Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Lis.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Michael. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always enjoyed helping people and companies with digital business problems, when social media started growing in 2003, I saw that a lot of companies had no idea what they were doing when it came to social media.
Honestly… I didn’t know much about social either but I knew there had to be a better way for companies to use it. With my core skills of strategy, journalism and consulting I designed a structured approach to social media and brought together likeminded individuals focusing on only social media.
I would love to say that things started with a bang, but they didn’t. Our first client was Wynn in Las Vegas. My team and I thought we knew everything but just like everyone else we fell flat on our face. Steve Wynn himself told me on the golf course that, “you did a decent job, but I’m not paying you for anything you did.”
Sort of dumbfounded, I realized that the only way CMOs and Business Owners would buy into social was if we delivered 4 tangible things:
1 – Establish realistic goals
2 – Design attractive stories for social
3 – Deliver an editorial calendar
4 – Report on achievements
So for a year we pushed our new approach. It was slow going at first and then much to my surprise Steve Wynn had another golf game only this time it was with the CMO of MGM Hotels. He told them that SPECK Media was onto something when it came to social media. The end result was multiple contracts for various Las Vegas Hotels based on Steve Wynn’s recommendation and our new approach.
I was able to take this momentum to make SPECK Media the foremost agency in many industry’s using social media. In the last 10 years we… built MB Financial Bank’s social media presence in Chicago, took Buona Beef and many other restaurants to the next level when it came to branding food and service on social, and helped sports stars and celebrities manage their social media.
Why is social media worth investing in? Today’s business success ultimately requires participation in the conversations that are taking place online. These conversations are happening on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media channels. Connecting and joining in the conversation is important.
I’m proud to be the owner of SPECK Media and I’m proud of the great people that work for SPECK Media!
Has it been a smooth road?
Things haven’t always been smooth…
Innovating is always hard, especially for us. Social media is continuously changing and as a social media agency we have had to innovate along the way. Our hardest struggle has always been to understand and learn the best way to help businesses with new social channels.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with SPECK Media – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
SPECK Media is my company and all we do is social media. We use a consulting and storytelling approach to help companies large and small get results out of their social media.
I’m most proud of the people that work for SPECK Media. All of them are incredible listeners, they listen to what our clients’ needs are no matter how complicated and because they are experts at social media they are able to transform those needs into achievements in social media.
What sets SPECK Media apart from other social media agencies is our IDEA Session. In an IDEA Session, we create compelling ideas and stories that can be used on a company’s social media channels. At the end of an IDEA Session we have between 3 to 4 ideas which are coupled to many 60-100 stories. This intellectual property becomes the building blocks of our social media strategy, the ecosystem and will be key to the design, build and roll-out of each social media channel.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Since we are outside of Chicago, we have a unique experience of the Chicago suburbs in beautiful Naperville. Naperville has a great mix of large and small business along with a great culture of people. I like that there are so many small business entrepreneurs like me in Naperville that are working hard every day to make our suburb the best place to live and work.
I really can’t say a bad thing about Naperville, all my life I’ve wanted to live and start a family here. Other than our crazy traffic, there isn’t a bad thing about this city.
Pricing:
- A small business social media 6 month strategy starts at $900 per month.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.speckmedia.com
- Phone: 219-765-9436
- Email: info@speckmedia.com
- Instagram: @thisisspeck
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SPECKmedia/
- Twitter: @speckmedia
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
