Frequently Asked Questions
How did you get your start as a designer?
My journey as a designer began studying Industrial Design at Pratt Institute‘s Continuing and Professional Studies department in Brooklyn, NY where I learned how to sketch, weld and design physical products. 10 years later, a manager at a marketing company I worked at recommended I check out in Google‘s UX Design Professional Certificate, and I began studying in 2022. I completed the self-paced course 1 year later with 3 case studies that formed the beginning of my UX web design portfolio.
What is your approach to design and marketing?
I approach design and marketing in an iterative and data-driven way.
By iterative, I mean constantly improving, brainstorming, trying new things, and not being afraid to learn from mistakes.
By data-driven, I mean using available quantitative data online, and asking for qualitive data from customers/users, to understand what needs improving.
What is your tech & marketing experience?
I have almost 3 years experience working at tech companies, and 2 years experience working in Digital Marketing.
I first spent 3 months interning at Google in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising sales, and then 2 years working in Social Media and Digital Marketing at a boutique marketing agency.
I also spent 6 months interning at Guesty, a Software as a Service (SaaS) company, in the Research and Strategy department.
You can also view my work history on my LinkedIn.
How did you get your start as a local marketer?
In 2022, I was working for a digital marketing agency during the day and a local supermarket at night. I had learned a lot from my work as a digital marketer, and wanted to put my knowledge to use.
I Googled the name of the supermarket I worked at and noticed the Google location pin was incorrect and was directing potential customers 4 streets south of the business. My manager let me try to fix it, and I learned how to claim a Google Business Page and successfully correct the pin.
It was from this simple task that I began learning more about Google Maps and Google Business Pages.
I had always used Google Maps to find places around me, especially when travelling, but claiming ownership and improving a Google page was new to me. I have since learned a tremendous amount about marketing for a local businesses with Google Maps, and it all came from trying new things.
What is your business background?
I graduated with a degree in Economics from Harvard College in 2018. I focused my studies on consumer psychology and microeconomics (local business dynamics).
Relevant courses include Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Statistics for Economics, Consumer Psychology and Business Strategy.
Do you market for all types of businesses and organizations?
I enjoy marketing for businesses and organizations, but have found the most success partnering with those who are open to listening to customer feedback and improving how they operate.
Do you guarantee success for your clients?
Marketing is an interesting field. It’s a mix between sales, advertising, business development, customer support and storytelling.
I can guarantee that I will try my hardest to empathize, learn about your situation, and tell the story of your business and offerings to current and prospective customers. But since not all business dynamics are the same, I can’t guarantee your business or organization will grow from my efforts.
I do have success stories that give me confidence I can help, including:
- A new restaurant without any online presence saw 75% of total sales come from my digital marketing and business strategy services 1 year after work began.
- A nonprofit saw the number of applications for their annual scholarship increase 14x in the two years after I improved their website
- 2 years after I helped a supermarket with digital marketing, they expanded their store into the adjacent building, increasing their store footprint by 30%.
Do you travel to help clients?
I try my best to go above and beyond for my clients, and I love to travel.
So yes! I’m willing to travel, although much of the work can be done virtually (with travel expenses spared).
How can I contact you to learn more?
Fill out the contact form here to get started.
Shomari Barber 