If you have been keeping up with KWSM lately, you know that we’ve had quite a bit of good news to share. 2018 has truly been an amazing year for our team.
It has been the year of new beginnings for us, from a brand new website to a brand new name. But don’t worry; you’ll still recognize our signature chevron pattern, close-knit team and hard work sharing our clients’ stories. We’re still the same company, just getting better every year!
Now, without further ado, let’s take a look back at what made 2018 KWSM’s biggest year yet.
January: Our Digital Advertising Program Expands
One of the most difficult parts of our jobs at KWSM is that social media is always evolving. What worked to generate results online last week may not work next week, and our job is to stay on top of the changes. We started 2018 by dedicating 3 days to an intensive training on the latest Facebook ads tactics, so that we could confidently drive sales and leads for our clients this year. As paid advertising becomes a bigger part of any comprehensive marketing strategy, we wanted to make sure that we not only kept up, but continued to be leaders in the industry. Our expanded digital ads program provides sophisticated strategies with better ROI.
February: Our New Website Launches
When you’re building and updating so many websites for clients, it can be easy to forget about your own. Our previous website reflected our focus on social media marketing, however, we’ve evolved over the past 8 years into a full-service digital marketing agency. So, we thought it was about time to showcase our additional services and freshen our look at bit.
In February we unveiled a new website with an updated aesthetic, highlighting all of our services, including video/photo production and web design. Our website was a labor of love, with every department at KWSM contributing.
We also took things a bit further and launched separate sites for KWSM Design and KWSM Productions. We have amazing in-house web and video teams, and we wanted a way to call more attention to the work they’re doing on a daily basis.
March: Social Media Help Desk Launches
At KWSM, we’re big fans of practicing what we preach. We talk to our clients all the time about the importance of including live video in their digital marketing strategies, and we decided it was time to wrap it into our own. This year we launched Social Media Help Desk, our Facebook live show that airs at 12:30pm PST/ 3:30pm EST every Tuesday. The show features a rotating panel of team members that discuss social media news, updates to the channels, and tips and tricks for generating the best results online.
April: KWSM Atlanta Expands
We’re proud to say that our Atlanta office has doubled in size since opening in 2016. We needed more space, so in April we moved to a larger office. Don’t worry; you shouldn’t have any trouble finding us if you’ve visited before. We’re just in a larger suite in the same building!
A new space, but everything that’s important to us remains the same. Our new digs has the same high-energy, quirky design of our California office with navy and white décor, lots of chevron accents, and our favorite mantras, “Be Fearless” and “Just Say Yes,” hanging on the wall.
May: We Add a Training Manager to our Team
At KWSM, we are growing quickly and we’ve added new team members every 6 to 8 weeks throughout the year. We take training seriously, and every new team member goes through a structured 90-day training period. To manage this process and ensure consistency in training, we added a Training Manager to the team this year. However, there was no need to hire someone new – instead, we promoted Content Editor Taylor Lizura to Senior Content Editor and Training Manager. Taylor has been at KWSM for more than 2 years and continues to be a leader on our team.
June: Katie Wagner Social Media becomes KWSM: a digital marketing agency
This year we made one of the biggest moves in our company’s history and rebranded Katie Wagner Social Media. With Katie’s evolution from solopreneur to leading a team of creatives she thought it was fitting that our brand evolve as well. So in true KWSM fashion, our team worked together for months to plan and execute our rebranding, and now we can proudly say that we are KWSM: a digital marketing agency.
“When I started Katie Wagner Social Media, the company consisted of me, with a laptop, in my spare bedroom,” says Katie Wagner, KWSM President. “I never imagined that we would become the company we are today, with three offices, a staff of more than 20 talented digital marketers, serving clients all over the country. This name change reflects how far we’ve come and how many dedicated people have contributed to the success of the agency over the years.”
July: KWSM Las Vegas Opens
In order to better serve our clients, we opened our third office in Las Vegas in July. That’s right, you can now find us on The Strip. We’ve been working with clients in the Las Vegas region since the agency began in 2010 so we’re excited to build our physical presence in this new market. Our new office will allow us to be more involved in our clients’ day-to-day operations, and expand the ways we can help tell their stories. Plus, we’re thoroughly enjoying Vegas’ fun energy and creative spirit. Content Editor Enes Ozekin opened our Vegas office, which is growing fast. It’s safe to say that although we’re new in town, we feel right at home.
August: We Add a Marketing Solutions Manager to Our Team
2018 marked a big milestone for KWSM as we expanded our executive team and added a Marketing Solutions Manager. Wendi Liechty is a former agency owner herself, and understands the value that we provide to clients. Wendi now meets with all our new friends and prospects to help them understand KWSM services and how to build a digital marketing strategy that gets results.
September: Our Director of Operations Celebrates 7 Years with KWSM
Stephen Wagner has been involved with KWSM since the agency’s inception, but in 2011 he quit his job to work with Katie full time. (She says it was the scariest day of her life!) Stephen wears many hats and has become an integral member of our executive team over the years. He’s currently responsible for contracts, invoices, payroll and HR within the agency.
October: 27th Class of Social Media Bootcampers Graduates
Education is one of our core values at KWSM. Social media can be scary for business owners because it’s like speaking a new language. Our goal is to educate as many CEOs and marketing officers as possible so that they understand social media and are empowered to get results for their companies. October marked our 27th social media bootcamp class. We offer bootcamp just 3 times a year, to a group of 12 business owners who are ready to take the plunge.
November: KWSM Celebrates 8 Years
Our President, Katie Wagner, started KWSM after she retired from her career as a journalist. Digital channels were becoming more popular, and Katie saw that more people were spending time online and getting their news and information there. She envisioned an agency made up of journalists who could help business owners tell their stories and communicate with their audience using new digital tools. Now, 8 years later, the agency is thriving. We have offices in 3 states, work with about 200 clients each year, and we’re continuing to grow and expand.
December: KWSM Atlanta Celebrates 2 Years
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since KWSM officially became bi-coastal. Our east coast office continues to grow, and our very first Atlanta team member, Content Editor Shanice Gravesandy, is still a leader in the office. We’re having a great time serving our clients and being part of Atlanta’s emergence as a digital marketing hub.
2018 isn’t over just yet, and we have more good news to share. So, what’s next? Perhaps another new office in the new year, new services to better tell our clients’ stories, new faces on the KWSM Team, and a new agency dog or two. We guess you’ll just have to keep up with us in 2019 to find out.
