Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Delia Burl. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Delia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

As a recent post-grad (ok, maybe not so recent, I graduated in 2020), I think there is a lot to learn from the online education system and for universities to structure traditional learning initiatives in a more innovative way, especially when it comes to marketing and social media. I am so thankful to have the privilege and support of my family helping me through college, but the majority of tools and knowledge I use for my career have been self-taught through courses and certifications.

With social media and digital marketing in general, the landscape is constantly changing. Many universities remain stagnant in their course offerings, not adapting to the yearly, if not quarterly, changes to the marketing landscape. As this industry continues to grow, optimizing education opportunities for the Gen-Z workforce is key. This means prioritizing analytics, digital tools, and specialized courses for specific aspects of digital marketing rather than just the principle courses.

I believe that for the future workforce, offering specific courses in copywriting, UX/UI design, brand strategy and more will set students up for success, allowing them to harness their individualized passions and streamline work opportunities post-grad.

Delia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi! I’m Delia. My first rule for talking about myself in a professional setting is not to start with credentials. That’s like listing off all of my accomplishments the first time I meet you! Personally, I am a mid-20-something living in Annapolis, Maryland, with my boyfriend, Connor, and our dog, Brew. Outside of work, you’ll likely find me searching for the coolest new cocktail bar, trying a new recipe from Half Baked Harvest, or binge-watching true crime documentaries. I am an aspiring health and wellness girl, but I’ll never pass up a great dessert. How’s that for an introduction?

Alright, onto my career journey. If there is one thing my family and friends know about me, it’s that I am absolutely horrible at math. From a young age, I knew I had to go into a somewhat creative career. Fast forward to college, and I landed on a Mass Communication major, and yes, I only minored in Marketing so I wouldn’t have to take an accounting class. Luckily, once I got started in these classes, I knew this was the perfect path for me!

After two internships, I ended up working for a local agency as a Digital Marketing Specialist. This definitely taught me the power of time management, juggling dozens of clients while still learning the tricks of the trade. Fast forward to now, I currently work for a logistics software company as the Digital Marketing Manager. I realized that while I love my work, I still have the desire to do more, hence the founding of Tidewater Social.

Tidewater Social is my freelance business, a social media, branding, and copywriting agency for small businesses. I offer social media management and strategy, brand design, copywriting services, web design, and more to businesses looking to level up their marketing strategy but who may not have time on their own. As of now, what I think sets me apart from others is the emphasis that I put on community building and relationships through digital media. Of course, you want an aesthetically pleasing feed, cool graphics, etc., for your clients, but what sales, revenue generation, and ultimately a strong community comes down to is relationships. I work to share my client’s mission, values, and selling points in a way that drives emotional connection for both the customer and the business owner, while still maintaining a strategic background that emphasizes analytics, SEO, and the many other digital tools that come with social media marketing and branding.

What I’m most proud of in my business so far isn’t a single accomplishment but rather my continued desire to learn within my industry. I know that the digital marketing sector is constantly changing and will continue to do so as the newest platforms and updates arise. Instead of positioning myself based on experience, I believe it’s essential to share with your clients your desire for continued growth. My business has ebbed and flowed just like any other, but taking the time to learn, connect, and network with so many others in the industry that have a wealth of knowledge makes me a proud business owner.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Automation, automation, automation! When starting my business as a freelancer, I overlooked the need for automation and content/CRM tools because I thought that it was only for businesses that were scaling quickly. My biggest advice would be to start working in your business the way that you aspire to. This means if you’ve seen social media managers or brand strategists using these tools with their workflows set up, you do the same, even if you’re just starting.

Not only does this set you up for success and organization, but creates a seamless flow for onboarding and working with clients. I failed to do this early on and put myself in a rut by constantly changing the way I was delivering content to clients, sending invoices, newsletters, etc. Investing in these tools might be hard early on, but it provides that extra push for you to make that investment worthwhile and do everything you can to grow your business. Once I realized this and implemented worthwhile business tools, I not only improved my communication with clients but felt more confident in my business.

Some of my favorite tools as a digital marketing manager include Bonsai for invoicing and time tracking (Toggl is also a great time tracking resource) and Flodesk for email marketing (let me just tell you, their templates are gorgeous)! I’ve used both Planoly and Later to schedule content, and I love both! Later Pro does have expanded analytics capabilities. For a true investment tool (and I only use this at my 9-5), Semrush — this is incredible for SEO optimization on your site.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Yes, and I think this is so important as a freelancer! While I started Tidewater Social primarily as a social media, branding, and copywriting agency, I’ve been able to explore other passions that have also turned into revenue streams for me. For example, I opened an Etsy shop under the same name earlier this year, focusing on digital templates for small business owners and wedding suite templates for engaged couples. I’ve been able to link this out on my site and provide supplemental resources for businesses that may not be ready for individualized digital marketing help but are interested in social templates.

I have also recently started working to build a UGC content creation section of my business. UGC, or user-generated content, has become immensely popular for online sales (think a “Morning Routine” video featuring a beautiful skincare brand). The influencer market is no longer the only outlet for brands to get their product across in a user-friendly way, and UGC is taking the digital world by storm. Stay tuned for UGC content creation packages through Tidewater Social soon!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tidewatersocial.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidewatersocial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tidewatersocial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deliaburl/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@deliaburl https://www.pinterest.com/TidewaterSocial/

Image Credits
Sterrett Photography