Shlomo Zalman (Sam) Bregman is a highly accomplished individual. Educated at the Emory University School of Law, his eclectic career includes being a prominent Jewish Rabbi, an attorney, working on Capitol Hill, and delivering commentary for Fox News.
Currently, he is the CEO of Alpha Tribe Media, and leverages his media contacts and social media acumen to build online communities for his clients.
I recently had the chance to ask Shlomo for a few actionable tips on social media marketing in the new year.
How should a person set realistic expectations for their social media following?
When you’re setting expectations, it’s a good idea to know how large is the current market. Do some research into the niche.
Let’s say you want to create a YouTube Channel around cooking with a specific ingredient. If there are already eight around this topic, and the largest has only 37,000 subscribers and is already 5 years old, don’t get frustrated when you’re at 389 subscribers after your first 6 months.
In terms of assessing your online potential, what is ‘realistic’ has a good bit to do with the niche you select, and the size of the audience already engaged with this topic.
What would you say to the ‘perfectionist’ type who has a hard time posting?
Get out of the mindset of perfection. Do you know how quickly people are scrolling online? They use social media the same way you as do. Nobody is critiquing your pictures or video as closely as you imagine. If you’re using social media to create business awareness, your slowness to post is holding you back!
What about people who feel ‘salesy’ when they talk about their business or service online?
If you legitimately have a product or service that can make people’s lives better, why wouldn’t you share it? If you can fix a problem or frustration people are having, you have an ethical duty to tell them about it.
With the work I do at Alpha Tribe Media, I make my client’s dreams come true. They yearn to share their projects, films, movies, and messages with millions of people. But if you’ve poured your soul into something, and all you hear is crickets – it’s terribly deflating!
This is where I come in. I can fix that! And I’m not shy to talk about it.
Some experts advise we should share the ‘why’ of our online messages. But what if it feels too personal?
Everyone has to make their own judgment call, but share if you can.
Maybe you’re teaching about self-defense, because as a child you were always made picked on, and now it’s your mission to teach this.
Or maybe you create content around health, because you once were 200 pounds overweight, but you figured out how to get healthy, and your ‘why’ is you want to gift this wisdom to others.
Sharing your ‘why’ can help you stand out online, and help your audience feel closer to you. And this is especially true when you’re making content in already saturated niches.