Kathryn Morelli, owner of Pro-Mo's Ad Specialties (asi/299738), shares how earning her BASI helped her jump into the world of social media and launch her own intern program that helps everyone increase their knowledge.

What I Learned…
The importance of a social media presence was driven home for me after multiple Online Learning Center and live courses. I realized I was being left behind in terms of social media, so I devised a plan to get started. One of the courses mentioned the importance of using ASICentral.com as a source of information on social media trends. There are so many informative articles there that are helpful, informative and thought-provoking.

How I Took Action…
Upon realizing that I could not possibly use all of the tools available, I thought I would enlist the help of people I know are well-versed in social media: college students! They’re very excited to learn about my business and to tweet and post on Facebook for me for no more than a couple hours a week. It’s a win-win: they make extra money and learn about my business, and I write a letter to their professors at the end of the summer. For me, I get the chance to teach them what I know and I learn how to use social media to round up some new business. This is in the experimental stage, so I hope to report at the end of the summer how much we were able to teach each other. I brought an intern, as well as a few customers and friends who own small businesses, to Social Media Day in Memphis on June 30th. We took classes that day to learn how to increase our presence, and we also did the T-shirts for the event. Next year, I hope to be a sponsor.

My Business ROI…
I have been posting more on Facebook and Twitter, educating my followers on trends and technology. I felt very satisfied that I was able to meet the challenges of setting up my accounts. It's easy to run the other way because change can be scary. But if you don’t change, you’ll become stagnant, your bottom line will suffer and you may end up being left behind in business. Just set up the accounts and let your knowledge flow.

Click here to listen to a podcast interview with Kathryn.

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The free ASI Certification Program offers two certification levels for our members: BASI (Bachelor of Advertising Specialty Information) and MASI (Master of Advertising Specialty Information). To learn more and start working toward your own certification, visit www.asicentral.com/education.