Cathy Smith

Cathy Smith is the granddaughter of an artist. Her grandfather advised her that she was not good at drawing. However, Cathy decided to learn graphic design, and from there, she moved into digital marketing, which has been her specialty for the past 20 years. Cathy’s passion is making sure her clients spend money on marketing that works for them and not just chasing shiny objects. Clients need to get their message out to the ideal customers and not just fire it out to the broader market. All forms of marketing should be considered. Some traditional marketing like snail mail or letters is still being used with a lot of success. The email has made a comeback as a client communication tool. Have a strategy and look at how you can differentiate your business. Try to be the yellow umbrella in a sea of black umbrellas. Be careful what is put on social media. It is almost impossible to delete anything once it is posted. People do business with people. The change with social media is that customers want to know more about the business owner. Hobbies and opinion pieces are unobtrusive ways to share non-business aspects about yourself. A short video, blogs and photos are the best. If people are marketing themselves, they are best to keep in mind that they are a product or a service. What is the problem they can solve for a potential employer? For graduate students, try to get an internship in the area of expertise or interest. Sometimes the early internship will be unpaid but make sure this is for a limited time. Look at an agency or mentor who is working in the space where your passion lies.