Finding a niche in digital marketing

When Megan Wilson, graduating student from UVic’s Gustavson School of Business, began to imagine starting her own business, the world looked a bit different than it does today. However, her offering—digital marketing for start-ups—is more relevant today than ever.

Now that Wilson has finished her BCom degree with a specialization in entrepreneurship, she is continuing to pursue her dream of helping start-ups make their mark with her creative marketing agency, Rose Creative Co.

For now, it’s a part-time passion that she is exploring while gaining more experience in her field. She spends most of her time at Victoria-based start-up Flytographer, as the in-house content creator and marketing professional.

I have a passion for helping small businesses with female founders grow. The start-up environment sets my soul on fire. There is never a dull moment, always 10-plus things on the go at any given time, and so much opportunity to grow.
—Megan Wilson, class of 2020

Start-ups in co-op

This realization was nurtured during her two co-op terms. Working first with local start-up DeeBee’s Organics, and then with Flytographer, Wilson discovered that start-ups, and marketing specifically, was an area where her aptitude and interests overlapped.

“My experience at these companies, working alongside two very successful female founders, inspired me to network in the community and meet other female founders doing amazing things,” she says.

The niche she discovered during these co-op terms, and that she is continuing to explore through Rose Creative Co., focuses on her ability to dip between creativity and the analytical side. A skilled photographer with an eye for brand development, Wilson also enjoys approaching marketing with a strategic, numbers-focused perspective. The start-up world, with its minimal staffing environment and big opportunities, offered the perfect chance to make use of these different skills.

When I think about what I am excited for while pursuing this venture, it lies in the connections and small business owners that I get the privilege of working with. With new clients comes a new set of marketing challenges to solve, which I get excited about too. Two jobs are never alike and always present a new challenge, and that’s what I love about creating content for brands – especially those with a strong value proposition.
—Megan Wilson, class of 2020

As Wilson points out, what Rose Creative Co. offers is needed now more than ever: many companies have had to shift focus away from their physical storefronts and to a digital interface quickly and unexpectedly. Digital marketing services are crucial.

“My services for clients over the past six months included website photography and customizing product listings on the online storefront. As we shift to working remotely and focusing on doing business online, digital marketing and content creation services are only going to increase in demand.”

Challenge accepted

Learning to market her own services as a contractor presents its own challenge, and Wilson admits this is more daunting in some ways than marketing products developed by others. Striking a balance between her true excitement to help start-ups grow, and setting a fair price point for this help, will be a process of discovery for the young entrepreneur. “It’s something I’m sure anyone working in the consulting or creative fields can relate to,” she says.

Challenges notwithstanding, she is excited to be exploring her opportunities and interests as a contractor. She credits the Gustavson entrepreneurship faculty with giving her the push needed to get started. Students are required to create a business idea in class during their entrepreneurship specialization term, which they then use as a practical example for all the concepts they are learning. For Wilson, this fostered the courage to think of her business as a real possibility.

She also recognizes the important role played by her previous co-op employers, Dionne Baker, founder of DeeBee’s Organics and Nicole Smith, founder of Flytographer.

They gave me the opportunity to learn marketing first hand, and let me find my own wings.
—Megan Wilson, class of 2020