What’s the Story? With Katie Lopus

Welcome to our interview series What’s the Story?, where we will be sharing conversations with some of the most fascinating, thoughtful and refreshing marketers, brand leaders, creatives and storytellers we’ve come across. Join us as they reveal what drives them in their personal lives, the greatest lessons they’ve learned, and what they predict for the future of the industry.

We spoke to Katie Lopus, President and founder of Klo Marketing, a social media marketing agency. Katie always dreamed of starting her own company, and now, nearly three years later, she’s filling us in on why she knew starting a social marketing agency was the right move, the brands she looks to for inspiration, and what’s next for the future of the industry.

YOUR AGENCY HAS A “SOCIAL-FIRST APPROACH.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, EXACTLY?

When I was working on the brand side, a lot of the agencies that we worked with weren't driven by social-first strategies. When we were working with our digital or paid agencies, social media was always an add-on. With my passion and expertise in social media, my niche is just social media. In tandem with the pandemic, so many more leaders, executives, and businesses were realizing the importance of a social-first approach, which really had been on the back burner. Before [the pandemic], they said it was just a “nice to have.” But with the pandemic, it was a requirement.

AND THAT BRILLIANT INSIGHT LED YOU TO STARTING YOUR OWN COMPANY! CONGRATULATIONS! TELL US A BIT ABOUT HOW KLO MARKETING WAS BORN?

In early 2020, I lived in LA and was leading the social media team for Scott Barnes Cosmetics, which is a makeup startup started by Scott Barnes, Jennifer Lopez's personal makeup artist. There, I was working across social, loyalty, traditional marketing, and influencer marketing - but I missed home.

I grew up in Orlando, and my parents were still in Orlando. So I was like, “You know what? I really don't like this job anymore.” I've always wanted to start my own business. I felt like there'd been this white space in social media marketing from what I'd seen from the brand side, so I decided to just give it a try. Worse comes to worst, I knew corporate was waiting for me.

I made my website on my own. I made a capabilities deck. I did branding. I knew the importance of branding and telling your story to people that don't quite understand social media or marketing. So that's how we started in October 2020, moved to Orlando in November 2020, and then opened our physical office in January of 2023!

IT’S AWESOME THAT YOU HAVE PHYSICAL HEADQUARTERS NOW. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR’RE ENVISIONING USING THIS SPACE?

In Florida, it’s common to convert houses into offices in more commercial areas. I wanted something with personality and that embodied our boutique approach. I found our current office space in the community newspaper!

I really wanted it to be a welcoming space where people wanted to come in; where they wanted to work. We have a walking tread and fun creative spaces where people can feel inspired - not classic, run of the mill, stuffy gray cubicles.

Our goal is to be ingrained into the Central Florida community by inviting women entrepreneurs into this space. We have a mix of masterclasses and on-going events, such as “Klo-working” - co-working sessions to knowledge-share and brainstorm new business ideas - and “Mocktails and Mingle” where we sip on our favorite mocktail recipe and connect with like-minded go-getters. We’re also having our first masterclass next month to educate creators on how to monetize their channels; elevate their personal brand; and effectively storytell across social channels.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS NEXT IN SOCIAL MEDIA?

TikTok has really changed the game. I know that a lot of people don’t want to admit it! But even the way that people consume content [has changed]. When I was in corporate it was very much like: “here’s the picture-perfect end result. We’re not showing the process, it’s just the end product. We’re not engaging with our people, we’re just telling them what we want them to hear.”

Now with TikTok and the rise of Gen Z, and also the pandemic… peoples’ mindsets are shifting to be more casual, transparent and authentic… that’s where I predict social media will go moving forward.

WHERE DO YOU GO TO LOOK FOR INSPIRATION?

I have some brands that I love to look at and I think a lot of it boils down to their beautiful visuals and their storytelling. There’s one brand that I love called Flamingo Estate. It’s a beautiful mansion/farm situation and they have these subscription farm boxes that they send out containing food items that are grown and made on their property, as well as these beautiful organic natural products, such as candles, soaps, shower gels and olive oils, that are inspired by the farm and owner and the farmers’ stories. Their mission and values are something that resonate with me.

Another company I love because of how they started and where they’ve grown is a company called My Ceremonia. The founder is a woman named Babba - who I actually worked with when I was at Marriott International, when I was running an influencer program. Our influencer program at the time was focused on entrepreneurs who had their own business but also had a following on social. I met Babba in Greece when she had her own agency, and since then she has started her own Latina-focused haircare brand. The storytelling, the people she uses as models, and the vulnerability of people willing to share their hair stories - it’s really brand marketing at its best.

WHAT DO YOU SEE WORKING WELL IN THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?

We see a lot of brands that have a face behind them…it’s clear their social media manager is clearly on their TikTok or Instagram every day. You know that person’s face, and it’s not the owner. I remember it used to always be a goal for brands to be more witty and humorous and funny, and now I think a lot about brands in industries you wouldn’t even expect. Now TSA is one of my favorite humorous Instagram accounts!

Duolingo is another great example. You would never expect them to have this vivacious personality and make you laugh through their videos. Connecting with your audience and being able to form that community and two-way conversation. And the way that you have to do that is by showing a person. You’re not just a brand and a product, you have to humanize yourself. A lot of brands struggle with that. I even see a lot of brands that are more hesitant to get on TikTok or even share vertical videos because they haven’t been used to that mindset. They’re used to these perfectly curated brand shoots and the photos that come from that.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED FROM STARTING A BUSINESS AND HAVING (CURRENTLY SEVEN!) EMPLOYEES THAT YOUR’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING?

Building a community and investing in yourself - and knowing where you have to outsource to be able to scale and grow. A lot of business owners say “I want to grow” but they’re not ready to let go of the control. You have to do that to be able to grow to scale.

Also, knowing your weaknesses and being ok with them. I hired a business coach about 6 months ago - we have weekly calls and 1:1 time. But then I also have this community of agency owners. It's been invaluable to me in my processes and systems. I went to school for marketing and was in social media for 10 years before I started the business, but I was like, “How do I do my taxes?” Now, I’ve hired a bookkeeper! Again, outsourcing.

Investing time in your community too - being able to connect with people who have their own businesses and understand the challenges and the wins.

For me, the biggest thing I’ve learned and embraced is being a leader. Having a full team of ambitious, driven, passionate women is a job in and of itself. I’m always learning and trying to figure out how to be the best boss - and I learned from what I didn’t like in my previous bosses. I focus on being clear, setting expectations for my team and my clients, being transparent, open, and honest even if I know it’s not 100% what they want to hear. Everyone is probably 21 to 31, so it’s a lot of bright young women with sometimes only a couple years’ experience. So I try to be open and transparent, and make sure I’m building their confidence. Those have been the pillars I’ve been trying to focus on as a business owner.

It sounds like you’re doing all the right things to keep your business thriving, Katie! Thank you for chatting with us and providing inspirational social accounts for us to follow, as well as some great business tips. Editor’s note: visit the Klo Marketing website and subscribe to their newsletter if you’re craving more of Katie’s insights - we learn something new in every issue!