How did a LinkedIn suspension led an online entrepreneur to control his destiny -
Social media is a treasure trove of tools that are free for creative entrepreneurs. On a single social platform, creators can share the content they create, advertise themselves, connect with and build audiences, and make money. It's clear why millions of creators choose social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube as the primary medium to connect with the digital world.
What happens when an owner or creator is denied access to their Facebook account in a matter of minutes? While this may seem as if it's a rare event, it's more common than you think. And it's not just people who have a problem with platforms' policies and rules that are targeted for punishment. AI algorithms as well as faulty methods of reporting often stop creators posting helpful and educative information with their fans.
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His livelihood was at stake, Avery knew something had to be done. Avery needed to secure his business, along with what was most important most valuable: his family. Let's look at how Avery transformed his online company from a social-reliant strategy to a social-supported strategy to take back control of his fate!
For a quick rendition of this interview, read Avery's replies to our Rapid-Fire Q & A series, or read on to learn the whole story!
Note: Responses were lightly edited to improve clarity.
Tell us your story. How did you get started on your journey to online success?
When you first started, how did you use social media in your company How has it changed in the years since then?
To me, social media at the time I first started, meant traffic. I believed that if you're going to get traffic to a website, it has to come from social media. This isn't any more. Let me say this: social media has been a huge help to my career and I wouldn't be sitting here without social media. However, I've seen the dark side of social media, such as the shadow ban, regular bans, and algorithm changes. It is not your responsibility to control the content in social networks. Your personal profile isn't the property of you. It's true, but it's a common belief that if there's a freebie, you're the one who's selling it. And that's really the case when it comes to social media. This is fantastic and can bring traffic to your site However, it's still a product of the company. Now I'm slightly more aware in my use of social media for my benefit and also make certain that I'm responsible for my assets, I actually am the owner of the assets. The other person doesn't own them.
Do you want to share with us your experience on LinkedIn?
While I was employed as a worker at Exxon at the time, I sort of got into social media. I had posted a few times on LinkedIn and noticed that people liked it, and my post got 3,000 views. So I started posting more and more on LinkedIn and these opportunities started popping up. It was the reason I managed to quit Exxon, as I was able to get chances through LinkedIn. Later on, I started my own business and I received a large portion of my clients from LinkedIn.
Every day for the last three years, I have posted free daily content on LinkedIn that helps a lot of users. I've grown my audience on LinkedIn to over 65,000 followers. About a month ago, in the middle of nowhere with no warning I tried to log into LinkedIn and was presented with this little notification saying I've been banned from LinkedIn. I was unable to create any posts, and I was unable to message anyone, and I was unable to connect with any person via LinkedIn. It was like suddenly, the site where I had been receiving 85 to 90% of my traffic, it was no longer available to me, and I was unsure of the reason. It was a bit scary since I'm the sole caregiver for my family. My family is dependent on me. My business is dependent on customers coming from LinkedIn to my website and learning more about me.
What are you doing to get over this? How are you moving forward?
Since then, I've been able to get it [my accountreturned. I've asked LinkedIn what I did wrong, and they didn't actually tell me. It's up to you to find out the answer on your own. Keep in mind, I'm not discussing anything controversial on LinkedIn. It's the way to get into a data career. It's all positive. The irony is that one of my suggestions to my readers is that you should spend the most time you can using LinkedIn.
However, I'm at the point where I'm terrified of losing my LinkedIn account]. The fear is so great that I'm scared to have to pay $99 per month to use their sales navigator service, which is basically premium LinkedIn. To ensure that, if I offer you $99 for a month, you won't ban me for no reason. Though, I have no faith that it is likely to happen. But obviously, it means an enormous amount to me, that I'll pay over a thousand dollars a year for them to not restrict me. This is the kind of relationship I'm in with LinkedIn] right now.
You've probably been building your list of email addresses a while before this event and, at the time, how much more important was securing your leads' as well as customers' email addresses?
The most crucial factor; if you could connect with people and communicate with them, without algorithms, the platforms, that is where magic occurs. So I'm definitely more focused on this today. In all honesty, the process of building an email list can be extremely difficult. One thing that's intriguing is the fact which people don't realize they need to do until much later in the game. Everyone's like, "I need social media followers." You don't have to; you just need email addresses. And for every three people you follow in social media or greater they're probably not worth more than one email. So 2,000 people on your email list is likely to be better over 10,000 on Instagram; you'll probably make more impact and earn more.
Based on what you've learned, after the LinkedIn event, what advice would you tell creators who use the social media platforms solely to connect with their fans?
Start building your email list today because the quicker you start building it, the faster you'll have success and earn more as well as have more impact, and you'll increase your audience on other social media platforms. Don't worry about the algorithm as much as you'd like, so start building your list of email subscribers right now.
Are you earning money from platforms on social media?
Here's the fun part. After LinkedIn removed me from their site and I was suspended, I realized that I had to diversify my content. At the time I was still averaging 1500 subscribers on YouTube. I had 7,000 users on TikTok. I was able to see 2,000 on Instagram. So I had diversified somewhat however, not nearly the number of subscribers on LinkedIn. I decided to devote a whole month in YouTube. I created 30 videos over 30 days. And let me tell you, it was exhausting. But I was able to increase the number of my subscribers by doubling my subscribers from 1,500 to 6,000. However, even with that number of subscribers, I only got about 3,000 hours of viewing time, which means I'm still just a few thousand of earning a penny from YouTube; you need a thousand subscriber and 4,000 viewing hours. In the end, I have not made much money through YouTube.
Do you want to talk a bit about the dark deal with brands?
I believe that brand-related deals can have their benefits, but in the same way, there is a lot of shady things that could be a result of them. One reason is that they] always try to lowball you. They can say, "This is my value," but they're always seeking to make less money than you're worth. And one thing concerning my program is that I'm the one in charge of what I get paid for. Brand deals mean you're not as far.
The other issue is that you're constantly putting your brand and reputation on someone else's product. Make sure you do your research and understand what the product is and determine if it's the best fit for your business. I'm one of those types of people that when I'm planning to do something, I want to take the time to do it. And if I'm putting my name in the ring I'm putting my faith in myself to perform. When you're taking brand deals, you're putting your name on the in the sand. This means you have to take care when it comes to price, and also be cautious about your image. And then honestly, the impact [on the lives of your customers] is lower too. You're not necessarily changing people's lives through a razor such as. I think running a community or coaching program or creating courses allows people to make an even greater influence in the world.
What advice would you give creators who aren't earning what they want through YouTube or social media platforms brand or affiliate deals?
If you're not making profits from social media, try doing your own thing--and it isn't required to be large. Be aware that I did not start running my own business on a full-time basis when I began running. I started with a workshop which was a 10 hour workshop , and I earned $1,000 and that's so good. Perhaps you start small; perhaps you'll make just $100 on your first product But the important thing is that suddenly you've done something that can scale to hopefully millions in the end. Doing the work on your own terms is a great feeling.
What advice would you give someone who's starting out, has never built a digital product before and has this desire to create a company, and they want to do it through social media? What advice would you give the creator?
First, I would say fail fast. I think that's one of the greatest things you can accomplish is to launch your digital products] fast but then let it fall. You're likely be able to gain a lot. One of my mistakes was I waited too long to launch in the beginning when I first launched. It's fine because I've learned from my mistakes, and if I'd been faster, maybe would have learned quicker. Then, what's the most dangerous scenario that could happen? I'm a very risk-averse person, and I like to consider the most likely scenario. What's the most likely scenario? And can I accept it? If you're just getting started The worst-case scenario is that you're right where you are at today and that's very comforting and reassuring, "Oh wait, the actual worst thing is nothing will change? What's the most beneficial possibility for you to be happening?" It can change your life as it changed mine.
The main point Do not rely upon social networks
The social media platform are an essential Swiss Army knife of creator tools; with it, you'll be able to use the potential to increase your market and your business, but at the risk of having your account being banned or suspended being banned constantly in the future It is advisable to not place all your eggs in the same basket, regardless of how good the basket.
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