SHAWN SHIREY
SENIOR DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
What are your primary responsibilities at Kiterocket?
Generally, my focus is on the content side. My days are spent doing a variety of design, graphics, photo editing, copywriting, social media community management and reporting. One of my biggest strengths is coming up with fun ideas and strategies and bringing them to life.
Shawn, you have a lot of responsibilities. What do you enjoy most about your job?
The thing I most appreciate about my job is using my creativity in a focused, productive way. And, frankly, that’s something that I’ve been searching for a long time in my life. I think it’s sometimes difficult for people who consider themselves artists or creatives to find an outlet for their creative drive. I’m very fortunate to find a place where I can help my team and clients through my creativity. It’s really been a very fulfilling experience, whether it’s building a social program for WSTFA from the ground up, or do a holiday program for Member Access Processing, or other social programs.
Do you have an understanding for what works best for you to reach specific audiences?
I enjoy helping clients solve problems. For example, Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), where our assignment was to promote the Best Aquaculture Practices label. So, the assignment is multilayered. First, we want people to shop for seafood at their local market. Then, we want them to choose seafood that has the BAP label. We want them to see the label as a sign that the seafood was harvested responsibly. I pay attention to conversations and pivot with content when needed. For instance, the GSA audience started commenting on the price of seafood and that it is too expensive for them to afford. But the reality is that there are many affordable seafood options out there and frozen fish can be just as tasty and healthy as fresh – so strategy shifted to include that educational component.
So Shawn, it sounds like you’ve found a way to make creativity a problem-solving tool.
You must stay creative in the evolving digital world. I’m constantly immersed in digital channels, professionally and personally. It’s important to not only deliver engaging content, but to also understand who your audience is. I’m looking for what people are talking about, where the social conversation is moving. This allows me to provide timely, on-trend content and campaigns for my clients. There’s a lot in the social sphere that you may not even understand if you’re not constantly immersed in it and listening to it.
