My Story
Hello! I’m Jennifer Priest, the founder of Smart Creative Social.
I specialize in developing social media marketing and digital marketing strategy for businesses who want more traffic and revenue with less “hustle.”
My mission is to make my proven content strategies the new standard for entrepreneurs and see a world where the experience of the internet is deeply improved so more people are solving their problems with brands that align with them.
My Experience & Background
I work with clients from all types of industries, including a world-class soccer trainer, a best-selling author, and a horseback riding expert!
I bring over 15 years of experience in the arts & crafts industry to my social media marketing and digital marketing approach.
I intimately understand the consumer experience in the arts & crafts industry, the challenges faced by retailers, designers, and other solopreneurs in today’s market. The nuances of B2B manufacturers create relationships with consumers and retailers alike via social media.
Since the age of nine years old, I’ve been a crafter and entrepreneur, selling handmade earrings at craft fairs and running a pony ride stand in my small town. When I went into college, I started selling CDs, antiques I sourced from estate sales, and brand-name kids’ clothes on ebay. In 2003, I officially entered the craft industry, teaching classes at stores and events nationwide as well as online. I joined the Association for Creative Industries (AFCI), the trade organization for the craft industry, in 2011.
Marketing was essential to my success on ebay during my college years but in 2003 is when I really started taking things seriously and entered the world of email marketing. I was awarded and recognized as a Constant Contact All-Star 6 years in a row due to the high open rates and success of my email marketing strategy.
Email marketing worked great for my business until 2007 when customers started asking me to sell my products on etsy and to set up a website where they could see my classes any time. I set up a Facebook account and started my first blog that year. I then made it my mission to embrace new technology and marketing methods in the promotion of my own businesses of teaching online and in-person classes, selling on etsy and at craft fairs, and blogging for my own site and for others.
People started to see what I was doing and started asking for help. In 2009, I started offering consulting and coaching services to help others with their online marketing. Since then, via Smart Creative Social (formerly Rainmaker Media Works), I have helped hundreds of crafters and business owners learn how to market their businesses using social media platforms like Facebook, via email marketing, and through blogging.
I stopped teaching in-person craft classes in 2013 (and stopped online craft classes in 2014) so that I could focus on helping businesses achieve success with their digital marketing and social media presence.
As part of that effort, I have presented at the Craft & Hobby Association (now AFCI) trade shows, at blogging conferences such as Alt Summit, and with other craft and art-focused organizations such as the Academy of Handmade Artists & Supporters and Craftcation. I co-authored a book on Snapchat strategy, The Snapchat Hustle, and have been featured on numerous podcasts, websites such as AdWeek, and webinars as an expert in my field.
I invest in attending social media conferences, reading the latest literature, and participating in masterminds with some of the world’s top bloggers and marketers in order to bring my clients (that’s YOU!) the best strategies and tools for social media and digital marketing. I am constantly testing strategies and tools on the multiple social media accounts I run for my own businesses so that I can roll them out to clients with confidence. I keep things real and honest because I am absolutely invested in your success.
What I do:
- Social media strategy – I help you determine which social networks to be on (and why), what kinds of content you need to get your message across, and how to deliver that message while staying compliant with applicable laws and platform terms of service. Confusing? I’ll break it down for you on our calls so you can sound like an expert while explaining it all to your staff.
- Social media systems and outsourcing – Someone needs to run all of your social media campaigns. I provide tools and resources as well as guidance to help you run the social media machine and outsource the work if needed.
- Social Video Critiques and Strategy – get feedback on your videos, feedback on your content creator’s videos, and guidance for how to create the best videos for each social media platform.
- Working with Influencers and Content Creators – I’ve worked as an influencer, content creator, and influencer program manager. I’ll teach you the ins and outs of working with content creators and influencers, how to create and maintain those relationships, and provide documents and other tools to help manage your program.
- Platforms – I cover these platforms:
- Social media:
- YouTube
- Blog + Website:
- WordPress (really, there is no other *wink wink*)
- Social media:
- General coaching – if you are a blogger, crafter, or artist looking for a kick in the pants to take your business to the next level and make more money, I’m the lady to call. We meet via video chat online for an hourly fee. Scroll down and fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page for more information.
- Speaking – online or in-person, please fill out the contact form below with information about your event. I love events!
What I don’t do:
These are services I’ve been asked to provide in the past that I don’t do. I’m straight-forward about what I can do, what I am good at, and what I can’t do. If I am going to work with you, I want to have positive results every time for you and your business. If I can’t do something you need, I will do my best to refer you to someone who can help.
- Ads – I do not do ads management outside of ads on social media. I can recommend people to help you take your ads to the next level. I’m the first step in getting a solid footing and understanding of social media ads. And I don’t do google ads or any other type of ads management or consulting.
- Website development – I don’t build sites or fix widgets or move sites, however, I can recommend people to help you with that. I have experience doing all of these things myself so if you want to discuss that process, we can hop on a general coaching call.
I tailor my services to each client based on your needs, business size, and goals to offer the best results possible for your unique business.
I have a small team who helps me with research and other office tasks remotely. You might hear me talk about the team from time to time but you will always be dealing with me directly and I will be the person crafting your social media strategy.
How I Work With People Today
SMART PIN PRO
SMART Pin Pro™ is the one resource + community you need for Pinterest. Learn how to create a Pinterest strategy that evolves with your business and the algorithms to bring you dependable traffic year after year.
LEGACY CONTENT SERVICES
What People Say
"Jennifer is one of the few actual experts in Pinterest marketing as far as I'm concerned ... her approach is data-backed and gets results! Tailwind has trusted Jennifer's expertise in helping develop new products and improve existing tools to better serve our business clients - she has finger on the pulse of what's working on Pinterest and what marketers need to get results"
Alisa Meredith
Content Marketing Manager at Tailwind and Pinterest Marketing Expert
"We brought Jennifer into our program to teach Pinterest marketing to our members. Integrity and results are super important to my community and she's the Pinterest marketer I trust. Our members LOVED her session! She's not reiterating the same strategies that so many of us have heard over and over again — she truly brings a fresh perspective to Pinterest! By the end, all of our members were excited to start leveraging the platform (or get back to it) because they were so inspired by Jennifer and her genius insights!"
Courtney Foster-Donahue
Online Marketing Expert and Creator of Pocket Products™
“Jennifer is a talented designer/crafter with uncommon business smarts. Few artists understand and know how to leverage social media, make industry connections and just plain know how to make a business work. Few business people have her creativity and ingenuity.”
Sharon Fain
Public Relations and Marketing Professor at Loyola Marymount University