UW-Milwaukee Graduate Talks Social Media Jobs

Sam Laun grew up in Kiel, Wisconsin and, since he was a child, his interest in current events is what transformed him into a news junkie.

“I was the only kid in 8th grade that would go home and watch NBC. How weird is that?” said Laun.

Laun is a social manager, social strategist, and community manager at the social media agency Sōsh. The UW-Milwaukee graduate started at the agency just 2 1/2 years ago as an intern. Now, he is the person behind the screen, developing and writing social content for clients.

SOSH is a social media strategy and relationship marketing agency that believes in helping companies grow by creating meaningful connections with their consumers through social media.

When asked how he became involved and interested in the position he is in now, Laun said, “When I started school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Then I thought advertising was pretty cool, and then social media started to take off. My job fits my personality.”

Laun graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 2010, where he majored in advertising and was a part of JMC, which is now called JAMS (Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies). The graduate stopped by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to speak to a class of first-semester freshmen in a JAMS Living Learning Community on Dec. 7. He discussed his position at Sōsh, branding, and social media.

According to Laun, the social media agency, Sōsh, is about focusing on passionate community members.

“It’s about establishing connections with customers,” said Laun.” It’s important to show the consumers our appreciation.”

Since Laun started out like many of the freshman in the JAMS LLC, he went into great detail as to what it takes to become an intern at big companies like Sōsh.

“We want you to communicate your intelligence in a fun way,” said the UW-Milwaukee graduate. “Show personality, and also include some social links, but most importantly, really pay attention to what you’re putting online.”

Laun also added, “Know what your audience wants and do your best to help them out.”

A member of Laun’s audience, freshman and aspiring JAMS major Claire Larkin, was greatly impacted by the UW-Milwaukee graduate’s visit.

“I really liked what he had to say because he was different than a lot of our speakers,” she said. “His job focuses solely on social media which is really relevant in today’s age. It shows how big of an influence social media has on journalism today.”

Another member of Laun’s audience, Leah Grygelski, 18, majoring in English, was also inspired by Laun’s talk.

“I really liked how he was really passionate about his job. His job environment seemed very laid back, and it seems like a place that I would enjoy working at,” said Grygelski.

When asked about his talk to the JAMS class, there was one thing that really stood out to the aspiring English major.

“One thing that really opened my eyes and stood out to me was when he talked about how much responsibility he has. He showed us that it is not all about running a Facebook page or anything like that,” said Grygelski. “It’s all about learning about the importance of the company and customers.”

Laun concluded his talk by expressing the importance of taking chances to the aspiring JAMS majors. “Don’t be afraid. Take chances and be creative.”