DIY and Done-for-You Social Media: Meet Cahner Olson, Founder of Cahner’s Digital Media

By Emily Merrell

There are those that do your Instagram for you and there are those that teach you. Cahner happens to be both! She’s had her hand in social media since high school and has worked at transforming her client’s brands, empowering them to find their voice and confidence in social media. Learn more about Cahner, her amazing offerings and what’s next from her. 

SDS: How did you get your start in social media as the founder of Cahner’s Digital Media? 

CAHNER OLSON: This job completely fell into my lap! I was working in San Francisco as the marketing manager for Doughp Cookie Dough and they had a lot of wholesale partners in the Bay Area that I got to meet. One of their partners, Firepie Pizza, found out that I did social media for Doughp and asked me if I would run their social media as well. They became my first freelance client, and from there I kept getting word of mouth referrals! I got that first client three years ago and have worked with over 20 small businesses on all different kinds of marketing since then. 

SDS: What does it mean to be a social media manager? 

CO: I am in charge of my client’s long-term strategy, day-to-day posts and engagement. I also do photography and content creation for some of my clients. My typical day includes scheduling posts for the next few weeks and making IG stories in Canva. 

SDS: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see individuals make with social media?

CO: Not utilizing new features! Instagram can get really overwhelming and I know it’s hard to keep up with all the features they’ve been rolling out. But a great social media strategy includes using all the features (Reels, Stories, Lives, engagement tools, guides) consistently. 

SDS: Having worked with brands from food to fashion, what are your tips for planning strategy?

CO: I think brands are scared to show the behind-the-scenes of their business because it feels boring to them. But I think showing BTS is some of the most creative and interesting content brands can create! Anything you can show that is different from your competitors will make you stand out from the crowd. 

For example, one of my clients is a fudge store in San Francisco and I created a series of Reels showing the BTS in their kitchen. The chef definitely thought it would be boring videos, but I edited them to make them more fast-paced, and the final Reels have done really well on Instagram! So my best tip is to find something unique and mundane about your business, and find a creative way to make it interesting. 

SDS: How has community played a role in your business?

CO: It’s played a huge role! Especially at the beginning of my business when I was getting most of my clients from referrals and word of mouth. Utilizing your community and making genuine connections with people is one of the best ways to grow your business!

SDS: What are your offerings and how can individuals work with you?

CO: I have four different ways people can work with me:

1. Social Media Management is a long-term commitment where I handle your entire social media strategy and scheduling of posts! This is the most in-depth way people can work with me to grow their accounts.

2. I have a workshop called The Social Solution which is a 3-hour, 1:1 workshop to transform your brand’s social media. This is for someone who doesn’t have the resources to hire a social media manager, but wants to have a great strategy to execute themselves. I give you all the knowledge and tools you need to run an amazing social media account on your own. 

3. My newest offering, The Reel Deal, is for brand’s who need help with short-form video! I’ll take the stress out of Reels by creating the videos for you. We’ll meet once a month to brainstorm video ideas and see what your goals for the month are. I’ll then send you a list of exactly what videos I want you to take, complete with example videos that you can just copy. You’ll send me all the RAW videos, I’ll edit them for you, and all you have to do is post them! It’s the easiest way to be consistent with your short-form videos.

4. I also offer web design services!