2020 is the year to focus on your social GROWTH!

But you’re probably thinking, “how the heck do I do that?!” Don’t worry, I’m here to help! I’m going to share the 5 things you’re going to want to really focus on for social growth in 2020. Here are the 5 main things I believe will help you grow a lot in 2020, but you’ve gotta put the work in sista! Work hard and reap the reward, then keep on working! Whether you’re a brand, an influencer, or social media manager, all of these areas are going to help you grow tremendously.

Have your own website!

Seriously, if you don’t have a website yet, get one! I started out on Blogger, Google’s website builder and LOVED it. Once, you start getting the hang of customization and start pumping out more content though, you will outgrow it. I’m currently on SquareSpace and I really like it. I feel like the customization is there and you have a lot of freedom. If you’re a website person, then I would recommend just self hosting through Bluehost on Wordpress or something for full access to your coding, etc. If you have a website and haven’t been keeping up with it, now’s the time. Here’s how I like to think about it. We’ve got all these social platforms, right? Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, blah blah blah. Well what if one day those platforms just DISAPPEARED. What now? Where are your people? Well you better hope they’re on your email list and following along on your website. Whether you’re an influencer with a blog, a photographer, a foodie, a traveler, a shop owner, WHATEVER, you NEED to be utilizing your website to it’s fullest capabilities and driving traffic to it from your other social media platforms. Another thing I always like to add when talking about websites is that it may come across intimidating but there are numerous resources out there for you. I’m completely self taught when it comes to website building and I didn’t hire anyone to design mine. PS: you can totally do that if you have the money and don’t wanna worry about doing it yourself! No one will know you didn’t design it yourself/ no one will even care! Take advantage of having your own space.

Be on Tiktok

I know. I KNOW. Your eyes probably just rolled super far back into your head. I’ll wait for them to come back, haha. Okay, so listen, there are 500 million + individuals on Tiktok right now. Why not take advantage of that audience too? It’s all about creating content that fits with your niche and overall brand. Tiktok isn’t just lip syncing and dancing, although, that’s very entertaining and fun too, it can truly be anything you want. A lot of people show behind the scenes clips of their photoshoots and then the final products. Many individuals talk about tips and tricks to editing or social media platforms, etc. Ultimately, you can make your Tiktok profile whatever your heart desires. I’m still trying to figure out what type of content works best for me on that platform but I promise you’re going to wish you’d gotten on the platform sooner when it continues to blow up in a couple of months.

Create video content

Video content is SO popular because it conveys a lot more of your personality and allows you to truly speak to your audience. It can be quite scary at first because create video and posting it on your platforms is a very vulnerable thing to do. It’s also a little daunting because it comes with a lot of extra work and skills but you can totally learn them. Hello… I’m a self taught video editor! Thank goodness for other people who make YouTube videos, am I right?! That’s all I watched to learn how to edit different pieces of content. Here’s some advice, start small. Create some stories on your IG and post them. Create a highlight to store them if they’re pieces of content that are applicable for a while, evergreen. Then, try an IGTV video and see what happens. Don’t feel like you have to jump right into it, it’s totally okay to take it slow. Once you feel comfortable with IGTV, try creating a YouTube video and see how that feels. The key here is to create something that resonates with people or teaches them something.

Build connections and friendships

This is HUGE! Something I’ve really focused on is building connections with others in the industry and creating friendships. This has happened a couple of different ways. The first way is that I’ve met someone online via Instagram and then had a couple conversations with them and ultimately built a friendship. The amount of individuals that I’m friends with online and have never met is insane! ALSO when you do meet these people, it’s freaking awesome. When I moved to Houston, I had so many friends here already because I made them online. The second way is reaching out to individuals who are in the same field as you, or someone who inspires you and sitting down with them. One of my best friends is someone who’s extremely intelligent in the marketing world and took a chance on me by sitting down and grabbing a coffee. We talked for hours and now we’re great friends who plan on working together in the future. Additionally, we are there for one another when it comes to bouncing entrepreneurial ideas off each other. That’s a biggie for sure!

Another way is by reaching out to companies you’d like to work with and building a relationship. Introduce yourself in the beginning and don’t expect something in return. I think that’s one of the BIGGEST mistakes you can make is by just reaching out and asking for something. You wouldn’t appreciate that would you? Then think about what you’re sending to others. Typically, I’ll reach out to PR companies and marketing agencies and introduce myself, tell them why I like their company and how it resonates to me and my brand, and then let them know if there is a fit or upcoming partnership they think will be a good fit for me to reach out. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT, Y’ALL!! I’ve built so many genuine connections this way because I was kind and up front but didn’t expect anything. THENNNNNN when you do want something, you’ve build that connection and friendship with your contact and it’s not as weird to just randomly ask. For example, I reached out to a hotel the other day and told them why I admired their hotel and what I could offer them and said if anything comes up in the future, I’d love to be considered. They responded and we had a great conversation. THEN when I was going to be in the area, I reached out to them and let them know and BAMMMMM! They were SUPER willing to work with me because they knew my work and knew me.

Ask QUESTIONS

Always feel free to ask questions!

Ask your audience questions - Find different ways to engage with your audience. Find out what they like and what they want to see from you. Remember to truly be a resource for your people.

Ask brands questions - Many individuals are scared to ask brands questions when they reach out or get back to you with a response. Asking questions about the campaign is completely okay. Asking what’s expected of you as a content creator is valid. Honestly, asking brands questions makes you look a lot more credible.

My big tip for these two below, is to build a relationship first. Don’t jump into just asking a random person questions.

Ask other professionals questions - Ask people who are experts in certain areas that pertain to what you’re doing or want to do. This is great for professional growth as well as making connections.

Ask other bloggers questions - Ask people who are doing what you’re doing questions.

If you can find a way to implement and act on these things in 2020, you’re sure to see success! Let me know in the comments other 2020 resolutions you have for the marketing or influencer industry.

Love always,

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