Expert Profile: Bridget Szuminsky

Atlanta is a hub for international travel and business. Over 200 businesses are headquartered in Atlanta and many more have offices here (Metro Atlanta Chamber). Atlanta is a great location for individuals who work for companies on social media. Almost all companies have at least one social media account, and there are numerous agencies that do social media for different companies. One such company here in Atlanta is Moxie. Moxie works with clients such as Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, Wells Fargo, and many others. I had the opportunity to talk with Bridget Szuminsky, an engagement manager at Moxie, about working with social media and how to prepare for this type of career.

Szuminsky at a "Share a Coke" event 

Szuminsky graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2012 with a degree in communication and an emphasis in public relations. She has been working for Moxie for over a year and half and has worked with clients such as Gold Peak Tea and Wells Fargo. To reach the clients' target audiences, Szuminsky primarily uses Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. A typical week for Szuminsky involves working with retainer clients and project based clients. For retainer clients, she does the same type of work every month. This includes community management, checking all channels for a client and responding to costumers. She also works with project based clients, such as Wells Fargo. Szuminsky is currently working with Wells Fargo to promote their soccer sponsorship and recruiting millennials on social media.

One project that Szuminsky has worked on is influencer marketing for Gold Peak Tea. This project focused on having lifestyle and party planning bloggers try Gold Peak Tea and post about their experiences. This leads to real life testimonials and amazing photos and buzz about the product. Szuminsky credits seeing people’s testimonies as being extremely rewarding.

Gold Peak Tea

Szuminsky also uses some of the newer social media formats such as Snapchat and Periscope. Social media is always changing and new platforms emerge every day, so how does one stay up-to-date on everything? She cites working with her team at Moxie as the biggest advantage. Everyone is checking Mashable and other social media accounts for new ways to connect and then that information is shared with the rest of the team.

Staying current on what social media platforms are being used, and how companies are using them is one of Szuminsky’s tips for individuals who are trying to get into the social media field. Other tips she offered included having a professional online presence. Using Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn show that you have a passion for the field and understand how to use those platforms. Another tip is to network with professionals in your field of interest. This can include using LinkedIn and also networking events in real life. Joining Public Relation Society of America (PRSA) or other organizations can help gain access to professionals and networking opportunities. The last tip from Szuminsky was to do internships. Not only will this give you a foot in to door, but it can help you learn the tools that are being used by companies.  

Tips for individuals starting out:

• Staying current on new social media

• Having a professional online presence

• Networking

• Internships

When discussing how her education prepared her for her job, Szuminsky credits good writing skills and a passion for writing as one of the biggest assets. Being able to clearly and concisely put your thoughts into words is vital for social media. Also, taking a wide array of communication classes is beneficial to understanding how social media fits into the different facets of a company, such as PR and marketing. Some of the surprises about her work include purchasing advertising space and dealing with legal issues. Szuminsky says working with the media team to purchase ad space on sites such as Facebook was something she had not realized would be a part of her job. Also, having to sell her ideas to the corporate lawyers before they can be used was not something she was prepared for in her job. Some other aspects Szuminsky wished she had known before was how to use the software and how to do the analytics. Learning as you go is an important part of working in social media, as well as having good organizational skills to manage multiple clients at once.

Social media is constantly changing and that is one of the reasons Szuminsky loves what she does. She states that advertising on social media has gone away from more traditional ads and towards blending into people’s everyday life. One of the reoccurring themes when talking to Szuminsky was the need to find what you are passionate about. Once you know what you are passionate about work becomes fun! 

Szuminksy and coworkers at Moxie Mayhem 2015