When Kristen Kendall sits down with a client seeking business advice, she first asks them what their company goals are. Founding Social Rise in 2023, CEO Kristen aims to help Generation Z owners and entrepreneurs find their own business success.
Kristen says helping a business succeed means making the client’s goals also Social Rise's goals. She builds off her marketing degree and passion for photography and social media content creation to help other businesses get off the ground — whether through social media management, content creation or graphic design. Since opening in 2023, Social Rise has helped clients find their voice in the marketplace.
We sat down with Kristen to learn more about how local business owners can use social media to reach their goals. Here’s what she had to say:
IN: Welcome Kristen! Being a business owner yourself, what tips do you have for someone looking to start a business?
KK: “I would say just go for it. A lot of people often hold onto their rookie cards. Often, people think that they don’t have what it takes; they’re not finished with school yet or they don’t have a team, so they let fear kind of keep them still and stunted. I think that if people have something that they are passionate about, that they should go for it. Don’t be afraid to ask for inspiration. You might not think that they are in your circle, but a lot of people are willing to help young entrepreneurs.”
PRO TIP: Step 1 for any growing business is identifying the company’s goals.
IN: If a business is new to social media, where do you suggest they start?
KK: “The first step I recommend is establishing their brand identity. The simplest route is to find people in your industry [to] see what you like, what they are doing, what they are doing well or what you don’t like. That gives you a clear guide on what direction you can go to establish your own presence.”
PRO TIP: Start internally. Find someone to manage your social account in-house who knows your business and brand so that they can do the copywriting well. Outsourcing photography can help build up your brand on socials before jumping into an agency.
IN: Describe a successful content marketing campaign you’ve run for a client. What was the goal and how was it achieved?
KK: “We have a client called Vntg Sply here in College Station — they are fairly new and reached out to us to do a video walk-through from the perspective of Gen Z. So, we created an influencer marketing campaign to make a video that said, ‘Come thrift with me at Vntg Sply’ which generated around 10,000 views — which isn’t a lot — but it generated around 500 saves and send outs, which is what we are looking for. We saw a very high number from using micro-influencer marketing to work with our client. We really like the approach of micro-influencer marketing because it doesn’t seem too ‘sales-y’ — it seems more personal.”
IN: What social media platforms are best for different age groups?
KK: “I think we’re at a turning point where all of the major platforms — such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok — [are] seeing a good progression. The older generations [are] starting to get on TikTok. TikTok is a younger generation platform, but we’re seeing around 30% more of older [demographics], ages 40-65, are now using those platforms regularly. Older crowds are still on Facebook, so that’s a great platform that I would recommend for reaching older audiences. Still, platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are a real turning point for older generations and younger generations.”
IN: How can monitoring a competitor help a business make its own marketing grow stronger?
KK: “It’s really just seeing what your competitor is doing — it’s seeing
how their engagement is doing and seeing what you like and don’t like, not necessarily copying what they are doing. Finding inspiration from what they are doing well and if you are looking at any of their posts that are pulling in a specific audience or hitting those target goals, just really analyze that and implement it into your own strategy.”
PRO TIP: Be observant and put yourself above your \competitors. Draw inspiration from what you like about your competitors without copying their exact techniques.
IN: For really small businesses or those who may not own a lot of fancy equipment, how can a business market themselves using only their cell phones as a tool?
KK: “Our cell phones are a huge part of modern-day marketing, especially with social media. About 70% of Gen Z and Millennials will look you up on your social platforms long before they look you up on a website or just Google search you. TikTok and Instagram are becoming modern-day search engines for where we’re getting that first look or introduction to really see what a business and person is about. If you have a strong social media presence and are able to use your phone to capture good quality photos, you have a higher chance of success.”
PRO TIP: Only some photos must be taken with a professional camera. Users can get excellent content that seems organic and authentic with just a cell phone.
IN: What are reasonable first-step goals for owners just diving into social media?
KK: “It’s not necessarily about going viral or having the most followers. You need to focus on being real and organic. What I mean by organic is not trying to sell something online. People don’t want to be sold to all the time, they want to support you because they know you. If you’re a small business or a large corporation, people want to know that there is a person behind it. We encourage all business owners to not be afraid to show their face on their platforms and interact with comments because at the end of the day, people will spend their money where they like.”
PRO TIP: Followers don’t translate to money in your pocket. Focus on being authentic and organic on your page.
IN: Where can a business look for the latest trends?
KK: “Start by looking at your industry. You have to look at what other people are doing right and what your target audience likes seeing and just go from there.”
PRO TIP: Search for your industry on the platform you want to utilize. Search for your profession and look at the top trending post suggestions. See what is getting likes and what will draw attention to your page. Use TikTok and Instagram as personal search engines.
IN: What type of packages does Social Rise offer its clients?
KK: “We have a content-only bundle package, and then we have social media management packages as well. Social media management packages include content, posts and running [our client’s] social media. There are three tiers to both packages depending on the client’s needs.”
Social Rise is a social media marketing agency located in College Station, which focuses on providing services including photography, videography, social media management and marketing consultations. For more information about Social Rise, visit socialriseagency.com or email thesocialriseagency@gmail.com.
