We recently had the chance to interview Hailey Robbins, the Marketing, Events and Social Media Manager for Mervis Diamond Importers. During our discussion, Ms Robbins, talked about the journey that brought her to Mervis Diamond Importers.

Can you tell us a bit about your background, education and work history?

Hailey Robbins: I went to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I graduated in three years, back in 2010, with a degree in Communications, Media Studies. My concentration there was Broadcasting and Television production. I worked for ESPN, Universal Pictures, PUMA and CBS while in college, and then worked for CBS Radio as a producer in Charlotte, North Carolina after college before moving to Maryland. Also, I currently manage my own freelance production company where I still design websites, handle PR and social media needs and also make advertising videos, which I have been doing for five years now.

I switched fields slightly in 2012 from television production to web and digital media, editing and building websites for a large firm before joining Mervis in April of 2013. Here, I run our website, blog, social media channels, alongside our PR, marketing, events and advertising. It’s so much fun to get to do a bit of everything here. My diverse background has been a huge asset to my transition to Mervis. I can spend one day building out various functionalities on our site and the next filming a video for our YouTube channel. In my spare time I like to dance, shop, write, cook and most importantly, play with my two adorable dogs, Marty and Deacon.

How did you find your niche?

Hailey Robbins: Anyone who meets me would describe me as super bubbly, easily excitable and really passionate about things. I throw myself into what I do and am extremely persistent. Those traits are all necessary in media. I really love jewelry and especially diamonds, and getting to work for a family business you really believe in is amazing. I (at least I think so) am excellent at what I do, and getting the freedom to help mold a business is a gratifying experience.

What kind of steps did you take to acquire the background and skills necessary to do this job?

Hailey Robbins: Because I am still learning daily about the jewelry side of the business, I rely heavily on my extensive background in marketing and PR to ensure that I am properly promoting our business. I learn a lot through trial and error, but also through speaking with our diamond consultants. They are seriously amazing and super knowledgeable and have been an invaluable asset in learning the ropes around here! They also have great ideas. Jonathan Mervis himself has also been amazing. He has been around this business since he was a baby and there are very few who can say that with their business! He has a great eye and quirky sense of humor that people really get behind. He helps come up with some amazing marketing ideas and is a joy to work with.

Do you have some sort of plan for this new position?

Hailey Robbins: My business plan is to grow our presence in the Washington, DC metro area. We have done quite a few crazy plots since I have arrived to get the Mervis name out there, and it is really growing our search traffic. Right now I would love to see more people ordering online from us, and also get a lot more people converting from online to appointments and in-person sales.

Finally, How has technology and the internet impacted how you promote this kind of business?

Hailey Robbins: It is amazing to see how social media allows us to grow Mervis as a name. Since I started at Mervis, we have made it a point to ramp up our social media presence and it is amazing to see the return via clients in the store, appointments made and inquiries. I personally think it is super awesome to get people in store requesting new products I put up, or mention they saw us on Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter or Facebook.

Mervis Diamond Importers has been providing its customers with the highest quality diamonds and jewelry for more than 30 years. To learn more about Mervis, visit online at www.MervisDiamond.com