Social Media Portal interview with Jonathan Schenker from Stagee

 

Profiled -  Jonathan Schenker, Partner & Chief Marketing Officer at new entertainment and artist social start-up Stagee

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is your role at Stagee?

Jonathan Schenker (JS): I'm a Partner and Chief Marketing Officer.

SMP: Briefly, tell us about Stagee (for those that don?t know), what is it and what does the organisation do?

JS: Stagee is a new social start-up offering an unparalleled, professional platform for entertainers and artists. Currently in invitation-only closed alpha, it was designed to help talent get discovered, find professional opportunities and reach new audiences.

SMP: What was the most challenging part of building on the brands presence in digital environments (including social media)?

JS: Establishing initial recognition, credibility and an active user base while our product is still in a bit of an adolescent stage.

SMP: Who are your target audience and why?

JS: We are targeting aspiring artists from every industry, musicians, actors/actresses, comedians, models and photographers. These groups of individuals are most likely to enjoy the full benefits of our platform.

SMP: How are you funded and how much have you been able to source so far?

JS: We were surprised by the speed in which we have secured our $330,000 seed investment which enabled us to develop the platform. Since the BizSpark win, we?ve decided to speed up the next round and are now considering our next steps.

SMP: How big is your team and what is their role?

JS: Our team is currently consisting of six members:

• Lior Maimon, Co-Founder & CEO
• Ofer Zelig, Co-Founder & CTO
• Ran Haiman, Co-Founder & Developer
• Lilach Yazdi, Co-Founder & CCO
• Erel Kapah, Developer
• and me, Partner and CMO

SMP: How did you initially attract users to your social network and how do you do it now (when do you officially launch)? 

JS: We are launched in closed alpha and have primarily been attracting users through guerrilla marketing on social networks.

SMP:  What are the low moments of what you have been doing so far?

JS: Fortunately, we?ve been too busy with developing our product ? and no low moments were encountered so far, luckily.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you have been doing so far?

JS: Seeing our community grow, as well as having a few celebrities using the platform has definitely brought some excitement to the team and our investors.

SMP: What do you see as your biggest challenges and opportunities?

JS: Since we are big believers in the need for such a platform, dedicated especially for entertainers - the major challenge is to capture a large cut of our target market and prove such individuals that using our platform will in-fact increase their chances of being discovered as artists.

SMP: You?ve recently won a Microsoft BizSpark Award, what was it for and how were you successful?

JS: The recognition of Stagee as Microsoft BizSpark?s Start-Up of the Day has brought a lot of honour to our team.

SMP: What are the next moves for Stagee in terms of social media?

JS: We are intending to increase the penetration speed into the ?Specialized Social Networks? market, and ultimately become the go-to place for aspiring artists and fans alike.

SMP: What?s the next big step for social media and networks; and how are you meting this head on?

JS: Since Facebook, Twitter and the likes are purposely aiming the general public as their target market, I can assume that we will see more and more ?Specialized Networks? popping up, each serving a very niche and/or selective area of interests - eventually creating a custom-made network for each group and its individual members.

SMP: What?s going to be the most interesting aspect regarding social media / technology throughout 2012? 

JS: IPTV, social mobile, niche networks, social commerce.  

SMP: What are your top five predictions for social media throughout 2012? 

JS replies with:

1. The niche social networks will take important part in the social world (LinkedIn, Instagram?)
2. Regularly creating unique content will become essential
3. The mobile platforms will take substantial part in the social networks world 
4. More branded Facebook apps will be used as a marketing technique
5. Brands will start using social media as a strategic business driver

SMP: What are your top five social media tips?

JS replies with:

1. Communicate in a manner appropriate to the social channel and industry
2. Carefully target and tailor your social media campaign
3. Use Twitter to help angry customers
4. Try to provide the information users want, not the information you want to deliver ? and be entertaining
5. Integrate social tools into your website design

SMP: Best way to contact you and Stagee

JS replies with:

The Stagee website http://stagee.com, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StageeInc, LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/stagee and Twitter http://twitter.com/stageeinc



SMP: What did you have for breakfast / lunch?

JS: Eggs benedict

SMP: How many hours to you work a week?

JS: Above 70

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

JS: Cannes, France

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

JS: Read Emails

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