MARKET LIKE A BADA$$
Paloma Picasso photographed by Helmut Newton for American Vogue, December 1978.
“It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results”
Work Smart
To springboard off of our previous discourse: the ideology of working till you can’t work anymore was brought up. Along with the false perceptions and the glamorization of being “the hardest worker,” we promote unhealthy and unfit lifestyles. I think we could all raise our hand and say we’re guilty of comparing our work ethic with others. And when we do it, we’re not always reading someone’s success story or documentary. We’re comparing what is visible to the eye. We compare assets. We compare revenue and if another business is out doing ours. As a certified marketing specialist, I am in no way encouraging you to IGNORE the analytics of your business and entrepreneurship in regards to making a living but I would like to remind you (and myself) that great work involves working smarter. The saying work smarter not harder wasn’t said because Allan F. Mogensen, the creator of Work Simplification, felt like talking out his ass in 1930’s.
Let’s take a look at Sophia Amuroso. I read her book a while back, #GIRLBOSS, it was cool… Not sure what I was expecting but I got much more out of her Netflix series/documentary Girlboss. At age 22, she started an online eBay store selling vintage clothing and other items, which she named "Nasty Gal Vintage." She went through hell and back for her brand and it started off very rocky. Before starting her own business, she lacked motivation and guidance. She had depression, anxiety, ADHD… but it didn’t stop her from being a badass and taking risks. After realizing living paycheck to paycheck just wasn’t fit for the lifestyle she felt she deserved. Nasty Gal Vintage transcended into Nasty Gal, a women's fashion retailer. She then became a millionaire. The company was both blessed and cursed. It became so big that it was too big to keep afloat and functioning – quality began to plummet and so did the sales. Nasty Gal filed for bankruptcy in 2017. Did it stop her? Hell no. There’s Girlboss Radio, the Netflix series Girlboss, documenting what she went through to start a business (Netflix pays big money ya’know), and so much more. Girlboss is a brand, a business, a lifestyle. I shed light on her because I came across this caption pictured above.
“STRATEGIC MARKETING”
What is strategic marketing anyway? When I’m asked how to transform a hobby into a business, i.e. a podcast (mind you I do not have all the answers to anything, I know very little about a lot), I always suggest to stick to what you know. Warren Buffet’s investing secret is investing in what he knows and sticking to just that. I apply that same rule into marketing and whatever the hell I decide to dabble into.
I see entrepreneurs so caught up in the idea of blogging/vlogging and being hip with the culture of social media that they mirror exactly what they see. Their content mimics what’s already produced, i.e. one tone filterers, blush pink or monochromatic neutrals used throughout their entire Instagram feed, how to guides that have been done a million times, “How to Decorate the perfect Corner.” It’s grief-stricken. When I was an intern for a company (I can’t mention for confidential reasons), I was advised to take notes from a blogger who had this cookie cutter ass lifestyle and blog. I’m sure I yawned while looking at it. It was too politically correct, I cringe thinking about it and the overly cursive girly fonts. It just wasn’t for me. If that’s what YOU ARE into – go for it. Do you. But if it’s not, do whatever the hell that moves and inspires you.
Rihanna is another perfect example of unorthodox marketing. She is the queen of non-traditional marketing and being herself. With beauty brand names like Mean Money & Hustla Baby to lingerie line, Savage Fenty. Her campaigns are simple, diverse but captivating – fits the theme of being true to oneself and being non-traditional. Naming her products, UCute or Damn… unlike using common girl names for lingerie, i.e. Melissa, Angelic...is genius to me.
Going forward, it’s challenging to build an audience and even more challenging to keep when you’re imitating what’s already out there. I came across this story and thought it was perfect for tonight’s post. It goes to show you how being unorthodox in marketing yourself gets the very best results.
Investments
When purchasing gadgets you can’t figure out how to use but forcing yourself to use anyway because having it in photos creates an aesthetic - not the best idea $ wise. For example, when purchasing a professional camera, get what you can use and learn. Buying the most expensive camera doesn’t mean you’ll create photos of quality. It’s like purchasing a Ferrari when you could have bought a Hellcat Challenger. I purchased a backdrop that hasn't quite fulfilled my needs like I thought it would. But of course, I got caught up in the world of "traditional and strategic" marketing. I love when people share photography & marketing advice on twitter which reminds me to use what I got and make shit work.
Quick Tips
Building Instagram traffic:
Create an aesthetic that’s true to what you want to represent – that way it’s easier to follow your grid and creativity. Use themes or color blocking strategies. As of now, my feed is totally out of whack which means I may have to delete posts. It sounds vain but sometimes it’s necessary. Here are my favorite moments and when I reached a higher following & like ratio.
Staying consistent is a challenge for me personally because I get bored and un-enthused quickly.
Getting Sponsored + Increasing Engagement:
Getting sponsored isn’t the easiest task but you certainly don’t need over 2k followers to do so. There’s this new term “micro-influencing” which pertains to individuals having a small following but making an authentic impact on their audience. Think about it, if your friend or someone you know is hip to the latest beauty product and gives a genuine review, you would much rather consider their opinion than the influencer with a million followers with the hash tag #ad in the caption. Companies are now reaching out to more women who fit “the girl next door” vibe.
Hash tags are useful for Instagram posts seeing that it helps promote more engagement, you can follow hash tag themes, i.e. #naturalhair, #foodart, etc. – so if you use it, you can increase your likes and following. Do I use them? Barely and hardly ever - what helps grow my following is tagging. I tag away, the brands I’m wearing, locations where I’m posting, the brand of coffee I am drinking… Hash tags (for me) just feels tacky when I over do it and it doesn’t feel right. So I stick to what works for me and it’s a great way for brands to reach out to me. If it’s you reaching out to the brand, don’t be afraid to email and introduce yourself.
Here’s a link to go by for general advice for getting sponsored:
I have yet to reach out to brands but you never know who’s watching you. I've been lucky and damn sure grateful as of late with brands inquiring micro-influence marketing. Take your posts seriously if you aspire to get sponsored. Also, be careful, I've received a handful of scam artists emailing me. Always do research on the company pursuing you. If someone wants you to pay for sponsorship opportunities, it's a scam. You should be the one getting paid to post products and if you are to purchase any, that should be within the company's expenses/guaranteed reimbursement.
Use clean layouts
Messy backgrounds are a no go for posting products. Utilize FREE resources (parks, the beach, diners) or get creative. I use marble palettes from Home Depot when posting products. Have fun with it, try different textures. You can also shop from other sites, i.e. Amazon, The Builder Depot.
Pictured here is a lotion I posted using 3 marble palettes.
Lighting is key; I have lights that I like to use to make the products POP - purchased from Amazon. And, you don’t necessarily have to aspire to being an entrepreneur or a business owner to market yourself. You’re a woman and we both know how much we love spending money. Why not get free food and products and get PAID to post it?
Here are some books that may help you with marketing if you still feel absolutely clueless. Did I buy them? Yes. Did I read them…? Sort of. The information was self explanatory and I felt like I knew it based off my experience (working in retail since 14, got a degree in marketing, trial & error with social media marketing). Also, I’m not a fan of following the algorithm of others – it’s a good recipe for getting lost howeverrrrr….. it’ll never hurt to seek information, even if you feel confident in what you’re doing.
My bible, You Are A Badass – this book inspired me to just get up and go for it in regards to rebranding myself and my blog during my 2015 “over planning phase.” It's a great read!