Startup Secrets Hosts Marketing Specialist Jay Vics

Greensboro, North Carolina -

Mcleansville, NC based JVI Mobile Marketing recently saw its owner, Jay Vics, appear on the Startup Secrets Show, a podcast aimed at entrepreneurs. The podcast’s host, John North, interviewed Vics about his journey from working a marketing side-hustle to now owning a full-time digital marketing agency that is respected greatly by its clients. Those interested can listen to the podcast on the Startup Secrets Show’s website.

Startup Secrets aims to show online entrepreneurs that success is not outside their reach, even if they do not have access to the same funding and resources that are typically at the disposal of large businesses and corporations. They have made it their mission to disseminate information that can help entrepreneurs achieve their business goals and grow their companies from modest beginnings, eventually establishing their own complete business system that can compete with more established peers.

Jay Vics is an example of such an entrepreneur, and he was invited to share his insight on turning a side-hustle — with $500 to spare in 2012 — into a full-time, thriving business less than 10 years later. Listeners will find that Vics identifies himself as something of an ‘accidental entrepreneur’ since he originally did not intend for his side-hustle to grow as it did. However, this is one of the first important points brought up in the podcast: an entrepreneur does not necessarily have a predetermined plan to achieve their goals. Instead, they may want to begin by identifying a demand in the market that they can fulfill themselves and proceed from there.

He realized sometime around 2010 that many older individuals had difficulty using their smartphones, and his first instinct was to provide classes that would teach them to use their devices to their full potential. It was here that he learned that many of his students had small businesses of their own and had similar difficulties marketing themselves and their products. Vics then offered his assistance in setting up a text message marketing system for these businesses. As his clients flourished, he explains they began to ask him what else he could do for them, and this eventually led him to expand his services into digital marketing.

Jay's marketing agency currently approaches the field in two primary methods. This includes coaching businesses to take full advantage of all available digital and social media tools as well as implementing these strategies themselves via a small but dedicated team of professionals who share his vision.

North and Vics also touch upon the fact that mobile apps need to offer ongoing utility to the user. If an app exists simply to market a business’ products or services, it is unlikely to be used in more than a few instances. On the other hand, users will prefer to open the app more regularly if it gives them the ability to interact more meaningfully with the business, such as making purchases or saving items for later.

“People don’t want to keep apps on their phone,” remarks Vics, “and the space on the phone is becoming limited.” This leads them to make a choice regarding which apps they want to keep, so only apps they use regularly will be allowed to remain. The duo also notes that smartphone phone usage has skyrocketed in the past decade, and businesses have had to change the way they market themselves as a result. This is also due to the fact that the way people communicate has changed; in-person conversation now has a strong competitor in instant messaging, and many customers expect businesses to respond just as promptly.

Vics comments that communication has transformed at a staggering pace, but this does not mean that it is impossible to communicate. Instead, the message may simply have become much more important, and businesses now have a vested interest in capturing the hearts and minds of their customers — by developing an identity — to remain relevant. Fortunately, digital marketing agencies like JVI Mobile Marketing are able to offer guidance in this regard.

Those interested may learn more about Jay Vics and his company’s journey by listening to the full Startup Secrets podcast — S2:08 [Jay Vics] Side Hustle to Marketing Magic. JVI Mobile's tutorial website for small business owners is also available for those who wish to boost their marketing efforts.