There's no getting away from it! Social media is playing an increasingly important part in business.

And companies need to harness the power of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to get the message across about their products and services.

That’s the view of Nicola Mellor, who runs Pepamint, a Slaithwaite-based business focusing on social media management.

“Social media is changing all the time,” she says. “It’s about being interactive and communicating with customers and potential customers in a way that gets a business’s message across.”

But for many firms, social media is still unfamiliar territory and owner-managers unversed in the world of Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram need guidance through the social media maze.

Says Nicola: “Social media is changing daily and has an impact in everyone’s lives in business and at home.

“Lots of businesses are wanting to get involved with social media, but they don’t always have the time to do it themselves or the skills.

“We could see the need for a service that helps businesses to have an online social media presence.

“We have created a service that can help businesses with their online presence by managing it for them, effectively and successfully.

“We create bespoke packages which are tailored to each business and work on the social media platforms that suits them the most.”

Nicola says all businesses should have an effective way of using online social sites – but a big difficulty to overcome is deciding which platforms are the most suitable.

“Ideally, a business should choose one platform on which to concentrate their efforts,” she says. “Facebook is more B2C – business-to-consumer – while LinkedIn is B2B – business-to-business.

“The aim is to use social media to create conversations and relationships with clients and potential clients.”

Pepamint’s role is to provide its clients with a targeted social media strategy to help the client get as much online “visibility” as possible – and measure the results to bring more business through the client’s door.

Complementary services include search engine optimisation, website hosting and website content, website and email set up, design, printing and PR.

One of the keys to success for business online is to stand out from the crowd, says Nicola.

And the results from taking a sideways look at things can be somewhat unexpected.

Says Nicola: “Just recently, I tweeted a picture of a Fairy Liquid bottle on top of a Christmas tree and just asked the question ‘what’s going to be on your Christmas tree?’.

“Someone got back to me and offered to put some work my way – just because the tweet had made him laugh!”

Nicola admits her role at Pepamint is a far cry from her schoolgirl dream of a career working with horses.

Nicola was brought up in Crosland Moor and attended Holmfirth High School, where her ambitions were entirely equestrian.

She gained a BTEC national diploma in equine management at Huddersfield Technical College, but her career path took her into sales and marketing.

She worked in sales and marketing roles firstly for award-winning Meltham-based horse trailer firm Equitrek and later for Initial Facilities, part of the Rentokil Initial group, before joining luxury horse transport firm Equicruiser selling horse trailers ranging in price from �100,000 to �500,000 to clients including Knowsley Safari Park..

Says Nicola: “I realised there was a growing market for social media and I had always had some social media element to my sales and marketing roles.”

After 10 months at Equicruiser, Nicola took the step of setting up Pepamint in August this year, having also undertaking some training to further hone her existing skills.

She says: “I picked the name Pepamint after looking for inspiration from paint charts! I wanted something quirky and a little bit different.

“It’s a brand name that stands out and follows the theme of providing something fresh.”

While her business focuses on the online world, Nicola is a firm believer that companies must not neglect the value of face-to-face contact.

She has taken the social media message to networking events, including 4N Huddersfield and accountancy firm Sheards’ Connection 13.

Pepamint’s clients range from independent financial advisers, media and marketing agencies and a recruitment firm to a lettings agency, businesses in the health and beauty sector and a company manufacturing cardboard boxes.

Her clients include ones in Kirklees and Calderdale, but also as far afield as Lancashire and London.

“I like to go and see them and talk to them,” says Nicola. “You build a better relationship when you can see them and you understand their business better.

“People buy from people. It is all about forging a relationship and building up trust. I’m very much a people pleaser!”

Nicola is happily very busy with work – but retains a love for horses.

“I have two horses – Tiko and Minstrel – but work does take over,” she says. “I used to compete in dressage at events such as the Great Yorkshire Show and I have won a number of championships, but business is taking priority.

“It’s all about feeding, grooming and muck-out at the moment! But I still like to be out riding four times a week and I also like walking Tia, my pet Staffie.”

And her ambitions for Pepamint? “I’d like to become a limited company by the end of next year,” she says.

“My aim is to become a full service agency offering everything in-house with a specialist team for each individual service.

“There are still plenty of opportunities.”