEO content across thousands of websites, social media channels, games and content platforms. Our biggest advantage is that we have a very secure position in the social media industry, we know how to monetize social media and we are not afraid to take calculated business risks. JSMM and VBM work hand-in-hand to achieve, successful, profitable business techniques for all types of industries, verticals or sizes ranging from startups to publicly traded companies.
Gus: What are your aspirations as a CEO of two companies? Can you share some of your strategies for balancing two demanding positions?
Valerie: It is an insurmountable task, however, I have prepared for this endeavor. I’m not afraid to assume more responsibility, size, clients and staff as long as my current team is ready for the challenge. Our team inside JSMM and VBM are both equally skilled in many areas, but their maturity to manage social media marketing is far superior that many groups out there today. We have many qualified and talented people working across the U.S. in both businesses.
Generally speaking, it is not unheard of for CEOs to have many businesses, however, it’s very difficult to understand the luxuries in life when one is overwhelmed with just work. My work/life balance is skewed more towards work, but in time it will all payoff for everyone involved, including our clients.
Gus: What are some tips for having an effective marketing campaign on You Tube?
Valerie: R&D: There is ample data, research trending topics, apps, SEO tools and even scoring techniques, to find the best and most qualitative research to design a strong creative strategy. Reviewing the right types of data can enhance the right tone, creative, messaging, branding and viral effects, but it can also take your audience to the next level, too. I think planning an aggressive strategy means solid SEO, creative and viral software to enhance the reach, virality, targeted advertising, organic search and maybe sales. If brands want to take advantage of YouTube, they need to know that branding is not just viral via creative tactics; it’s viral because you made it viral by design. Data drives all outcomes.
Gus: What are some emerging trends that you’re excited about or think that our readers should be paying attention to?
Valerie: YouTube is driving more and more sales opportunities and continues to be the best SEO resource for creating content. SEO will never go away but how and why the search engines function the way they do, continues to drive social media marketing. In the future, Google may just say: If you don’t know social, stay off the Web. That is where it’s heading today. All search engine optimization (SEO) and website traffic is being driven by social media engagement, i.e. social media optimization (SMO). Pinterest is also shaping up to be one of the most successful social networks to date. The site continues to demonstrate quality e-Commerce opportunities, website referral traffic and social engagement. If Foursquare could incorporate some of Pinterest’s advantages such as website referral traffic, it might become a better monetization resource down the road. Lastly, blogging is becoming more and more of a thing of the past, and everyone wants images, short messages and engagement. To make blogging work, more visual content and more exploration of what users want to read will become a high priority in the days ahead.
MO: Can you expand on how taking advantage of social media marketing can be one of the most effective ways to increase success of a business?
Valerie: By incorporating the use of social media marketing into an overall business plan, a company can expect to double or triple its user-base in months. If brands can think about their best creative assets, marketing materials and even content, they can build a network around low-hanging fruit that will meet the needs of quality content, engagement metrics and even robust campaigns that spin-off from the lessons learned early on it social media. It’s without a doubt that as more brands jump into social media, they will have a lot of big lessons ahead of them. Companies must think the way their customers, clients, vendors or stakeholders do and emerge themselves into their worlds before they begin talking about big picture social media strategies. Listening is typically how this is defined, however, listening only gets a business so far, if the brand is unfamiliar with SEO trends, analysis, influencer evaluations and even how to go to market fast. Companies that sit around thinking about how to build up huge internal teams are going to find themselves sitting on the sidelines while the more aggressive teams build up internal alliances across corporate communications, sales, marketing, digital and their customer service centers. If a business wants to get a head start into the social media world, think big, go small first and then get aggressive. This is how it works best when a company is just trying to get going.
Gus: What are some tips for brands who want to intrigue customers with new and exciting products via video?
Valerie: Build a content series that will pique the interest of their target audience, influencers and the media. R&D analysis reports will prove which types of content influencers, prospects, clients/customers and the press are interested in and how to combine this with a solid content strategy that supports the brand. The strategy is developing content that supports those points and intercepts somewhere in the middle to engage with a robust audience. Rich and smooth content will go viral. The proof is always in the pudding.
Thanks to Auctioneer Magazine for Publishing Valerie Jennings’ Social Media Marketing Insights
Posted by: Katie Stumpf, Intern at JSMM
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing and Viral Bolt Media, was recently highlighted in Bryan Scribner’s article published in Auctioneer Magazine, the official publication of the National Auctioneers Association. In the article, Jennings gives her thoughts, approaches and strategies on integrating social media into a marketing plan.
Social Media Marketing: Give your customers something to talk about
Inspirational Entrepreneurs Speak About Most Exciting Startup Moments, Featuring Valerie Jennings
Posted by: Katie Stumpf, Intern at JSMM
Kansas City’s most influential technology professionals and enthusiasts discussed the local entrepreneurial spirit at a launch party for Viral Bolt Media (VBM), a YouTube video production and social sharing company.
Watch video: Inspirational Entrepreneurs Speak About Most Exciting Startup Moments
Valerie Jennings, CEO of VBM and Jennings Social Media Marketing, suggests that more people should know of the exciting opportunities for entrepreneurship in the Kansas City area. “Have you looked into all the startups and the amazing entrepreneurs and all the incredible technology companies that we have in this area known for and as Silicon Prairie?” asks Jennings.
Greg Kratofil, attorney at Polsinelli Shughart PC; Kurt Ruf, principal of Ruf Strategic Solutions, praised Jennings on her accomplishments with not one but two startups. “Valerie is one of the people that can do anything,” says Kratofil.
Thank You to Business 2 Community for Publishing Valerie Jennings’ 2013 Predictions
Posted by: Katie Stumpf, Intern at JSMM
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing and Viral Bolt Media, was recently highlighted for her 2013 social media predictions, along with 50+ other experts, in Brian Rice’s article published on Business 2 Community. Read the article.
The Future of Social Media: 50+ Experts Share Their 2013 Predictions
“Sales and marketing will continue to be impacted by organic SEO and SMO via social media. One major change may be the shift away from exclusively focusing on Facebook as a business sales and marketing tool and moving into more advanced programs including sales and marketing strategies that generate sales on Pinterest, Google+ and even FourSquare. If these platforms do not support sales and marketing strategies, other platforms via social networks will evolve quickly in the marketplace until there is one sold and remarkably profitable solution.”
Tech Attorney Praises Valerie Jennings For Being a Cutting Edge Entrepreneur in Kansas City
Posted by: Katie Stumpf, Intern at JSMM
Greg Kratofil, attorney and shareholder at Polsinelli Shughart PC, praised Valerie Jennings, CEO and founder of Viral Bolt Media and Jennings Social Media Marketing. Kratofil is an advocate for tech startups and entrepreneurs in Kansas City. He is involved with numerous tech innovations, acquisitions, patent law and Google Fiber.
Kratofil said he is glad he had the opportunity to work with Valerie and team because they are very easy to work with and very results-oriented.
“Exciting things are going on in the Kansas City area,” said Kratofil. Not only is Kansas City one of the most entrepreneurial cities in America, but Forbes Magazine recently name Kansas City one of the best cities for female entrepreneurs.
“When I think about the future and what things like Google and Google Fiber are bringing to Kansas City, the first thing that comes to mind is that YouTube and videos are going to be such a big part of that,” said Kratofil. He is excited to see what new and cutting edge things Viral Bolt Media will do in the future. “I think VBM is going to be out in the front of what we are doing in Kansas City.”
Kansas City Social Media Marketing Company Shares Top Five Predictions for 2013 Including Pinterest, Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter and Google+
By: Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing
These are my top five social media marketing predictions for 2013. This list may not encompass the trends in the next months ahead, but it’s a fairly adequate outline of what the future looks like.
1) Pinterest continues to monetize social media. However, without an open API platform, it’s a little too soon to see its full potential. Overall, I don’t see any reason why all brands across all industries wouldn’t take advantage of this monetization platform. While social media isn’t just about sales, Pinterest offers brands real value via their pinners by building content that they love, feel inspired by and may feel inclined to purchase. It could be the next best e-commerce platform in the social media marketplace. It’s already one of the top social networks for referring website traffic. I would highly recommend it to all brands.
2) Foursquare will continue to offer monetization opportunities for brands via the check in feature. Foursquare’s recent modifications to allow franchise pages to have one brand a page is a nice addition to tracking data analysis, engagement and ROI. If Foursquare can monetize differently, other than rewards via their check in system, allowing for a more integrated social media campaign which effects all other social networks, it would open up the doors for a more targeted location based campaign. This would trigger insights in geographical markets where consumers engage more heavily via Foursquare. This would also allow the brand to have more confidence in a social media presence with a heavier emphasis on Foursquare where insights prove substantial engagement throughout a local zip code. While Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook synchronize, there is still room for improvement to determine a way in which the location-based model integrates more heavily with Twitter including viral tweets in targeted areas where Foursquare is performing very well for a brand. However, this could improve campaign functionality, engagement, monetization and ROI. Foursquare continues to be one of the best location-based tracking platforms in the social media industry for brands.
3) While Facebook continues to be the top social network for businesses, large and small, there are some challenges ahead for this platform. The first issue is that Facebook is trying to be all things to all people and brands, diluting its social network impact across engagement. This is attributed to the fact that the edge rank scoring model has been changed substantially, affecting a brand’s ability to engage with its fans. Even though brands have the option to engage more readily via the promoted posts, sponsored stories and ads, this is still a paid investment versus the natural model of displaying a brand post to those who have liked the page. Lately, we have noticed a distinct decline in the viral nature of organic posts without utilizing one of Facebook’s paid models across all pages, all industries and sizes from publicly traded to small businesses. If Facebook continues to push brands into the paid model to increase its edge rank score, then this is not a pure social channel. Facebook continues to impress my colleagues and myself, and we know that Facebook will evolve over time to improve its algorithm for brands to purely reach, engage and monetize with its user base. Social networks ads are one of the greatest opportunities to reach a new targeted influential and action-oriented audience. We utilize Facebook ads across all clients, industries and brands, both large and small. There is still great value in tapping into Facebook’s resources. We just hope that Facebook continues to recognize the importance of collaborating with its businesses.
4) Twitter will continue to improve its customer service support while maximizing its reach across industries and large and small brands. We see the best value coming from the customer service elements in which it is very easy to track and measure performance on Twitter while engaging with customers. Complaints on Twitter about brands continue to be the best opportunity for businesses to improve its customer relationship with its audience. While Twitter still doesn’t have the full functionality of Facebook for tracking, analysis, engagement and ROI, its short messages break through the clutter with custom hashtags, SMO and engaging with key online influencers. Key online influencers continue to drive engagement for brands, monetization and ROI. Twitter contests are still extremely valuable for large brands that need to improve engagement and rapport with consumers and influencers. However, smaller businesses are still suffering from too much fragmentation across social networks and will need to rely on Twitter for organic SEO, engagement with influencers and maximizing headline news. ROI is still important on Twitter, although it’s been transformed into more of an influencer metric versus an engagement monetization tool.
5) Google+ is here to stay. If we don’t engage on the platform in the near future, Google will probably erase us off the search map.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments about the 2013 predictions, please reach out to Valerie Jennings via email valerie@jenningsocialmedia.com or via Twitter @ValerieJennings. As always, feel free to leave a comment.
Jennings Social Media Marketing Kicks Off the Holiday Season With Facebook Contest: Enter for a Chance to Win $15,000 in Social Media Services
By Allison McGown, producer of Viral Bolt Media
Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM), a full-service, custom social media agency, is pleased to announce its Facebook campaign in time for the holidays. Enter for a chance to win $15,000 in social media services.
ENTER NOW. To be eligible, review the contest rules.
According to Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM, the contest is designed to attract business owners, marketing professionals and digital media strategists, who want to play in social media without making a serious investment right out of the gate. ”We want to give those naysayers a chance to win with social media without investing any money. The naysayers out there, wherever you are: play the game, enter for a chance to win and see if you get to experience social media for free. Happy holidays!”
Entries must be received by Monday, December 10, 2012.
Viral Bolt Media Launch Party Reviews Best Inspirational Speeches from Top Kansas City Entrepreneurs
By Allison McGown, producer of VBM
Oct 25, 2012 marked the official launch of the Viral Bolt Media (VBM) launch party. Several top Kansas City entrepreneurs and business leaders spoke on behalf of Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing & Viral Bolt Media. Here are some of the most amazing speeches delivered by Valerie Jennings, Butch Rigby, owner of Screenland Theatres; Greg Kratofil, attorney/shareholder at Polsinelli Shughart PC; Steve Roatch, CEO of Twentyseven Global; Greg Elliott, director of business development at 1102 GRAND; and Kurt Ruf, principal of Ruf Strategic Solutions.
Here is something you don’t hear everyday: According to Steve Roatch, CEO of Twentyseven Global, “I am not going to tell her the ROI. It’s positive, it’s large- she would raise my rates!”
The most memorable moment was reviewing all the amazing comments these thought-leaders had to say about Valerie as an entrepreneur and leader in social media.
Butch Rigby, owner of Screenland Theatres, summarized it best when he said; “She was way ahead of her time in terms of social media. The future is in social media! The social media aspect of public relations is still, and has always been, one of the most important parts of business. I was so impressed with this back then. My own business was indeed, probably more reliant on social media. I would say that my business, Screenland Theatres receives 95 percent of its business through social media. The idea now of taking that next step and being a leader with Viral Bolt Media makes sense to me. This is a new way of looking at, what would have been, television commercials. We are getting the picture out in so many avenues and coordinating the avenues. I am not only thrilled to know Valerie as a friend, but as a business associate,” said Rigby.
Jennings Social Media Marketing & Viral Bolt Media want to Thank Everyone Who Attended the Launch Party
By: Allison McGown, producer Viral Bolt Media
We want to thank our guests, clients and friends who attended the Viral Bolt Media Launch (VBM) Party 2012 on October 25 at OfficePort Kansas City. Valerie Jennings, CEO of VBM, was thrilled with the turnout and the amazing speeches that were given by clients, hosts and friends.
Speakers included-
Butch Rigby, owner of Screenland Theatres
Greg Kratofil, attorney/shareholder at Polsinelli Shughart PC
Greg Elliott, business development director at 1102 GRAND
Steve Roatch, CEO of Twentyseven Global
Kurt Ruf, principal of Ruf Strategic Solutions
Hosts included -
Greg Kratofil, attorney/shareholder at Polsinelli Shughart PC
Greg Elliott, business development director at 1102 GRAND
Kurt Ruf, principal of Ruf Strategic Solutions
I had the honor of planning the event and want to thank the caterer, Moxie, Sander Cha for filming the event and OfficePort for providing the venue. I also want to thank our beautiful modes, which artistically displayed the Venetian Carnival costumes.
JSMM is Excited to Announce It Will Stream the Viral Bolt Media Launch Party Live on Facebook & Twitter
Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM) is thrilled to be streaming the Viral Bolt Media (VBM) Launch Party live on its Facebook page Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 6-7:30 p.m. CST. The event will celebrate Valerie Jennings’ second company, VBM, a YouTube video production and social sharing company.
Jennings said she is so excited to be hosting an event along with Greg Kratofil, Greg Elliott and Kurt Ruf. “We are going to celebrate the new company with so many amazing professionals, friends, family and colleagues on Thursday. I hope everyone comes out to enjoy themselves and the wonderful Venetian theme we are kicking off. I look forward to working with so many talented professionals in the Kansas City area.”
The live video stream will be featured on the JSMM and VBM Facebook pages. The stream will also be featured on Twitter, @ValerieJennings. Speeches will be delivered at 7 p.m.
Viral Bolt Media, a YouTube Video Production & Social-Sharing Company, Announces Launch Party at OfficePort
Posted by: Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager of Jennings Social Media Marketing
Viral Bolt Media (VBM), a YouTube video production and social-sharing company, is hosting a launch party at OfficePort on Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 6-7:30 p.m.
Valerie Jennings, CEO and founder, is excited to invite many prestigious businesses in the local area to celebrate the new company. ”We are so excited to announce Viral Bolt Media in Kansas City, and want to thank everyone who has already demonstrated their support, enthusiasm and signed contracts with our new business. VBM will be an extremely complementary company to Jennings Social Media Marketing, which I have owned for more than nine years. Please join us in celebrating this next endeavor,” said Jennings.
Hosts include Greg Kratofil, shareholder and attorney at Polsinelli Shughart; Greg Elliott, director of business development at 1102 GRAND; and Kurt Ruf, principal of Ruf Strategic Solutions.
To RSVP, call 816.221.1040 or send an email to info@jenningssocialmedia.com.
Welcome Allison McGown to the JSMM Team!
By Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager of Jennings Social Media Marketing
Allison McGown was hired as an executive administrative assistant to Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM. McGown attends the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is working to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal Communications and her minor in Business Administration.
She is the co-chair of the UMKC College Republicans and enjoys volunteering with conservative political events. Fashion and social media take high priority in McGown’s day-to-day life. McGown has a passion for advertising, journalism and fashion.
Jennings Social Media Marketing Attends KCnext Summer Networking Event 2012
By Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager of Jennings Social Media Marketing
The technology industry in Kansas City has significantly evolved since its inception. Jennings Social Media Marketing is proud to be a part of the Kansas City community and is honored to see how far Silicon Prairie has come!
There was a lot to celebrate and discuss at this year’s KCnext summer networking event, ranging from Google Fiber, arriving in Kansas City, to what is next for the technology community.
Each year we look forward to attending this networking event. It gives us the chance to see old friends while making new ones. We would like to extend a big thank you to KCnext for hosting this event and we are already looking forward to next year!
Pictured above, Micah Pratt, director of Jennings Social Media Marketing, Steve Roatch, CEO of Twentyseven Global and Allison McGown, executive administrative assistant at Jennings Social Media Marketing
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing, Presenting Today for PRNewswire’s Webinar: Agile Engagement Unlocked: Building Communications Dexterity in 6 Steps
Posted by: Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager of Jennings Social Media Marketing
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing, will be presenting today, during PRNewswire’s webinar: Agile Engagement Unlocked: Building Communications Dexterity in 6 Steps. The free webinar will provide a six-step framework for success. The webinar will detail, the changing media landscape that calls for agile engagement, as well as, the six steps of the agile engagement process and the business rewards of agile engagement.
The agile engagement webinar will take place at 12PM CST. Register for the event here. There is still room to register for this unique event.
For more information, check out the PRNewswire website.
Thank You to The Kansas City Star for Featuring Jennings Social Media Marketing: Today’s youths aren’t buying into gloomy forecasts
Posted by: Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager of Jennings Social Media Marketing
Thank you to the Kansas City Star for interviewing Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing, and Alli Heitzenrater, intern at Jennings Social Media Marketing, about how new graduates are entering into the work force in a unique way.
Alli Heitzenrater and Valerie Jennings
The traditional 9-to-5 workplace is yesterday’s route to fulfillment, said Valerie Jennings, 33, who launched Leawood-based Jennings Social Media Marketing nine years ago this month. “It’s a completely different culture, a completely different mindset,” said Jennings, whose company encourages its young staff to broaden their skills by working for a variety of part-time employers. “We don’t want to own them, and they don’t want to be owned. We want them to be entrepreneurial and multidimensional, to lead healthy lifestyles. That’s more important to us than telling them how to live,” because, she said, a happy and unencumbered worker performs better (even when lacking benefits). Recently, she flew in a 2012 graduate of Penn State, Ali Heitzenrater, for internship training. Heitzenrater’s previous internship was for a magazine aimed at college-age women. All 35 or 40 interns worked from their homes, unpaid but earning course credits so long as they hadn’t already graduated. “I like working from home a lot,” said Heitzenrater, who is schooled in creative writing. “It feels pretty independent … but in 10 years I hope I have only one place of work.” Their knack for new technologies will help them seize the future, many millennials believe. Facebook this summer is paying some engineering interns $6,000 a month, fostering the impression that the digital age is poised to create lucrative jobs, not kill them.
Read the entire article here.
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing, To Participate As IABC World Conference Panelist in Chicago
Written by: Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager of Jennings Social Media Marketing
Valerie Jennings, CEO and founder of Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM), is scheduled to participate as a panelist during the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) World Conference in Chicago during a sponsored session by Marketwire.
Jennings is looking forward to bringing her experience and expertise to the international conference. “I am honored to be participating during the social media sessions sponsored by Marketwire. We have worked hard internally to educate ourselves about the latest trends, insights and tactics. Our case studies illustrate quantifiable metrics for the travel, technology, health care, entertainment, real estate and automotive industries across the U.S. and overseas. I want to thank Marketwire for this amazing opportunity,” said Jennings.
The IABC conference will be divided into sessions that feature seven professional development tracks which will offer state-of-the art research and thought-provoking workshops. In addition, the conference will provide learning opportunities on how to approach the plentiful possibilities in the new business environment during the next three years and beyond, while featuring speakers from around the globe.
JSMM Teaches Social Media Marketers New Tactics at KC Summit
By: Tumara Rogers, Social Media Marketer, Jennings Social Media Marketing
Valerie Jennings - CEO and Founder, Tumara Rogers - Social Media Marketer
During Jennings Social Media Marketing’s opening day of the summit to educate the new team members, I am outnumber by the new interns . Thirteen years in corporate America with the self-coined nickname as corporate guru, the view from a new way of approaching business is exciting and a little frightening. JSMM is moving forward at lighting speeds to keep up with the ever-changing social media industry. The mentality of eat or be eaten creates a breathtaking view from here. As the information flows fluidly from the founder Valerie Jennings to our eager and hungry minds, I am reminded of the changing times.
Social media is a virtual world comprised of many new ways of approaching marketing within a company. The old way of traditional marketing thinking doesn’t fit the social media market. By getting a firsthand educational lesson from a veteran in the industry the reality of how quickly this industry pivots is apparent in the lesson activities of the day. Facebook posts are focused on visual content and happy go lucky daily posts, while Twitter focuses on articles and shout outs to great articles. The realization that every media platform has different needs and user desires is beyond apparent.
As corporate America strives to stay consistent and predictable, the social media world is changing the face of business. JSMM has continued the social media virtual world into the company culture. Embracing virtual life has a freedom every corporate cubical junkie desires. Congratulations Jennings Social Media Marketing for continually morphing and successfully leading the future of social media and business in America.
Jennings Social Media Marketing Reviews Best Practices for Managing Online Reviews
Written by: Chelsea Lewis, social media marketing manager, of Jennings Social Media Marketing
United Airlines learned a few things when sonsofmaxwell posted a YouTube video about their company. The video was a catchy song that addressed the fact that the airline had broken his guitar. The video now has over 12 million hits. United Airlines learned the hard way how important it is to manage reviews, comments and posts made about your company.
When creating a social media campaign, companies have to think about every single detail. Ranging from what kind of picture to use on a Facebook post to how to manage and review comments made about your company online. If one negative comment is over looked or not addressed it could spell disaster.
Rody Moore recently wrote an article for Mashable, detailing the top four ways to manage online reviews. The simple fact is, consumers read reviews and the more postive reviews the more success a company can reach. The top four strategies included; companies need to pay attention to what customers say, how often reviews are being posted, promote your reputation on the web and respond to every review personally. Companies need to manage and monitor their online reviews before they end up owing someone a whole lot of guitars.
Here are the key findings from the article:
When Carmen Popa opened her acne treatment center, Luminosity Acne Skincare in North Carolina, she quickly realized how valuable online reviews were to attracting new customers. “Clients often mentioned that it was the positive reviews that encouraged them to try out my business,” she says.
Research shows that online reviews strongly influence buying behavior, with nearly half of American consumers stating that they are more likely to visit a business after reading a positive online review. That makes review websites such as Yelp, Google Places, and Citysearch online archives of consumer opinions on how a business compares to similar shops.
Jennings Social Media Marketing Celebrates 9 Years in Business in Kansas City
By Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing
In June 2012, Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM), will be celebrating its nine year anniversary. It’s been a long road, but we are still here and loving the social media marketing industry. When I began in June 2003, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or that we would manage a team of amazing people from across the country. It is a blessing to look back and see all of the wonderful people we have worked with, recognized, trained and promoted. The knowledge we have acquired during the course of running this company has been phenomenal. Kansas City has been good to me and to the business. I can’t imagine working in any other city. Kansas City is a place where the locals will embrace an up and coming professional from out of town. Thank you, Kansas City.
Regarding our name, we started as Jennings Public Relations and Advertising, and amended the name after working in social media for several years. The evolution of our business drove the transformation of the brand, not the other way around. Now, we can say JSMM has a global portfolio of outstanding clients from tech to entertainment that have made this company unique from the rest in the industry. We were handed opportunities that many would have enjoyed winning, and we embraced them. It’s our blessing to be able write this blog post today. Thank you to everyone who has made an important mark on this company.
Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM with Micah Pratt, director of JSMM, enjoying another day at the office.
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing and Dan Kiser of Google attended the Inside KC Tech event held by FiberKC.
Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM with Micah Pratt director of JSMM on a trip to Florida to work with longtime client, Wyndham Vacation Ownership. JSMM is proud to have such a strong client portfolio.
Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM and T.J. Bloom, COO of MDL Technology.
Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing, Featured on Entrepreneur Website MO.com
By: Micah Pratt, director of Jennings Social Media Marketing
I am very excited to announce that Valerie Jennings is now being featured on MO.com, a website that specializes in interviews with entrepreneurs from various industries including online marketing, PR and business development.
Valerie will be a subject matter writer, sharing her expertise and industry news on social media, Internet marketing, SEO and SMO. Valerie’s biography, as well as Jennings Social Media Marketing’s, can be found here. Make sure to bookmark the page below so that you can check her articles out in the future!
MO.com interviews entrepreneurs from all walks, across all industries, and from around the world. We focus on their habits and methods; what makes them tick. The primary focus of MO.com is entrepreneurship.
M.O. is the abbreviation for Modus Operandi or Method of Operating and we interview entrepreneurs to learn about their methods and to share their strategies and business philosophies with our readers.
Valerie Jennings 
Cassie Stubs
Katie Stumpf
