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Get With The Times – HipLogiq Equips Business Owners With Affordable Social Media Marketing Tools

Social media, content marketing, incentive-based rewards, marketing automation, pay-per-click… The web offers businesses a great variety of ways to reach customers. And a hell of a lot of noise to cut through. Dialing into productive signals, turning conversations into customers, is a challenge for the small and medium-sized businesses that previously couldn’t afford their own social media team or outside marketing.

 

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HipLogiq is a marketing technology company based out of Dallas that aims to give business owners the right tools to harness marketing potential and grow their businesses. To date, the young company features two social marketing software solutions – SocialCompass and SocialCentiv – that empower companies to recreate 1-to-1 marketing on a mass scale (the later being a do-it-yourself product). Adam Root, Co-founder and CTO, tells us more:

 

Why did you become an entrepreneur?

My dad was an entrepreneur. While most kids were learning how to play catch, my dad taught about personal management. I was born into it. I started my first business when I was 16. It was an epic failure, but I learned a lot. Three businesses later I still feel brand new, but luckily I have had some really great mentors to help me along the way.

 

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What inspired your current startup?

Social media is confusing. Like this, follow that, etc. It just doesn’t work for small business owners that have to have new customers or they can’t feed their kids. I knew social media was powerful, but nothing was showing a ROI. So we built a system that would.

 

What makes your startup so killer? How is it different from the competition?

There are a lot of great engagement solutions for social media, and most of them compliment our software well. However, we are the only platform focused on listening for consumer intent on social media to get new customers.

 

 

How do you motivate yourself and your team?

Casting vision is a difficult endeavor, and sometimes even motivating yourself is challenging. However, I think that is why most businesses fail. Most people just give up too early. I’ve found that giving employees a project, and giving them the time they need to find their footing, creates a system where they motivate themselves.

 

If the Internet didn’t exist, what would you be doing?

I have always had a passion for public speaking, so I could see myself in that capacity.

 

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs?

Most entrepreneurs give up too early. Sometimes it takes years to get the idea from the back of the napkin to profitability. Grant yourself some grace, and celebrate your efforts. Each failure is leading you closer to success.

 

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What has been the biggest startup surprise for you (good or bad)?

Growing from 3 founders to 30 employees in 12 months can be a stressful, and sometimes small things like forgetting to update your bank account information in your payroll are forgotten. We realized the mistake when all of our payroll checks bounced. It’s something we all laugh about now, but its a constant reminder to check the details.

 

How do you handle frustration or disappointment?

For me, working out is my time to center myself and get away from the frustrations of the day. It’s also important to remember that its ok to be disappointed in an event, but never a person.

 

What are the top 3 online tools/websites/devices that you couldn’t live without? (And why?)

  1. iPhone – I travel frequently, and my iPhone is my link back to home base. Without it, I’d be lost.
  2. Macbook Pro – from email to code, everything lives on my macbook; we simply would not have a business without it.
  3. Sugar Free Redbull – Technically not a device or website, but it is the most important arrow in my quiver. Without caffeine all is lost.

 

If you had $1 million and one year off, what would you do? (Other than work on your current startup)

I would travel the world and write a book on my experiences. I would also spend a significant amount of time with my family and maybe start one of my own.

 

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How do you maintain work/life balance?

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to let work consume your life, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times in my life when I did let work consume it. Luckily I have been blessed with people in my life that have held me accountable and called me out when necessary.

 

Who would play you in the movie of your life, and what would be the theme song?

I hope it would be George Clooney, and the theme song would be My Way by Frank Sinatra.

 

How has being an entrepreneur changed you for the better?

Each day I am constantly challenged across multiple disciplines from management to computer science to just being a better human being. I have learned how to be patient, and how to remain calm when all I want to do is scream. I have been pushed to the edge, and sometimes pushed off, but I wouldn’t trade one minute.

 

What is the tech scene like where you live?

Dallas is new to the tech scene, but those of us that participate are passionate about making Dallas a great place for tech.

 

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Where can our readers find you?

 

Being an entrepreneur is hard. If you were given a 200k salary plus bonuses and a VP title at a prestigious company, would you take it or continue to work at your startup?

That’s a great question. However, I feel that I would not be true to myself if I took a position at some one else’s company at this time.

 

Finally, how can the KillerStartups community help YOU?

We need beta testers for SocialCentiv, our newest product. Please sign up at SocialCentiv.com.

 

Photo & Video Credits

Hiplogiq | Courtesy of startup founder

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