MindFire welcomed some brand-new faces in 2022, so it’s time for another edition of “Grill the Arsonist.” Social Media Arsonist Olivia Martinez joined the team in March. “Liv” (as we like to call her) earned her bachelor’s and master’s in communication from Western Illinois University. She’s a newlywed and a dog mom to an adorable blue nose pitbull named Izzy. At MindFire, Liv is passionate about helping brands shine on social media.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a nurse – and even went to nursing school! But in the first semester, I got into clinicals and realized the blood was too much. That’s when I transferred to WIU-QC and majored in communications.

Relatively speaking, social media as a career is still new. Did you know it was an option when you started studying communications in college?

Yes! Social media as a career wasn’t as big as it is now. But Western Illinois University had a social media course, and it was really interesting to me. At the time, COVID-19 was surging, and our class was looking at how rumors and disinformation were spreading on social media. I like that kind of research, especially following how current events spread on social media platforms.

What is your favorite social media platform?

I would have answered this totally different a year ago. But lately I’ve been totally sucked into TikTok. I love it for cooking videos, and I only follow food accounts. I have so many recipes I’ve gotten off TikTok.

Other than cooking videos, are you able to enjoy social media in your personal life now that you spend so much time with it professionally?

I am a super private person on social media. But I have learned at MindFire that social media is a great way to show some love to the small businesses and restaurants I enjoy. Following them, liking their stuff and tagging other people is mainly what I do on Facebook. In this career, you see how that engagement really helps those businesses.

Social media is all about trends. What are your favorite trends, and which ones are you less interested in?

I love anything to do with dogs! “That’s just my baby dog” is a song everyone shared using adorable pictures of their pups. I made one for my dog, Izzy.
I don’t like trends that encourage negativity – like “Storytime.” It promotes complaints about things, like bad service at a restaurant. What I do like is being able to help our clients navigate through negativity if they experience it with their brands.

Social media is always changing. Let’s time travel to the year 2072 – 50 years from now. What does social media look like?

It’s so crazy to think about what it could be! I bet the way we view social media platforms will change, and pretty soon we won’t be looking at it just on phones or laptops. The algorithms will also get so much more detailed as these platforms gather more data. Facebook is already doing that with its business pages to enhance the user experience with more personalization.

You’re a newlywed! How’s married life?

We got married in April, and everything feels the same. It’s so nice to have the wedding planning and most of the events out of the way. Gama and I eloped in Hawaii, and then his family hosted a reception for us in Texas. Coming up in September my family is hosting a reception here for our local friends and family. We did a lot of research and planned the entire Hawaii trip over the internet and just prayed everything we booked was legitimate – and it was all awesome!

Did social media trends help you plan your wedding?

I did a lot of my research through social media rather than Google. I even found a wedding vendor I loved with great content and beautiful pictures. Our wedding day ended up being even more beautiful than Instagram. It was very intimate, and we had the whole beach to ourselves. We got married at sunset and walked down the beach a happily married couple. It is a day that my husband and I will cherish forever.

Social media is growing and changing, but done right, it can give customers a closer look at a brand, its work and why it matters. Need help following changing trends or developing your social media identity? Drop us a line!