Augustine

Written by Laney Lenox | Photographed by Chris Brennan

Elizabeth Augustine, 25, started Simply Social in early 2016 to meet the social media needs of local Jackson-area businesses.

While studying marketing at Hinds Community College, Augustine began an internship with holding company Eat Here Brands, the name behind restaurants such as Fondren’s Babalu and Flowood’s Table 100. This internship led to a job as Eat Here’s part-time social media manager, a position she held until recently, while operating her own business.

Through her work, Augustine noticed that foodservice businesses had a particular need to outsource their social media management. Local restaurants, the owners of which are often in-house working with their staff on a daily basis, simply cannot stop during a lunch or dinner rush to post a picture or share a special. Simply Social’s client base is mostly comprised of restaurants that all are locally owned, like The Manship, Aplos and Barrelhouse.

Augustine cited the fast-paced and quickly-changing nature of social media marketing as part of what she loves about the work. “Social media changes every day. So, it’s easier for me to learn boots-on-the-ground,” says Augustine.

When asked what she loves most about her work, Augustine cited the opportunity it provides for face-to-face interactions and collaboration with local business owners and working with such creative and talented chefs.

‘I was contemplating moving to a bigger city, but I realize that I know so many people here that need these services. Once I started my business, I started getting clients through people I already knew.”

Augustine was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana and moved to Jackson in 2012 to be closer to her Mississippi-based family. She’s fallen in love with the city during her time here.

Marketing for her own company so far has mostly been word of mouth and personal recommendation, again a testament to the benefits of working with local businesses committed to their community and helping it thrive.

Augustine went on to describe the love she has for Jackson’s close-knit creative and small-business community: “There’s a huge artistic community of makers and artists here that all work together.”

Social media is often criticized for removing the personal from our daily interactions by limiting the time we spend face-to-face.

However, in Augustine’s Mississippi experience, social media is just a new tool upholding an old Mississippi value, taking the time to meet and commune with one another in person.