Online advertising is no longer “online advertising,” but rather an art in finding the right influencers to help drive interest in an advertising campaign. Not long ago, when the idea of online success was discussed, the biggest question was, ‘how can we go viral?’ Now, though, going viral is rarely a brand’s social media goal. The goal is to tap into existing communities relevant to the campaign and reach that audience through key influencers- cue celebrity participation to drive engagement, interaction and awareness of the initiative.
Enter IZEA’s Celebrity Relations department. While celebrity participation is not, by any means, the key to a campaign’s success, the right celebrity- large or small- can lend considerable leverage in terms of brand interaction and awareness (let alone clicks, likes, favorites, RTs, etc)!
Here at IZEA, we work with hundreds of agents, managers, publicists, personal assistants- you name it- to get the right celebs for each campaign. It takes a special kind of person to understand the value of celebs in social media, which is why we can’t be more pleased to introduce you to one of our favs, Jenna Menking of Black Sheep Social Media Group!
Take a look at our mini-interview with Jenna:
1) When it comes to your clients, what is the biggest thing you look for when presenting them with an offer through SponsoredTweets?
When presenting offers to my clients I always look for two key points: 1. does the product or service fit with my client’s key brand and brand extensions? And 2. is this an offer that will truly help their fan base and enhance them as an influencer?
2) Why do your clients enjoy social media sponsorships like the ones done through SponsoredTweets, SocialSpark and Staree?
My clients enjoy social media sponsorships because it allows them to share exciting products and offers with their fan base while monetizing their audience.
3) What brands would you love to work with through SponsoredTweets or Staree?
If I could pick any brands for my clients to work with I’d select the high end luxury ones. My clients range from celebrities, supermodels and teen sensations to pro athletes, experts and hosts. I’d love to see them take their audiences into a new luxury category.
4) As an agent/manager, tell me what you like best and least about working with IZEA staff.
I live for Kate and Veronique! They are the sweetest, smartest, most hard-working ladies in this industry. They make my role as the social media go between for them and my clients seamless. They are easy to work with, amenable to the crazy and odd requests of my clients and always look out for my clients’ best interests.
5) IZEA believes all individuals operate a sphere of influence. What does this mean for the range of talent you represent?
I am one of the founders of Black Sheep Social Media Group. We have an office on 5th Ave in NYC and one on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles. We represent a wide range of talent. We work with teens who have millions upon millions of followers all the way down to mom and pop businesses who are trying to let the neighborhood know they’re there.
We help our clients strategize and use social media as a primary marketing tool to their fan base. We use hard core analytics to help guide our efforts and do our best to monetize our clients’ fan bases through the help of IZEA.
More and more social media management groups are popping up to help celebrities manage their very valuable online presences- and more and more companies and brands are looking to tap into these social channels to reach a targeted and engaged audience.
IZEA is here to help with your social media campaign’s celebrity needs. Between our Celeb Relations department and awesome managers like Jenna, we are sure to reach success!
Jenna Menking is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and has curbed the public’s appetite for celebrity gossip, new fashion trends and high-priced art through her extensive PR work with Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s in London and with many different celebrities. She is the founder of Black Sheep Social Media Group which offers comprehensive social media management to three distinct divisions: brands; experts and celebs. www.BlackSheepSMG.com
Jenna represents a number of our celebrities including ballroom dancer Kym Johnson who was featured on our SponsoredTweets blog this week.
