ATLANTA SOCIAL MEDIA MASTERCLASS

We live in a social media climate where the hierarchy of social platform followers has become an integral part of one’s self-worth and deliverance of business, and I’m on a mission to change that perspective one masterclass at a time. It all started in Nashville with breaking down the techniques of social media for a room full of entrepreneurs, influencers, bloggers, and more. However, when I took the show to Atlanta, Georgia, we digressed even further breaking down the many aspects of social media from branding to pr strategy to photography and creative direction to merely learning how to put oneself or their business out there. Ultimately, the goal was to teach people how to function as their own multi-level marketing departments. Traditionally, one would go to college and study for years just to get a marketing degree, but this class was designed to provide experiential evidence by way of a panel of experts + provide a blueprint for the students to work through during and after the course. The workbook that each student receives allows them to apply the lessons spoken in the class to their actual comprehensive marketing plan.

For the average individual trying to get a better understanding of why social media is working for some people and not others, this class breaks down the components of it. It shatters the standard beliefs of social media. It excludes the hierarchical silos that embed doubts in people. I created this class to teach people the hope of sharing their talents and dreams with the world and how to elicit a return on an investment that is larger than the mere goal of attaining a high follower count. As a matter of fact, I often say, “I hope you didn’t come here to get 100,000 followers.” We all have social media channels. It’s free. It does not matter how many followers you have. What matters is that you create content that engages them enough to create a ripple effect and drives sales and other’s who may be interested in your respective platform.

The room at 1372 WeWork Atlanta was a launching ground for over 40 individuals who are typically consumed by the noise of social media. It became a place of learning, but also Instagrammable moments, sweets, new friends and cheers to new goals! I designed my masterclass to be that of experience. It’s a connecting place where we actually socialize over the concept of social media. For example, a few of the students traveled from South Carolina, Los Angeles, Nashville, Birmingham, and Dallas, to name a few. We can sit on social media all day, and hope that we make the right connections, but you have to do the work. You have to network. You have to continue learning. This is my second masterclass, and even I walk away enlightened by the perspectives of the diverse panelists.

The Atlanta session included Chloe Cleaves of the Chloe Brand who broke down the difference between branding and social media! She shared aspects of branding that one needs to focus on to create a sustainable presence. Branding is your complete package. Social media is just your avenue to share it. Nathalie Cram of Litton Avenue shared her perspective on making extra money as a micro influencer. She shared how she’s able to work with big brands such as Oreo and Oscar de La Renta with a smaller social media footprint. No brand is too small to make money. Lauren Simpson of the Social Media Dr. shared her expertise on social media and how she’s used it to grow multiple brands for herself and celebrity accounts. Her first hand experience gave audience members insight into her daily process of connecting on social media. LaJoy Cox of LaJoy Cox Photography LLC shared aspects of photography that she utilizes to capture the perfect content, but also how to market that content on social media. She mentioned that per her $150 advertising budget per month, she books multiple thousand dollar weddings. Sarah Patton of Creative Souls tribe gave insight as to how she’s able to continue to grow a brand that supports various women in different cities all through social media. She is the ultimate connector, and networking is by far an essential tool of successful branding via social media.

Many take for granted the access that we have on social media to fan bases that we haven’t even cultivated. The instant access of it can provide a multitude of results if worked efficiently and adequately. We’re all bigger and better than the numbers we see on social media. Let’s dive deeper into the content and the results that happen when we choose to put in an authentic effort to connect with each other in the social media space.

I’d like to extend a special thanks to WeWork, the coworking space that continues to connect and inspire individuals all over the world.