In the Champ Life Series this month, we have Marie Nakhle, a digital marketer, consultant, e-commerce expert, and a super mom of two. She is also a lecturer at one of the top universities in Lebanon. Marie Nakhle started her career back in 2009 when she started working as a community manager!
She has had an interesting journey since then. From switching to digital marketing from software development to running a highly followed Twitter account, she has done it all.
Her journey has been nothing short of incredible, and there is so much to learn from it. Therefore, Social Champ invited her over to a chat session #ChampsTalk as well as an interview!
We sent her a list of some fun questions, and here is what she has to say!
Muneeb: Thank you for taking out time from your busy schedule. Please shed some light on your career.
Marie: I have worked for 7 years in a digital agency as a Digital Marketing and Social Media Manager. I then moved to be the Head of Digital for Lebanon’s number 1 bookstore, managing its e-commerce website and digital marketing. I have recently joined the Cosmic Centaurs team as a Consultant helping leaders and organizations shape the future of work and learning.
Muneeb: When did you discover Social Media, and what made you choose it as your career? What challenges did you face initially, and how did you tackle them?
Marie: I first discovered Twitter back in 2009 and started getting curious about the world of social media. I saw an opening as a Community Manager at a Digital Agency, and I applied, and the journey started!
Initially, I faced discouragement from people around me to shift from a career in software development to social media, which was relatively new at the time.
Muneeb: Being an experienced Social Media expert, can you please share some key points and tips for businesses to leverage Social Media?
Marie: I always tell my clients that everything starts with setting a strategy. Suppose you don’t start by setting clear objectives, defining your target audiences, and creating the right content strategy for them. In that case, you will never be able to assess whether your social media efforts are heading in the right direction.
Muneeb: What will be your suggestion for newbies who want to pursue social media as their career?
Marie: If you are not passionate about it, then you will not be successful in it. That surely applies to any job, but particularly for people on social media, they will have to be committed, spend lots of time online, and always stay up to date with new channels, new trends, new features, etc. It’s a very fast-moving industry, and if you’re not up to the speed, you will be quickly left behind.
Muneeb: How necessary are Social Media automation tools for every business owner? What would you like to say about Social Champ?
Marie: Automation is essential when you are running a business with a high volume of content or requests. It is the only way to scale.
Social Champ is easy to use and has all features a Social Media Manager could need in one place.
Muneeb: Who has inspired you in both personal and professional lives?
Marie: A big inspiration for me now is my manager, Marilyn Zakhour, who founded her own company in the middle of a pandemic and just celebrated 1 year with outstanding achievements. We just released a video celebrating Cosmic Centaurs anniversary, and I am very proud of what the team has accomplished.
Muneeb: How do you spend your free time? Do you like playing games, watching movies or anything else?
Marie: Being a mom of two kids doesn’t leave me with lots of free time! When I can, I love reading, watching series and going for a walk in nature.
Rapid Fire Round
| Muneeb | Marie |
|---|---|
| Facebook or Twitter? | Facebook on a business level, Twitter on a personal level |
| Tea or Coffee? | Tea |
| Speaker or Trainer? | Trainer |
| Traveling or Games? | Traveling |
| Social Media or Social Networking? | Social Media |
Muneeb: Lastly, who do you think we should interview next? You can nominate your friends or your idols who have notable contributions to the Community!
Marie: I would like to recommend, Rabih Dib
Social Champ is genuinely thankful to Marie Nakhle for taking out the time and sharing her secrets with the champ community. We are sure that our followers loved hearing from you!
