Melanie
Welcome to the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast for all decision makers and action takers. Take it away, Esther.
Esther
Hello, and welcome back to the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast. We thought it was about time that we reintroduced ourselves to you, our listeners. I mean, it's only been, what, almost five years since we started this podcast. So for those that are new, those that have been around for a long time, welcome. And this is who we are. So start us off, Melanie.
Melanie
Sure. My name is Melanie Boylan, and I am the CEO and co-founder of STOMP Social Media Training, and I'm based in the Republic of Ireland. Esther?
Esther
My name is Esther Ocampo, and I am the co-founder of IPA Group, a Digital Marketing Agency based in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Melanie
So top milestones for IPA Group, Esther.
Esther
Well, IPA Group is coming up on its 10th anniversary soon, so that's a big one. For IPA Group itself, we have been awarded top web designer of the Year from an Irish awards company. That was a couple of years ago. Some of our clients have been with us for at least nine years, if not 10. So, yeah, we've been able to hold on to some customers for the long run, which has been very good. You, Melanie, what about STOMP?
Melanie
Well, STOMP has already done the We're now heading towards the 11th year mark. And over the years, I've received a few accolades. I've been best social media provider for two years running with the Republic of Ireland Awards for 2023 and 2024, which was nice. That was the Republic of Ireland Prestige Awards. Very recently, I was is highly commended as the best educator and trainer of 2024 for Digital Women Awards. And you failed to mention that you had won a slap.
Esther
Because you asked about IPA Group, and that is not IPA Group's award. It is My Award. So yes.
Melanie
So what's your award?
Esther
Recently, I won Digital Marketer of the Year, Esther Ocampo, not IPA Group, Esther Ocampo, Best Digital Marketer of the Year with Digital Women Awards. And we attended those awards in September, was it this year? It seems so long ago. I forgot. Forgetting dates. But yeah, that's the same place that we both won the award for the podcast last year. We won podcast of the Year. And if you can see them, they're right behind me. If the video decides to show this bit, that one is the Podcast of the Year, The Star. And this one is very... It's glass, but it's...
Melanie
I can't see anything.
Esther
It's the digital marketer of the year. But you may be able to see this one because I was also awarded Digital Woman To Watch of 2024. So I feel very privileged to have been awarded those this year. And it's certainly been, like I say, almost 10 years in the making, and It has not been easy. I will put my hands up and say that these 10 years have been challenging. They've been fun. They've been an experience. And I think because we both work in digital marketing, we're kept on our toes quite a bit, aren't we, Melanie?
Melanie
Oh, yeah.
Esther
How many changes have we seen in the past 10, 11 years? We're not just talking platform changes and new platforms coming in. We're talking about changes in the platforms that were already there that started maybe what, 15 to 20 years ago, some of them started. Across Facebook, which is now called META, Instagram, which is now owned by META, Twitter, which has changed hands as well. All of the OG's, as the young ones say, are just so different to when we started. I mean, LinkedIn is definitely not the same either. Not to mention adding in TikTok and Pinterest. And I mean, the list goes on and on and on. And obviously, which one are you specializing in now, Melanie?
Melanie
Google Business Profile.
Esther
Which also changed names.
Melanie
Because it was Google my business.
Esther
And it's going through changes as well. There was... What was the one that Google used to have, like a social media platform as well? I mean, there have been so many. Circles.
Melanie
You mean with the circles?
Esther
Yeah. So many that we have seen come and go, but we're still here, which I think is a testament to us both.
Melanie
That's why we wanted to reintroduce ourselves, because all you hear us talking about every single week with guests or without guests is how we feel about certain things, our thoughts and opinions, and you don't really hear where the experience comes from. We haven't been doing this for five minutes, either of us. We've both got quite extensive background knowledge.
Esther
Got the lines to prove it as well.
Melanie
Yeah, the lines. We can see the lines, definitely. Even before we both entered into digital marketing, we've both been online. From the earliest times of Yahoo groups, MSN groups, AOL. We've both been online, basically, since we could afford to get access to it. Seeing these changes and being able to help explain to you. We've had some lovely comments, and we've had some lovely testimonials and reviews, and that's not another tool that we are looking for more. Oh, wait, Yes, it is. It is, yeah. But we do hope to bring you quality and true strong information and action Because we know that you guys are listening to us or watching us right now. You are decision-makers and action-takers, and that's what makes this podcast different, because it's not just about you listening It's about you actually doing as well. Every single guest we get is absolute quality, and they always give us some action to do. We wanted to explain who we are, what our beating heart is behind the podcast, and to help you understand our businesses as well as ourselves. Esther, tell us what IPA Group does. What value, what offering do you give people?
Esther
We help you be seen more online. So that can be your website, it can be SEO, it can be digital marketing in the form of ads, it can be social media management. It can be graphics. It can be changing up your logo. It can be your marketing strategy. I mean, we have a whole team here that can help you with any and all of that. So do feel free to get in touch. You can find me through the podcast. All the links are in whatever bio you have find us through, because, again, the podcast is shared everywhere. Or you can visit my own website at ipagroup.co. You, Melanie?
Melanie
Yeah. Well, my business is to empower business owners and marketers and teams to manage their own social media in time better. I also do social media management as well, but I prefer to show people how to do it for themselves. If you can understand why a social media manager needs the things that they need and when they need it, before they need it. With time, yeah. If you can understand why we need your goals and what matters to you, KPI-wise, and what return on investment you're looking for, we basically have to try and crawl into your head. Isn't that right? We pretty much have to It's all into your head.
Esther
We like to see what makes you tick.
Melanie
I love doing that. I love giving clarity to people who come to me. Even if they never want to manage their own social media at all, it gives accountability to social media managers, and you fully understand exactly why they need what they need and why they cost so much.
Esther
Yes, it's not just posting. It's not just throw that up there. No, there is a strategy behind it all. There is research behind it all. There is so much that goes into it. And we've talked on the... Go back and listen to any of our episodes, and we'll tell you some of the things that we need beforehand, including customer persona, including getting inside your customers heads as well as your own. So all of those things and making sure that your funnel is working and there's no leaks in the Funnel. It can help as well.
Melanie
And just like Esther, I also provide not just training on how to use social media platforms, but also how to build a strategy for your business using your own knowledge and your own social channels. And I also delve a little bit deeper because it's not just digital marketing that I look into, but I also help build confidence in creating videos, in writing blogs, in doing press releases because of my background as a journalist. And I also offer podcast training as well. If you'd like to learn how to create a podcast and do your own podcast?
Esther
I mean, between us and among us, we are the perfect digital marketer because everybody's looking for everything that we offer between the pair of us. So this is why we came together to record the podcast in the first place because of our shared knowledge, because of our shared experiences, because of the things and the knowledge that we bring to the table and our own experiences and our experience working with our customers and our clients. We bring all these years of experience, like what Melanie says to the years before we started our businesses and being consumers as well and being users of these platforms. So, this is us, guys. I mean, we are here. We are real. We are contactable. We are hireable. You can...
Melanie
We're ready for work. Just call us.
Esther
But we've also been speaking. We forgot to mention that one, too. So we spoke last year at the Social Media Fest in Wexford, in the south of Ireland, like the very south of Ireland. It's beautiful.
Melanie
You can't really get much further without getting wet.
Esther
So we've spoken it. I have spoken at other things too, including Social Media Savvy in Ballymena, in Galgorm, near Belfast. And Melanie has also had many speaking opportunities and speaking engagements, including?
Melanie
Well, I've actually had quite a few international engagements between data natives, which was online, Riga in Latvia. I've spoken in Helsinki. I've spoken in parts of the UK and all over the Republic of Ireland, once in Northern Ireland. And one thing you failed to mention is we've both spoken at Digital Women as well.
Esther
True, yes.
Melanie
We're not afraid of talking about what we're so passionate about. If you're looking for somebody who can inject a bit of liveliness into your audience, into your events, then you can definitely hire myself and Esther because we would love to bring our passion and our enjoyment of marketing to your team and to your audience as well.
Esther
Absolutely. Well, that's it for us blowing our own trumpets this week. We'll be back next week with another podcast. And again, I have stolen Melanie's ending.
Melanie
I'm getting used to it.
Esther
Bye.
Melanie
Bye.
I have a suggestion for the title.
Esther
What? How to be not Irish and blow your own trumpet.
Melanie
How about, we plug ourselves in this episode?
Esther
It's a working title anyway. It's a working one.
