46 ; INC. ; MAY 2018 ; ; ; ILLUSTRATION BY TOMMY PARKER
INC. 5000 INSIGHTS
HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR COMPANY’S VOICE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
;
“We try to serve as
a narrator that
brings people in the
higher education
world together. We
answer questions in
LinkedIn groups and
started a Google
group that has more
than 500 members,
where people pose
questions and we try
to engage everyone
in answering them.”
;
ANN OLESON
Founder, Converge
Consulting (education)
2017 RANK NO. 2,037
GROWTH 183%
REVENUE $3.1M
;
“When we started,
we focused on
informing folks
about outdoor
brands. But as
we expanded into
fashion, home, and
beauty, it became
more about letting
people know that
we’re trying to
curate amazing
products in general.
We’re simple. Our
tone is fun and
playful. We know
we’re not curing
cancer.”
;
CHRIS
GATHRIGHT
Founder, Sportique
(retail)
2017 RANK NO. 3,164
GROW TH 103%
REVENUE $4.7M
;
“Through trial and
error, we’ve figured
out a balance
between aspira-tional, for people
who aren’t ready to
travel with us; inspirational, for people
actively planning an
Under Canvas trip;
and helpful. We
have agents who
make bookings and
plan itineraries,
and it made sense
to continue that
dialogue on social.
We want to be
an expert that also
helps you dream
about where you
might go next.”
;
SARAH DUSEK
Co-founder, Under
Canvas (travel &
hospitality)
2017 RANK NO. 573
GROW TH 791%
REVENUE $8.6M
;
“Because we’re both
a B2B and a B2C
business, LinkedIn is
the most important
platform for us.
And we use LaSalle’s
social networks
to entice college
graduates to come
work for us. On
Instagram, we’ll post
pictures of a party
for an employee’s
work anniversary,
and we’ll get 80
to 100 likes and
comments from
their friends.”
;
TOM GIMBEL
Founder, LaSalle
Network (human
resources)
2017 RANK NO. 4,450
GROWTH 56%
REVENUE $55.5M
Advice from the founders of America’s fastest-growing companies ; AS TOLD TO SHEILA MARIKAR
Rankings and data
are taken from the
2017 Inc. 5000:
Growth is calculated
from 2013 to 2016;
revenue is from 2016.
;
“The most important thing, which a lot of
businesses skip, is to know what you want.
Even though social media is casual and
conversational, think of it as marketing. You
would never start a marketing campaign not
knowing what you’re trying to achieve.”
;
KRISTY SAMMIS Co-founder, Clever (advertising & marketing)
2017 RANK NO. 1,706 GROW TH 229% REVENUE $7.4M
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