Jennifer McKnight owns a marketing firm that empowers small businesses and independent professionals by providing copywriting and online marketing solutions.
“I believe the Internet can be an equalizer for those underrepresented. That’s why my internet marketing company specializes in giving the everyday person a voice online.”
Read on as Jenn tells us about her work.
Tell us about your business!
I own Jenn Marie Writing & Marketing (JMWM), a content marketing firm that services digital marketing companies, digital marketing teams, and small businesses. We build custom WordPress websites, write articles and blog posts, and design online brands for B2C small businesses. I created this business to empower small businesses with online marketing solutions that work and are within their budget. I also provide a service that connects talented freelance writers with legitimate online work.
Who would benefit from your services?
I think those with a unique product offering or niche community would get the most from working with me. We focus on preserving the voice of our customers so that their customers have the same experience online as they would in person. This approach works well with any type of independent professionals such as freelancers, public speakers, coaches, real estate agents, and artists.
What obstacles have you face/are you tackling?
Although I have spent years marketing the businesses of others, I still struggle with marketing myself. It hasn’t been a huge obstacle because I receive plenty of referrals, but I’d like to support even more writers, which means I’ll need to focus on promoting my brand more. Although my business is in the online space, I plan to transition into promoting my business offline in 2020.
My specialty is content marketing, so I really dislike the broad cold call approach. I much rather provide a service to potential customers and let them decide if they’d like to do business with me. Therefore, to market my business services, I plan to host informational sessions at Surge South Tacoma as a meetup group, and share my skill set with small business owners.
What are your hopes for JMWM?
My long-term goal is to help more people utilize the internet in a way that directly benefits them. To do this, I’d like to have a team of at least 50 freelancers working at least 10 hours per week within the next five years. (I currently have 10 active freelancers.) I’d also like to triple my revenue while also reducing my output by at least 50%.
Why did you choose Surge South?
I chose Surge South Tacoma for a few reasons, but the primary one is rooted in nostalgia. When I first started my business in 2009, I was living in South Carolina. After a few projects, I was hopeful and decided to return to Washington. I had no job and no place to stay, so I lived with a friend who resided in the same block as Surge South Tacoma. It was the right decision.
Ten years later, while visiting a local restaurant with a different friend, I spotted Surge South Tacoma. I immediately knew that I needed to join. If my move to Tacoma 10 years ago was beneficial for my business then, I felt that returning to the same block would help it grow further.
So far, the experience has been welcoming and convenient. I’ve used other coworking services before, and I always felt like I wasn’t welcome, even though I paid the same fees as everyone else. Here I truly feel like part of a community, although I still sometimes struggle with communicating offline. =D
You can learn more about me and my business at: