Meet Sommer Poquette of Keep it Real Social Marketing Agency

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sommer Poquette. 

Hi Sommer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I grew up thinking I was going to be a teacher. I bet my dad $100 I would graduate from college as a teacher, and I won. After discovering blogging and social media marketing in 2007, I swapped the chalk for a laptop. I spent over a decade working as a professional blogger, social media consultant, and online influencer (before online influencer was a thing). 

I worked with award-winning P.R. and advertising firms on social media campaigns for large brands such as eBay, Verizon Wireless, Whirlpool, Method, and Stoneyfield Farms…to name a few. I consulted with companies of all sizes and even commuted to Oakland County, California, for three years as a social media consultant for the Shaklee Company. The joke at Shaklee HQ was how I had the longest commute to work! 

I sold my Nielsen top-rated blog in 2018 to launch the boutique award-winning marketing agency, Keep it Real Social. I had been consulting for years and in business since 2007, but I wanted to grow an agency to help as many small businesses as possible using online marketing with traditional media efforts for success. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a small business owner, there will always be challenges. Owning a business is not for the faint of heart, but I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors, examples, and past business and work experience to help me. I think my biggest struggle has been balancing growth and quality. It’s imperative to me that my client’s needs are met and our work exceeds their expectations. I don’t want to cut corners or ask my team to work long hours, so how do I grow the business without hurting business? 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Keep it Real Social Marketing Agency?
Keep it Real Social is an award-winning five-star boutique marketing agency offering integrative marketing services for small businesses. Our services include: 

-Social media management & strategy. 

-Content creation. 

-Graphic design & branding. 

-Website design & development. 

-Local SEO & Listing Management. 

-Training, Speaking & Teaching. 

Our team comprises expert social media marketers, content strategists, analysts, and creative designers who work in tandem. This includes partnerships with photographers, web designers, copywriters, editors, and online ad experts. 

Our approach is unique. We believe in leveraging collective geniuses and shared prosperity. We use data to make decisions and believe in testing, learning and growing. We want to differentiate your brand online using the proper channels to tell your story and reach your target market. There’s no magic bullet or secret sauce to delivering tangible results, but there is a Keep it Real Social approach and process that has been refined after 15 years. 

We’re proud to have been voted the best marketing agency in North West Michigan. In 2021, the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce voted Sommer Poquette, founder, and C.E.O., Entrepreneur of the year. 

Since incorporating in 2018, Keep it Real Social has helped 50+ small businesses with their marketing needs. We’ve had a 500% growth in revenue and went from one team member to a team of five full-time employees and three part-time contractors, and we continue to grow. Our company values work-life balance and strives to ensure our employees have flexibility, a comfortable work environment that feels like home, and that we’re continually investing in professional development and personal growth for our team members. We value our company culture. 

We manage hundreds of social media accounts for clients, have developed killer marketing strategies and brand designs to help launch new businesses, and feel honored our clients trust us to lead their marketing. When a client’s business grows, and they’re happy, we’re doing our job! 

The future is bright, and we look forward to continued growth and helping even more small businesses with their marketing needs. 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think luck is something you create. Luck is a verb; it isn’t a feeling but an action. I worked my tail off to be where I am today. I was determined, resilient, had a positive attitude, and practiced gratitude and giving back to others. I stepped out of my comfort zone and listened to my gut. I think this lends itself to success, and some people will call that lucky; I call that hard work. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://keepitrealsocial.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/keepitrealsocial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepitrealsocial
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keep-it-real-social/