Name: Sarah Foss
Bio: Marketing director for Social Money, striving to put the ‘elation’ in ‘public relations’
Title: Marketing Director, Social Money
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Age: 29
Residence: West Des Moines, Iowa
Website: socialmoney.com, smartypig.com, philanthropig.com
Twitter: @SarahEFoss
Intro music: “Come Original,” by 311
Silicon Prairie News: What’s the CliffsNotes version of the story of how a college English major becomes marketing director for a financial tech company?
Sarah Foss: Once I discovered I couldn’t support my shopping habit by being a writer, I went into what all young twenty-something gals do for lucrative means – sales. I quickly discovered my talents lied more in promotion and execution, so I hopped on the marketing ladder and here I am today.
SPN: How has your approach to marketing changed since SmartyPig became Social Money and began selling GoalSaver as a white label solution?
SF: Built inside of Social Money’s primary product, GoalSaver, is a B2C marketing system modeled after the success we’ve had with SmartyPig. We’ve created an engagement engine to help financial services companies successfully reach their customers where they are, while allowing the company to extend its brand into the customer’s social community. So while we as a company are shifting to a B2B model, we still focus heavily on what keeps consumers fully engaged with the products we offer to companies all over the world.
SPN: Your work on the SmartyPig blog is a blend of somewhat personal reflections and more objective posts. What are your rules of the road for how to effectively blend those two styles?
SF: As a rule I don’t post anything personally I wouldn’t want my boss or mother to see. I try to use that same thought when posting professionally, keep it informative, but add personality. I think you can write objectively and still be entertaining. If I’m bored writing it, I’m not publishing it.
SPN: What are the top three of goals you’ve saved for using SmartyPig? What’s one goal you haven’t saved for yet but are eyeing?
SF: I love to use SmartyPig to save for things I might not otherwise splurge on; my son’s first birthday party last year, a new road bike, and a shopping trip with my girlfriends. My next goal will probably follow that trend — something I want, but my husband finds unnecessary 😉
SPN: Indications are that you’re, um, a bit of a Pinterest fanatic. How do you explain the appeal that Pinterest holds for you?
SF: Before Pinterest I kept dozens of emails with links in my inbox of clothing I liked, inspiration for my home, or DIY projects. I had no way of organizing these ideas or items in an easy-to-see, easy-to-access manner. Pinterest was like a dream come true for me! I use it personally … often, and am working on mastering it professionally too.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Foss.
Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.
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