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The DatAchieve Team

Episode 2: Lesley Riley (Mama’s Biscuits)

Our hosts, Blake & Taylor will be interviewing inspiring people in the community for their unique perspectives and stories. For the month of March, we are interviewing prominent women in our community to celebrate Women’s History Month. For this episode we are interviewing Lesley Riley, the owner of Mama’s Biscuits. 

Her gourmet biscuits come in sweet and savory flavors, and are even distributed in large retailers such as Walmart, Target, and more. Lesley also gives back to the community in various ways. Whether it is partnering with local agencies to donate hundreds/thousands of biscuits every month, she mentoring young entrepreneurs at the Mama’s Biscuits Culinary Incubator that lives on the campus of Hagerstown Community College.

Episode 1: Heather Guessford

Welcome to the first episode of the new series: DataChicks & Friends. Our hosts, Blake & Taylor will be interviewing inspiring people in the community for their unique perspectives and stories. For the month of March, we are interviewing prominent women in our community to celebrate Women’s History Month. To kick-off the start of the series, we are interviewing Heather Guessford, the President & CEO of United Way Washington County. 

United way is a volunteer driven nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting quality health and human services. Heather is an amazing woman and offers her unique story and challenges she has faced. Watch the video below to learn more about her and her role!

Interview with Blake

Can you tell us about your journey as a design intern here and the challenges you faced along the way?

I found out about the opportunity to be a design intern here at DatAchieve from my high school art teacher. Shout out to Mr. Edwards for being in a meeting he wasn’t really supposed to be in, and calling me right after to convince me to apply.

I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without him. Come October I started working and I was very nervous at first. It took me a little while to adjust to my new schedule and a new work environment, but I’m so happy that everything happened the way it did.

Months have passed and I have learned A LOT since then. I really feel like I was meant to be here, surrounded by the amazing people that work here at DatAchieve. I’m so grateful for everything they have taught me. This is truly the beginning of my future and Norma, David, Matt, Shannon, Taylor, Zander, and Braxton will always be a part of that for me.

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

I would have to say that the most influential woman in my life is my grandmother, Shirley Mills. She has been through so much over the years, and is the strongest woman I know. No matter what life has thrown at her, she handles her challenges with grace and additionally provides so much love to the people around her. She has always worked for what she has, and values the importance of hard work. As I’ve grown up she’s taught me so many lessons. Her perseverance and love for others will forever inspire me.

A person with long, wavy, dark hair is standing against a white wall. They are wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans, with their hands by their side and a slight smile on their face.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8th, and it’s a day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women while also advocating for gender equality. The day represents an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges women face globally and to push for women’s rights and empowerment. Women’s History Month is the entire month of March. The National Women’s History Alliance has announced the 2023 theme for women’s history is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.”

We want to take a moment to recognize the incredible women in our office. Norma, Taylor, and Blake are talented and dedicated professionals who make our workplace a better place. They are hardworking, creative, and inspiring individuals who bring unique perspectives and skills to the table.

Interview with Norma

Can you tell us about your journey as a female businesswoman and the challenges you faced along the way?

Like many women from my generation, I faced challenges advancing in what was then a male-dominated workplace. After receiving my degree from Salisbury State University, I entered the workforce. Soon after that, I started my own business, all while raising a family and taking care of a home.

It’s great to see the progress that has occurred since then, with men and women taking active and equal roles in family and work.

I learned a lot about overcoming challenges and valuable skills while working in the restaurant industry. Those skills included building solid relationships and learning to communicate effectively. Those skills and lessons I learned while working in the restaurant industry provided a strong foundation for my business, helped me overcome challenges and obstacles, and enabled me to balance my work and personal life. Happy International Women’s Day to all!

What is one thing you would have done differently when starting your own business if you had the opportunity?

Laugh more and stress less.

Running a business is 24, 7, 365 and can be incredibly stressful. It’s important to prioritize your mental health and well-being, as stress and burnout can have negative effects on both your personal and professional life.

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black turtleneck and glasses on her head, smiles while standing in a room with shelves and various objects in the background.

Interview with Taylor

Can you tell us about your journey as a marketing manager here and the challenges you faced along the way?

I started working at DatAchieve in January of 2022. Funny enough, my dad (who was the mail carrier at the time) is the one who told me about DatAchieve. It’s crazy to believe it’s already been a year with them. I was really nervous starting out because I was fresh out of college with no experience yet. I was scared to let them down or feel like a fraud.

This was a new role at DatAchieve. I’m a perfectionist at stuff, so when I didn’t excel immediately at running the social media or understand why certain campaigns weren’t working that’d I come up with, I would feel doubtful of my skills. The team, especially Norma and David, would remind me constantly that I’m doing a great job.

Days would turn into weeks and weeks into months, and I made the decision to trust myself and feel confident in taking the lead in my work, gaining a better understanding of effective marketing strategies for our business.

Everyday you learn something new and I can’t be more thankful for DatAchieve to allow me the creative freedom and room for growth. I know I don’t have much experience, but they have allowed me to grow so much and truly remind me I do have a passion and understanding for marketing. 

What influenced you to take this career path?

Throughout my entire adolescent days I always had a passion for being creative. Senior year of high school, I accepted attending Salisbury University and originally had my career field as pursuing an Art major.

One day I was randomly looking at the business majors and Marketing peaked my interest. I quickly changed my career path to marketing on impulse and stuck with it. Little did I realize how much math was actually involved in marketing and the 3 accounting classes I was required to take beforehand lol.

I am glad I pushed through all my economic classes (and tears) to get the side of marketing that I truly love. Getting to be creative, while understanding the consumer’s needs was my calling.

A person with long, wavy blonde hair smiles and poses against a white background. They are wearing a white T-shirt and beige pants with a brown belt, with hands in pockets.

Interview with Blake

Can you tell us about your journey as a design intern here and the challenges you faced along the way?

I found out about the opportunity to be a design intern here at DatAchieve from my high school art teacher. Shout out to Mr. Edwards for being in a meeting he wasn’t really supposed to be in, and calling me right after to convince me to apply.

I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without him. Come October I started working and I was very nervous at first. It took me a little while to adjust to my new schedule and a new work environment, but I’m so happy that everything happened the way it did.

Months have passed and I have learned A LOT since then. I really feel like I was meant to be here, surrounded by the amazing people that work here at DatAchieve. I’m so grateful for everything they have taught me. This is truly the beginning of my future and Norma, David, Matt, Shannon, Taylor, Zander, and Braxton will always be a part of that for me.

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

I would have to say that the most influential woman in my life is my grandmother, Shirley Mills. She has been through so much over the years, and is the strongest woman I know. No matter what life has thrown at her, she handles her challenges with grace and additionally provides so much love to the people around her. She has always worked for what she has, and values the importance of hard work. As I’ve grown up she’s taught me so many lessons. Her perseverance and love for others will forever inspire me.

A person with long, wavy, dark hair is standing against a white wall. They are wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans, with their hands by their side and a slight smile on their face.

Norma Kolson is a Washington County native, the owner of DatAchieve Digital, a digital marketing and web design agency based in Hagerstown, and a new member of the Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Bachelors degree from Salisbury University, has over 20 years of marketing experience at major U.S. corporations, and is well-equipped to help businesses grow and succeed in today’s digital marketplace. Her company counts many of the area’s most well-known companies as clients and serves businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and other organizations across the U.S. and internationally.

“We’ve enjoyed being in Hagerstown for over fifteen years and are excited about the progress we’ve seen in the downtown. With the newly renovated Maryland Theater, the expanded Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, development of the new Cultural Trail connecting us to the City Park, and the many restaurants and entertainment destinations, we believe that it’s a great time to be a part of Hagerstown’s City Center and the Arts and Entertainment District.” 
~ Norma Kolson
A recreational room featuring a foosball table in the foreground, a dartboard on the wall, and a vintage-style mural with space-themed artwork. In the background, there's a seating area with a checkered floor leading to a kitchenette.

Lunch is On Me!

I’d love to introduce myself and learn more about you and your business. In person or online—lunch is on me! Drop me an email or pick a convenient time to chat, below.

TL;DR Backstory:

A person with long hair sits at a window-side table in a bright room, holding a cup and looking at a laptop. A backpack, water bottle, and other items are on the table. Sunlight streams through the large window.

Starting with a quick backstory, I graduated from my university in 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing. It was a weird final year of courses and exams. All of my classes were still being taught via zoom. At that time, I felt I knew everything about marketing, yet nothing at all.

I officially started my career in marketing in 2022 (precisely in January), and I felt like an imposter. For the first couple of months, I sat at my desk feeling like a fraud, and my 100k piece of paper was a lie. But hey, that feeling does go away. 

My Top 15:

Flash forward to one year later, and here is what a twenty-something-year-old knows about Marketing:

  1. You’ll never learn too much about marketing and never stop needing to.
  2. More businesses need to use marketing to its full potential.
  3. Things you thought would work will fail. And vice versa.
  4. Marketing isn’t just numbers. And it’s not just advertising. To be a successful marketer, you need to understand your audience. 
  5. Stop trying to use every social platform for marketing your business – pick a few and stick to them. 
  6. What works for other businesses doesn’t mean it will always work for yours. 
  7. No one wants salesly marketing anymore. Start being a human again.
  8. Duolingo has significantly impacted the marketing industry. 
  9. No strong brand = No strong online presence 
  10. A user could have 10k followers that convert to nothing. The number of followers isn’t everything. 
  11. Growth takes time. Success doesn’t happen overnight. 
  12. The best way to come up with new ideas is to be out in the world. New York City always is an excellent creative reset for me. 
  13. Audience first always. 
  14. Quality content > Quantity. Boring content doesn’t work. 
  15. Have a team that supports you – and you’ll always have room to grow. 

A year of experience may not seem like a lot, but you’ll be surprised at how much you learn and grow. It goes the same with your business. If you’re starting out, don’t let the fear of not knowing keep you from doing it. Just start today, and we are happy to help you begin.

~ From a twenty-something in Marketing

 

INTRODUCTION: 

Social media has its benefits if used correctly. Taking advantage of the digital world is key when running a business in today’s society. The analysis of feedback is a big part of growing from social media. Whether it be positive or negative comments, feedback, or direct messages, this is what we learn from as producers. Listening to the consumers and being open to new and adaptable ideas is how you grow as a company and establish trust between you and your following.

Comments especially show whether or not customers are happy with their experience with your brand. An example of this is Twitter and Instagram comments. 

An orange cover image with a red heading that reads "HOW DO POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE MEDIA COMMENTS AFFECT BUSINESS SALES?" The top features two overlapping speech bubbles, a "COMMENT" button with a pointing finger icon, and two smaller dialogue boxes with quotation marks.

LET’S BREAK DOWN THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS:

 POSITIVE COMMENTS:

  • Previous problems that have been solved can be re-explained. This will increase trust with your consumers. 
  • People looking to buy something will be encouraged by positive comments which will boost sales.
  • You can see what things are going well, and learn from what isn’t.

 NEGATIVE COMMENTS:

  • Be responsive! Did a commenter ask a question, try to give them a professional answer. Try to redirect the negativity into positive feedback.
  • People want their complaints and ideas to be respected. A quick and appropriate response is always helpful.
  • Responsive businesses get more comments from people who visit their business profile. They also attract more non-followers.

 It’s been shown that 33% of users prefer to contact brands on social media, rather than call customer support. Using these tools to redirect negative comments in a positive direction, and being responsive will help improve sales and make your brand seem inclusive and inviting. 

Introduction:

A smartphone displaying various social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube is set against a red background. The text at the top reads, "How to Pick the Best Social Media Platform to Market Your Business." Logos of different platforms are also visible.

In today’s day and age, there are so many different applications to promote and market your business. It used to be as simple as one or two leading apps considered ‘socials’; now, there are too many to count. This variety is beneficial for businesses as you can reach more consumers of different demographics more easily. The hard part is figuring out what and where to post. Here’s a breakdown of some popular social media apps

 

Platform Overview:

 

Instagram- You can post photos and short videos, create live videos, and post stories. Along with direct messages, it includes a like button and comment access for feedback. Instagram has over 5000 million users every day.

 

Facebook- You can share photos, videos and post your business content. As one of the largest platforms in the world, it has 2.85 billion active users worldwide. Facebook has Messenger (similar to Instagram Direct) and comments are beneficial for feedback.

 

Pinterest- Pinterest is a smaller social media for photo sharing. Users can browse new products and view small brands. This is beneficial for brands making final decisions on their products.

 

Youtube- You can share videos of your content with any of the 14 billion visitors every month. Viewers can like, dislike, and comment on your videos.

 

Summary:

Some tips on picking the right platform for your business are based on your ideal customers. Ask yourself what apps they would be using. How old are they? What are they buying? Then compare these answers with each application’s demographics and decide which fits your consumers the best. Another central aspect is to find where your competitors are and see what they are doing with their platforms. Is it beneficial for them? Are they getting positive reviews? Are they not doing so well? How could you do it differently? These are all things you need to consider before picking a platform.

 

To create a successful brand, you need to understand the formula for success. This blog post will discuss what goes into making a successful brand and how you can make your business stand out from the competition!

1: Big Idea

The first step is to start with a big idea. It will help you focus your efforts and create a successful company. Starting with a small idea can be tempting, but it’s essential to think big to make your mark on the world.

2. Mission Statement

Next is to have a clear and concise mission statement. Keep it short and to the point. You want people to be able to understand and remember it easily. At the same time, make sure it accurately reflects your goals.

3. Unique Selling Proposition

Third, focus on your unique selling proposition. This is what sets your business apart from the competition. It is what will make customers choose you over someone else.

4. Brand Identity

Fourth, define your brand identity. This is everything from your logo and website design to how you interact with customers. Every touch point should reflect your brand values and mission statement.

5. Customer’s Story

People want to feel understood. Their stories matter to them, and when you can show that you understand their story, they feel seen and valued. That’s why understanding customer stories is so important.

Creating a successful brand means understanding your customer’s story.

  • What is it that they want? Why do they want it?
  • What are their hopes and dreams?

Understanding your customer’s stories can help you create a brand that truly resonates with them.

Lastly, a Marketing Strategy

You need to create a marketing strategy to reach your target audience. This includes everything from traditional advertising to social media and content marketing.

Building a successful brand is not easy, but it is possible with hard work and dedication. By following the steps above, you can give your business the best chance for success!

Infographic titled "Creating a Successful Brand in 6 Easy Steps." Steps include: 1) Big Idea, 2) Clear Mission Statement, 3) Unique Selling Proposition (USP), 4) Brand Identity, 5) Understand Customer, 6) Marketing Strategy. Each step has icons and brief descriptions.

Managing a website used to mean hiring someone who understood HTML and knew how to use web design tools like Dreamweaver and Photoshop. With the arrival of WordPress, it became possible for business owners or in-house teams to manage content and even functionality without relying on expert help. Now many large organizations have adopted the WordPress, and the platform currently powers over 30% of websites across the Internet.

Along with that growth has come an increase in sophistication. What was once a blogging and simple content management system is now a robust platform often supporting e-commerce, sensitive data, and important business functions. Ever-changing security concerns and government regulations have also added new layers to the task of website management. Companies that once relied on an internal webmaster or outside freelancer are having to consider other options.

Outsourcing

Hiring a web management company means that you instantly have access to expert help from people who have a wide range of experience. An agency can often provide you with web developers, content writers, graphic designers, and marketing specialists for less than the cost of an employee. They’ve seen what works and what hasn’t worked and can bring that experience to the task of keeping your website safe, effective, and visible.

Things to Consider When Hiring a Website Management Company

  • Experience – Because it’s an open-source platform with a low-cost entry point there are almost as many WordPress developers as there are sites. WordPress has been in use for over a decade. Make sure your provider has experience not only with the content management system, but with the functions used on your site, and your industry.
  • Range of Capabilities – Managing a website today means more than coding. It means video, content writing, graphic design, marketing, and more. Are they proficient in Google Analytics reporting? Social and search advertising platforms? Make sure your provider can provide all of the services you’ll require, in-house.
  • Reputation—If your web management company has the experience you need, they will also have a reputation. Don’t just ask for references. A quick online search will tell you what their clients think.
    Hosting — WordPress sites perform best on servers that are optimized for the database-driven platform. Does your provider offer hosting? Security? Plugin and version updates? Backups?
  • Ease of Communication – Your website is a central part of your organization’s daily business. Will your provider be available for meetings with your staff? Do they have tools in place that will enable you and your staff to easily share information, monitor tasks, and track progress?
  • Are they a Good Fit? – Your web management provider will be helping present your business to the world. Just like any other employee, they need to understand your organization and fit well with your staff and corporate culture.

We hope that you enjoyed the article If you would like to know about the web management services we offer feel free to call us at 301-791-2622 or 1-800-706-1191 toll-free. You can also click here to drop us a note.

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