GrowAZ.org Member Spotlight: Interview with Mint Social’s Matthew O’Brien
TopSEOS.com, an independent authority on vendors who supply internet marketing products and services, ranked Arizona’s very own Mint Social as one of the top 10 social media marketing company in the US. They were chosen for their excellence in identifying and following online social tendencies, understanding client’s brands and utilizing various websites to accomplish their client’s goals. Let’s find out a little bit more about one of our award-winning companies!
GrowAZ.org: Tell us a little bit about Mint Social.
Mint Social is a social media marketing and online branding company. We accelerate online marketing by building content engines to increase visibility and reputation in search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) and in social networks (where over 75% of all traffic on the Internet is). Mint Social helps businesses understand (through implementation) why social media and online branding is critical to online marketing success and provides the tools and expertise for delivering measurable results along the way.
Why Mint Social? Every business has a content problem and also has underutilized content. We build content marketing engines (your very own associated press), which delivers your marketing message in video, presentations, articles, press releases, photos, podcasts, etc. to thousands of websites that your prospects are on. Over time, prospects become familiar with your brand which builds trust and increases what you care about the most…generation of qualified online leads.
GrowAZ.org: How did Mint Social start?
The ahh-haa moment came after realizing that blogs are more about bringing your message to where people are online through syndication vs. getting them to come to your blog or website. Online businesses spent the majority of their marketing efforts trying to get people to land on their home page (which is typically the worst page for generating a conversion/call to action) vs. bringing their marketing message to where people are on the web. Mint Social was launched to help businesses change the way they market by being less pitchy and more educational/informative to help them establish themselves as the most visible and credible business in their space.
GrowAZ.org: What resources helped you along in the process of turning your idea into a reality?
It is important to have a network of experts that understand your unique value proposition and can communicate it (like you) to their network. The 30-second elevator pitch is key along with knowing who your target market is. One without the other will generate sales activity but having both clearly defined will generate sales and keep you focused. Get a mentor or better yet, assemble an advisory board that can help you make good decisions. Learning the hard way gets old and can put you out of business.
GrowAZ.org: What advice would you give to other people thinking of starting their own business?
Don’t be the shoeless shoemaker’s (son or daughter). You need social proof that you practice what you sell and this needs to be that case with everyone that works for you too. Prospects will check you out online to validate that you and your team are experts at what you do. Starting a business is hard enough so get every advantage you can by being credible.
GrowAZ.org: Why Arizona?
Why not. Mint Social has an office in Tempe but our team lives all over the country, by design. Being a virtual company means you can live where you want and work wherever you go. AZ is a great place to live, especially for start-ups. There are a lot of very smart entrepreneurs and great resources for start-up businesses.
GrowAZ.org: Thanks Matthew! We couldn’t agree more!
About GrowAZ
GrowAZ is Arizona’s “no cost” small business marketplace for advice, jobs, barter, advertising, partnering and mutual support where entrepreneurs help entrepreneursReflecting on the need for Arizona’s entrepreneurs and small businesses to help each other, a group of online marketing experts, business and community leaders set out to create a volunteer-driven, FREE resource for the small business community.
Learn more at GrowAZ.org: Follow on Twitter @GrowAZ, find them on Facebook and Sign Up for GrowAZ Newsletter!
