social entrepreneur Nadya Rousseau is a Los Angeles based social entrepreneur, multimedia journalist and founder of Alter New Media. A purpose forward marketing agency. Nadya has an innate ability to find the stories that haven’t been told and give them a platform to be heard. Nadya founded Alter New Media as a way to highlight social issues and causes that she’s passionate about through the power of storytelling. In just a few years, Nadya has built Alter New Media into a successful marketing agency that has helped to raise awareness and funds for numerous social issues. I sat down with Nadya to learn more about her work as a social entrepreneur.
As a social entrepreneur, Nadya has always been driven by her desire to make a positive impact in the world. She was drawn to journalism as a way to share stories that needed to be told and give voice to the voiceless. After working in traditional news media for several years, Nadya saw an opportunity to use her skills in marketing and storytelling to help social enterprises raise awareness and funds for their causes. In 2015, she founded Alter New Media, a purpose-driven marketing agency that works with social enterprises around the world.
In just over a year, Alter New Media has helped over 140 companies worldwide achieve their business goals, while also making a difference in the world.
The full transcript can be found below:
Now, let’s get into the show!
I am generally though…
I am very excited as I usually am. When I interview my guests, I was speaking to my Godfather the other day, and he was just like:- “You keep saying the word excited….”
Nadya, it’s lovely to see you. And yeah, I’m really excited to hear about, you know your journey; because you’ve built this social media business really quickly and I’m amazed actually.
Nadya Rousseau 1:17
I appreciate that. I’m also excited.
Sorry Godfather; we’re going to use that word. Again, I’m very excited to be here talking with you about these issues. And a little bit about my background, hopefully inspiring people to take, you know, an action in their lives they’ve been afraid to take for the last 3, 6 months or even 12 months.
That’s what it’s really all about. At the end of the day is taking action and not getting wrapped up in your head about all of the, you know, should not and could not.
Nathaniel Schooler 1:47
Yeah, there’s a lot of that it’s kind of an epidemic of, you know, your friends, your family, they don’t want to see you suffer so they, they they kind of just say:-
“Oh no, you don’t want to do that.”
Because they know that there is going to be pain you if you’re trying to achieve something big right there is torture It is hard and you’ve got to work really hard yeah.
I know you’re a fan of Gary V’s.
I’m not yeah I’m not huge hugely.
Nadya Rousseau 2:25
But yeah, it definitely does veer on excessive, but I think he’s he’s passionate he’s a passionate guy. But I know we don’t want to undercut the importance of good vocabulary and of course, as an Englishman. I’m sure that’s a definite concern.
Half that’s right. Ha ha.
Nathaniel Schooler 2:51
God would say half
Oh, that’s right. Half. My Dad would say half your half, child.
Know My Dad’s actually he grew up and spent a lot of time in in New York on Long Island. His Dad had a factory. They had a factory of like 100 employees.
Wow.
Nadya Rousseau 3:11
Wow.
Nathaniel Schooler 3:12
Yeah, it was quite exciting times back then. And yeah, all sorts of all sorts of stories about the old days, you know, and went on in the neighborhood and stuff like that crazy.
Nadya Rousseau 3:23
That’s crazy. I love that. I love stories like that crazy. Cycling back to our history, and how people built things up back then, in many ways, is more impressive than how they do it today. And I think, you know, a lot of people are odd and in awe rather about all of the, you know, new online innovations and new businesses that can be made online.
But in many ways, we have it so much easier than people did, you know, 20, 30, 40 and definitely 50 years ago. I mean, definitely, for women and minorities. I mean, my God, especially, very much so.
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Nathaniel Schooler 3:58
And that’s a massive thing with all of the big tech companies right now. They just, they just want it, what do they call it? I think they call it inclusion, don’t they, you know.
Nadya Rousseau 4:06
Inclusion and diversity and then the necessity for having a diverse workforce.
I mean, I think we all like men and women. You know, you can’t argue that we biologically have different qualities in some ways that does kind of lead into how we might present or interact with other people.
But, you know, gender equality, I think the word equity is probably more appropriate than equality.
Nathaniel Schooler 4:24
Yeah, it’s really important. It’s really important, like just working or interviewing guys, it just just miss out on having fun, you know, because, like females and just have different different qualities don’t know, I suppose.
Nadya Rousseau 4:27
But, you know, we’re all talking about equality and then this, you know, the point of equality, but I think like, I saw a really cool image of Gosh, what was it I think it was a boy who was handicapped and then it was, you know, black.
I mean, I think we all like men and women, you know, you can’t argue that we biologically have different qualities in some ways that does kind of bleed into how we might present or interact with other people. But, you know, gender equality, I think the word equity is probably more appropriate than equality.
But, you know, we’re all talking about equality. And then this, you know, the point of equality, but I think, like, I saw a really cool image of Gosh, what was it, I think it was a boy who was handicapped, and then it was, you know, black, and then maybe an Asian American kid, and they were just saying, like, you know, equality will these, you know, each child has something different that they’re struggling with. So, they’re technically not all equal. So, what we need is equity to me. Sure, people are all treated fairly. So, I think equity is even more important than equality.
And then maybe an Asian American kid, and they were just saying like, you know, equality will these, you know, each child has something different that they’re struggling with. So they’re technically not all equal. So what we need is equity to me. Sure, people are all treated fairly. So I think equity is even more important than equality.
Nathaniel Schooler 5:19
Just reminds me of that guy. Have you seen him? No arms, no legs? No worries, that guy?
Nadya Rousseau 5:24
Yes.
Nathaniel Schooler 5:25
That’s just that’s just my age. If anyone’s listening to this and they haven’t seen it like you just look him up on YouTube and it will just it will just blow you away. I cried when I first saw it was just it was just just insane.
It’s just like it’s just too much I mean, he got he can’t walk he’s just got like a little flipper that he that he that he you know he will hit a ball with and he’s just amazing like it just blows my mind that that that guy like just, you know, insane, isn’t it really, if you think how grateful you are.
But online, there’s this big this big thing on social with people who they’re really just living a fake existence. And I know we sort of talked about it a little bit a minute ago, but it’s like what’s your take on that?
Nadya Rousseau 6:20
Gosh, I have so many takes on that I think that there you know, is a lot of pressure right now to kind of appear as the best and the coolest and the most accomplished; but I mean, I think there’s also important and maybe it’s not really pressure but to me there should be more importance placed on the journey and the process of getting to your point of success and at the end of the day like we should never strive to have one like end.
You know, like we always seem to be self improving so it’s like so what are you saying guy you know, posing in front of Lamborghini with like a hot chick beside you, is this like your end game
Are you done now?
Like, is this it?
You’ve reached your like, top point of life is like.
What are you trying? It’s just and you know, all these people are renting cars and they’re doing ads and stuff to like, look like this. And then there’s a lot of people out there that talk about the importance of, you know, positioning yourself as being super successful and showing off your accomplishments.
And I believe that you should talk about your accomplishments but not in a way that is it dilutes it in my opinion by showing off all of these ostentatious things.
Nathaniel Schooler 7:34
Yeah I think also it actually removes your human nature your human side and you know that really creates creates a massive massive problem because people people just they don’t relate to you like they’ll just look at you and they’ll be like look at that idiot like he’s just posing in his Lamborghini and…
And they don’t buy into you because like, like, you’ve just removed your audience from from from your social media profiles just by being an idiot.
Nadya Rousseau 8:11
I would say yes and no, because unfortunately a lot of these people get a lot of followers and likes you actually, there’s a big thing with bro culture, especially, there’s no way around it, where it’s like, oh, you know, if you’re a dude. And you have all of these different things, and other guys are like, oh, wow, I want to be like him. Like, I want to have the, the nice car and later the hot chick like Tai Lopez type of situations like this. I can’t really get down with that. I think it’s super tacky.
And you know, a lot of the times these people are coaches or they have different programs going on about you know, how to get to the point where you’re making so much money, but then it’s like, what were you doing before that, like, did you have a business or did you do something to you know, lay the foundation
For why you’re teaching this because a lot of the times, it’s not the case. So it’s like kind of masturbatory in that respect, it’s like, oh, I’m coaching, but I’ve never done anything to lay the foundation for why I’m coaching. And I think that’s why I like Gary V, because he has his agencies that like, done a lot of different jobs, you know, he’s worked for his family business, and he scaled it up. It’s not like he just woke up one day and like, I’m going to talk about the hustle culture and I’ve never hustled in my life.
Nathaniel Schooler 9:29
Yeah, yeah,
I think that there are many problems with with all of this in, in a fundamental way. And it’s from from where I’m sitting. You know, I watched a video probably two or three years ago with this girl and she’s probably, you know, probably in our 20s, early 20s, I’d say and she’s, she’s definitely depressed.
She’s put a trainers on and she’s running shoes. She’s taken a picture of a fee. And then she’s posted on Instagram and she’s taken our shoes off, got back into bed, and then her whole day goes on it. So I mean, it’s an award winning film, you’ve probably seen it knowing knowing Yeah.
Yeah. And she’s she’s got a phone and she’s on Instagram and she’s she’s got up
And and the whole thing is, is basically just depicting the fake life that’s out there versus something that you know, is actually a reality of depression that’s caused by over use of social media over use of endorphins that are you know, basically filling your brain with feel good hormones when you get a like, and a comment and this and that when actually if you just went out and had a conversation with someone and how to smile and a hug Yeah, you’d you’d have better effect upon your happiness or phone call, you know.
Nadya Rousseau 10:35
Exactly and I always say that I think social media needs to be the impetus for you know, forging deeper relationships in real life or taking an action in real life which is why I really I like to call my agency an impact based marketing agency,
We’re very purpose forward we require all of our influencers who signed to our influencer board to do one nonprofit campaign a year, so and not just working on the on in the online space raising awareness.
Exactly and I always say that I think social media needs to be the impetus for you know forging deeper relationships in real life or taking an action in real life which is why I really I like to call my agency and impact based marketing agency we’re very purpose forward we require all of our influencers who signed to our influencer board to do one nonprofit campaign a year.
So and not just working on the on in the online space raising awareness but if they can do something in their real communities like one influencer that we’re working with her name is Hannah Alper shout out to Hannah Alper.
She has created this initiative where she’s working with homeless people locally and getting a lot of brands to sponsor this initiative and sending product to gift to homeless people who are struggling on the streets and she’s 15 years old.
But if they can do something in their real communities, like one influencer that we’re working with, her name is Hannah offer shout out Hannah offer. She has created this initiative where she’s working with homeless people locally, and getting a lot of brands to sponsor this initiative and sending product to gift to homeless people who are struggling on the streets.
And she’s 15 years old. And she’s really using social media for good. And I think it’s this younger generation, the Gen Z, who in many ways are more awake than millennials, or x generation people, of course, boomers, you know, they’re not really in it at the same level that that earlier generations are in or later generations. Wow, that’s amazing. I mean, a friend of mine started this, this movement called you matter.
She’s really using social media for good and I think it’s this younger generation, the Gen Z who in many ways are more awake than millennials or x generation people of course boomers, you know, they’re not really in it at the same level.
That that earlier generations are in or later generations.
Nathaniel Schooler 12:03
Wow. That’s amazing. I mean, a friend of mine started this, this movement called #YouMatter.
Her name’s Angela Myers. And she started this movement and, and it basically became something called genius hour in schools. And, it’s massive, you know, is absolutely massive. And there are 67,000 classrooms a week that do genius hour, and that’s over 2 million children.
Nadya Rousseau 12:35
Fantastic.
Nathaniel Schooler 12:38
So, so what she’s what she’s basically done is she’s, she’s seeded the next generation into, you know, actually making a difference because, like, that’s what’s missing in in everything. It’s like, it’s like this whole kind of lack of compassion and empathy that that really is a big issue.
You know, I mean, I’m trying to raise the awareness around around the homelessness thing I’ve been talking to a charity who they, they have a QR code that goes around your neck on a on a lanyard so people can actually scan the QR code and then donate money to the person on a weekly basis or monthly basis or whatever, or a one off, right.
But they can also find out about the person’s background and you know, why did they end up homeless? What happened to them, how did they How are they displace to end up in that position, etc, etc. Yeah, so, so it’s really cool. And they launched that in Oxford last year was like on the BBC and stuff.
So I’m trying to get it launched in the city here. So I’m talking to the guy I think next week we’re going to do a Podcast about that very thing.
And it’s, it’s very difficult, though, to actually scale something like that with the processes and stuff because you need to know you need to get someone to go out who’s got the right personality, they need to wear this thing, and they need to, they need to explain what they’re doing there.
I think probably, they should have a backdrop whether, you know, a pull up backdrop thing, and that will that will help if the local councils will help help them do that.
And I think it needs to be social media for good, you know, and that’s, that’s the major issue that I have. I just see, you know, I mean, I used to do social media talks have taught a few courses. For IBM and Microsoft and stuff like few years ago.
Yeah, and, you know, and it just became evident for me that it was just taking up too much of my time.
So I just went down the other way and started writing and that became my passion. But like, now I’m more into like Podcasts.
So what happens though, when we’re going to get this like chip in our head?
Nadya Rousseau 15:03
Scary. I mean, my fear is that it’s going to make people even more desensitised.
And I think that that, like we’ve just said is the major issue is people’s ability to empathise and have empathy is not the same and not just like on a large scale with empathising with people who are victim to major social issues, like homelessness and racism and other things.
But also just on like on an intimate level, like, not responding to someone for days on end, because they’re so self involved, and they’re just their communication is suffering.
And there’s just like, all types of weird stuff that you notice, even like on a small scale that to me, reflects back on like, not having enough empathy, you know, and to piggyback off what you’re doing over in the UK. That’s so cool.
Next week. I’m speaking on a panel I don’t know that called fashion innovation, which is happening during New York Fashion Week. And the panel is about raising awareness about the homeless epidemic in New York and LA. And it’s called hashtag it can be used. That’s the whole like movement that we are spearheading between different influencers and celebrities and why it’s so important to talk about.
There was a time that I was homeless for, like two weeks. So it’s like, you know, this really does speak to home for me, I never was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and had some sort of jobs since I was 14 years old.
Nathaniel Schooler 16:32
Yeah, but things happen, you know, and, you know, I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been looked after by my family and business contacts and friends and stuff, you know.
Things happen in people’s lives and, and sometimes you just feel so lonely that you can’t go to anyone you know, and it just becomes becomes really, really difficult. But I am afraid I’ve got to own up. I unsubscribed to the email about that, because.
Nadya Rousseau 17:02
Fashion innovation.
Nathaniel Schooler 17:04
Yeah, yeah. Because I was just like, I was like, okay, fair enough.
Nadya Rousseau 17:12
They’re sending a lot of emails!
Nathaniel Schooler 17:16
However, I love what you’re doing with that, and I think it’s brilliant and I love to I’d love to maybe introduce you to these guys and Oxford see if you can get that QR code thing going on over there.
I think that, you know, more of this kind of stuff is going to have to happen. And, you know, I mean, we’re sort of looking at an ethical dilemma here.
Nadya Rousseau 17:41
Yeah.
Nathaniel Schooler 17:42
And, and that, and that dilemma really is, is actually it’s about how social media works. It’s about who gets the payment. Yeah, in essence, this is what is at the core of this. Yeah, and there’s a new there’s a new platform called HowDo that’s out there. And it’s a it’s a blockchain powered social platform. It’s just about to launch.
So I’ll introduce you to one of the people involved.
Nadya Rousseau 18:12
With Crypto and Blockchain clients.
Nathaniel Schooler 18:15
So cool so yeah this is this is this is basically going to be 50% of the ad revenue will go to the influencer Yeah. Instead of no money or very little money you know.
So I think that’s I think that’s just going to be absolutely brilliant and you being control as well of your data on there. So yeah, I’ll introduce you to the chap who’s who’s dealing with that that’d be really cool.
Nadya Rousseau 18:42
Fantastic. Yeah,
Nathaniel Schooler 18:43
But yeah, so in terms of in terms of like social media and content and and this kind of stuff. If you were going to build someone social profiles like you start with like, reviewing them, reviewing their goals, reviewing their business goals, then reviewing their channels, right?
And then you would see the results that they’ve been getting, the frequency of posting that they’re doing and the kind of content that they’re putting out there and then you would then you would just say:-
“Right okay, I think you need to change slightly what you’re doing and we need to be doing this for you instead of what you’re doing now.”
And you would just like where would you go from there?
Nadya Rousseau 19:35
Often it’s definitely not a slight change sometimes they need a total overhaul.
Nathaniel Schooler 19:40
Keep away from my Instagram.
Nadya Rousseau 19:43
Like, sometimes it’s really a tragedy. But last year, my team and I we’ve supported over 130 customers with Instagram growth and management and a lot of that does involve kind of redoing their Instagram now.
We don’t always delete old content a lot of the times people will be like, oh, should we delete our old posts? And you know, it really depends if it’s a total mess, and we know the new posts are going to be more or less a complete rebrand, I’m going to say yes.
But you know, oftentimes we’re just going to kind of build off what they were doing before, even if it looks a lot different. But like you said, we always do begin with addressing their business objectives, usually for the next six months.
Because marketing strategies and what we’re doing online and social media, it always has to align with those business goals.
And if someone says:- “My business goal is to have 10,000 followers”
And like that’s not a business goal, that’s a strategy that you’re taking on social to help you get to conversion of whatever you know X percent and also raise your brand positioning because; I mean, it’s really two tiered on one side, we want to raise their brand authority with scaling up their audience and on the other side, we want to drive conversion and of course.
That doesn’t usually happen overnight, which I have to remind clients, particularly clients who are in a financial space or a very, like numbers driven space. They’re used to maybe like being or Google search and that kind of advertising, which is a lot different than social where you have to build a community, you know, especially ones who are doing it from scratch.
So we’re like creating new profiles, we have to scale it up. It’s not going to be overnight you’re not going to see 100 leads from 100 followers.
Nathaniel Schooler 21:33
There’s always been that sort of confusion around around social. It’s the problem that you face, though, is that you’ve, you’ve inherited a really bad reputation from all of these awful companies and all for people who pushed people to sign up here at to a contract perhaps for a year. Yeah. And it got them zero results.
And the problem is, is that they turn around, they say, well, you need to be everywhere. You need to be on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn everywhere, right?
And that’s the major issue that I have with marketing agencies. Yeah, like, like, since I’ve been doing my Podcast? Yeah, I’ve had so many people, like, approach me or approach my guests.
There’s always been that sort of confusion around around social it’s, it’s, it’s, I mean, I right. It’s the problem that you face, though, is that you’ve, you’ve inherited a really bad reputation from all of these awful companies and all for people who pushed people to sign up here at to a contract perhaps for a year. Yeah. And it got them zero results. Yeah. And, and they said, and the problem is, is that they turn around, they say, well, you need to be everywhere.
So I’m in the process now of creating literally a lot of content.
Yeah, it’s great. It just feels amazing. But the thing is, is that I don’t, I don’t want to spend on someone managing my Instagram. And I don’t want to increase anything, because what I’m doing is working right now. I will look at it again in six months.
Nadya Rousseau 23:34
Wow, finding relationships that are awesome and really do convert out you know, outside even online Facebook recently have I, you know, gotten more active on Facebook because I had a bit of a resistance to getting active on Facebook, because LinkedIn and Instagram are serving you so well.
Right.
Like we cannot absolutely not say one person or one client one company should be ubiquitous on social media and hean you need to be very specific. Pinterest is not going to serve a financial broker doesn’t make sense I’m sorry they’re not the target audience is not on Pinterest you’re not going to see a bunch of like people on Wall Street pinning. Know what, you know.
Nathaniel Schooler 24:32
But that goes back doesn’t it to the research and, and, and really knowing who you’re sort of doing business with. And trusting them? I mean, it goes back to, you know, like, and trust. Yeah, like, and what I thought about that for quite a few years. And I thought, well, actually, you will know someone and you trust them. But you might not like them.
Nadya Rousseau 24:50
Very true.
Nathaniel Schooler 24:51
But then, but then you do business with them. But then as soon as another company comes along, that you do know, you do like, and you do trust, you’ll probably change. Yeah,
Nadya Rousseau 25:02
I was dealing with that recently, where a company they had a bad experience with the former agency, and they recently were pretty much like:-“Oh, my gosh, like, I’m just praying, this isn’t gonna work out this time.”
I’m like, you know, I don’t think prayers are necessary because you’re working with someone very reputable. And you came to me, and I’ve given you like, numerous testimonials and case studies, and I think you just need to kind of let go of what happened in the past and move forward towards the future. Otherwise, you’re not going to move forward at all.
Nathaniel Schooler 25:34
What exactly I mean, so you guys are mainly business to consumer, right, B to C, is that your major kind of influence of both?
Nadya Rousseau 25:42
Both? Yeah, I mean, it really depends when we do work with a lot of companies that are, you know, small businesses and targeting other businesses and even on Instagram, believe it or not, probably primarily business to consumer but there are some B2B clients.
Nathaniel Schooler 26:01
Yeah, it’s really cool. It’s, it’s not easy. It’s not an easy space to work in, you know, because there’s so many companies out there. But the thing is, I think what I noticed about you guys is like, you’ve, you’ve actually, you practice what you preach, yeah, like, you know, you are social at the core of it. And that’s, that’s the most important thing.
Yeah, it’s really cool. It’s, it’s not easy. It’s not an easy space to work in, you know, because there’s so many companies out there. But the thing is, I think what I noticed about you guys is like, you’ve, you’ve actually, you, you practice what you preach. Yeah.
Nadya Rousseau 26:54
Keep it going. And I think, yeah, B to C, in some ways, is more challenging than B to B, because there’s more consumers, then there, you know, it’s very over saturated, you have to really be very strategic about targeting and understand how to grab your target audience. And, you know, in a space that’s full of other companies trying to do the same exact thing.
Nathaniel Schooler 27:17
So let’s talk about B to C. So we’ve B to C, right? What, what’s the what’s the kind of deal? Like, how do you how do you get a company to build a relationship with a consumer that is not in the real world? Because I come from a background of like, the wine merchants by a prestigious wine merchants? Yeah, so someone’s going to walk into my shop, and I’m going to, I’m going to say, Oh, hello, there, have you if you come for anything in particular, you know, etc, right? So how do you market business to consumer
Nadya Rousseau 28:00
You know, if your brand that you’re working with doesn’t have a clear story, you’re going to have to define it for them. Because in this age, you know, where it’s very over saturated.
Because in this age, you know, where it’s very over saturated, people are looking at information constantly up to have a way to grab their attention.
People are looking at information constantly up to have a way to grab their attention.
So a story that’s not just inspirational, but motivational. And obviously, clearly defining how this company is solving a problem that the consumer has, is super important.
And sometimes, you know, if it’s a new startup and a lot of startups, they are many ways identifying problems that sometimes consumers don’t know they have.
And I think that can be really challenging, especially the company themselves hasn’t really thought too deeply about, wow, this isn’t a problem that consumers realize they have.
So you have to kind of define the problem for them through the power of story and on Instagram, especially, you know, being visually captivating and having it nice aesthetic feedback.
While also telling that story and knowing how to target people is super important.
Nathaniel Schooler 29:05
Right? That goes down to the kind of hashtags that you’re using the kind of images that you’re using the words that you’re using, and, and the sort of story right there, like it all feeds through, doesn’t it?
So you’ve got your image, and then you’ve got the text on the image, and then the logo and then you feed it down into the text on the post.
And then you’ve got the hashtags like any other platform, right?
Nadya Rousseau 29:32
Yeah, I mean, not necessarily like using a logo and every photo like I wouldn’t recommend that. I mean, it can’t hurt occasionally.
But I like to say that on Instagram to really slay on Instagram, you have to work in three, a three tier system and I think this three tiered system can apply to all platforms, though to be honest with you, because it starts with strategy, then you need great content that’s kind of in line with your strategy and then you need to engage.
You need to engage your audience. And it’s kind of like I love using this analogy is little out there. But like if you’re in real life and you’re at a party, and you see people to people that kind of, I don’t know, have some synergy with you and they’re talking to each other, they’re together and you’re like:-
“Oh, I think I could be friends with them.”
But they’re together, they’re doing their own thing, they’re not necessarily going to talk to you, unless you make the first move. Or even like, you know, at a bar, you see a girl you like, you want to say, hey, like, what’s up? Similarly, if you’re on Instagram, even though like you might have similarities to your target audience, if you’re not out there, kind of like, I guess combing for them and say, like, hey, or liking their content, they’re not good. So you have to make the first move sometimes.
Nathaniel Schooler 30:45
So you need to find the content and basically use the search within whatever platform you’re using, or whatever tool you know, whatever, if you’ve got a tool or you don’t have a tool use the platform.
Nadya Rousseau 30:58
Yeah, exactly.
Nathaniel Schooler 31:00
Yeah you search for specific hashtags that represent the kind of business or customer that you’re looking for with the sort of interests that you’re you’re looking to target right.
So if you if you were selling I don’t know like shower gel for example yeah you might want to target people who are into sports yeah if it’s a specific sporty kind of shower gel so you’re going to go to their Instagram the sporty people and then their hash tagging gym workout blah blah blah you’re going to try and track them down.
And then like their content in the hope that they come back to you and have a conversation with you and
Nadya Rousseau 31:45
It goes one step further if you’re targeting a specific area so you want to like be very you know, okay geo target with your hashtags maybe like follow like okay there’s so you’re targeting in the UK and there’s like a UK sports team that people who are score to your liking are using the hashtag.
Hey guys so you would use that hashtag or engage with it right the lure those people back to you.
Nathaniel Schooler 32:09
So yeah, you’re engaging with a hashtag that represents something to them, right? So the people who are sort of watching it, they’re going to come come to you. It’s a bit like, what I do. My podcast is, you know, yeah, it’s exactly the same, what I do my Podcast.
I just target the specific show that I’m kind of recording and the hashtags roughly, that sort of fit with that. And I make sure include the podcast hashtag because if people are looking for a podcast about social media marketing, or marketing or branding or business or…so I’ll put those in there, you know.
So it’s not really about how many times you’re posting per day then it’s about it’s about engaging with people on in the right places.
Nadya Rousseau 32:56
Yeah. I mean, you definitely have to have a strategy but for sure, I will always recommend posting at least once a day. Because I mean, again, you’re more likely if you’re using the right hash tags. And there’s definitely a ratio for hashtags as well.
You want to have a certain number of hashtags represent your brand. Another number of hashtags represent your industry, and then the other to represent your target audience.
And so of course, if you’re posting compelling content, just like if you’re doing so on Facebook or LinkedIn, and people find that content through the hashtag search that they’re doing much like Google search and you’re optimizing your website and you’re doing your keyword research for your blogs, people are going to find you more likely to find you like I use hashtag NYCBusiness a lot because I like working with New York clients.
When I use that Hashtag I’ve noticed a lot of my posts will come up to the very top they’ll become top post because they get a lot of engagement and then so people who are using hashtag NYC business and they search that hashtag, they’ll see my content right there and then click and so I’ve been getting a lot more like New York types of people liking my stuff, following me
Nathaniel Schooler 34:01
And that’s because that hashtag is is not as widely used as like hashtag USA or something?
Nadya Rousseau 34:08
Exactly like hashtag is hashtag business I mean that’s like all over the place hashtag NYCbusiness might have like 20 k posts or something like that right running over saturated hashtags at least not in the majority of what you’re using because you know people are not as likely to find you. So when people use hashtag like follow to follow or hashtag Instagram and I’m like, this is horrible. Like, you’re not nothing’s going to happen.
Nathaniel Schooler 34:35
But then it goes back to what you’re doing on that platform and how you use it. I mean, for me as an individual, I just used Instagram as an individual. I connected to my Facebook page because I’m a lazy poster. So I just posted Instagram shares to my Facebook page. I just use it in that way. Right. But I don’t post every day. I bit sporadic. I’m not gonna lie.
Listen to Personal Branding & Celebrity Photography with Walid Azami – Episode 21
Nadya Rousseau 34:59
Working in and on the business but granted when I do post I get more messages and more inquiries so we have our business account we have our Alter New Media Instagram we get a lot of inquiries through there and then of course I have my own Instagram account.
Nathaniel Schooler 35:15
Very cool. So really it’s just about tying it all in with the marketing strategy the sales development strategy the people in the business and if they can’t keep up with the with the posting then you guys step in and help them to get that right and do it for them. Yeah, is that right?
Nadya Rousseau 35:34
Yeah I mean majority of our clients and customers don’t post it all and we don’t want them to because they don’t know what they’re doin.
Nathaniel Schooler 35:41
Hey don’t look at me like that!
Nadya Rousseau 35:47
But I mean it really depends some of them want to kind of like get the guidance and they want to learn and be hands on like I am launching a coaching program the end of February for people who are a little like you know:- “I want to do this”
“I want to create my strategy and I want to learn, understand how to post myself”
And they also might not have the budget for ongoing service. So that’s appropriate for those people. Otherwise, most part people are like, okay, I want to do two posts a day. And we’ll do two posts a day or Instagram Rockstar our premium service includes two posts a day and a strategy and all the targeted engagement to grow their accounts. But others are like, you know, I want to post but then they have to follow the strategy while we’re doing the engagement, right.
Nathaniel Schooler 36:28
The major problem is, people just seem to think social media is free. And that’s the major problem and it isn’t free. It’s time consuming. And it takes a lot of time and effort just to find the content takes ages. You either got to be a good photographer, or at least have an idea of what you’re going to take right.
Or you got to have a stash of pictures. I’ve I’ve got about 7000 pictures from like when I went around the world like 12 years ago or something. And and I was talking to this la photographer he’s on one of the other episodes is a celebrity photographer, a really lovely guy.
Yeah. So I’m sort of feeding those into my feed at, you know, as when ready. But I think really, it’s just getting organized. It’s just because it’s a resource thing. It’s like, I’ve got so many so many posts that are on that are on my site that I want to take those posts and I want to share them. So. So in order for me to share them on Instagram, it creates an issue for me share the links, you see, because that’s my major problem with Instagram is the links, so I would have to change a link every day on my profile, potentially, if to make it easy for people.
Nadya Rousseau 37:11
yeah.
Nathaniel Schooler 37:49
Because that’s the major issue I’ve got with Instagram is the links are not clickable within within the within the feet.
Nadya Rousseau 38:00
Like you, you’re doing Podcast, how often do they come out like a week, weekly or bi monthly, once a week?
Nathaniel Schooler 38:07
Four times a week
Nadya Rousseau 38:08
Four times a week wow
Nathaniel Schooler 38:08
I was doing I was doing six up to 20, I’m up. I’m up to up to I’ll be up to 30. Tomorrow.
Nadya Rousseau 38:17
Those intense, it’s very impressive.
That is intense, it’s very impressive. I would say, you know, obviously, if you were doing one a week, then it would be like, okay, now I’m going to upload my link for the week. And I’m going to kind of wrap all of my content around this particular podcast of the week.
If you’re doing that many, I mean, you would just what you could do. I mean, I’m assuming you have your website, obviously. And you probably how’s it all there. So you can just direct people to your website.
Nathaniel Schooler 38:45
We could I could do but then. So then it’s down to the website or you have to get a link don’t you got to create some sort of Bitly kind of phrase type of situation. Yeah. But then people don’t like these link shorteners that apparently they will click on.
But then people don’t like these link shorteners that apparently they will click on last, when you’ve got a link shortener, then the real I mean, this gets into the geeky territories were not good.
Nadya Rousseau 39:07
Yeah, I mean they do and they don’t like I’ve looked, I’ve kind of seen traffic and kind of looked at the difference between using a bitly link and using like a regular you. I think sometimes like the bitly link, it just looks cleaner and like, it doesn’t take up a you know, as much space. Yeah.
Nathaniel Schooler 39:21
Certainly on Instagram. It’s much better to have it to have a shortened link. I mean, I’m lucky I get to use these IBM links. Okay.
Nadya Rousseau 39:29
What I will say is, as long as you can customize your link, like when I’ve used a bitly link I don’t use I always customize that. Oh, yeah, you know, you don’t want to just be like, All right, let’s just make the bitly link is all these crazy characters like that.
Nathaniel Schooler 39:41
But then yet, but then it goes back to what you’re doing and how you’re actually posting because like, because like, for example, like if I’m on if I’m on Twitter and I use I use something called IFTTT which I just love. Yeah, so, I will I will I will set up a load of automation on there and you know, whatever your view or automation?
Certainly it certainly gets it more in people’s faces. I don’t. I think I can actually still send direct message campaigns, If I want to.
Nadya Rousseau 40:12
Interesting. Have you ever played with LinkedIn?
Nathaniel Schooler 40:16
I’d much rather have a more targeted approach.
Nadya Rousseau 40:16
Yeah!
Nathaniel Schooler 40:18
I used to. I’ve used it a few times I’ve got a friend, I’ve got a colleague who’s an expert at writing Boolean operators. Yeah, like the search queries. And like, that’s just like an artwork in itself. You know, it is like when I’ve done research, like, academic paper type of it. I mean, you have to be really good with your Boolean stuff to find the right content.
But there’s so much out there. I think the problem is, is that people don’t know where to look. They don’t know where to find good content.
And that’s the biggest problem is they will they they think, because they don’t know anything, they will go look at a load of content and that content is just designed to sell them stuff and it doesn’t educate them at all. And that’s the biggest problem is they need education, right?.
Nadya Rousseau 41:06
Like, and that’s another Power of Three is I tell, especially in terms of content. So it’s like I have my three tiered strategy for, you know, Instagram, but again, can be applied to other platforms.
And then I have my content strategy and working in the power of threes. So making sure your content is always at least one third educational one third, motivational or aspirational one third promotional because I see a lot of people every single post is leading with like, sign up or by my ebook, and it’s just like every post especially on Facebook. And it’s just like, what is happening here?
Like this is tacky?
Nathaniel Schooler 41:44
I need to revisit all of my social channels. Really, it’s just so time consuming. Everything’s time consuming. And when you’re when you’re creating a product, if your product is amazing, and you tell a few people, then those people tell more people.
I mean, now, in essence, what what, you know, all of this, from what I’ve been learning, I’ve interviewed so many people the last two or three years, and what it really comes down to is like that product that you’re selling, whether you’re a retailer or you know, business to business, it has to be the best product and if it is people are going to come and talk about it and they’re going to tell other people and that’s all throughout the journey, right like the customer journey from from from here over to there. They you know, they get to tell people because it’s a great product like that’s that’s it it’s pretty simple.
Nadya Rousseau 42:42
Yeah I mean, you know, you can’t skimp on quality just because we’re in an age of there’s a lot of different people and there’s a you know, the ability to be fake, fake, you know, fake it till you make it as they say, Well, I don’t know about that strategy me that you just got to work your ass off.
Yes it’s very straightforward you know craft work hard. Yeah Don’t be an ass.
Nathaniel Schooler 43:10
It’s pretty simple. Really?
Nadya Rousseau 43:12
Yes!
Nathaniel Schooler 43:13
Thank you. You’ve been so generous with your time Nadya!
Nadya Rousseau 43:17
It’s my pleasure.
Nathaniel Schooler 43:18
It’s been really fun and you know I’m sure that we will speak soon I might make a few inches for you I need to just need to just have a think about who they’re going to be.
I’ve got some ideas where do people find you then?
Nadya Rousseau 43:35
So they can find me on Instagram at @NadyaRousseau. Or my company handle Alter New Media and on Nadya Rousseau on Facebook You can look me up you can give me a follow and maybe I’ll give you a friend request back. We’ll see about that.
And then on LinkedIn you can find me the same way and my website is Alter New Media I’m also on Fiver Pro, which is the premium version of Fiver. So the professionals have to be pre vetted and approved by Fiver to sell their at premium so you can look me up in there as well and one of the most requested social media providers on the platform.
Nathaniel Schooler 44:18
Very cool. Very cool.
Unknown 44:23
Thanks so much for listening.
nat 44:25
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