NH-based Social Marketing Business Owners Earn “Certified Social Media Strategist” Designation
December 15th, 2009 by Lani and AllenLani and Allen Voivod, co-owners and Content Lovers of NH-based social marketing and success strategies firm Epiphanies, Inc., announced they have become Certified Social Media Strategists, through the world’s first professional certification program designed for social media marketing practitioners.
The designation was granted by the International Social Media Association (ISMA), an organization whose worldwide mission is to connect, engage, and educate individuals on social media. ISMA provides the must-have information professionals need to use social media as a highly effective, affordable marketing and relationship-building strategy.
The organization is led by President Mari Smith from San Diego, CA, and Executive Director Mark Eldridge of New Hampshire. Eldridge earned his own Social Media Strategist certification while working with Smith to build ISMA, which has ramped up to nearly 1,000 members across three continents since its October 2009 launch.
“It’s a fantastic honor to be among the first 40 Certified Social Media Strategists in the world,” said Lani Voivod. “These platforms are evolving so fast, it’s no wonder even the most savvy business people get overwhelmed by it. Luckily, the ISMA certification program helps these professionals identify trusted social media success partners, so they can stay focus on what they already do best while getting the information and direction they need to move forward in this ever-changing realm.”
In addition to earning the Certified Social Media Strategist designation, the Voivods have also been asked to serve as founding members of ISMA, and collaborate on training and development for the organization’s members.
“In 2009, we conducted the ‘Mastering Twitter’ module for the second class going through ISMA’s certification program,” said Allen Voivod. “We were also interviewed for a teleseminar on creating powerful content for social media platforms, and look forward to having more fun with these training and certification sessions for ISMA and its members in 2010.”
This caps a whirlwind year for the Voivods and their six-year-old company. Having been called “NH’s social marketing gurus” by the Communications and Legislative Director of the state’s Division of Economic Development (DED) and helping the Division get their acclaimed “No Bull Blog” up and thriving, the Voivods also designed and delivered the first “A-Ha!” Social Media Business Summit in June, sponsored by PSNH, DED, and the “Stay, Work, and Play” initiative. Additionally, they were asked to serve for two months in the Amoskeag Business Incubator’s and Union Leader’s “Ask the Expert” series.
The Voivods’ singular style and expertise have made them sought-after speakers and presenters. The American Society for Training and Development, Women Inspiring Women, and the Farm Bureau Federation are just a few of the groups and organizations they’ve taught and inspired in 2009 alone.
About Epiphanies, Inc.
Possibly the only corporation ever born out of a love letter, Lani and Allen Voivod share powerful social marketing & success strategies through speaking, workshops, customized training programs, and consulting. Their company, Epiphanies, Inc., trains teams, crafts strategies, and serves as long-term success partners for a handful of global brands, industries, and mission-driven organizations aiming to boost visibility, community, competitive edge, memberships, and profits. To learn more, and get practical tips, advice, and strategies for your own social media success, become a fan of Epiphanies, Inc. at http://facebook.com/AhaYourself.













Congratulations to both of you for going the extra mile to learn as much as possible to benefit your client.! This is a continuous learning process, so it’s important to take part in as much education as possible in order to stay on top of every development coming our way! Best of luck to you!
Comment by Nancy Myrland — December 15, 2009 @ 1:22 am
So are there prgrams available thru
universities or colleges? A degree program?
Comment by R jones — December 15, 2009 @ 1:59 am
Allen and Lani, I am so proud of you. You are demonstrating that it takes action and real world results in the field of social media to become true sought-after experts.
Nobody can argue with social proof, case studies, happy customers and testimonials. The caliber of the clients you work with, and create measurable results for, speaks for itself.
There is much discussion about what’s appropriate regards social media training just now, and you two are shining examples of upholding excellent standards and what Tony Robbins calls “CANI” - constant and never-ending improvement.
Thanks for all you do to positively contribute to the social media industry. Keep up the great work!!
Cheers
@marismith
Comment by Mari Smith — December 15, 2009 @ 2:28 am
Yes, there are - Daniel Webster College here in NH had a course on social media, for example, a university in Britain recently announced they were going to launch a master’s degree program in social media. I’m sure we’ll see more and more of them in the next couple of years!
Comment by Content Lover — December 18, 2009 @ 4:26 pm