At SXSW Interactive, Youtube influencer and entrepreneur Michelle Phan spoke in-depth about her experience being an inspirational personality on the internet and how to keep your social media game sincere.
We are in the middle of a digital revolution; brands are constantly trying to keep up with the social media race. While there are so many options in the market and so many ways to represent yourself, a lot of brands and companies are paralyzed by the overwhelming choices. Michelle Phan gave a few pointers to entrepreneurs who face the chaos:
Every platform is different; create unique content for each platform. Do not cross-pollinate. Phan says, ‘why would anyone?’ Well- you’d be surprised.
The key to creating sponsored content is to be authentic: brands needs to find where their voice overlap with the sponsor’s message, and speak from their core values.
People embrace realness, but where do you draw the line? Keep a balance between information and personal fun. Only 1 selfie per 5 images!
Other great pointers:
Ignore haters: have thick skin. The internet is a public forum and that If you build up your audience through authentic interaction, your community will defend you.
Allow time to shut off. It;s draining to be on 24/7.
How to stay on trend without exhausting yourself on every platform? Invest in a team to help you test things out, or observe the platform before planning your content.
Lastly: There’s only one you; just be it!