Hey there! I hope you had a great week and that your weekend is kicking off nicely! We’re heading up to Lincoln, Nebraska today to spend some time with extended family, and all four of us are anticipating a really great day. We’ve only ventured up to Nebraska once since we’ve lived here (when we went to their amazing zoo last May!), and considering the state line is only an hour north of us, I’m surprised we haven’t spent more time up there. The last few years have gone by quickly!
Every week, the featured blogger always has something that sets her apart from others, and today’s blogger is absolutely no exception! Meet Jenny. 🙂 Her blog is actually just a small part of her business in general, so I think there’s something for everyone here to learn about. Whether you’re interested in learning more about social media, how to grow your business, or simply could use her military resources, you’ll want to pay attention to her feature today. Have an enjoyable weekend!
Q: Hi Jenny! In three sentences or less, tell us a little bit about who you are.
A: I am a military social media and marketing strategist. I help military spouse and veteran entrepreneurs with military-themed businesses learn how to use online marketing to boost their business without paying for exposure.
Q: When did you start your blog, and what role does it play in your business?
A: I started The Military Marketing Blog almost a year ago along with my company. I have blogged in the past for my other businesses and I have always been a consultant and writer, but I niched down to focus solely on my passion for helping military families when I began this venture. I write about how to use social media and marketing strategies effectively when you’re marketing to the military community as an entrepreneur.
Q: Why do you believe that it’s important for most businesses to have a blog component?
A: Blogs are a great way to provide value to the community. They also help to establish you as an expert and thought-leader in your industry.
Q: When did you discover that you had a passion for serving military families?
A: I became involved with the military community when I about 19 or 20. I went to a very pro-veteran college and it was near a huge military installation. As a result, a lot of my friends and fellow students were military girlfriends, ROTC, or Veterans. I started taking more military-based classes in my free time and volunteering at the VA. I was sure that working with the military would be my career when I graduated. Due to medical issues from my childhood, I wasn’t qualified to serve, so I decided to make it working with the military my career instead. Now, I work full-time within the military community running marketing campaigns and projects, as well as run this business for military entrepreneurs.
Q: Where do you dream of taking your blog and business in the next few years?
A: I hope my company and blog continue to make a difference in the businesses I work with. It’s amazing to see that in six months my clients have gone from an un-monetized blog to being featured in almost every blog roundup in their industry. It’s amazing to see people with dead social media accounts bring them back to life after learning how to correctly use social media. I am so lucky to work with such an incredible community and help them accomplish their dreams. I hope the next few years continue to see even more success stories.
Q: What advice would you give other bloggers who are confused about the best ways to utilize Facebook versus Instagram?
A: I teach military entrepreneurs how to harness the power of Facebook. My focus is on engagement and encouraging my clients to post online in ways the algorithms like so that you can create conversations. I offer a free online course that teaches military spouse and veteran entrepreneurs how to revive their social media accounts and encourage engagement that leads to sales. Without meaningful conversation under posts, content won’t be seen organically. For those with a low marketing budget, your business will be non-existent online without engagement. I teach entrepreneurs how their social media marketing can all fit together so they can be driving traffic from multiple sources and platforms correctly, including Facebook and Instagram.
Q: What hobbies do you enjoy diving into when you’re not working?
A: I travel whenever I can. My dog and I hop into the car or on a plane and explore the world. It’s my favorite thing to do!
Q: Where should new readers start on your blog?
As a business owner, you must sell to be in business. However, most entrepreneurs are so concerned with making a sale that they forget to build the relationship first. In this article, I teach entrepreneurs how to beat the Facebook algorithm by finding this perfect target audience and building a relationship with them.
One of the untapped platforms entrepreneurs in the military community are missing is LinkedIn, which has a huge Veteran community and is meant for the networking needed to get your business known. Most accounts I see are poorly constructed, abandoned, or not utilized correctly (ew…pitching to my inbox). I teach entrepreneurs how to effectively use LinkedIn in this article.
I moved six times to four states in a span of two years at one point in my career. As a business owner, I had to re-build every time I left. I successfully had clients at almost every move! Here’s an article on how you can get established quickly after moving as a military community entrepreneur.
Q: Where can we connect with you on social media?
I’m on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. I also run a Facebook group for military spouse and veteran entrepreneurs with military-themed businesses.
And just for fun…
- Digital or paper planner? I write everything down.
- Coffee or tea? I can’t stand coffee!
- Board or card games? Board games!
- Early bird or night owl? Early bird! I’m an old granny when it comes to bedtime!
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Thank you so much, Jenny!
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Is this your first time to Whimsical September? Welcome!
Hello! I’m Erica, the blogger behind Whimsical September. I created the “The Saturday Sit-Down” series in January 2017 as a way to give back to the blogging community and link readers with new bloggers whom they may share similar interests with. Click here to discover more bloggers that have been featured on “The Saturday Sit-Down”. I promise you – there’s some GREAT ones!
Want to be featured in this series?
I have openings starting in the summer of 2018 and would love to feature you! Please email me at WHIMSICALSEPTEMBER@YAHOO.COM and I’ll be in touch with you. It’s totally free and a fun way to bring new sets of eyes to your blog. PS: Bloggers with any size following are welcome to be featured!
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Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo