10 Questions with Samantha Roberts and Heather Hall, Co-Founders of MAID OF SOCIAL

1) FIRST, WHERE DID YOU TWO MEET?

SAM AND I MET WHILE BOTH WORKING AT THE KNOT. SAMANTHA MANAGED SOCIAL MEDIA AND I WAS ONE OF THE FASHION EDITORS, SO TOGETHER WE WORKED CLOSELY TO SHARE CONTENT IN FUN AND INTERESTING WAYS. AFTER A FEW YEARS ON THE EDITORIAL TEAM EACH OF US WENT ON TO PURSUE NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES, BUT ALWAYS REMAINED FRIENDS AND DREAMED UP WAYS WE COULD WORK TOGETHER AGAIN ONE DAY.

2) THIS IS AN INNOVATIVE IDEA. EXPLAIN WHAT MAID OF SOCIAL IS ABOUT? 

MAID OF SOCIAL IS A SERVICE FOR PROVIDING QUALITY SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTION FOR COUPLES OR VENDORS ON A WEDDING DAY — OR OTHER LUXE EVENTS AS WE EXPAND. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL VENDORS INVOLVED TO COORDINATE A SOCIAL MEDIA AND PR STRATEGY PROMOTING THE AMAZING WORK THAT GOES INTO MAKING AN EVENT SO SPECIAL.

3) IS THIS THE NEXT NEW WAVE FOR WEDDINGS AND WHY? 

DEFINITELY. THE NEW WAVE OF WEDDINGS IS USING SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE NEVER BEFORE. THIS PARTICULAR DAY IS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION — AND AN EXPENSIVE ONE AT THAT — SO COUPLES WANT TO SHARE IT WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND IT’S ACTUALLY DOABLE NOW. BETWEEN SNAPCHAT, INSTAGRAM STORIES, AND FACEBOOK LIVE THE ODDS OF ONE OF YOUR GUESTS SHARING SOME INTIMATE MOMENTS ARE HIGHLY LIKELY ANYWAYS. AND IT’S FUN! BECAUSE SOCIAL MEDIA IS CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF WEDDINGS AND THE WAY WE USE TECHNOLOGY, IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA IS BUILT INTO EVERY ASPECT OF WEDDING PLANNING. 

4) WHAT WAS THE AH-HA MOMENT THAT INSPIRED THIS IDEA? 

THE AH HA MOMENT CAME TO MIND OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW YEARS, AS SOCIAL MEDIA GAINED TRACTION IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY. SAM AND I SAW HOW EXCITED BRIDES BECAME WHEN FEATURED ON A LARGE BRAND’S IG ACCOUNT, PLUS IT’S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR MARKETING. WE WERE FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF EFFORT PEOPLE PUT INTO SOCIAL MEDIA. PHOTOGRAPHERS NOT BEING CREDITED, NO ONE KNEW WHO BAKED THE CAKE, ETC. BRIDES NOW PLAN THEIR WEDDINGS USING SOCIAL MEDIA, I.E. THEY PIN INSPIRATION, RESEARCH VENUES VIA GEO-TAGS ON INSTAGRAM TO SEE HOW OTHER COUPLES USED THE SPACE, FIND THEIR PHOTOGRAPHERS ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS, ETC. SO PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT HELPS EVERYONE INVOLVED INSPIRED MAID OF SOCIAL.

5) HOW MANY SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS DO YOU OFFER? 

WE TYPICALLY OFFER SOCIAL COVERAGE ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, AND SNAPCHAT, BUT IT REALLY VARIES ON THE VENDORS INVOLVED AND ALSO WHAT THE COUPLE WANTS. 

6) HOW MUCH PRE-PLANNING IS INVOLVED? 

WE BEGIN ANYWHERE FROM 1-5 MONTHS OUT FROM A WEDDING OR EVENT WEEKEND. WE PREFER PLENTY OF TIME TO COLLECT CONTACT INFORMATION AS VENDORS ARE CONFIRMED, DEVELOP THE RIGHT IDEAS (EACH EVENT IS DIFFERENT), AND COORDINATE WITH BRANDS TO GET THEM ON BOARD TO SHARE CONTENT THAT WE WILL PROVIDE TO THEM ON THE DAY OF THE WEDDING AS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT. WE WANT AS MANY USERS AND INFLUENCERS AS POSSIBLE TO BE POSTING WITHIN THE WEDDING HASHTAG ON THAT DAY SO THAT WE REACH MORE PEOPLE. 

7) WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE WEDDING DAY?

THINGS NEVER GO AS PLANNED. AND THAT’S TRUE FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE WEDDING DAY, NOT JUST SOCIAL MEDIA. WE DO OUR BEST TO STICK TO A SCHEDULE THAT HAS BEEN WELL THOUGHT-OUT WITH THE COUPLE, PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER, AND/OR PLANNER, BUT THE KEY TO PROVIDING GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE IS TO BE PRESENT, ALERT, AND READY FOR ANYTHING. WE ALSO NEVER WANT TO SEE THE BRIDE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE SHE’S MADE HER GRAND ENTRANCE! IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO TIME EVERYTHING HAPPENING ON THE WEDDING DAY. 

8) DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL TIPS WHEN A COUPLE HIRES YOUR SERVICES?

THE TIPS DEPEND ON WHAT KIND OF WEDDING THEY ARE HAVING, BUT SOME GOOD ADVICE THAT WE LEARNED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS INCLUDES:

    1) CHECK WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER FIRST BEFORE HIRING SOMEONE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE WE WANT TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS THE SAME GOALS. IF YOU WANT TO BE FEATURED IN PRINT IN A MAGAZINE, OR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER WANTS TO CONSIDER THAT, THEN POSTING TOO MUCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HURT YOUR CHANCES FOR BEING FEATURED IN PRINT. IT IS AN INTERESTING BALANCE TO STRIKE RIGHT NOW THAT WILL SHIFT SOON I’M SURE.

    2) INFORM YOUR GUESTS AHEAD OF TIME ON THE WEDDING WEBSITE, SAVE THE DATE, PROGRAM, ETC. IF YOU WILL BE HAVING AN UNPLUGGED CEREMONY (MORE ON THIS BELOW) AND WHAT THE WEDDING HASHTAG IS GOING TO BE.

    3) START USING YOUR WEDDING HASHTAG WELL IN ADVANCE SO THAT YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT IF YOU WANT THEM TO USE IT AT THE WEDDING. 

9) DOES THIS MEAN IT CAN REPLACE THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER? 

NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. WE NEVER BILL OURSELVES AS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OR VIDEOGRAPHERS. OUR SERVICE WORKS HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE PROFESSIONALS TO BENEFIT THEM AS WELL. IDEALLY, WE WANT TO BE POSTING EDITED IMAGES AND VIDEO CLIPS DIRECTLY FROM THEM TO THE VARIOUS PLATFORMS WE ARE POSTING ON — BE IT OUR OWN, THE COUPLE’S ACCOUNTS, OR WE “TAKEOVER” A BRAND ACCOUNT FOR THE DAY. THIS HELPS THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER GET NEW BUSINESS FROM GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE OR ANYONE ELSE SEEING THE POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

10) WHAT ARE EACH OF YOUR LEAST AND FAVORITE RITUAL MOMENTS ON THE WEDDING DAY?

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND SACRED MOMENT IS THE BRIDE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE. THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE SAM AND I ARE HUGE SUPPORTERS OF AN UNPLUGGED WEDDING. IT’S SUCH A SPECIAL MOMENT WHEN THE CEREMONY BEGINS AND WE LOVE TO SEE THE GUESTS PUT THEIR PHONES AWAY AND JUST EXPERIENCE THE COMMITMENT MADE BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE. THIS LETS THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER GET THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOTS THEY NEED WITHOUT TOO MUCH DISTURBANCE. WE KNOW HOW TO BE DISCRETE AND STAY OUT OF THE WAY IF THE COUPLE WANTS A FEW IPHONE SHOTS OR A LIVE STREAM ON FACEBOOK, WHICH IS WHERE MAID OF SOCIAL COMES INTO PLAY. A LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT FOR US, BELIEVE IT OR NOT BECAUSE IT’S WHAT WE DO, IS A SEA OF IPHONES AND DIGITAL CAMERAS FLY UP WHEN THE BRIDE MAKES HER GRAND ENTRANCE. WE ENCOURAGE COUPLES TO CONSIDER AN UNPLUGGED CEREMONY (WHICH MIGHT REQUIRE A SIGN, ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE OFFICIANT, OR MEMO ON THE PROGRAM) AND USE THE WEDDING HASHTAG TO ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO POST THROUGHOUT THE RECEPTION AND REST OF THE DAY. THIS IS WHERE FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO COULDN’T ATTEND CAN FOLLOW ALONG TOO.