Social media is the new wave of connectivity. Billions of dollars are spent on research determining the best days, times, and platforms for engaging with business and consumers. For most of us building brands for our small businesses, this strategy looks a little bit different. But if you ever hope to have a successful brand, you better have a very well thought out strategy to get you there. I'm no expert, and I'm also no social media star. My brand is in its very early stages of infancy, which is even more reason to develop my approach strategically. As someone who consistently does her research, creates a plan, and then evaluates the plan, I like to think I know a little bit about being social media savvy.
So whether you're creating an empire, or simply looking for likes - create a plan for engagement and while this doesn't always ensure your success, it does increase your chances.
Create your Voice
Who are you? What is your brand? What do you want your presence to say? My blog is authentically my voice. How I speak on here is eerily similar to how I speak in person. I knew I wanted to be a brand that speaks to keeping it real to my experiences, values, and personality. Whenever I write, I keep that voice consistent. Don't confuse your base by being inconsistent. If your followers cannot figure out who you are, they're very quickly going to lose interest in trying to find out.
Define your Audience
I get it - you want to appeal to the masses to maximize your following. Realistically, that's not how it works. If you don't define who your consumer is, you won't appeal to anyone. Define what your brand is, define who that brand best relates to, and target your voice to that audience. For example, my peers (millennials) are who spend the most time engaging with my content. That includes young professionals and those in their early 30's. I know that's where my strength lies and that's who I write to.
Set a Goal
Every single thing you do in life should have a goal. A very clearly laid out goal. Stop saying "I want to be famous." Having "millions of followers" is not a targeted goal. Create a series of goals based on where you are in the building process and up your goal every time you reach success. I'd like to write a book one day. To do that, I'd like to create a fan base - a group of people who consistently engage with my content. In my mind, that looks like a minimum of 10,000 blog subscribers. Everything I do for my website - I keep these goals in mind. Of course there are many more layers to my goals, but a girl can't share her master plan with everyone.
Follow Through
I know far too many people who always want to do something. They're going to start a fashion line, become a photographer, start a consulting firm. But 98% of those people don't do any of those things. They're not even mediocre at their day jobs and if you're barely keeping your main hustle, your side hustle doesn't stand a chance. Treat your side hustle (your dreams) like a real job - because it is. Dedicate time, hold yourself accountable to that time, and remain organized. Sure, you could leak a sex tape and maybe be a Kardashian one day - but for 99.9% of us, that's not happening. You're not getting discovered. Nobody is waiting to give you a deal. Everyone is talented, and everyone has an idea. Not everyone is willing to put the time and effort in.
As short a list as that seems, that's a lot to do. It's a lot of time, discipline, and making the choice to give up some fun for some good ole fashioned work. Sure, some people get lucky. But luck only gets you so far. Even if you're the 1% who breaks in, I can promise you that without a plan, a brand, and a goal - you'll be just as quickly back to being a nobody before your next IG post.
