Question

What is Marie Langhout's role at WhitePages.com?

What are some of the biggest challenges of your job?

Taking the right risks at the right time. Staying on the forefront of technology. Being sure that I think about each and every angle and possible perception of any product or offering that I'm marketing, and then address each of those things in the messaging behind the marketing campaign and/or brand.



What kind of educational background or training did you need to get started in your field?

I studied art history and speech communication in my undergrad, neither of which I use in my career. I've always believed that undergrad is intended to teach us how to learn and think, and graduate school is intended to learn a specific skill set and become a subject- matter expert. Since the technology and tools in social media are constantly changing, my career involves a great deal of continuing education.



In your field, what qualities are most important for someone to have?

Creativity, agility, sense of humor, understanding how buzz is created and what things (questions, topics, etc.) will make people talk. It helps to be addicted to social media properties like Facebook and Twitter.



What advice do you have for someone interested in a career in marketing or business?

Start attending seminars and networking events in order to meet people and establish connections. Be sure to follow up with these people after meeting them. Have coffee, take notes. Stay in touch. Use LinkedIn®, be active on Facebook, Twitter, and a blog. People will ask you for this information and they'll use it to know more about you (particularly if you're in social media marketing). As such, be sure to keep it professional but be YOU--people want to get a sense of who you are as a person. Talk about your interests, and share things that are interesting to you (whether personally or professionally). Take internships--not to find out what you want to do, but rather, to find out what you don't want to do.

What specific role do you play at your company?

I am responsible for marketing our corporate site as well as our products. I use both online (social media) and offline (traditional) tactics, as well as some PR.



What are some things you do in a typical work day?

I spend a great deal of time in strategic meetings, but also perform quite a bit of execution. I'm frequently on Twitter®, Facebook®, and blogs interacting with people and starting conversations.



What resources do you use in your work (software, equipment, reference materials, Web sites, etc.)?

The list is endless, and always growing. I suppose it depends on what you're referring to. For tracking our corporate site, I use specific tools to manage our social media reach (Radian6 and KISSMetrics), and keep extensive target lists for early adopter, influencer, and media outreach for specific product launches. I'm an Apple® fangirl.



What made you decide to do the work you're doing?

It was an accident. I started working in marketing for early-stage startups that were on shoestring budgets. I had to learn quick and efficient ways for companies to market their products and talk to consumers without big spends--social media, search (specifically search engine optimization), and online marketing were the answer. I developed a niche specialty and people approached me for consulting and project-based work. I started my own company in 2007 with two core clients, and grew it to eight by 2010. It is absolutely both what you know and who you know that pave the path for success.



What were you most surprised about when you started working in your field?

From the industry side, I learned that it's very important to start building a list of resources (blogs, books, Twitter users) to keep up with regularly. I follow experts who review new technology and products, and who write about best practices, etc. It's important to engage with these people by reaching out to them personally.



What are some of your favorite parts about your job?

A big part about product marketing is getting inside the consumer's head--I get to figure out what consumers want, sometimes before they even know they want it. I especially enjoy developing creative messaging that defines how a product is perceived.

Answer 1

She is responsible for marketing WhitePages.com’s corporate site and its products — managing both online (social media) and offline (traditional) marketing tactics and some PR.