Ever find someone cool on Instagram and 'go down the rabbit hole'? Meet Las Vegas marketing guru Anna-Marie
Off The Strip: Hi Anna-Marie! Will you be our Insta BFF?
@themarketingmermaidd (Anna-Marie Gregg): YES!!
OTS Staff: By day, you are …
Anna-Marie: A Social Media Management Agency Owner & Strategist, I run The Marketing Mermaid Co. here in Las Vegas 🎰
OTS Staff: That’s so cool! Why did you pick the name The Marketing Mermaid Co. for your social media agency?
Anna-Marie: I always like to say, my career and hair color went on a tinder date 🤣 I started my account the marketing mermaidd separate from my business account as a way to connect more personally with potential clients. I realized quickly that my audience preferred to see MY face and personality, so I stopped hiding behind the logo and completely rebranded.
OTS Staff: We love it! By night, you are …
Anna-Marie: Thank you! I actually trademarked the name last year because I loved it so much. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE 🤣 By night I am a full time mama to an almost 10 month old, a wife, an auntie and ABBA’s #1 fan 💃🏻
OTS Staff: Absolutely, there can only be one! 😆 Between your home life and work life, how do you balance both worlds?
Anna-Marie: Right now, my daughter goes to school three days a week for 6 hours. The other two days I only work during her nap. I also have a really great staff and my husband is a huge supporter of my business. It could change and probably will as she gets older, but for right now—it works really well for us.
OTS Staff: It’s wonderful to have a strong support system! It makes such a big difference. How many years have you been on Insta?
Anna-Marie: I was one of the early movers on this platform. I started my social media career posting for businesses on Facebook, so when a new platform rolled out, I knew I could figure out how to utilize it to grow my clients’ businesses.
OTS Staff: Social media is constantly growing and shifting. Since you got your start early on with posting for businesses on Facebook, what’s the best way to keep up with all the social trends?
Anna-Marie: I feel like this is the worst answer, but it’s the truth. The best way to stay on top of trends is to hang out on this app. Things move fast in social media! So many of my clients want nothing to do with SM, so I love being able to take it off their plate. “I’ll keep an eye out for the algorithm changes and the new trends and features—you run your business” is what I like to say!
OTS Staff: I’m sure that lifts a huge weight off their shoulders! What was your first post?
Anna-Marie: Oh man, I had to scroll for that one! This is from an old profile. It’s a picture of me and my sister. The filter, the caption, two likes 🤣🤣
OTS Staff: Aw! That’s such a sweet photo and caption. 💜
Anna-Marie: So cringey and so perfect. 😂
OTS Staff: What’s your top post? And why do you think it almost broke the internet?
Anna-Marie: This is my highest performing post to date. It performed well because the day before I posted a book I was reading to my story and the author @xoamandafrances shared it to her story. Almost 9,000 new followers came to my page overnight. It was so surreal! 🤯 I was like “okaaaaay lots of new faces, time for another introduction post!”
OTS Staff: Wow! That’s amazing! What are the ingredients to a good introduction post?
Anna-Marie: Name, duh! What you do, why you do it. I try to switch it up every couple of months, I love a “5 things about you” or a “5 things you can’t learn about me on my feed” you know just switch it up to keep it fun!
OTS Staff: That’s such a creative idea! What’s the top challenge of being a social media influencer? What’s the best and worst thing?
Anna-Marie: The biggest challenge in my opinion is setting clear boundaries. Not everyone will agree with you and that’s okay but deciding what conversations you’re willing to engage in is a good place to start. Also – knowing who you are and who you aren’t and being extremely comfortable with with who that person is. We can’t be everyone’s favorite person while also being authentic. The best thing—I get to help businesses take something off their to-do list. I get to help them grow their income. I love seeing my client go on vacation.
OTS Staff: That’s such a great piece of advice! I remember a professor told me once that it’s important to know your audience and that when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one. And it must be so rewarding to help businesses!
Anna-Marie: Yes, I completely agree. It all comes down to your values as a person and as a business and then also your comfort level of what you’re willing to share.
OTS Staff: Why do you love Instagram?
Anna-Marie: I love that it’s a tool that allows me to help people. Helping businesses, of course, but also I’ve been able to inspire other moms to start businesses themselves. I love that I’ve been able to help people quit their full-time jobs and live life on their own terms. It’s a very rewarding career.
OTS Staff: We love that! 💜 TikTok has become one of the hottest social media platforms. Would you leave Insta for TikTok?
Anna-Marie: NO. I feel way too old for TikTok, I have no interest. I’ll let the younger generation of marketers handle that platform. I know my strengths 😂😂
OTS Staff: TikTok definitely has its own vibe! Sometimes it makes me feel old, too. Especially when they do a song challenge and I know all the “oldies” they don’t recognize 🤣 Where do you like to hangout in Las Vegas? And why do you love it?
Anna-Marie: Remember when Paul McCartney did a duet with Kanye and all these kids thought Kanye gave him the exposure of a lifetime! 🤣🤣 All is oldies we’re like, “you must be new here!” 😂
OTS Staff: Haha! Yes! That was wild. 😂
Anna-Marie: My husband and I hang out at The Arts District A LOT. We live really close to it and the community is fantastic, so welcoming and warm. It’s home to a lot of talented people.
OTS Staff: Absolutely! This city is full of talent and we love the Vegas culture. Do you get approached for brand collabs often? If so, how do you choose which one to work with?
Anna-Marie: I do. I say no to most to be honest. My profile is primarily a place for people to learn. I want to be a trusted resource when it comes to marketing. If I do promote a product, it’s because I use it and love it. Typically the brands don’t reach out until well after I’ve been sharing their stuff.
OTS Staff: You’ve given us so much great advice on how to improve social media posts and create a strong brand presence online. What’s one feature you wish Instagram had that it doesn’t offer yet? How would you improve the platform if you could change something about it?
Anna-Marie: Thank you! I reaaaaaallly wish every post had a link option like Pinterest does. Link in Bio, Link in Bio, Link in Bio. [It] just gets repetitive and a lot of new users have trouble following the call to action.
OTS Staff: I agree. That would be super helpful! That’s a great idea. We hope Instagram reads this and takes notes 😊
Anna-Marie: ATTENTION INSTAGRAM 😂😂
OTS Staff: Tag a bestie!
Anna-Marie: Just like anyone or a profile I love?
OTS Staff: Whichever one you want to shout out would be great. 💜
Anna-Marie: @laurencaldwelldesign
Anna-Marie: This is my business bestie, we collaborate a ton! I have more for ya!
Anna-Marie: @luvvie, @rachrodgersesq and @xoamandafrances
Anna-Marie: These three women have completely changed how I live my life and run my business! I owe so much to their words of wisdom.
OTS Staff: That’s so inspiring! We love that.
OTS Staff: Thank you so much for chatting with Off The Strip!
Anna-Marie: Of course!! Thank you ❤️
Want to read more Insta BFF interviews? Check out our DM chat with Lindsey Gurk.
