What recognition has been most meaningful?

Name: Natasha Attal Title: Marketing/PR Consultant Company/firm: Freelance Consulting Years with company/firm: Years in field: 4 Years in real estate industry: 4 Address: 205 E. 85th Street, New York, NY 10028 Telephone: 917-214-1237 Email: [email protected] URL: www.newageofmarketingandpr.com, www.composuremarketing.com (will be live in a month) Responsibilities include: in depth evaluations of company objectives, develop marketing and public relations strategies, coordination of website/blog development, content creation for social media and additional outreach sources, and generally helping companies expand their presence whether through new media or traditional marketing channels. Professionally, where were you ten years ago and where are you now? Ten years ago I was still in high school so things have definitely changed. Today I consult companies on the use of social media and how the changes in new media will affect their marketing efforts. What single event professional or personal has most significantly impacted your career? I got laid off a little less than two years ago and it gave me the opportunity to start my own consulting business. I work with people from various industries and help them expand their presence whether that is through social media outreach or traditional marketing platforms. What was the best decision that you made in the last year? I started a blog called the New Age of Marketing and PR to discuss my experiences with clients, new media updates and conduct interviews with influential marketing executives such as Mike Volpe, VP of Marketing at Hubspot. Every time I find interesting data or learn about attend an interesting event, I post the information to my blog so that people who follow my blog can learn what I learn. Providing free, interesting content is the base of my business. If I can empower a client with knowledge, then when the time comes for them to hire someone for marketing services they will be more likely to contact me. Staying on a potential clients' radar by offering free content on a regular basis is an easy way to build credibility and attract new business. What award or recognition has been the most meaningful to you and why? Being recognized in the real estate industry as a "go to" source of information for establishing new media strategies has been rewarding both professionally and personally. How do you stay ahead of the curve? It can get tough especially in new media because there is always a new network being dubbed the next "big thing." I try and focus my energies on learning programs that will benefit my clients and help them grow. Social media is about engaging with customers and to do that, companies should be on networks where their potential and existing clients are located. I stay ahead of the curve by following influential bloggers in the new media landscape, attend seminars & networking events and read a lot of industry books. My motto is that there is always more to learn and many ways to do it but you have to find the right method for you. Who has been the strongest influence on your career and why? David Meerman Scott is a new age media expert and after reading his books/blog, I have become a huge fan. I apply many of his ideas to the services I provide clients and have become passionate in the subject of new media. Finding this passion has brought fun to the workplace for me and any time work is fun, it seizes to feel like work. What impact has social networking had on your success? Social networking has been the main factor in growing my consulting business. I primarily use Twitter and LinkedIn for networking and have met some great people using those tools. My business is all about building relationships and that is exactly what social networking can help you achieve if done properly. People worry about the ROI of time spent on social media but if you track the use of these networks, you can learn a lot about your customers and how to increase the turnaround of your sales cycle. How has the need to create a more sustainable environment influenced the way you do business? I think most of the business I do with clients is sustainable in that most the work is done online which controls high levels of waste management. I also enjoy working with eco friendly companies. A new client of mine, australianScent, is a natural skin care line that is completely green. I actually got their business after a year of using their products. Believing in a clients' products or business is always a great way to stay motivated. What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today? After I got laid off, I was able to get two clients due to my previous relationship with them. I think my biggest challenge over time has been convincing CEO's and Marketing Directors that social media is no longer seen as an additive but as a necessity for companies to communicate with their customers. What advice would you give to a woman just starting a career in your field? Read a lot of books and follow influential bloggers and speakers to learn more about new media and how it can be used to benefit companies. Most new media tools are free but time consuming and of course time is money. It is also extremely important to track the use of new media to see in what areas you are succeeding and what areas need improvement.