Whether you are a company, celebrity, designer, product or service, chances are that you have (or need) social media! In the day and age where everything is online and at a user’s fingertips, social media can be what makes or breaks a company/person’s success.
For over nine years, Ezgi Eren has been one of the most in-demand social media producers and managers out of Los Angeles, CA. She has been working behind the scenes in the beauty, fashion & entertainment industries as an expert in the increasingly popular creative field and has worked with some of the biggest brands and also behind-the-scenes during the world’s most high profile events including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, The Met Ball and New York Fashion Week to name a few.
We spoke exclusively one-on-one with Ezgi for some expert advice on what social media channels she recommends, tips to grow and why everyone should be on certain platforms!
Why is social media important for brands and people?
So many reasons! Social media allows us to reach and engage with like-minded individuals, companies and ideas with unprecedented ease. This is especially apparent after the year we’ve collectively had… with the entire world isolated from their loved ones, and brands unable to reach their consumers face-to-face, social media gave us a chance to establish meaningful connections through various different platforms.
What are the top social channels you recommend people get?
While it ultimately depends on your goals, I’d say instagram’s become almost essential for everyone as it has so many features that help individuals and brands tell their story. A carefully curated Instagram profile can help you reach a precisely targeted audience, especially if your content has a strong visual component.
TikTok’s becoming more and more popular as it allows for new and creative methods of self expression. Their unique algorithm gives every video a nearly equal shot at being seen by a large audience regardless of follower count, leveling the playing field in a significant way.
What type of content do you usually find to be the most engaging?
I love following individuals who give their followers a candid look into different aspects of their lives. For instance, a “Day In My Life” video’s always interesting to watch as it’s a relatively unvarnished look into someone’s life.
As for brands, I tend to gravitate towards those who make an effort to build a real online community for their customers. A great social media strategy for a brand should include an effort to establish genuine relationships with their audience, such as: Asking customers to share their unfiltered opinions on products & services, engaging with not just the positive but also the negative comments, and crowdsourcing future projects to make sure the brand keeps delivering what the customers actually want.
What strategies would you recommend overall to people when it comes to building their social platforms?
Remember that it takes consistency to build a meaningful brand on social media, whether you’re an individual or a brand. Sure, people are now able to purchase followers or even comments, but that is not a sustainable type of digital success. Find your unique offering and stick to it, and work every day to improve on it. Pay attention to your back-end analytics and identify the types of content that your audience favors. Interact with other creators in your field and with your audience; focus on building meaningful relationships and not on the number of “likes”.
How do you feel social media will change in the near future?
I personally feel that social media’s moving towards a more mindful and curated structure. I believe we will see more and more specialty-focused platforms catering to different interest groups. Social media will increasingly become an even more important tool in connecting people who share similar sets of goals and hobbies, and providing them with a community. And maybe I’m an optimist, but I also believe we will be better at managing hateful and dangerous content on social media, as now we have the benefit of years of experience.
Who – celebrity / brand wise – do you feel is “crushing it” on social media these days?
I have tons I want to mention! But to name a few… other than my clients ;)
Celebrity: Florence Pugh on Instagram! Her super candid cooking shows on Instagram Live always give off such good energy.
Brand: Pat McGrath Labs is crushing it on Instagram, their content always catches the eye and they try to reply to as many comments as possible.
Influencer: I love to watch Emma Chamberlain’s weekly Vlogs on YouTube, she has a special way of making everyone feel like they’re close friends with her.
