We were recently contacted by the lovely Morgan Kopka to do a interview and feature for a gatekeeper assignment. As always I jumped at the opportunity to help Morgan with her assignment at Metropolitan State University. The interview was centered primarily around questions within public relations, journalism, online content and social media. Morgan shared with me the sweet article she wrote up on us and wanted to share with our friends. Thanks again Morgan. It was a joy to meet and get to know you. You are going places girlfriend (and you have one pretty awesome name)!
From the time Jamie and Morgan Molitor tied the knot in August of 2013, they became not only a husband and wife, but also loving parents and a tag team of renovators, entrepreneurs, designers, builders, and home remodelers. The Molitor’s have successfully turned their blog into an effective construction2style business. Jamie brings the carpentry side of renovating houses and Morgan brings the style aspect. Working out of the Minneapolis area, these family-orientated folks do everything from residential remodeling to new construction to custom-built furniture designs.
The Molitor’s are able to piece together their business with customers that care about their area of expertise. For them, it all starts with the customer. At first, Morgan started out with her blog. After getting experience at a marketing agency, she was able to make her blog profitable. The reason the Molitor’s are so successful today is because many Minnesotans reached out to them because of their passion for DIY materials. Earlier this year, they were able to start their home remodeling business. Jamie and Morgan were able to make this business successful by being passionate about something as a duo.
It is important to understand that content in the media needs to be newsworthy and factual. construction2style has been featured on Wayfair.com Homemaker Blogger, Remodelaholic, Rivit Media, Lifestyle DIY magazine, Linquia Storyteller, upon may others. In all of their features, their content has targeted the right audience, been factual, and created attention, which is very important for media coverage.
The important thing about Molitor’s, as well as other bloggers, is that they have freedom to be original, spontaneous, and personable. Bloggers are able to personalize their content, which makes it easy for a customer to find. The other reason the Molitor’s business is so successful is because they get the majority of customers through referrals.
Morgan says, “We always first prefer an e-mail introduction and then face-to-face to ensure we are a good fit.” This gives a positive rapport between the homeowners and the Molitor’s. For this reason, they don’t rely on public relations professionals to make their business successful. However, this does not mean they are resilient of them since they are both important in different ways.
Since the blogging business is so personal and they are not yet large enough, they are able to carefully control their reputation. Jamie comments, “I feel that PR companies are for reputation control, which we are able to manage on our own currently.” The Molitor’s are able to manage their reputation, acting as their own public relations professionals currently, because they are passionate about their business and fully represent their clients experiences on their website. Next, this power couple is able to control their reputation by getting referrals. The Molitors are able to tell fairly quickly if they will reject something for publication. Since they work with people they are referred to, any e-mail starting with “to whom it may concern” can expect the garbage can. Having personalized referrals will build an active fan-base for construction2style going forward.
Jamie and Morgan Molitor look to the relationship of journalists and public relations practitioners as one team, both being ethical team players. Jamie mentions, “…Journalism promotes free speech, even if it is reported negatively, while PR agencies protect and manage an online presence, with the truth and facts. I don’t think one is more ethical or unethical than the other, it just depends on the situation.” In their business, it is important to be a team with the media, as PR professionals and journalists are. They provide reputation control, publicity through referrals, and exposure from customers, acting as both public relations professionals and journalists for their own construction2style blog and home-renovating business.
Jamie and Morgan’s business all started online. With the rapid increase of technology in the media, she responds, “Social media has given public relations and journalisms a platform to reach exponential growth. There is unending content and ideas, and now they are able to reach and leverage the sources behind the desk. Which to me, sounds like a win!” Although the Molitor’s have not had first-hand contact with public relations professionals, they have constant contact with public through the power of social media.
Looking towards the future with the technological advances, the Molitor’s are confident that, “Media, news and events will continue to evolve with technology no matter how much technology within social media evolves. You need to have a mutual respect for one another as everyone has an important role to play within an organization.” Respect will go a long way in any industry no matter if someone is a blogger, journalist, or public relations professional. All in all, respect never goes out of style.
