Published on November 11, 2021 by Morgan Black  
McDermott Kaitlin

Kaitlin McDermott, a junior finance and marketing major, is an affiliate in the Samford Startup program. She's using the  program to expand her business, My Marketing Degree, a platform that works to condense a business' visual aesthetics, values and story into a 60 second or less video.

McDermott said, "Microcontent is the future of marketing, and we serve to analyze algorithms that simultaneously aim for target markets, with the goal of growing them further.  On TikTok and Instagram Reels, it is essential to capture a viewer's attention and transfer their view into a visit to your location or online purchase; and My Marketing Degree uses data, trends and strategic planning to stimulate traffic to your website or business. "

What is the story behind the name My Marketing Degree?

The name came to mind because people always ask me what I want to do with a marketing degree, and it usually starts a conversation with "I'd like to do XYZ with my marketing degree...". I also think it's funny when people are in a career field that has nothing to do with their degree, and it just seems like a straightforward name for a marketing agency. To be honest, I've thought about shortening it and I am still in the early stages to which I have the ability to do so, so we'll see!

How has Brock School of Business and the Samford Startup program helped launch your business?

Being surrounded by a community of young entrepreneurs, as well as having access to the advice passed from guest speakers and mentors, equips me with the tools I need to grow my business. It's refreshing to know that my decisions are well-educated and backed by experience and advice from my peers and Dr. Mazzei. 

Looking to the future, what do you envision for your business?

I would love to have My Marketing Degree's storytelling ads become distinct amongst the millions of videos digested daily by social media users. I want the narration, creative style, and video format to be recognizable and reliable; and I'd like to stand out as a captivating content creator in which brands seek to enter microcontent platforms with. 

As of now, I'm working to expand my work to the Birmingham area, as I am mainly Dallas/Fort Worth-based at the moment. I would love the opportunity to create content for brands in Birmingham that have a story or mission they are passionate about! I am putting together a digital portfolio and social media presence for the brand itself, as microcontent is relatively new with the virality of Tiktok and Reels. With over 50% of users purchasing an item or visiting a location based on these 30-60 second videos, microcontent is the future of digital marketing and I look forward to penetrating this market as a trailblazer! 

As for finding me on social media, I have only been posting my work on the pages of the brands I'm working with. I'm honestly trying to distinguish whether my brand's social media will serve as a digital portfolio of my work, or if I want to double as a lifestyle/travel influencer with the areas I live in and visit. It's fun to be in the early stages of forming a business, but all of these decisions affect one another and take time to consider. It's one reason I'm thankful to have Dr. Mazzei's mentorship and the advice of my peers in the Startup Incubator!

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.