Marketing Lessons From the Top: “Always include content that is user-generated” with Elias Arosemena and Candice Georgiadis
Always include content that is user-generated. For example, I would say some of the ways you can leverage user-generated content is by using hashtags which users can use in their posts. You can also integrate UGC with the strategy that you are using to advertise. Finally, you can use incentives and giveaways to attract your users. I have seen it work time and time again so it will definitely work for you.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Elias Arosemena. Elias is one of the movers and shakers in the digital marketing world who is well-known for helping various businesses and entrepreneurs develop and implement inbound and content marketing strategies to achieve their business goals, generate non-stop leads, clients, and revenue. By providing compelling tailor-made game plans, this man, Elias Arosemena, has helped the fast and sustainable growth of various businesses. Being the founder of Social Geek Digital, Elias has worked and is still working closely with SaaS and tech startups. This makes him the best person to speak to about your business’ digital marketing strategy. Just relax and take notes.
Thank you so much for doing this with us Elias! Can you tell us the story of what exactly brought you to this specific career path?
Thank you for that great introduction. Well, I can say that it didn’t just happen overnight. It traces back to 2012 at Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis where I was working as a Social Media Marketing Manager. This is where my interest grew in helping businesses generate and nurture leads using Social Media. I knew the future of marketing was hidden in social media platforms so I focused all my energy into that direction.
After seeing the results, many businesses became interested in this type of marketing which made me move to other companies where I was involved in coming up with various marketing strategies. Later, I realized I could start my own agency where I could offer a wide range of professional marketing solutions. And this is when I founded Social Geek Digital.
That’s great! Can you explain to our readers why you are an authority on Social Media Marketing?
Well, for one I can say it is because of my vast experience as a social media consultant in a variety of niches and industries. I have been in this field for almost seven years, and my main goal has always been to develop marketing campaigns and strategies that leverage social media to increase the traffic, revenue, clients, and leads of a business. Secondly, I’m the proud founder of Social Geek Digital which is a results-driven digital marketing and lead generation agency.
And perhaps can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
Well, I remember a year ago when I was working with a client from the U.S. who was starting a cybersecurity firm. This entrepreneur was very inexperienced in digital marketing, but he was passionate about growing his business and was very goal-oriented. He was eager to learn and implement my strategies; therefore, I laid an inbound marketing game plan for him.
He strictly implemented my strategies, and therefore his business thrived and got several new qualified leads and clients. The most exciting part about it is that he offered me a partnership in his business afterward. It did not only thrill me but also made me proud of the work I delivered.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you have made when you were just starting out? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I would say promising a client great things which I couldn’t fully deliver because of the fear of underperformance at the time. Of course, this lack of confidence gets a hold of everybody because you don’t have all the knowledge required at the beginning. I came to realize that fear is a type of punishment while ignorance is an objection.
This made me learn the lesson that confidence comes with knowledge. Knowledge is power. This pushed me to improve everything I knew about digital marketing. Now, I can deliver my promises effectively, inspire and satisfy my clients.
Which social media platform have you found to be most effective to increase business revenues? Can you share a story from your experience?
Well, many people think that Facebook is still leading the way because of its great followership and user base. Of course, some years past it was the most effective platform that a business could use to increase its revenue. Nevertheless, I have realized that Instagram has taken over. When Facebook started having privacy issues, it lost all its credibility.
Since I started working back in 2012, I have seen dramatic changes in the way businesses get revenues after we laid marketing strategies leveraging various social media platforms. Allow me not to mention the companies and the platforms we used for privacy reasons. But I can tell you that Instagram Stories is a gold mine of opportunities.
Let’s talk about Instagram specifically, now. Can you share six ways to leverage Instagram to improve your business dramatically? Please share a story or an example for each.
Instagram has grown tremendously, and most businesses are shifting their eyes in its direction. Nevertheless, changing their marketing to Instagram without the required marketing strategies will not help. That’s why we are committed to not just direct clients to the right social media platform but also to show them the marketing strategies to apply in order to get the expected leads and revenue. There are many ways you can leverage Instagram to improve your business dramatically but let’s talk about the most important six briefly:
1. Always include content that is user-generated
For example, I would say some of the ways you can leverage user-generated content is by using hashtags which users can use in their posts. You can also integrate UGC with the strategy that you are using to advertise. Finally, you can use incentives and giveaways to attract your users. I have seen it work time and time again so it will definitely work for you.
2. Share your businesses’ achievements
This is one of the best strategies you can use to make your followers relate with your business culture. For example, you can be posting pictures of the projects your employees are working on or are engaging with. You can also post photos and videos that create a connection with your followers.
3. Let your followers know your story
In this case, for example, you can tell your followers a very compelling story about your company using Instagram Stories. This will create confidence and inspire trust in your audience about your company. Share both the good and bad sides of your company’s journey to show how far you have come from. This is where you can add links to your website or blog articles.
4. Make use of Instagram filters
You can use Instagram filters to make your photos and images more attractive to your followers. Take advantage of editing tools to create more engaging posts. Nevertheless, you should be consistent with your filtering process so you can have brand consistency. You can use this to build a high-quality brand which is very crucial in representing what you deal with.
5. Make use of the geolocation features
This will help new clients that are close to you know where your business is located or which areas you serve. For example, these location features enable you to associate specific locations with your company.
6. Collaborate with industry influencers
There are people in Instagram that have a large following and influence. For example, if you can share their brands and they share yours, you will be a step farther to taking your business brand to the top. You will end up having a wider audience and new engaged followers. With over 700 million users per month, you can bet Instagram is the way to go for your business to give you the best returns.
There are many other strategies, but you can use these 6 for a start.
Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amounts of good to many people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
One thing I love is philanthropic activities. I hate to see people especially children suffering because they lack basic needs. A significant calamity affecting our country is the increase in the number of homeless children who are turning into drugs. Maybe I would initiate a #SaveAChild movement to take care of this future generation that’s wasting away in perversion and addiction. This may require a rehab center for them and a place they can call home. Besides, I would give them access to education that will allow them to get paid in the real world.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them ☺
Yes! There is one important lady — Amy Porterfield. The reason is simple. She inspires me on her skills and expertise when it comes to coaching online marketing business. She has taught many business owners and entrepreneurs how to make it in the online marketing world. She carefully and skillfully shows you everything step by step until you get results. She doesn’t despise even the newest entrepreneurs. That’s the person I would like to meet; after all, we are almost in the same line of profession.
Wow! Thank you so much for these great insights. This was very enlightening.
Marketing Lessons From the Top: “Always include content that is user-generated” with Elias… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.