BUSINESS
Monetizing Your Passion Through Social Media
S
ocial media provides us with an outlet to literally reach millions of people around the world. Gone are the days when local newspapers delivered to a few hundred people and radio advertisements reached a few thousand listeners. With social media, we can share our voice with the world. The ability we have to monetize our passions is not only possible, but simple with effective social media strategies. I learned this principle a few years ago, and it has completely changed my life. My husband and I have always agreed that if it was possible, I would stay home with our children instead of working away from home. I am grateful he provides more than enough for our family to live comfortably. In January 2018, I stepped away from my middle school classroom so I could stay home with our newborn daughter. This was the first time in my adult life that I had not had a full time job. It was a strange feeling. After a couple months, I started getting restless. I wanted to find something I could engage in while still staying home—something I have always wanted to do. At that time, my stepdad asked if I wanted to run his business’ social media
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Lead Up for Women
accounts. An owner of a local plumbing company, he had zero experience with social media. I was glad to help out. I spent months researching, listening to experts, reading books and testing strategies. It only took a couple of months for me to fall in love with the world of social media marketing. I had an opportunity to do something I loved for work, while still doing what I loved at home. At the time, I had no idea that my passion for social media would grow into the thriving business I run today. World-famous digital marketer Gary Vaynerchuk is known for his social media content strategies. His ability to be omnipresent across dozens of online platforms is why he is so well known in the marketing and business world today. After studying his work from every ounce of material I could get my hands on, I decided to truly put social media to the test.
The months that followed consisted of content creation and strategically putting my name in front of those I knew I could help. I received dozens of clients and started generating a decent income, solely through my social media efforts. I did not spend time or money developing a website, running Google ads or printing business cards. Instead, I spent time in Facebook groups, on Facebook messenger and my Facebook news feed. I had proven to myself—and to my clients—that you could build a successful business using only your Facebook account. The next step was to branch out to the other major platforms. Imagine how much my business exploded when the same strategies were applied across multiple platforms. If you own a small business and are not quite sure where to start on social media, here are a few strategies that will push you in the right direction. Treat your Facebook profile like a “top of funnel” lead generation machine. The same way people used to use websites to generate traffic, you can use your profile to tell people what they need to know. Your profile should include an eye-catching cover photo with a call to action, a link that enables people to book a call with you, a featured photo with a call to action, links to your other social media platforms and website(s), and a simple call to action in your brief bio. When people visit your personal page, it should be clear what you do and who you help. Join and engage in as many Facebook groups as you can that house your potential clients. I usually suggest joining one new Facebook group a day. After interacting in each of them, you will find a few good ones that will reap you all the rewards of your group efforts. When in Facebook groups, your main priority is not to sell your product or service, but to help people and demonstrate your authority in the
July-August 2020
