Social media has become an important part of the business plan of many local New River Valley local businesses in the last several months. This is the first in the series of posts highlighting those businesses, and showing all of us how they’re using the web to grow their business. I’d love to highlight you, as well – send an email to Jeremy at NRVLiving.com, or hit up @NRVLiving on Twitter.

Today’s post is with Jaime Clark, Marketing Manager for Premier Transfer & Storage in Christiansburg, VA.

1.  Tell us about yourself, Jaime, and what you do for Premier Transfer & Storage?
I grew up in Lexington, VA.  Went to college at Towson University in Baltimore.  Moved to Roanoke after graduating and have been living in the area since 2003.  My husband and I are dog parents to a 130 lb, 19 month old Saint Bernard named Chloe.  I have been the Marketing Manager with Premier since August 2008.

2.  You found me on Twitter – how long have you been using Twitter, and what do you like about it?
I’ve been using Twitter (@PremierJaime) since mid-March this year.  I enjoy following and interacting with new people locally, nationally and internationally.  I have “met” people on Twitter who have proven to be great resources.  Plus, it’s fun!

3.  So you’re on Twitter – are there other sites or social media applications you’re using for your business?
Premier has a Facebook page that we’re just getting started.  We’re also on LinkedIn.

4.  Why did you get started with this social media stuff?
We were looking for more ways to branch out and spread the Premier name in the community.  Because the real investment that is required is time, we decided to give it all a try.

5.  Any plans to make social media a larger part of your business in the future?
Absolutely!  We plan to continue to grow our Twitter followers and Facebook/LinkedIn friends.  We also have plans to start a blog to reach out even more.

6.  One of the things I hear people say a lot is that all of this “social” stuff takes time.  How much time do you dedicate to social media each week?
The amount of time that I spend just depends on how busy I am each day.  Some days I can devote more time than others.  My experience so far is that you get out of it as much as you put in.

7.  What do you like best about using social media?
It’s been great to get acquainted with people who I would probably not have known about before, to share some things about myself and share information on Premier.

8.  What local blogs do you make sure to read regularly, or local people you follow that we should all know about?
I read several local blogs daily:  Handshake2.0, The Storefront blog from the Roanoke Times, and of course the NRVLiving Real Estate blog (editor’s note: unsolicited endorsement)!  There are a ton of great local people on Twitter, too many to name!

9.  What should someone know about Premier that they might not learn from your comments on sites like Twitter, or Facebook?  An amusing anecdote, perhaps, or something interesting about the company we might not already know?
The owner of Premier Transfer and Storage, John Phillips, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army.  John was mobilized from May 2005-August 2006 and served in Iraq for 12 months from August 2nd 2005-August 1st 2006.  While he was there he served as the Military Operations advisor to an Iraqi Brigade Commander and participated in Operation Restoring Rights in Tall Afar, Iraq in the Fall of 2005. He is a Battalion Commander for the 1st Battalion, 320th Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 98th Division headquartered in Abington, VA.
Thanks to Jaime and Premier Transfer & Storage for participating and sharing how they’re is getting started in social media!  If you want to tell us how your business is using social media, email me at Jeremy at NRVLiving.com or hit up @NRVLiving on Twitter.