SINGAPORE - Stephanie Phua was once asked by a client why her social media agency Duo Studio charged what it did when his own intern could easily create the content and more.
She countered that her agency's clarity of approach and strategies stem from her 10 years of experience working with social media content, and hiring experienced professionals would offer more peace of mind.
"There's a lot of strategic thought we put into messaging and creative production to ensure brand integrity is sustained... Glad to say, he was convinced in the end," says Ms Phua, 32, whose six-year-old company has worked with clients such as corporate heavyweight Fraser & Neave and Reebok.
That is just one of the common misconceptions about the social media marketing industry, which some see as just Instagramming and posting content all the time, or as a faceless tool that serves as a means to an end, she says.
In fact, it is an ever-evolving landscape that requires marketers to be connected and authentic at the same time. The Singaporean audience has also evolved from being relatively passive to finding their voice to speak up for what they believe in, she adds.
The growth of social media marketing provides more opportunities for smaller firms to compete with better-known ones.
Many big brands are still struggling to manage the shift from traditional marketing - which was more one-way - as not all are equipped with the right resources to handle social conversations, and smaller businesses may be able to outperform them in this area, says Ms Phua.
"If you truly understand what makes your target audience tick, how to drive good conversations and dedicate resources to getting this platform right, the beauty of social media is that outreach is democratised," she says.
Q: What do you do at work?
A: No one day is the same for sure. A typical day involves team strategy meetings, client calls, overseeing shoots, and catching up on the latest in social media trends.
Q: How much do you earn?
A: $80,000 to $100,000 annually.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue this career?
A: I would call it serendipity. I graduated at a time when social media was still nascent. In my first internship, I was tasked to do a social media landscape study in South-east Asia and that's where I saw there was a lot of thought leadership articles and best practices coming from the West, but a huge gap of knowledge and information available about South-east Asia.
I started experimenting with content on a personal basis, and started seeing the real business value that the platform could bring.
I was using Twitter to network, writing for a tech publication, and running my own blog where I'd play around with SEO (search engine optimisation) to see how it impacted traffic and businesses.
I was well and truly bitten by the social media bug then, and have never looked back. I set up Duo Studio in 2015 with pure intentions of adding soul to social - remembering the way we used to communicate before social media, and driving social media content that touches, engages, sparks conversations and is relatable.