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

Maria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

My journey into nonprofit marketing and communications was unique as my professional background and training is actually in broadcast journalism. I was a local morning news anchor for nearly 10 years before deciding to change careers. Shortly before officially leaving the news industry though, I started helping friends who owned small businesses by ghostwriting blogs on their websites or running their social media accounts. I really enjoyed this and knew it was not only a great way to make extra money, but an opportunity to grow my skillset. This realization led me to create Maria Satira Media in 2019 and begin offering freelance services to local businesses. I ended up leaving my job in news in 2020 and accepted a new position as a marketing and communications director for an economic development nonprofit. I wasn’t all that familiar with the economic development field when I started, but I have grown to love this industry. I truly get the best of both worlds since I work a full-time job during week helping to make a difference in my community while also having the ability to freelance in the evenings and on the weekends. Over the past year, I’ve pivoted Maria Satira Media to focus solely on providing nonprofit marketing and communications coaching and consulting services. I have since published my first book, An Introduction to Media Relations for Nonprofit Organizations, and also run an online community for nonprofits interested in enhancing their external communications and public relations efforts. I’ve also been invited to speak at workshops, conferences, and forums across the country to present topics on communications, marketing, and public relations trends impacting organizations. It’s been a rewarding journey so far and I am truly honored to be able to help nonprofits nationwide achieve their goals.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always been passionate about communication. While my college education and first professional career led me to journalism, that is just one of many facets of communication. Now that I’m working in the nonprofit marketing world, I’ve found that a lot of my skills as a news anchor and storyteller have transferred in ways I never expected. This has helped me in so many ways during my transition to owning a business and freelancing for nonprofits. One of my favorite nonprofit topics to teach is the power of a press release. For instance, the knowledge I have about media relations is unique since I used to work in a newsroom. I know the dos and don’ts of writing and distributing press releases so they don’t get deleted once they reach a reporter’s inbox.

In terms of the services I offer, I focus my freelancing on nonprofit marketing coaching and consulting. It sounds broad, and I guess you can say that it is – especially for small to mid-sized nonprofits. I like to see myself as a resource for nonprofits that may not have their own marketing director, have a staff member who handles marketing but needs some guidance, or are considering hiring one and need to create a foundation to do so. One of my most popular services is one-on-one coaching. In a series of private and confidential sessions, I meet virtually with the nonprofit and we work toward creating and implementing a plan based on a nonprofit’s needs. For instance, a nonprofit will share their marketing pain points during a consultation call and I’ll create a proposal for a 3 or 6 session coaching package that will address these issues. In addition to coaching, I also offer consulting services where I work with a nonprofit to improve something specific whether that be creating content for their website, writing and distributing a press release, designing and sending out e-newsletters, or analyzing and planning social media content. I’ve also really enjoyed facilitating virtual and in-person media and marketing trainings for nonprofit staff members as well as communications expectation trainings for board members.

Aside from working one-on-one with nonprofits, I love speaking to groups through a keynote, panel, or workshop session. In just the past 12 months, I’ve been honored to present as part of several virtual panels and workshops and also in-person at conference sessions in San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh. One of my goals for this coming year is to speak at more events – whether that be in-person or virtual webinars – about ways that nonprofits can improve or enhance their marketing and communications efforts.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Absolutely. I wish I would have taken advantage of the talent and resources offered by other creatives! This goes for so many aspects, but the main one that sticks out in my mind is my website. I spent a lot of time DIYing a website because I didn’t think it was necessary to have a professional design it for me. Big mistake on my end! As a result, my website wasn’t dynamic or targeted toward my ideal audience or clientele. Looking back, I would have actually saved time – and as a result – money if I would have hired someone from the beginning to work with me on creating an effective website. I should have looked at professional web design as an investment. So, once I decided to redesign my website, I hired a local company that did an outstanding job. I’ve noticed more views, clicks, and visits due to their keywords and optimization. It would have saved a lot of frustration in the long run if I would have hired them from the very beginning!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Starting my business really just required a laptop, cell phone, and internet access which I already had. I think as a new freelancer, your time, talent, and skill are all you need in terms of initial capital. It didn’t take long for me to realize that ghostwriting blogs for businesses was more than just a little “side hustle,” so at that point I set up an LLC, took out a business insurance policy, developed a website, and purchased software. Aside from those costs as well as recurring monthly subscriptions, there weren’t many expenses or overhead in my first few years of business – especially since I have a home office. Once I started running advertising campaigns and attending professional development trainings, I noticed an increase in expenses but I see those purchases as investments in myself and my business rather than overhead costs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mariasatiramedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariasatiramedia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasatiramedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariasatira/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mariasatiramedia
• Other: https://linktr.ee/MariaSatiraMedia