Last June, a new team of interns joined the ChatterBlast team. Danielle Marie, a Temple University Senior, was one of the first to come on board, just as we began to grow our client base. We recently sat down with her to ask where her passion for business and social media came from, and what else she likes to do beyond social media (as much as we love talking about only that!).
Like most other people your age, your first social media experience was…?
MySpace! What else? Friendster was a little before my time, and Facebook was still so exclusive.
And what do you remember as being most exciting about MySpace?
I laugh a little bit now, but the HTML coding factor. When I was younger, I found it so interesting how you could just customize pages to represent your personality. You learned a lot from people by how they designed their profile.
ChatterBlast is a marketing and communications company. How do your skills jive with our day-to-day operations?
The first thing you should know is that I love to talk and listen…I can’t imagine my life without constant communication. I also think marketing isn’t just a strategy for communicating the benefits and messages of a brand. ChatterBlast immediately felt like home because I knew I could combine my previous skills in marketing with my love for communication.
Battle of the Social Media Platforms!
Facebook is my favorite because it’s still the largest platform where you can use photo albums, video clips, notes, post status’ and comments all in one place. I like Twitter too, but it just isn’t as dynamic or visual.
Like anything in life, social media is about trendsetting. What’s on Danielle’s radar?
I think Google+ has big potential, and I am excited to learn more about how businesses can use it, especially the circles and hangouts feature. ChatterBlast is spending a lot of time on this, and I wonder how we can use them to interact with our own clients. But, I’m still getting used to the basic features, so it’ll be a while before I have any definite thoughts!
What are your words of wisdom to companies out there?
Use more social media! Many businesses don’t realize just how powerful it actually is. It’s important to know how the customer is feeling and what they want. You have to form bonds with those who are giving your company business. Look what happened with Diana Nyad! Thousands of people followed her Xtreme Dream because of our constant engagement and realism.
We know you’re a little shutterbug. Tell us more about it!
I’m always behind the camera taking photos and video clips of events. It’s nice to look back and create nostalgia. I’ve even gotten into adding music to photo slides and videos to tell a story. This past summer, I made one for my boyfriend basically summarizing his entire college experience.
First Generation Temple Grad
In December, I’m going to be the first in my family to graduate from college. It’s something I’m really proud of.
Post Grad Plans: Academic or Social Media Maven?
When I graduate I would, ideally, like to stay here. I love the company. But I’ve also considered going back to get my MBA so I could become a college professor. I definitely feel that teaching could become one of my passions.
And, finally, are any thoughts of starting a family on your radar?
I’ve got a great boyfriend and, yes, once I am married I definitely want kids. But nothing anytime soon. Right now I’m focusing on school and working to develop a career. Once those fall into place, I’ll feel better about starting a family. Plus, I’m not ready to deal with my kids on Facebook 🙂
