If You Dream of Being on Stage, Use Your Social Media To Do Just That

Social media is your virtual arena, and in it, anything is possible! It is up to you to build the skills and use this powerful tool to fill your arena with people clamoring to get their hands on your product or service. Many entrepreneurs, though, avoid being present on social media. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, entrepreneurs who didn’t appreciate social media as an important tool have had to rethink its power in the building and boosting their brand. Many successful entrepreneurs avoid social media because they are overwhelmed by the thought. 

Most feel they don’t have the time for it, or that it’s for the younger generation, and they feel shame in not knowing how to use it to serve their businesses. Like most, they are petrified to be judged or concerned about their privacy being violated. This is where Giselle Mascarenhas-Villarreal and Ruben O. Villarreal come in. The personal-branding coach behind the widely successful Bold Institute, Giselle, helps eliminate the fear, overwhelm, and shame that most successful entrepreneurs feel when they begin learning how to use social media as a tool to build influence and Community.

The World Has Changed

The way communication has evolved through the last decade has been unprecedented and with it, the way in which we advertise ourselves. Back in Giselle’s days as a publicist, she had to go through substantial measures to get her clients’ media attention by booking them on shows, radio, and news outlets. Building them a reliable brand was time-consuming, and worst of all, expensive. This kind of branding was just not accessible to everybody. That is until social media happened.

“In my chosen profession, I have always had to ask myself, ‘where is the attention?'” Giselle says. As the world’s attention started to shift online, so did hers. “My passion for making a change in people’s lives got me thinking about reimagining traditional branding in a way that incorporated social media and made it available to the small business person. The most important thing I’ve learned is that you can’t ‘corporate’ your way into people’s hearts,” says Giselle.

Be Authentic 

In the last few years, we’ve seen a massive social media boom, and the way people want to perceive content has changed massively. To highlight yourself in this ever-growing and changing landscape, not only do you have to invest energy into other people, but you must show them who you are. Regardless of what you do, people will gain value from your rawness and vulnerability if your passion shows through. 

It used to matter what was fashionable, pretty, or endorsed for a long time, but the shift from brand vanity to brand purpose has changed what consumers value and with whom they want to do business. When people scroll through your profile, they ask questions like; what do they do, how do they help people, what are they really about? Your audience is researching and actively making decisions about you based on the things you’ve shown them. What’s beautiful about this is that you have full control over creating an engaged and fruitful community, all that it takes is knowing how, and it starts with YOU.

The Four C’s

“As a branding coach, I care about my students and their success. Because I care about them I ask myself, ‘what I can do to ensure their message reaches their core customer?'” Giselle says. The answer to this is having her clients be themselves. “You need to be authentic, show the peaks and valleys of your journey, and the reality of what it takes to work in your field. In my years of research, I have accidentally come up with a formula for the steps necessary in growing your Community,” Giselle says. The Bold Instatute’s most popular course, ‘The Four Cs’, teaches entrepreneurs how to do just that.

The first C is Courage. The first step to showing yourself on social media simply has the courage to do just that. 

Next up is Content. One of the most consistent challenges Giselle encounters with her students is not knowing what to post. There are a million reasons you may be intimidated by creating content for your brand, but the reality is that you know your stuff. The key is to make sure that everything you put out falls under one of the 3 points of engagement; entertain, educate, or solving a problem. 

The third, and arguably the most important, is Community. If you do not show people that you are willing to invest in them and support them, then how can you expect them to do the same for you? When you pour love into the Community you are trying to build, it becomes the foundation for meaningful relationships between you and your audience. When you allow yourself to be genuine, open, and relatable, people will reciprocate that!

 The fourth and final C is Consistency. Whether it be every day, three times a week, or once a week, create a schedule and stick to it. The Bold Instatute’s content strategy makes sure that you stay fresh in your consumers’ minds, but it is also essential for strengthening your social media skills. If you lack in any of the other Cs, consistency is the way to improve. Even if you have a content block, try your hardest to get something out there and interact with your Community. A little bit is better than nothing, and as you do this, you will notice growth in interactions and relationships that will motivate you to step it up. Commit to yourself and allow yourself to create a useful branding tool through social media.

Final Thoughts 

You and your brand are extremely valuable. It’s just about enlightening people about what you do and the magic you bring. Don’t wait for the next ‘COVID’ situation to use the power of social media to build influence. Influence can’t be taken from you no matter what ‘virus’ spreads among us. The Bold Instatute opens up enrolment for an ‘Instagram Personal Branding’ program quarterly, which customises the strategies specific to the student to reach their ideal customer. “We are about meeting the student where they are, no matter the skill level. Everyone who goes through the program sees and feels results!” claims Giselle.  

To get started with boosting your brand today, click here.