Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Craven. She shares her story with us below:
Helium 10’s Director of Social Media & Influencer Relationships
A social media maven, Cassandra has been making strides in organic social media for over a decade, bringing her edge and expertise in community management, influencer relations, content creation, social strategy, and analytics to the Helium 10 social storefront. At the forefront of cutting-edge tactics and trends, she has been a pivotal part of the company’s growth and evolution as the first woman to ever represent the Helium 10 brand on stage at countless industry events. On the daily, she advances the company’s social media accounts and acts as the company liaison across social media platforms. In her earlier years, she managed and produced content for both national and international brands in the television, film, and advertising industries, including two Emmy-nominated TV series and the 2018 top-grossing films, Aquaman and Marvel’s Venom. Using marketing techniques previously reserved for large-scale firms and name brands, Cassandra can teach individual sellers how to implement these strategies to effectively drive traffic to their listings and increase revenue.
I am a native of Orange County, California growing up minutes away from Disneyland, Angel Stadium, and The Honda Center. In 2011 I graduated from California State University, Fullerton with my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication-Entertainment Studies, joining notable alumni such as Kevin Costner, Gwen Stefani, and Danielle Fishel of Boy Meets World.
After graduation, I went on to intern for the Disney and Nickelodeon fansite, Fanlala, in Burbank, California. There I learned the fundamentals of social media, Public Relations, and Production. My daily assignments included set visits to Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Victorious, private events for recording artists, Greyson Chance and Ariana Grande, as well as interviews and events with Disney stars Madison Pettis (Cory in the House) and Hannah Montana’s Mitchell Musso.
Once my time with Fanlala was complete, I went on to work for FOX 20th Television’s Divorce Court and Judge Alex while contributing to The Ricki Lake Show reboot, Dish Nation, and The Kris Jenner Show summer series. Continuing my career in the Daytime, I then began working on MGM Studio’s first-ever Emmy Nominated court show, Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court as the Social Media Web-Producer for three seasons.
While shooting Paternity Court in Atlanta, Georgia, as an avid traveler, I fell in love with the south and soon expanded my Social Media Management Career in Little Rock, Arkansas. There I took on a role in Advertising at Stone Ward for national and international brands such as Honda, Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, Sissy’s Log Cabin Jewelry, and Sport Clips Haircuts. While there, I was the social media lead for Love, Little Rock, an entrepreneurial campaign in response to Amazon’s HQ2 RFP. This highly acclaimed campaign made national news and was featured in AdWeek, The New York Times, Forbes, and Fortune Magazine.
Upon returning to the west coast, I became the Social Media Account Manager for Way To Blue located in West Hollywood, California creating content and managing accounts for feature films with Universal, STX Entertainment, LAIKA Studios, Paramount, and IMAX studios. I debuted as the Social Media Correspondent for IMAX on the red carpet at premieres for The House with a Clock in Its Walls, VENOM, Spider-Verse, and Aquaman – among many more in Los Angeles, California.
Currently, I am working with the Amazon software company, Helium 10 as the Director of Social Media and Influencer Relations. I have rebranded the company’s Social Media channels with fresh and innovative content relevant to Amazon FBA Sellers, Entrepreneurs, and those interested in starting their own e-commerce business. I am responsible for influencer relations and engagement, creative content, social strategy, and analytics.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working in social media marketing is not as easy (or as fun) as it appears. Starting in 2011, working in Hollywood, no one knew what I did. Even fast-forwarding to 2022, I am still not sure people know exactly what goes into social media content, from research, ideation, conceptualization, curation, publishing, execution, and reporting. I have also encountered many colleagues who think “I can do that” based on what they see superficially.
I am happy to be where I am today, surrounded by entrepreneurs and visionaries; I live by the motto, “do what you love and never work a day in your life.” I forget I get paid for what I do; it’s like an added bonus. Social Media is constant, and in real-time, you can’t just shut it off; the same for being creative. Every ad, commercial, and TikTok is an inspiration.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been a social media marketing professional going on 12 years now. Currently, I manage a team that includes a content creator, community manager, and moderators. Now, I am at the helm of strategy and planning quarter over quarter and the full calendar year across multiple social media platforms and integrating our goals with company-wide initiatives. I work closely with our influencers within the e-commerce community as well as external partners to create campaigns centered around joint partnerships or their areas of expertise (PPC, Integrated Tools, Speaking Engagements, Webinars, etc.) I am still involved with the creative conceptualization but defer to my team for the day-to-day planning for the month ahead. We regularly brainstorm as a group and collaborate on content.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Absolutely. It was immensely challenging working as a social media professional during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only had my lifestyle changed personally, working remotely vs. in an office, but the climate of the world was like we’ve never seen it before. People were divided, and producing content was precarious. I needed to be very in tune with the news and what our audience was saying. Content had to align with the country, the world, and what people were feeling.
Contact Info:
- Website: CassandraCraven.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/cassandra_craven
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-craven/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cassandra_craven
