Jackson Hole may be small, but it’s a hot bed of design creativity, marketing innovations, and genuine curiosity about new ways to make an impact in today’s evolving consumer climate.

For Jesse Ryan and Ryan Hittner of local digital marketing agency New Thought Media, that new way to make an impact involves a savvy approach to deploying social media across multiple channels. Says Director of Digital Marketing Ryan, “There is a movement in the Jackson Hole business community towards innovation. I think local businesses are looking for ways to provide more than just great products or services, they’re looking for ways to create one-of-a-kind customer experiences. Unique content strategies and interpersonal communication platforms like social media provide a catalyst for innovation.”

The agency, who specialize in social media marketing, content production, pay-per-click, and web development bring an energy and passion to their technical expertise on these matters. Even better? They’re willing to share their insights. In a detailed slide presentation open to the Jackson Hole community at large, the two were quick to emphasize some jaw-dropping statistics on social media engagement. For instance, in 2013, 85% of US internet browsers watched online videos, and of those videos, 25% were ads. Clearly, the field is ripe for businesses, including those in Jackson, to make connections with potential customers via this medium.

From there, the team presented a rundown of popular platforms–from the usual suspects like Facebook to more information-based platforms such as LinkedIn–with tips about what sorts of sharing are best on each. Especially for businesses just beginning to position themselves within their social media brand identities, this was enormously helpful. Most helpful to the Circ team was the explanation of the “Hero, Hub, Hygiene” approach to creating social media videos for the best brand engagement and shareability.

“Great content is all about values, identifying the Why. Why am I here? Why am I creating this product or service? Without first understanding your place in this global community, it is impossible to stand apart,” explains Ryan, and the examples shared from diverse brands such as local interior design firm WRJ and John Lewis, a fashion brand, helped to underline this.

From start to finish, the presentation provided much in the way of simple takeaways that any local business could begin implementing, even on a budget. The engaged audience lingered behind to ask questions and glean more tips as well.

“The social media luncheon far exceeded our expectations. Everybody who attended seemed hungry for new ideas and creative solutions. Jackson is full of incredibly talented entrepreneurs. It is great to be in a position to help them succeed,” enthused Creative Director Ryan Hittner.

Looking forward, this is clearly a time for Jackson Hole entrepreneurs to capitalize on free sharing platforms, imagery, and yes, video. Even videos created on iPhones can create large returns in terms of engagement. Thanks to the team at New Thought Media for sharing their professional acumen on the subject.