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SUPER HARBOR | March 2024

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What The Heck is a Digital Media Strategist?

What The Heck is a Digital Media Strategist?
Fikriyyah George

Mention bus driver, fashion designer or writer and we know what they do and have a feel for what they look like. The random bus driver in our head wears a uniform. The fashion designer is trendy and fashionable with over-sized horn rim glasses. The writer has ink stains and looks of contemplation and bewilderment. 

Now say Digital Media Strategist. What image does that conjure up? While James White can’t represent every person in the field, he’s a sample indicative of the whole- relaxed demeanor that lights up with excitement, and passion when speaking of the industry. Let’s go all Jane Goodall and take a closer look, shall we?

Digital Marketing Strategist James White

Neighborhood Lives in Bushwick

Work Structure Freelancer, works from the co-working space Bat Haus on occasions.

“I like the fact that BatHaus have people from different disciplines.”

Education University of Connecticut, Journalism Major

“I only want to work with people who value my work.”- James White

What The Job Entails  I evaluate an existing strategy, do an audit, further build and develop or teach their employees to reach their target audience. The disciplines are search marketing, email marketing, and social media.

I’ll analyze based on what they’ve done already, visits through Google Analytics, then followers. Where are their followers? I’ll look at places like Refinery 29 for fashion. If someone’s a food writer then you should really be on Pinterest.

How He Got His Start When I started the auto shop [in college] one of the ways we found customers was through digital marketing. After college I did PR/SEO for an office supply company in Downtown Manhattan.

Career So Far I’ve done a lot of work with authors from Random House. A friend who’s a cookbook author, Jenny Rosenstrach referred me to other authors. The publishing industry has a few things they need to figure out.

Career Development I’m studying to improve my website development skills. I would really like to complete more of the process. Currently he outsources most of it.

Sources of Outsourced Work I get referrals from friends, from Craig’s List, O Desk.

Favorite Project I just worked on a team at Random House to launch a new book by Mark Bittman to build him a new website. I’m a big fan of Bittman. He was the fourth person I followed on Twitter.

Possibility of Doing Agency Work I thought about it. Now I’m really not quite sure. There’s a lack of exciting work. There can be an emphasis on jargon, politics, and buzzwords. A lot of old New York agencies packaged and repackaged to make it seem complex.

Despite this, there are leaders in the agency world he respects immensely.

Thought Leaders

Mark Pollard of Big Spaceship. He’s got an insightful blog. He’s very good at developing succinct insights.

R/GA. Another really interesting agency. They reinvent themselves every 9 years.

Heineken did a really cool project to find someone from different countries without leaving Amsterdam. It illustrates how social media made the world a smaller place. It was very genuine.

Latest Project I’ll be teaching a class at the Brooklyn Brainery “How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar.”

That class is currently full, but there is a wait list. If you’d like to work with James White contact him here or on Twitter at @jamesfacts.

 More From This Issue

The Evolution of A Creative Entrepreneur- The Brooklyn Swirl Way

365 Social NYC Presents Brian Murray of Likeable Media

The Best Links For The Digital Marketing Life

Comments

  1. cheryle

    Great article/interview. Digital Media Strategist. I need one. Fikriyyah George- any ideas? 🙂

  2. Fikriyyah George

    Yes, Mother, I have an idea. lol

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