Today is very different than ten years ago and being an entrepreneur means you are not only your CEO, but also your PR team, marketing team and most importantly your Social Media Squad. My top 6 Social Media Musts I’ve dubbed THE PINCH LIST — I think every new entrepreneur needs to pay attention to.
A company without social media in today’s market is not a company for long.
PINCH 1: BE AUTHENTIC
We live in a world where it seems everyone and their grandparents are on social media, even animals are using their paws to get in on the worldwide love.
No matter what you are choosing to launch as a business, make sure you do it with truth. Do not copy what you think will work because it works for other accounts you follow. You never know their true backstory; were they wealthy, did they put a million dollars into online advertisements and influencers or are they surrounded by famous people that make it look like they are buying into a concept when in reality they are profiting off individuals and living the life YOU want?
So be AUTHENTIC — if you are willing to put in endless years of building a brand, you and your reputation will come across honestly. Fakes always gets blasted once realized. So please be “woke” in your mindset.
PINCH 2: FIND YOUR NICHE
If you are like myself, always on-the-go and looking on Facebook or Instagram, it feels like new things are happening every morning, noon and night.
When you decide to run with your passion, make sure you know your market, its customers and the “why” behind your product/concept. If you have the best napkin for a slice (for those non New Yorkers — pizza) on-the-go, make sure you tell them why it’s the best.
As beautiful as social media is, it is also a nightmare. The amazing fact that you can just launch an idea overnight is good and bad. Your niche better become every single breath you take.
PINCH 3: BE CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS
Oh you don’t like Facebook, guess what? Millions of people do.
Once you have your “IDEA” and “LOOK”
- Set up website
- Create an Instagram account (grab ones you think others might try to copy and use them as private and link back to the main page)
- Create a Facebook Page
- Create a Twitter Account
- +Key Future PINCH Tip: sign up for ones you might not even use, but keep them set to private with bio and URL.
The one thing I cannot stress enough is to make sure your brand is seamless (unless 1000% intended to be the opposite, and have a reason why) across all platforms. The power of social media is brilliant and the fact that no individual can give you a “get rich pitch” on social media is because, there is no reason why certain things work and certain things don’t. If you have money to burn, that is a different story. But launching a business takes time and passion to keep motivated in the slow progress.
PINCH 4: GET OFFLINE & MEET PEOPLE
Once your business is up and running and you have your 30-second elevator pitch down, get offline for a minute and meet your potential customers.
I find people have lost the direct connection to human reality. Online gives us a space to be anything, but if you want people to know your company, the old ways definitely still work. Get out there, meet people, talk about what you are doing, share ideas — that is how people on the streets will find you. There is still value in “word of mouth,” so be truthful in your energy and customers will find you. The direct interaction will get them to follow you; send them a message. Social media is an amazing ground to foster new connections and relationships, but you must be smart and stay relevant. So getting out and hitting the streets will keep you connected.
PINCH 5: CONTENT IS KING
First off, be ready to live your life around content needs daily! Since social media is a beast that is never sleeping, you need to find creative ways to stay in that daily mix 24 hours a day. I find photos are always a great go-to, but videos are important. Video is most definitely queen of social media: without a queen the king would not exist.
Be ready, willing and embarrassed because you will find yourself starting to become that individual you probably made fun of while you were out at dinner or on a subway and saw random people taking photos on their iPhone.
+KEY PINCH TIP is to make sure you find a certain style and voice within your content and keep it going across all your platforms. Don’t switch it up, don’t start to question yourself or compare what you are building to others. Create one or two main hashtags to identify your concept. Do change the other hashtags you use frequently, Google top lists weekly, but keep them in your category that relate to your company’s needs.
Do not just repost just because you see the world online doing it. Do what is smart for your BRAND ID. As an entrepreneur or a business owner, we must navigate daily and keep focused. Nothing comes overnight, and those who see the bigger image can slowly grow in the right direction. If you believe in your idea and yourself then trust your designs, look, and concept no matter what. Listen to feedback but only make changes or alter the vibe you are going for once you have all feedback in and can make a smart decision to change moving forward.
PINCH 6: USE FACEBOOK & GOOGLE ADS
It is without question confusing and there is definitely a need for a blueprint to guide one thoroughly though it. But start with a couple of dollars in several different areas and review the data they collect to make an educated guess after a month or two in regards to where you should try key placements with more money behind them. Then repeat first steps and make more tweaks.
Those AD platforms work, but it seems to be the best kept secret for social media success. Those who get it like Gary Vaynerchuk, don’t really give up those secrets. They do make you buy into them and their channels to connect, which is storytelling at its best.
Lastly, I strongly encourage everyone to try being an entrepreneur at one point in their lifetime. Even if it is not for you, it will teach you things from a totally different point of view, which will only make you a great resource if you choose to go back to working for someone. The lessons one learns on their own cannot ever be taught in schools or through on-the-job training. Learning the “leader” role makes you respect the individuals getting their feet dirty, from the interns to employees in all areas of a company.
