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Cup o' Joe With a Pro highlights
social media insights from Prynt Digital's Cale West
[August 28, 2025]
Lincoln Economic Advancement &
Development Inc. (L.E.A.D.) hosted its third Cup o’ Joe With a Pro
session of the summer on Thursday, August 21. The event, led by
L.E.A.D. Chief Executive Officer Andrea Runge, featured Cale West of
Prynt Digital and took place inside the local coffee shop Guest
House in Lincoln IL. Free coffee and baked goods were provided to
attendees.
Runge introduced West by noting his entrepreneurial background,
starting with a lawn-mowing business at age nine and later building
an online following centered on cars. That following led to the
creation of Prynt Digital, a social media marketing company with
clients across the United States. Runge said West has brought
national-level expertise to Lincoln by serving on the L.E.A.D. board
and helping local entrepreneurs understand social media strategy.
West told attendees that effective
content does not require expensive equipment or high production
value. “You don’t have to have the best camera,” he said. “If you
have an iPhone or Android with a decent camera, that works perfectly
fine.”
He outlined three categories of content—education, entertainment,
and information—and recommended dividing posts evenly among them
until analytics reveal which approach performs best. Metrics such as
saves, shares, and comments signal to platforms that content is
worth promoting.
Video content, particularly short-form posts on TikTok and Instagram
reels, was highlighted as the most effective tool for reach.
Long-form videos also have value, but West said attention spans are
short. “You have about two seconds to grab attention,” he said.
“Don’t waste it on an intro. Just get straight into the topic.”
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West also
summarized how platforms differ. Facebook appeals to older
audiences, TikTok emphasizes fast-paced video with little
attention to captions, Instagram blends photo and video, Twitter
(X) offers short-lived visibility, and LinkedIn has become a
strong option for video sharing in professional settings.
Questions from the audience covered
posting frequency, scheduling, and outsourcing. West said once a day
is a strong goal for most businesses, but engagement is key. “We
don’t want to be anti-social,” he said. “As soon as they’re
commenting, we want to reply back to them. We want to engage back
and build that community.”
On outsourcing, West said most agencies begin around $2,000 per
month, depending on content volume and event coverage. He added that
follower counts do not equal sales. “The Prynt page has about 1,700
followers on Instagram, but it’s a $5 million business,” he said,
noting that conversions matter more than audience size.
West also addressed the use of AI, saying his team has experimented
with tools like Claude for idea generation but advised against
treating them as replacements for human planning. For those new to
social media, he recommended starting with one platform to avoid
burnout before expanding to others.
Runge closed the session by reminding attendees that the Cup o’ Joe
With a Pro series is designed to provide practical takeaways from
professionals that entrepreneurs can apply directly to their
businesses.
[Sophia Larimore]
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