5 Tips for Launching A Brand on Social Media
With the rise of social network has come the rise of the “social media economy”. Likes, shares, comments are just about as valuable as regular currency at this point and time, and it’s kind of hard to not notice just how big a role social media plays in our everyday lives and shopping habits. From influencers and celebrities to models and parody pages, chances are you’ve seen someone selling or endorsing products and brands on their Instagram (or other social media pages).
Television commercials, magazine ads, billboards are starting to become a thing of the past — an almost archaic method of marketing that no longer holds any weight in today’s “hashtag & like” society. Millennials are spending up to 15+ hours a week looking at their phones (sometimes up to 50 times a day) and this is a number that is only going to exponentially increase as this trend shows no sign of slowing. As phones become more affordable and mobile internet more accessible, we will continue to see more and more of today’s society become connected on levels generations prior could not even fathom. The majority of the time being spent on the internet is on social networks, most notably: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This access to a seemingly endless audience has proven to be a powerful tool for millions of people and businesses around the world. You can see why it’s no surprise that more and more people are making their shopping decisions based on what they are seeing out in the digital worlds around them.
The recent social media influx has not only given millions the ability to connect seamlessly on a daily basis, but it has essentially eliminated the barrier of entry for most industries. In years past, if you wanted to start a business or sell some type of product, there was a lot more leg-work involved in the researching, sourcing and actual selling and marketing of the product. It’s obvious to see that social media has made it incredibly easy to start a business and enter almost any industry rapidly and effectively. Hence, why I wanted to write this article — to convey the fact that it’s easier then ever to “extract money from the system” and the only thing stopping you from starting your own on-line business is YOU.
“With the growing reliance on social media, we no longer search for news, or the products and services we wish to buy. Instead they are being pushed to us by friends, acquaintances and business colleagues.” — Erik Qualman
1. Research
Researching is the most important aspect of the brainstorming process, and it is absolutely necessary when trying to establish any type of business or brand from the ground up.
Start off by observing your surroundings — chances are you already spend hours of your day aimlessly swiping and scrolling through various feeds; consuming copious amounts of content from friends, family, that random person you met at a party 2 years ago (we can all relate). While avoiding “social media fatigue”, try looking at your feeds from a different perspective, not in the typical “lets see what all my friends & these celebrities are doing with their lives” type of way. Observe from a consumer point of view, take note in the different types of products you see in the pictures. Whether it be someone selling something or a friend wearing a bracelet/necklace, take note of what people are wearing, watching and interacting about. This should give you a good starting point on what kind of niche you may be interested in.
For example any given time I scroll through my Instagram feed I’m seeing anything from teeth whitening kits and detox teas to electric scooters, phone cases and other “luxury” accessories. There’s a reason for this, and you will begin to notice certain trends when you start looking at your feed from a more business point of view. This process can take days, weeks and even months — but one thing I can’t stress enough is DO NOT OVERTHINK this process.
There is no right or wrong way to do this kind of research, just come up with a few potential niches and product types: trending concepts, toys, gadgets, fashion accessories, etc. If you’re struggling for inspiration, check out the Shopify picks feed. Google is your friend and always will be so don’t be shy — utilize the search engine and trends tool to dig deeper into each of your potential ideas and concepts. I also strongly recommend keeping a spreadsheet or document with some notes and information you can easily reference back to at any time.
2. Sourcing
So it’s one thing to google a product and learn about it, but what good does that do you — right? I get it. It’s a start, but it’s the next part of the process that is the most crucial. Every product you see in a store (whether it be online or a physical location) has a source, and most of the time that source is selling that product for a price far less then the price you would pay. Although wholesale pricing isn’t a new concept, but the power of the internet has made it much easier for the every day consumer to scout out these “suppliers” and purchase product direct at a drastic discount.
- Get back on Google, running some searches can assist in finding a source for your product. (Examples: “bling phone cases source” , “bling phone case wholesale”)
- Social media can be a great place to ask around, the simple act of even a status update or tweet (Think “Does anyone know where to get ___”) can possibly yield at LEAST some input from someone you may be “connected” to whom has knowledge on the subject.
- Trade Shows can be a great way to meet and network with suppliers for all types of products. Even if you don’t buy anything right away it’s a great way to build contacts, which is a very integral and far often overlooked aspect of succeeding in business.
3. Branding
After establishing a product/niche and doing some scouting out on some potential sources, you are ready to move forward to the 3rd key point in launching a brand on social media: Branding.
