Devcon is coming, how should project founders build social influence?
Enjoy the process.Author: Ish Verduzco
Compiled by: Shenchao TechFlow
Last week, I flew to New York City to host a workshop for cryptocurrency founders.
The goal was to provide them with some fundamental social skills that they could implement immediately.
Here’s a summary of my talk.
Why Build Social Influence?
An active social influence can help:
Increase sales
Attract talent
Build partnerships
Secure funding
Gain users
Collect product feedback
Build community
I was the head of growth at my last startup, and when we launched our beta version, we immediately gained 1,000 downloads thanks to our online influence.
For more details, see this.
I have friends who raised significant funds, built entire teams, and secured important partnerships solely based on their online influence.
If you still doubt whether it’s worth it, consider the following:
Chris Bakke:
When we were running our last company, I generated over $3 million in revenue between 2021-2022 solely through my personal Twitter account (at that time, I had far fewer followers).
How to Manage Social Media While Running a Company?
Time is limited, and there’s a lot to do, so you might feel that content creation isn’t your strong suit.
Here are 5 tips to help you get started today:
Tip #1: Focus on One Platform
Choose the platform where your target audience is most active.
Identify 10-20 creators who have your ideal audience.
Follow them and study their content.
Set notifications for the top 5 accounts.
Engage with their content and the people in their replies.
Once you master one platform, consider expanding to a second.
Tip #2: Schedule Dedicated Creation Time
Treat your online presence as part of your job.
People are more likely to follow individuals rather than brands.
Dedicate at least 10% of your time to this.
Set aside a few hours each week to focus on content creation.
Use Typefully or Bluecast to schedule next week’s content in advance.
Engage in community management daily.
Tip #3: Use Prompts and Daily Themes
Prompt examples:
"Explain your work in simple terms."
"Share how you came up with the product idea."
More prompts can be found here.
Theme examples:
Monday - Thought Leadership
Tuesday - Community Highlights
Wednesday - Company Updates
Thursday - Product Marketing
Friday - Founder Reflections
Tip #4: Seek Support from Your Team
If you find it challenging, ask your team for help:
Interview you to uncover stories.
Assist in editing and formatting your social media content.
Actively engage after your posts go live.
Don’t:
Let others completely take over your account.
Overthink it. Take action, gather data, and then optimize.
Tip #5: Empower Employees
View employees as "internal KOLs."
Encourage them to share their expertise online.
Allow them to build their own audiences and advocate for the brand.
Leverage employee networks to spread company content.
Create a Slack channel for company social posts to promote interaction.
Foster a culture of positive online presence.
Finally, I believe a successful founder's online presence should include:
Consistent and regular content posting.
Active engagement with interactions.
Sharing knowledge in their field of expertise.
Not making it feel like they are always selling a product.
Sharing personal life (like hobbies or interests).
Maintaining a light and humorous attitude.
Not viewing social media merely as a promotional tool.
Showcasing personal charm.
Summary
Start with one social platform.
Set aside dedicated time for creation each week.
Use prompts and themes to overcome writer's block.
Leverage your team’s strength to uncover your stories.
Encourage employees to build their own online presence.
Bonus tip: Enjoy the process. This is social media.
