Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Fleming.
Hi Jack, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
As a young kid, I’ve always had business ideas. I’d do lemonade stands and use old road signs and police to help slow down people and market the stand. Also, a few times I’d run to do grocery delivery for my neighbors using my bike.
Fast forward to high school, I started whitewater kayaking. That sparked a love for documenting the trips we’d take via video. Using a GoPro, I easily made over 30 videos of different local rivers. I wanted to continue the passion past high school and into college. I wanted to initially study Film and Entrepreneurship. Along the way, I switched film to Marketing Strategy. Though the film degree started okay, the connection between content creation and business interested me more. I graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in May of 2019. After briefly working doing marketing for a real estate company, I started my own digital marketing firm. Aptly named Socialry, a name thought of while in college combined the words chivalry and social. Now, I have truly combined both of my passions, content creation and entrepreneurship.
The real estate company was my first client, and I started marketing myself by attending networking events and hustling. I didn’t let the slow start and starting a business right before COVID slow me down. Gradually since establishment, I’ve been able to handle more client accounts, charge for more services, and focus more on business growth. At Socialry, we offer branding, website development, social media management, videography, photography, and paid advertising services. We’ve helped realtors, gyms, schools, non-profits, restaurants, e-commerce brands, software companies, startups, mechanics, home builders, and many others be seen and grow sales. I’m still the sole owner and operator, but I hope to grow soon to be able to hire others.
As a business owner in Wilmington, I’m also heavily invested in the startup scene. I try to attend every event I can to not only learn from others but be in the same room as affluent people and to slowly build relationships. By being able to offer our video services for the Network for Entrepreneurs Wilmington, we can showcase the city in a better way and create amazing content. I am the lead organizer for 1 Million Cups Wilmington. It’s the only weekly business event in town that offers a platform for businesses to learn directly from their community. I am also a part of the Young Professional Advisory Council for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. It’s an honor to be able to be a voice for young professionals in the city, be a voice for startups, entrepreneurs and business owners, and just want to be heard by city leaders.
Other endeavors I attribute to my overall growth personally and professionally is having started the UNCW CrossFit Club & Team, being an Eagle Scout, and being involved in Young Life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Initially, I thought that COVID would be a bad time to start a business. I was wrong. It actually made people respect digital marketing and media even more. I really think our biggest challenges are when we need to test content. Simply put, sometimes what we create doesn’t work. It’s just a part of the game of social media. When a business’ life is on the line, lots of entrepreneurs get nervous. Being a solopreneur is definitely tough. Having to be the salesperson, photographer, videographer, email campaign manager, social media manager, spokesperson, accountant, customer service rep, and janitor takes a toll. Hopefully, here soon, I can hire out some of the tasks that one, I’m not the best doing, and two, don’t want to do. Growing a business is a process. I try to cherish the little wins but still inch towards bigger goals.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Socialry Marketing?
Socialry Marketing was established in January of 2020. The name Socialry derives from the combination of the word chivalry and social. We offer full-service digital marketing: branding, website development, social media management, photography, video, and paid advertising. Over our first few years of business, we have worked with a variety of clients, including schools, restaurants, gyms, nonprofits, realtors, service providers, politicians, and other entrepreneurs. So far, we have grown in a healthy way only from referrals and networking. People truly love face-to-face interactions and working with me directly. We specialize in content production for social media. Lots of the startups and smaller companies we work with struggle getting content posted. We help them build that frequency and consistency of high-quality, brand-forward content.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I’ve always stuck to knowing that growing a business is a journey. Yes, I’m running a digital marketing company now, but I have a lot of other ideas, too. I constantly try to put myself in the same room with other like-minded, more connected, and more intelligent people so I can start building those relationships now and learn from them. It’s not if, but when I build another company, it will be great to have already known the VCs, ecosystem builders, and events to attend. Be patient in the process. Network. Always be learning.
Pricing:
- Branding – starts at $800
- Websites – $4,000
- Social Media Management – starts at $600/month
- Paid Ads Management – $400/month
Contact Info:
- Website: www.socialrymarketing.com
- Instagram: @jack_does_mkt and @socialry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socialry/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackdoesmarketing/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUI62bMzRbkTlaQ8sJ73iKQ