Who’s the woman behind the blog posts?  She’s in charge filling your Instagram feed with photos, Facebook pages with links, and captivating our hearts 140 characters at a time on Twitter. Her name is Rachel, and this time we want you to meet the (wo)man behind the curtain.  Mother of two boys: one, whose lack of fitted pants and belt destines him to be a plumber, and the other, a child who produces enough slobber to make a St. Bernard blush.   She found some time to sit down and answer a few questions about blogging, beer and unrealistic hypothetical situations involving a desert island.

Without further ado, here’s Rachel!

How long have you been doing social media, and how did you discover it as something you’d want to do for a living?

I hopped into social media about six years ago as an event coordinator, because it made sense for me to start promoting the events we were organizing online. Once I became addicted to viewing insights, following statistics, writing blogs and using hashtags, there was no going back.

Rumor has it you have an (un?)healthy addiction to site statistics. Care to expand on that?

How else am I going to compare my posts with other contributors’ posts?! We’ll call it (un)healthly motivation. Or competition. Or both, whatever.

Do you have a favorite type of blog post to write?  Least favorite?

I get super motivated to write “valued added” posts, when we’re giving tips, guides, recipes, etc. When I think about the blogs I follow, they’re either about cooking, cooking with beer, or home improvement advice (because who wouldn’t want to know how to make his/her hardwood floors shine like new?).  Writing about beer pairing ideas, growler storage tips, or which breweries to hop around over the weekend usually float my boat.

My least favorite are the posts on topics I don’t know much about – shocker. For instance, I tried to write one about nettles because a brewery was using them on a special pizza. Turns out, I know nothing about nettles. And I couldn’t really figure out what to include and not include – do really readers want to know Urtica dioica grows in North America, can be cooked to take away the “stingers,” or do they just care that it tastes good with sausage? I scrapped the draft and decided to write a post about beer instead.

What are some roadblocks you ran into while learning the do’s and don’ts of social media?

Posting on my personal page, versus business pages…I can’t tell you how many times I’ve immediately deleted everything I’ve written once I’ve realized I’m promoting something on my own account. Although, I guess since I’m in the craft beer industry, accidently promoting beer isn’t the worse thing that could happen.

What are you most excited about, when it comes to Common Block’s opening?

I have an image in my head of my husband and I sitting on the back patio in the sun, drinking beer, sharing fries, and watching a live band across the street. I want that.

Some people call you a social media expert, a social media Guru, or even a social media specialist.  If you could make your own title, what would it be?

Maybe “sharing facilitator.” If my four year-old was reading this (which he’s not, because he can’t read), he would absolutely agree.

You’re stuck on a desert island.  You have your three favorite books and four CD’s that you chose the last time someone asked you a question like this.  A ship crashes in the distance, carrying what can only be described as a lifetime supply of craft beer.  It’d be a tragedy, but fortunately you’re there to pick up the kegs as they float to your little paradise. What beer would you chose to be stranded with? 

Something I learned on a recent backpacking trip: if you’re going to drink lukewarm beer (which I’m assuming I’d be doing on the island, unless refrigeration equipment and a power supply also wash up on shore), better make it something with light hops. I’m thinking Hop Valley’s Double D Blonde, or maybe Twilight from Deschutes. I’d gladly sip both while listening to Otis Redding and reading Game of Thrones (books one, three, and five).

And don’t forget to check out:

Meet Common Blocker Nick Blakeslee

Meet Common Blocker Ashley Nunes