Name: Shauna Nicholson
Title: Marketing Manager at Biznet Internet Solutions
Website/Blog: shaunanicholson.com/blog / biznetis.net
Location: Metro Detroit, MI

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
My undergrad degree is a BS in Technical and Professional Communication—essentially technical writing; my concentration (saving grace) was Multimedia Writing. I started out as a marketing coordinator running the entire marketing department at a telecom company. Being ambitious, I grew bored with that and started exploring how social media marketing could work/was working… that led me to working solely in web marketing and I couldn’t be happier.

Tell us about your current job.
Essentially, I have three core responsibilities: marketing Biznet, networking, and marketing Biznet clients. I’m often tasked with creating social media plans, networking solutions, and SEO-infused content.

What does a typical day look like for you?
playing with Cooper, my dog > checking email/tweet > heading to work to plan out the day and chat with my bosses > crack out some planning > meet up with someone new for lunch > more email/tweeting > crack out some client work > chat with co-workers & play some foosball > head home to my boyfriend and dog; eat dinner; read/watch movies > freelance > crash

What kinds of documents do you produce?
Whoa… let’s see: all things social media (blogs, profiles, etc), policies, plans, emails, the occasional technical document, TPS reports…okay that last one was a joke.

What communication skills are needed for your job?
I don’t think networking skills can be stressed enough. I’m 23, so I’m consistently expanding my network and resources—If I didn’t, I’d fail. Learn the art of listening and never turn back!

Oh, and efficient emails. Say what you need to say and end it (usually no more than a tweet, or –at most—2 paragraphs).

How did you prepare for your job?
College, I suppose. A lot of it came naturally because I’m sincerely passionate about what I do; I did a lot of extra reading, experimenting, and conversing.

List three of your favorite professional resources/references/tools and tell us why they’re your favorite.
Three (of many) favorite HUMAN resources:
Victoria Pater of Forex Trading—she’s my second brain for all things design (and a great friend); we build off of each other well and she’s a rockstar of her craft.

Charlie Wollborg of Curve Detroit—he’s an honest, passionate advertising guy; seriously, Charlie’s ambitious personality is magnetic.

Kevin Krason of Biznet (my boss)—he’s made every mistake a web dev guy can make and he’s eager to share his experiences and help build for the future.

How do you stay up-to-date in your field?
Networking online and in person. I use tools like Twitter, a content writer Ning, Automation Alley, and more to keep the conversation going.

How would you define professional writing?
Professional writers are those who have at least some element of formal training and a business case for what they do. For example, I do a lot of freelance “content marketing.” I write copy for marketing purposes—this translates to making my client money. One writer (who I highly respect), Tip Quilter, writes business plans and studies screenwriting (for marketing purposes). Combine what you love (writing) with a business case; I’d love to advocate the starving artist life, but it’s probably best reserved for your downtime.

Do you have any tips to share with other professional designers/writers/editors?
Keep your eyes, ears, and brain online. I’ve taught even the most traditional writers how to use the web to their advantage—whether it be wiki, social networks, or otherwise; it’s saving them money, gaining them clients, and KEEPING THEM THEIR JOBS.

Tags: In the Workplace

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 6:44 pm and is filed under Career, Web, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.