Social media is big business these days, and John Marino aims to be at the forefront of the trend.
In 2003, Marino co-founded
BRIOprint, an online printing company that reported double-digit growth every year since its founding. Marino sold it to his partner in 2010, wanting to take on new challenges.
While building the multi-million dollar company, he leveraged social media like Twitter and Facebook, and so when the time came to move on from BRIOprint, he knew just where to go.
"I realized that a lot of small- and medium-sized businesses could use some social media management, so I headed in that direction," he says. "
RSP Marketing was created to meet that demand."
The company began ramping up through strategic hires, including a sales team, designers, and programmers. In all, RSP has 10 employees, and Marino notes that there are plans to keep hiring, particularly for the sales department. He just brought on three people from the firm's summer internship program, and expects to hire a new employee every few months.
A growing client roster drives the steady pace, he says. Companies come to RSP for video services, websites, a strategic social media plan, and details on how to leverage popular online tools. Usually, they're happy to have RSP do the management while they watch the results.
Marino compares the arrangement to hiring a fitness trainer who can shed pounds for a client by getting on the treadmill himself (if only that possibility existed!).
"By and large, most people just don't have the time to tap into social media, and that's understandable," says Marino. "They don't have time to add one more responsibility to their mix."
He expects that as more companies want social media clout, but don't have the luxury to spend hours on sites, RSP will keep on clicking.
Source: John Marino, RSP Marketing
Writer: Elizabeth Millard