In the Spotlight with…Social Media Manager, Alison Tang

In the Spotlight with…Social Media Manager, Alison Tang

Finally, we have had the opportunity to sit with the newest addition to the team, Social Media Manager, Alison Tang. Let’s take a look into her role in the business and how it fits in with the existing setup.

Q: You have been with The Barre for only a short time in comparison. When did you start and what made you want to join the family business?

A: Yes, I started working on a casual basis originally around a year ago. I was at the end of maternity leave and was looking for a much more flexible type of employment. The Barre was able to offer me this. Plus, I saw a huge gap in the social media side that I knew I could really help to boost, allowing Peter and David to keep their focus on the customer and quality control.

Q: So you know about social media? What was missing that you saw an opportunity to fulfil?

A: Well, I have been around the industry a long time, without working specifically in it myself, but it did put me on a good footing to be able to step up and manage the social media accounts. I could see that The Barre already had Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts but were not making good use of them.

Q: Why are the social media accounts so important, and specifically to The Barre?

A: We are in an online world now, if you don’t have a presence or mark your stamp online, then its likely that you are not reaching your maximum potential audience. I find social media particularly important for The Barre for 2 main reasons:

1. We are an online business, we don’t have a shop that customers can visit, so we need to reach our audience online. Our key demographic audience are all online too, so will see us there and can interact with us easily.
2. We are very passionate about creating relationships with our customers. It is very important that this value is never lost. Keeping in touch with our customers new and old online is a really effective method.

Q: So how does the relationship between the 3 of you work? It can get tricky working with the family. How do you manage that?

A: It’s actually pretty smooth. Because both Peter and David trust my judgement in my role, they leave me to get on with it. In return, I always consult with them if there is anything more major or a new campaign that I want to do. I see my role as one that supports and propels forward what the rest of the business is already doing, therefore, I do what is needed of me, just in a style that suits the online world.

Q: Does your vision for the future of the business marry up with the vision of Peter and David?

A: Yes, I believe so. I feel very strongly about the values that Peter has for his company and I just want to promote those and show that you can have a successful AND honest business at the same time. My vision for the future of The Barre is simply to continue to be successful in this way, whilst still expanding our customer base, country base and demographic.

Q: We have been in lockdown for over 2 months now. How has that impacted the business and your role?

A: I was initially concerned about the impact the lockdown would have. I was coming up with some social media campaigns to try to counteract the potential down time we might have. But so far, I haven’t had to use those ideas because our customers are so wonderful. For me personally, with the nature of most of my role, I can work easily remotely from home, which I have been doing so far. There are a few challenges, such as being unable to get certain images for posts and articles, but I am managing for the most part. I do feel a little sorry for Peter, who is now solely responsible for fulfilling orders at the warehouse. But its good exercise for him. Ha!

Q: Ok, so other than the Social Media Manager, what else defines who you are outside of work? What do you like to do and how are you managing with the lockdown?

A: Well usually I spend a LOT of time out of the house, socialising, eating out, dancing and so on, which means 90% of my normal life has had to stop right now. But, fortunately, my little boy, who is just about to turn 2, is keeping the family well and truly entertained and on our toes. We do a lot of walking to the nearby fields with a football and have recently got him a little kite, which he loves! I feel blessed that although we are in this truly difficult time, my little life in my house is quite relaxed and we are just taking the opportunity to spend time together as a family, which is lovely.

Q: And finally, in 3 worlds can you describe the future for The Barre that you envision?

A: Fulfilled, Happy, Expanding