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Two social media and marketing enthusiasts who are Wright State seniors started Digi Flame Solutions, a digital marketing company that helps local businesses enhance their social media presence and online identity.
Bruce Heintz, a mass communication major, and Jamie Stacy, a marketing major, came up with the idea for the company while relaxing in Stacy’s apartment last year.
“In today’s world, if you don’t have social media, you’re not going anywhere,” said Stacy, who is the marketing executive of Digi Flame Solutions. Social media gives you “the whole world at your fingertips,” he said.
“It wasn’t just a skill, but something we’re both passionate about,” said Heintz, who is the director of digital media. “Social media allows you to have personality and have a relationship with the company.”
Digi Flame Solutions helps local businesses increase their online and social media presence by teaching social media, marketing and website skills.
Heintz and Stacy currently are working with two clients, Flores Leather Works, owned by Stacy’s cousin, and a landscaping company, William’s Services.
In the process of building their foundation for Digi Flame Solutions, Heintz and Stacy both agreed that working with social media and meeting clients is something they’re passionate about.
“We want to see small businesses grow, especially after the recession,” said Stacy, who created their company’s logo. “My stepdad lost his job and my mom moved jobs, and I don’t want that to happen to other people.”
Digi Flame Solutions’ personal and educational approach makes it different from other social media consultants.
“The bigger companies work with 40 to 50 people at a time, and they don’t get to sit down with them, and they don’t get to experience what they do every day. And I think that’s what we do differently; we get to go to their stores,” said Stacy.
“We get to see their everyday life, and we get to see what they’re passionate about,” Heintz said. “It’s very intentional; we care. We don’t just want to do business, we want to develop relationships.”
Both Stacy and Heintz fulfill various roles together such as interviewing clients, implementing strategies and consulting with each other on decisions for their company.
Their current goals for Digi Flame Solutions is to grow their brand awareness, draw a larger audience to their social media pages and reach a 20 percent engagement rate with their followers.
The cost of their service depends on the individual needs of the client; however, Digi Flame Solutions is more affordable than larger companies, they said.
Several Wright State classes, faculty and staff members have helped them develop their brand and passion for social media marketing, including John Dinsmore, assistant professor in the Department of Marketing, and Ike Brunner and Russ Shirley, both instructors in the Department of Communication.
“We want to do Digi Flame full-time as a career,” Heintz said.
After “owning a business and getting a taste of it, I really want to do this the rest of my life,” Stacy said. “The goal is to have an office by 2019.”
You can learn more about Digi Flame Solutions on Twitter, Facebook and at digiflamesolutions.com.