{"id":747,"date":"2017-04-12T15:53:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-12T22:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/futuresharks.com\/?p=747"},"modified":"2020-11-02T13:01:28","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T21:01:28","slug":"katie-melissa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futuresharks.com\/katie-melissa\/","title":{"rendered":"Katie Melissa Drops Gold Marketing & E-Commerce Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the age of 21, Katie began feeling out of place in college. The monotonous everyday routine was all but fulfilling. She knew she wanted to create something big and make a change in her life, as well as in others lives, as soon as possible. A few months after putting her college career on hold, her e-commerce business soared to 30k monthly gross sales. From then on, she knew she wanted to harness the power of online business and help others along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

City where you\u2019re from:<\/b> Carmel, California<\/span><\/p>\n

Hobbies: <\/b>E-commerce, digital marketing, meeting people, spreading value, learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Favorite quote: \u201c<\/b>What would you do if you knew you could not fail?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Twitter<\/b>: @<\/span>katie__melissa<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook:<\/strong> <\/span>katiemelissaryan<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Hey Katie, why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?<\/span><\/h3>\n

I decided to become an entrepreneur after realizing I wanted to create. I knew I didn\u2019t want to work towards someone else\u2019s dreams, but rather, my own. I believe many people want this as well, but some may not see a clear path or feel empowered enough to make the change. <\/span><\/p>\n

Who were your biggest influences? Was there a defining moment in your life? <\/span><\/h3>\n

Kathleen Ryan (Mom), John Ryan (Dad), Sarah Naso (great grandmother), and many others. I am grateful for having such a supportive family rooting me on to follow my dreams. I wouldn\u2019t be where I am today if it wasn\u2019t for them. When I was young, around age 8, my mom started taking me to Boglehead events where I started gaining an awareness about investing and business from Vanguard Group founder and investor, John C. Bogle. Also, growing up, I would hear stories of my great grandma Sarah who was an exceptional businesswoman. She owned several shops in Carmel-by-the-Sea and worked as a CPA. She excelled in her business pursuits and challenged gender stereotypes of the time. I have looked up to her throughout my life. Lastly, a portion of my entrepreneurial influence comes from my dad, John. John made his way through life working for himself and at times, bending the rules. I certainly know where this side of me comes from!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now<\/b><\/h3>\n

What are you working on? How did you come up with this idea? <\/span><\/h3>\n

I am currently focusing on my digital marketing agency which launched in early April. <\/span>Starbound Marketing<\/span><\/a> focuses on social media marketing and advertising. The goal is to help small to medium-sized businesses strengthen their online presence using cutting-edge techniques. The idea sparked after chatting with my (now) business partner about his agency. He described how interesting it is to learn about new businesses in various niches. Everything he said resonated with me, and I knew I loved helping people and businesses work towards their goals. I feel my training, mentors, and experience with social media marketing and advertising empowered me to create my own digital marketing agency. <\/span><\/p>\n

How is your product\/service different and unique? What has been your favorite moment with it? What\u2019s the vision? <\/span><\/h3>\n

Starbound Marketing<\/span><\/a> studies and analyzes businesses and their competitors before anything else. We also provide free business audits\/evaluations which showcase the pros and cons of a business\u2019s social media and website efforts and provide a list of recommendations. There are many services we offer that other agencies don\u2019t. We customize and tailor packages for each client so we can address all their needs and deliver the biggest bang for their buck. The vision is to, of course, please our clients and for them to realize the power of online marketing! We couldn\u2019t be living in a more exciting time, especially for doing business online. We have the ability to hyper-target individuals based on annual income, education, marital status, purchase habits, and location down to a one mile radius. If that\u2019s not exciting for businesses and advertisers, I don\u2019t know what is!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you do Facebook ads, what types of creatives\/campaigns do you use (we like specifics)? If you don\u2019t, what untapped marketing channels do you take advantage of?<\/span><\/h3>\n

My favorite Facebook ads to create are offers and promos. (Mainly because I like making pretty flyers). But really, the image you choose as your Facebook ad is important: High quality, correct sizing, very little text, etc. Videos are another favorite of mine because of the potential reach. The potential for shares and virality is greater than other types of ads, extending the reach and lowering the cost. Facebook actually rewards you if your video gets lots of engagement, gets full screened, or when people turn the volume up. They reward you with more organic reach which lowers your cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you experience failure along the way? What did you learn from it?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Yes, in the beginning, I had a failure rate of around 20%. It\u2019s extremely likely you won\u2019t target your audience correctly on your first few ads. You have to test, test, test. Each time you fail, you learn something new. You understand what NOT to do the next time around. Tweak and test your target audience (using split testing). Over time, you will learn the finer nuances of each business niche and their corresponding audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Value-add questions<\/b><\/h3>\n

Give the readers the best entrepreneurship advice you have. <\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. It may sound cliche, but don\u2019t give up. Nothing worth having comes easy (for most of us!) Successful entrepreneurs are those who are resilient and bounce back from failure with enthusiasm and an increased desire to learn. <\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Secondly, surround yourself with people who you look up to. Network with intelligent people in your niche. You are, like it or not, an average of the five people you most frequently engage with.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. My last piece of advice is to be someone of value. You always have something to offer, whether it be knowledge, experience, referrals, connections, etc. Take the time to help others and provide value. Solve problems. Help friends and peers achieve more. The favor will be returned, often at the very time you need it. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Teach us something about {internet marketing, social media ads, fundraising, sales funnels or another topic} Can you recommend any favorite websites to learn that topic?<\/span><\/h3>\n