Key Takeaways
- Being authentic means sharing the things that you’re afraid or ashamed to share
- Find which social media platform where your target audience is
- Go all-in on one platform instead of growing all platforms at once
- Invest in short-form and snackable content like GIFs, memes, and short videos
- Be creative and entertaining
It’s no secret that social media is a powerful tool for business growth. To get results from your social media efforts, you need to go beyond simply broadcasting your message and creating a connection with your audience. Nika Stewart of Streambank Media is a short-form video content expert, helping entrepreneurs show up and SHINE on video as the unique superstars they are.
In this interview, Nika shared her own story of how her authenticity has resulted in millions of views and hundreds of thousands of followers. She also shared strategies to help you focus on your social media efforts to get the results that will help you grow your personal brand.
What does authenticity in social media mean?
The short answer is to share the thing that you’re most afraid to share, and you’re supposed to be ashamed of. These are the things that people tell you are supposed to be hidden. When you share that, that’s when people feel connected to you. That’s when you’re most real. That’s when there’s no more acting anymore because people see the real you.
I grew up learning that I should be perfect, or at least I should appear to be perfect. Just before the lockdown, I got diagnosed with breast cancer. I had to deal with that and figure out how to deal with and keep supporting my clients. I was thinking, “I was going to lose my hair. I was going to look and feel different.” How am I supposed to do that when I have to pretend that things are perfect?
I said there was no way I would hide what I was going through. So, what happened was I made a video. I went live. I just decided I’m going to go out and talk about what’s happening. So, over the last year, the videos that I was putting out went viral. I just hit a hundred million views on YouTube and a hundred thousand followers on TiktTok. And it came from a place of showing the real me.
Which social media platforms should you focus on? Do you need to be in all of them?
You want to go all-in on one platform. Which platform should that be? I wish I could tell you. But it really depends on a few things. Number one, it depends on where your target audience is. We really have to intimately know our audience and then really Google the stats of the platforms where our audience is.
Another thing is that you have to love the platform. So, if your research tells you that your audience is on TikTok, but you tried it and really hate it with a passion. That would be a waste of time. Find the overlap between where your audience is and which platform you enjoy, and that’s when you’ll love marketing your business.
How often should you post content?
Things have really changed because of how algorithms have changed over the years and how busy it’s gotten. But I would say three times a week is usually enough. Your goal on top of posting content is to get people to engage. Instead of just broadcasting and saying, standing on a mountain and yelling things, you’re reaching out to people and tapping them personally on the shoulder.
What about new platforms like Clubhouse? How do you decide if you should spend time on it?
Again, you have to decide if this is a platform where you want to grow. As for me, I immediately liked it, but I didn’t put all my energy into it because I like to be in front of the camera. But if you want to share something and don’t have the right lighting, Clubhouse is a great choice. If you want to grow and become a big fish in a small-ish pond, then new and rapidly growing platforms could be something you should try.
What are the types of content people are looking for on social media?
Snackable short-form content and videos are being prioritized on many networks, even on Instagram. Personally, I’ve studied videos to see what makes them viral. Many of them are under 19 seconds. So, they’re giving amazing value in under 19 seconds!
How can you put short content or short videos together?
If you don’t usually do videos, you can use a graphic, a GIF, a meme, or a short paragraph to say what you want to say. Basically, you need to get creative in creating short-form content. You want it to be eye-catching and entertaining.
About Nika Stewart, Co-founder and CEO, Streambank Media, LLC
Nika Stewart of Streambank Media is a short-form video specialist, rock and roll singer, and cancer thriver. She helps experts show up and shine as the unique, brilliant superstars they are, so they can get the recognition they deserve. She does this through social media trainings, livestream consulting, and done-for-you marketing services.