NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Karla Peppas, digital marketing expert at "Fresh Collaboration", was recently interviewed by Mike Taylor, Sr. Editor at Newswire. The interview covered her social media consultancy and the release of her new book, "Understanding Internet Marketing: Telling the Story of YOUR BUSINESS". Her new book is a manual for business owners, filled with lessons learned working with over 100 successful online and offline marketing clients.
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Karla's 10 years in the corporate realm taught her many lessons working with over 100 clients. One of these was the challenges women faced in that environment to balance professional goals with their family life. "Within the traditional corporate structure, there isn't a lot of flexibility to shape your day to accomplish business goals as well as personal goals. I knew I had to branch out to have the ability to achieve all of my goals, personal and professional."
Working as Director of Digital Sales for a large multi-market agency, Karla saw firsthand how digital media could generate powerful results for businesses. She was "excited to be a part of her clients' success." Her experience led to the launch of "Fresh Collaboration", a 'full-service' digital marketing company.
"Fresh Collaboration helps companies grow by using digital technology," said Ms. Peppas. "Our clients get the best results from integrated campaigns. Business promotion is not best when done piece-meal; ideally we want our partners to think of us as a single point of contact, someone that can help them multiple ways. There is a synergy from all the elements working together."
Karla's coaching and consulting background gave her the skills, but she brought the needed ingredient, her "passion for clients' success". She said, "You need the desire to truly help people. A dedicated person can learn technical elements, but can't succeed without the sincere desire to help. We pride ourselves on being partners with our clients."
Karla undertook authoring a book because she "needed to put out the book to make it easier for others to grasp the concepts and apply it to their own businesses".
Regarding the time commitment, Karla said, "I wrote the book during my evenings after leaving the office. The book shares business lessons as they developed and my reflections on daily business." Ms. Peppas added, "When you're passionate about something, you make time for it."
Where does a new business begin in online marketing? Karla said, "The first step is to first set your business goals. All businesses are different, but everyone needs the plan to follow."
Karla said, "Of all the ways to advertise online, social is the most active place to connect on a daily basis. Few other outlets are as cost effective." A business recommendation or review on social media can spread from community to community. This digital word-of-mouth has "a great multiplier effect, and the result is new customers."
Karla warns not to underestimate social media. "You need to understand the medium" and "Your strategy must start with clearly defined goals." A social media consultant is especially helpful to small businesses when defining those goals.
Social media, when done right, is more cost-effective than traditional advertising. Social campaigns that select an audience carefully and send appropriate messages get results. Karla added, "Social media is for anyone who wants to be effective with their marketing budget."
Businesses need someone who knows all aspects, she said, "Because there really is a science it". Often, businesses have no social strategy, struggle for a while, give up and fail at social media. "Failure is not the platform but novice mistakes."
On the subject of self-promotion, Karla urges restraint. "Remember, the conversation is not about your business – it is about your customer."
Fresh Collaboration is designed to help businesses with social media and other online marketing tools. "We help clients maximize engagement opportunities. We have internal trainers to teach clients' staff, or our in-house staff will execute it for them. They create posts, and handle user engagement."
Karla's final remark was, "Action is the first step to success. If you have a dream, you have to go for it. Most people make the mistake of not taking action, and that's the one mistake you can't recover from."
For more information on Karla Peppas and Fresh Collaboration visit
or call Karla Peppas at 615.545.6314
Her book, "Understanding Internet Marketing: Telling the Story of YOUR BUSINESS" is available on Amazon.