Melanie Ortega
Co-founder & Creative Director at Inspired Social
Florida
www.myinspiredsocial.com
instagram @myinspiredsocial
facebook
linkedin
Q What do you do?
“I help brands build genuine connections with their audience through social media marketing and design.”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I started volunteering and freelancing doing media and marketing for international brands and non-profits while I was going to school for something completely different. I fell in love with it so much that I decided to change my career path and this is what I've been doing ever since!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
One thing I am known for in all teams I work with is my communication and conversation skills. I like to get everyone involved in the creative process and create something that the team can be proud of. One person can only have so many ideas and some of the best ones come from collaboration with other teams or individuals.
These days, all businesses and brands are obsessed with metrics and how many followers they can get or how many sales they need to hit. While those are extremely important, my initial approach is to ask: how can we get people to genuinely invest their attention in this brand?
I found that all the good stuff like followers and sales come easier after that!
Q What are you working on right now?
Social media strategy and management for Daybase
Social media for The Farmlink Project
Q What’s your style?
I enjoy breaking traditional design rules when I can to create something that gets people to say "wow, that is different".
Check out my Behance inspiration board here.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
More social media strategy and consulting! Also, more social media monthly management projects :)
Q What is frustrating you right now?
This month? Maybe the fact that the prices of avocados are at an all-time high.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
A social media account manager to help part-time with clients!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
For the longest time, I was stuck in a different career path struggling forward because I thought it was the only thing for me. I wish I had listened to my passion for creativity sooner and dove into what I am doing now earlier in my life. I'm not sure I would get into a time machine though and mess with how things turned out. Isn't there some saying about how you shouldn't mess with the timeline?
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Doing large-scale projects. How to run financials for a creative agency. How to cook an egg in another way besides hard-boiled and scrambled.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Social media:
I'm looking for those seeking help with their brand strategy, social media management, or content creation.
Design:
Those looking to build or redesign their business's/brands website or establish a brand identity.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
A restaurant, service provider, e-commerce business, or business looking to bring a new perspective into a current issue they may be having that will need a social media marketing or design solution.
Cool, fun brands looking to stand out and try something new or to get started in the digital marketing space.
An impactful, socially, or environmentally conscious brand looking to inspire and stay connected with their audience.
Q: What is your rate?
While everything we do at Inspired Social is pretty bespoke, here are some starting prices:
Social media marketing: $2000-$5000/month
Social media strategy: $5000
Branding: $5000
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Q Who is a creative you admire?
He doesn't know I exist but I follow Nicky Tesla's work all the time. He has a way of doing unique works that create conversations using different mediums like photography, video, and design. I admire a lot of his work, especially the interactive ones. Click this Schoooool link to see what I mean!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I always try to take breaks and allow my brain some time to think outside of the project and bring new ideas in.
This member profile was originally published in March 2022.