This past Tuesday, Her Campus Northeastern was invited to a social media panel, “Let’s Talk About Social Media Branding,” hosted by Her Campus Boston University. There were six speakers, some BU students, some alumni from Boston schools, and the others professionals, and all provided some great advice on social media influencing and branding. Here is a little bit about each speaker and my eight takeaways from the night:
Speakers:
1. Kate Weiser
Weiser is a third-year at Boston University and the creator of Bucket List Boston, an account on Instagram that features all the must-see sights of the city.
Courtesy of @Kateweiser
2. Emma Johnson
Also a third-year student at Boston University, Johnson has her own jewelry business, promoted on Instagram, which has landed on the pages of Oprah Magazine and has paid for her college tuition.
Courtesy of @emmasjohnson
3. Regan Cleminson
Cleminson, a graduate of Northeastern University, is the founder of RPR, a public relations firm in Boston. In addition to her Instagram, she also keeps a blog about travel, food, and fashion.
Courtesy of @venturetravelist
4. Tiffany Lopinsky
A recent graduate of Harvard, Lopinsky is the creator of Boston Foodies, an Instagram that covers all of the best places to eat in Boston.
Courtesy of @tifflopinsky
5. Samuel Thompson
Another student attending Boston University, Thompson works with companies to promote their social media growth using tools such as Instagram.
Courtesy of @samuel.thompson
6. Arlin Moore
Originally from Cape Cod, Moore is a third-year, studying film at Boston University. In addition to Instagram, Moore is also big on YouTube and has recently started a clothing line.
Courtesy of @arlinmoore
Takeaways:
1. Do what you’re passionate about.
This should be pretty apparent, but you should really focus on what interests you. This will help stop you from getting too stressed out, while also increasing followers by showing your authentic self. Sometimes people won’t like what you’re passionate about and that’s okay, but it’s better to be true to yourself than try and give what you think people want to see.
2. Take the time to answer DMs.
Forming real relationships with your audience can be a good way to stand out in the crowd. It can make a real difference to followers if they hear back from you versus an empty void. Many personalities today see themselves as being above the throngs of people who follow them, so making it more personal and showing you are just like them helps keep you relatable and relevant.
3. Time is a challenge.
Related to the note above, it can be hard to find the time needed to become a social media influencer. Many of the panelists talked about how hard it is to balance other commitments, whether it be school, a full-time job, or a relationship, with cultivating followers.
4. Recognize the difference between real and fake media.
It is important to realize that, as Cleminson said, “[social media influencers are] narrating exactly what we want you to see.” Moore gave a pointed example of a fellow YouTuber who posted about an argument and then breakup, though in reality his girlfriend was in on it the whole time. There is also the possibility a social media influencer has bought the majority of their follows, effectively defrauding the companies that rely on them to spread awareness of the product and boost sales. A good way to tell if someone has bought their followers is by using a tool like Social Blade, a website which shows you the growth patterns of their accounts (it is highly unlikely someone will gain 20,000 followers in a day, though it can happen).
5. Think about quantity over quality.
When you’re first starting out, it is important to be consistent with your posts, even if they are not always amazing. Eventually, quality will become more important and once you have a set of core followers combining the two is the most important. It is important to not post too much, however. Lopinsky’s system is to post at least once a day, at most two, but never more than that to avoid barraging followers, causing them to unfollow.
6. Take advantage of the resources available.
You don’t necessarily need to have majored in a relevant field to make it in the world of social media; Cleminson, for example, majored in criminal justice at Northeastern. Google is always a great tool, as anything and everything can be found on the internet. Moore advised reading an article, “1,000 Fans,” in addition to using instruments such as Facebook ads for product testing.
7. Be patient about monetizing.
Don’t immediately try to “sell-out” and monetize your social media accounts. You lose authenticity when this occurs and can lose followers. Moore suggests keeping a ten to one ratio of value to ask, the latter being what you ask your followers to do, i.e. asking them to follow or like your stuff or to buy your products. Being patient will lead to a greater payout in the long-run.
8. Don’t overthink things.
This should be something you are passionate about. Don’t get too caught up in the little details, and especially don’t get too concerned if you lose followers after posting something. Sometimes people will not like what you post, but this does not mean you are a failure or that it means they don’t like you. It is also important to not get bogged down in perfection. Just have fun with what you’re doing and remember why you chose to start in the first place.