Marketing expert empowers local businesses

By Abigail Blonigen

In the ever-evolving field of marketing, one needs to be constantly tuned into the latest trends, algorithm changes and new platforms to have a strong online presence. Without a dedicated marketing team, the sheer amount of information out there can be overwhelming.

That is where experts like Molly Solberg come in.

“My clients are all small-business owners, so they don’t have the time or the resources to know what they should be looking up and monitoring,” said Solberg, president of MAS Marketing. “I’m able to do all that research for them and then pass that on.”

Solberg grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota and attended St. Cloud State University, studying local and urban affairs. After graduating, she lived in Minneapolis, Wisconsin and then Colorado working in various planning positions.

In Colorado, she met her now husband and the pair decided to move to Duluth. Solberg had visited Duluth growing up and had family and property on Lake Vermillion near the Boundary Waters. Her husband had never been to Duluth at the time, though they have now lived there for 23 years.

Solberg started her life in the Duluth area working for the city of Hermantown. After taking some time off work to care for her newborn son, Solberg was contacted by Duluth Pack for some additional help for the Christmas season.

She soon became the director of sales and marketing at Duluth Pack, which put her in direct contact with customers, taking calls and traveling to trade shows.

When social media came onto the scene, Solberg saw an opportunity to connect with customers online, continuing the same conversations she had with them over the phone and in person.

Solberg was at Duluth Pack for 11 years before she decided to venture out on her own and create MAS Marketing. She began implementing marketing strategies for businesses, but quickly decided that wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do.

“I realized that doing people’s marketing for them wasn’t something I was passionate about. It was training small businesses to market themselves so that they could do it,” Solberg said. “My motto was always to train people to the point that they could fire me because they felt they had the skills on their own.”

Solberg’s passion for training and education has extended past her own consulting business.

When social media was first entering the marketing sphere, Solberg sought to get a group of Duluthians together to talk about the latest trends. Groups like this already existed in the metro area, so she connected with the Social Media Breakfast Twin Cities, a branch of a loose-knit national organization.

Solberg began attending their Friday morning meetings and decided to create a local chapter. Colleagues from the Twin Cities helped her create a logo and officially launch the chapter: Social Media Breakfast Twin Ports (SMBTP).

Marketing professionals from around the area joined the group, excited to offer support and resources. The first Social Media Breakfast Twin Ports was held at LHB, and businesses have been offering their spaces free of charge since its inception 10 years ago.

Early supporters of the group include the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, Glensheen Mansion, the Canal Park Business Association and the Downtown Duluth Greater Downtown Council. The local colleges and universities have pitched in, and hotels have offered their meeting areas free of charge.

Social Media Breakfast Twin Ports has covered topics such as LinkedIn, Google Ad Words, Instagram, graphic design and more, utilizing the knowledge of community experts.

“Since joining the group in 2019, I have gained rich,

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Since launching the Social Media Breakfast Twin Ports, a number of local businesses have volunteered their event space for the group. TOP: The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center hosted SMBTP in September of 2021, featuring an update from the DECC's social media team.

BOTTOM LEFT: SMBTP participants prepare for a presentation at the Sheraton Hotel.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Folks prepare for a SMBTP presentation at Ursa Minor discussing selling on Instagram.

Molly Solberg launched Social Media Breakfast relevant and supportive information from the professionals (and sometimes amateurs) Molly curates,” said Bud Trnka, director of sales and marketing at LightSpeed Lift and member of the Twin Ports Social Media Breakfast. “SMBTP rejuvenates my passion for vibrant, informative messaging; having fun all the while. I’m grateful for Molly Solberg and all she gives to her community.”

Twin Ports 10 years ago, a branch of a loose knit national organization. The Twin Cities chapter assisted with the launch and the logo.

The SMBTP Facebook group has more than 1,000 members. In addition to posting details on the next meeting, members also post resources, marketing-related events and job opportunities.

The group took a hiatus from in-person meetings due to the pandemic, which gave Solberg an opportunity to regroup and plan for the future. Now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing, meetings are set to resume the second Friday of the month.

In the meantime, Solberg has continued to meet with clients to bolster their marketing efforts.

“In 2020, I took the opportunity to expand my design business and was able to work directly with Molly as a social media and website consultant,” said Elizabeth Mayne of Mayne Design. “Her knowledge on the subject is vast, and she does an amazing job of personalizing her trainings to her clients’ businesses. Specifically, she gives real ‘homework’ to help increase their knowledge and apply it to their own businesses. Molly is a rare gem in our local business community.”

Those interested in attending the Social Media Breakfast Twin Ports are welcome to join the Facebook group of the same name. Those interested in working with Solberg directly can reach out via her website, mollysolberg.com. D