Some say college is the best time of your life, filled with new experiences, a spot of intellectual enlightenment, and questionable late-night food choices. But I prefer to look at it as simply survival training for the “real world”. I mean, where else can you master the art of eating ramen noodles for the 8th day in a row while simultaneously fumbling through a 15-page midterm paper and calculating how many plasma donations you’d need to cover rent? Now that’s an education.
One of the key survival skills that you can pick up during these formative years is the art of social media marketing. Why, you ask? Well, whether you’re hoping to start a side hustle, raise funds for your extracurricular club (looking at you, Underwater Basket Weavers Society), or just make yourself more employable post-graduation, understanding how to utilize social media for marketing purposes is an invaluable skill in this Digital Age.
Storyboarding the Subtleties of Social Media Marketing
We all know how to make a decent quality post on Instagram – preferably something involving a cute pet or a delicious brunch spread. But how does that translate into earning money on the internet? Welcome to the world of social media marketing.
Quite simply, social media marketing uses platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and the like to promote a product or service. This could be anything from promoting a campus event, showcasing and selling your handmade crochet beanies or hypothesis-testing equipment, or building an online presence for your future business startup.
It’s like standing in the middle of the biggest party in town, with everyone from your parents to the cool kids listening, and then – BAM – you announce to the room that you have the best vegan cookies in the history of ever.
What’s Trending: Your Guide to Engaging Content
Winning on social media is all about standing out from the crowd and breaking through the noise. Now, considering that your competition includes into-the-sunrise party announcements, adorable puppy videos, and passionate political debates with CAPITAL LETTERS, standing out is no small achievement.
To get noticed, you’ll need engaging content – this generally involves three key ingredients: creativity, authenticity and clear messaging. I recognize that for some of you, the word “authenticity” might cause a mental block because you were last authentic when you still wore footed pajamas. But fear not – as a college student, you are surrounded by a rich tapestry of interesting (and sometimes downright bizarre) content that is inherently authentic… or at least authentically weird.
Hitting the Hashtag Jackpot
Now onto what may be the lifeblood of successful social media marketing – hashtags. Now, for those who are hashtag virgins, these are not your mother’s number signs. Hashtags function like a search engine for social media, linking posts with similar themes or content.
Think of it as the Dewey Decimal System (you remember that right?…No? Just Google it). Try following a mix of popular and niche hashtags related to your content or brand, and be sure to sprinkle these punky pound signs throughout your own posts like confetti at a homecoming parade.
Byte-Sized Business: Scaling Up and Monetizing
Once you’ve developed a solid following and are consistently churning out that sweet, sweet content, it’s time to start thinking about how you can translate this into cold, hard cash. This might mean partnering with brands for paid promotions, offering product-focused posts, or even charging for premium content. And presto! You are officially in the online business game.
There are many ways to earn money on the internet, but if you can master leveraging social media platforms, you’re one step closer to paying off those student loans. Or be able to afford more than just another packet of ramen noodles. Or better yet, take those steps towards establishing an independent online business empire. The world is your socially-networked oyster!
While juggling college life and ramen meals with your dabbling in marketing might seem like a gamble, remember that even the best pros started somewhere. So next time you are waiting in line at the campus cafe, take a moment to flex your social media marketing muscles. Create a post, slap on some relevant hashtags, share it with the fellow line-waiters and watch your marketing prowess grow.
Who says you can’t have fun while learning and earning?
Remember, the road to success is made up of likes, shares, retweets, and maybe a few well-placed ramen noodles. So snap, share, and sell, my friends – your future bank account (and your post-graduation-self) will thank you. When you do hit it big, just remember who guided your journey up the social media marketing ladder. A thank-you edible arrangement would be nice…just saying.