Author: Franz Malten Buemann

I believe that one of the biggest myths about starting a business—particularly a product-based one—is that you need a lot of capital to get going. While that may be true for certain industries or those who want to open with a full store of inventory, it is often possible to launch with very little.At least, that’s how it worked out for me. When I started building Witch’s Way Craft, I had a vision for the shop it is today, with a vast inventory of candles, crystals, and all manner of magickal goods. But, with only about $500 of savings that I could afford to spend, there’s no way I could stock all of that from the get go.Instead, I started small, letting the shop grow as my budget allowed—which happened faster than I could have ever dreamed of. A year or so after listing my first ten candles on Etsy, I was making about $1,000 a week in revenue, so I felt ready to quit my job to see what would happen if I gave it my all. Less than a year after that, I was making enough to hire my husband full-time. Less than two years later, with both of us working diligently on the business, we hit $1 million in total revenue and have continued growing ever since.For anyone else who has big business-owning dreams on a small budget, I’m here to share some of the strategies that helped me make it happen.I Reinvested Most of Our Profit Straight Back Into the BusinessI spent 100 percent of that initial $500 on supplies to make my first candles. Once I made and sold them, I made back that initial investment, plus $500 in profit. Then I had $1,000 to invest in new inventory and business growth. As I sold more and my revenue increased, I started buying cooler vintage glass candle vessels and shopping at trade shows to add crystals to my inventory, giving customers a reason to come back and buy something new. Over time, by reinvesting the money made from sales, the store has grown from ten items to over 1,000 in stock, and we now have thousands of dollars to reinvest in building out our first brick-and-mortar store. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WITCH’S WAY CRAFT MAGICK SHOP (@witchswaycraft) As a business without a lot of initial capital, I had to get used to these waves of growing, waiting for that growth to pay off, and then having the money to grow some more. It was frustrating at times to not be able to do everything I envisioned from the start, but I’m glad I didn’t let that stop me from slowly building toward it.What about paying myself along the way? I’ve never officially given myself a salary (since the business is a sole-proprietorship, technically all of the money passes through to my personal finances), and instead my husband and I pull money out as we need it for bills and such. It’s not the most glamorous lifestyle, but it does allow us to put as much into growing the business as possible. And it’s not like we’re living in squalor: For instance, last year we were able to buy our first house. We saw it as both a personal investment and a business investment that would allow us to store more inventory without needing to rent warehouse space.I Used Relationships to Grow My Customer BaseThroughout this growth, I’ve spent very little money on marketing, instead relying on word of mouth and relationship-building to grow our customer base.The one big exception to this, and something that really jump-started our following, was paying for table space at local maker’s markets, craft fairs, and flea markets. The first time, I spent $40 to share a table with another vendor and made something like $300, which felt huge at the time. As I started doing more markets, I’d make $500-600 on a bad day and over $1000 on a good one. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WITCH’S WAY CRAFT MAGICK SHOP (@witchswaycraft) The sales were great, but even better was to see the effect that direct customer connection could have on my business growth. People really responded to hearing me talk about my candles, the care that went into choosing the materials and making them, and what each one means to me or how it can be used. Even if they didn’t buy right away, I’d notice more local web orders come in during the days following fairs or a jump in followers on our Instagram.I also developed relationships with other small business owners at the markets, many of whom were willing to help each other succeed. We started doing “shop shares,” where we would all share products from another person’s business in our Instagram stories or on the feed. These weren’t giveaways and we didn’t charge each other for them—they were simply in-kind sharing, and we tried to make them feel really organic instead of promotional. It always led to a nice bump in followers and reminded me of the power of seeing other businesses as community instead of competition. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WITCH’S WAY CRAFT MAGICK SHOP (@witchswaycraft) I Got Creative With How I Connected With CustomersOur next big jump in growth came when I started doing live sales on Instagram. (If you’re not familiar, it’s basically like watching QVC on your phone.) I had noticed some other makers doing these, and it seemed like a craft fair but without the cost and need to transport products, and with a larger reach. At that point I had about 10-15K followers, and made $2,500 in three hours in our first sale. I was blown away, and I had fun doing it. It was just me blabbing for a few hours: Showing off the products we had for sale, talking about how I might use them in rituals, answering questions, and just showing off my personality. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WITCH’S WAY CRAFT MAGICK SHOP (@witchswaycraft) I started doing these once every week or two, and they became a staple of our customers’ schedules. People would come and just have a good time, invite their friends to join and hear my antics. During the pandemic it became a sort of social hour for everyone that allowed people to not only connect with the product, but for us all to connect with each other. Later, when I would see orders come in, I would recognize the name and be able to follow up about something personal they mentioned during the live. Common business advice often says not to let your business be personal, but it was by getting personal through these live sales that I was able to grow our business to new heights. We still do live sales regularly and, with over 75K followers today, they are a meaningful part of our sales and marketing strategy. (All with no cost to us except our time and making sure we have plenty of product in stock.)To be clear, we are not millionaires. We are still growing, and much of the money we make is still going straight back into the business, meaning we have to be scrappy to this day. We’ve bribed friends with wine and Netflix to come over and help us pack boxes or asked grocery stores for their old promotional flyers to use for packaging. It was clear to me early on that nobody was going to do the hard work for me unless I could afford to pay them, so I had to do it myself to build my business on a budget.And, as impressive as this success story may seem, I do think we could have grown faster. I was afraid of pricing things as high as I could have (as high as my competitors were), because I didn’t want to seem greedy, but ultimately that hurt our margins and held us back. But it was never just about money for me. I went in wanting to make enough to support myself and my husband, and to do it without hating my job. Now, I get to make and sell products I love, surrounded by customers I love, and with the person I love. And that’s something I can’t wait to keep building.

Want to launch your own podcast (or a podcast for your company) but don’t know where to start? I’ve got you – starting a podcast is simpler than it seems.

I was an avid podcast listener for years before deciding to start my own show in 2018. I took my podcast from idea to launch in 10 days with no audio experience — and if I can do it, you can too. In fact, starting a podcast is easier than ever as the medium has increased in popularity and profitability.

Podcasting is a fast-growing medium with 62% of people aged 12 and over listening. Having a podcast is a great way to get in front of your audience to build connections, and grow your business.
Here’s the ultimate checklist to help you start a successful podcast.

1. Determine your niche.
First, you’ll want to decide which genre your podcast falls under. This is important so platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify can properly categorize your podcast, and it helps those who are interested in the topics you’re covering find your show.
According to Edison Research, the top 10 podcast genres with the most weekly listeners in 2022 are:

Comedy
News
Society & Culture
True Crime
Sports
TV & Film
Business
Arts
Religion & Spirituality
Education

Determine which genre best describes the podcast you’d like to create or the industry you’re in, and keep this topic in mind as you plan out your content and prepare for launch.
2. Identify your ideal listener.
Now that you know what your podcast is going to be about, you’ll want to identify who your ideal listener is. Much like creating a buyer persona, take time to get clear on who you want to reach with your show.
Here are some characteristics to consider when identifying your ideal listener:

Age
Occupation
Education Level
Income
Interests
Hobbies
Geographic Location

As you craft your ideal listener persona consider the following questions: What is this listener interested in? If you were having a conversation with this listener, what questions would they ask? What other podcasts is this person listening to, and what does that tell you about what they want to hear? How often do they listen to podcasts? Where do they learn about new podcasts?
The answers to these questions can help you create content your potential audience is looking for. You may want to survey a small group of people to get their feedback on your podcast idea and to learn more about their media consumption habits.
3. Name your podcast and determine the launch date.
At this point, you know what your podcast is about and you’ve identified your ideal listener – now it’s time to choose a name. Whether your podcast name is related to your business or is something entirely new, perform an extensive search to make sure the name you want is available and is not associated with any other podcasts, brands, or registered trademarks.
This would also be a great time to determine your launch date. Aim to give yourself plenty of time to launch, factoring in the time it takes to get approved by podcasting platforms (more on this below).
4. Decide which format and publishing schedule you’d like to follow.
Next, you’ll want to determine the format you’ll follow for your podcast. Will it be an interview podcast? A scripted show? Documentary-style? Or will the host(s) be speaking on their own?
At this point, you should consider the publishing cadence you’d like to follow. The most common podcast publishing schedules are weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. When it comes to podcasting, consistency is more important than frequency, so aim to choose a schedule you’ll be able to maintain.
5. Select a podcast hosting service.
Now it’s time to get this show off the ground! To create a podcast you’ll need to sign up for a podcast hosting service. This is an online service that stores your audio files in an RSS feeds and distributes the audio to platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Some of the most popular platforms are Anchor, Libsyn, Buzzsprout, and Podbean. Many platforms offer free hosting with paid upgrades depending on what your needs are.
If you know you’ll want to eventually monetize your podcast with advertisements, consider using a platform that offers monetization options.
6. Create podcast artwork.
Your podcast artwork gives listeners a first impression of your show before they press play, so you want it to be good. You can outsource the creation of your artwork to a graphic designer or you can use a tool such as Canva to create your own.
Go through your podcast directory of choice to check out what elements the top-rated shows in your niche have to inspire your artwork, and make sure it’s true to your brand.
When creating your artwork, make sure it:

Is a clear image that doesn’t appear blurry
Doesn’t contain any copyrighted images or logos of non-affiliated companies
Is easy to read in smaller sizes
Is consistent with your branding

It’s also imperative that your podcast artwork is the correct size. Apple suggests using a 3000×3000 pixel image. Incorrect sizing can impact your podcast’s ability to publish and display in directories correctly, so you’ll want to make sure your artwork is the right size.
When your artwork is complete, you’ll upload it to your podcast hosting service to ensure it shows up correctly across platforms.
7. Get your podcasting equipment.
Your podcast recording setup can be as complex or as simple as you’d like. If you’re opting to record at a local studio, this would be the perfect point in the process to research options near you and book time to record.
If you plan to record at home and are looking for a straightforward setup, all you’ll need is:

A laptop or computer
A USB or XLR microphone (if you use an XLR microphone, make sure you get a mixer to connect the mic to your computer)
Headphones
Recording software such as Squadcast, Zencastr, Zoom, or Riverside
Editing software such as GarageBand, Audacity, Adobe Audition, or Descript

You can check out the full list of podcast tools we recommend here. Once you have what you need, find a quiet place at home to get set up and you’re ready to record.
8. Create your podcast trailer.
A trailer is a short audio clip that introduces your podcast to new listeners and gets them excited to tune in. In your podcast trailer you’ll want to include:

An introduction to your podcast and what it’s about
A teaser of what’s to come, or highlights so the audience knows what to expect
When listeners can expect new episodes
A call-to-action inviting the listener to come back

Most podcast trailers are around one to two minutes in length. Once your trailer is ready, you can upload it to your podcast hosting service.
9. Submit your podcast to online podcast directories.
In step five you set up your podcast in your podcast hosting service. Your platform will provide an RSS feed you can submit to podcast directories so listeners can tune in to your show. Here are the top two platforms you’ll want to submit your podcast:

Apple Podcasts — Apple pioneered the podcasting medium and is where 39% of people listen to podcasts. Learn how to submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts Connect here. Note that it can take up to two weeks for Apple to approve your podcast, so you’ll want to factor this into your launch plan.
Spotify — Spotify is the second most popular podcast streaming app, used by 26% of podcast listeners. You can submit your podcast to Spotify by providing your RSS feed to their website for podcasters.

Streaming your podcast to other platforms such as Stitcher, Castbox, Pandora, and Amazon Music can be managed within your podcast host settings.
10. Prepare your first three episodes.
When you launch your podcast to your audience, you’ll want to have a few episodes available so they can get as much value from your show as possible and feel more inclined to listen in the future.
Launching with a few episodes also gives your show a chance to earn more downloads, ratings, and reviews in a shorter period of time, which can be helpful for discoverability and ranking on the charts. When you launch, aim to have your trailer and first three episodes available.
I like to create a script for each podcast episode outlining the points I want to make if recording solo, or the questions I’d like to ask the guest I’m interviewing. Creating a solid script or outline is especially helpful when you’re a new podcaster getting used to the medium. Read through and edit the script, and practice reading it out loud to hear how it sounds.
Once your scripts are ready, record your launch episodes in your recording software of choice. From there you can edit them yourself or hire an editor to edit them for you. When editing, be mindful of any background noise and filler words that could distract the listener.
11. Write the show notes for your launch episodes.
Now that your first few episodes are recorded, it’s time to write the show notes. Show notes are essentially short blog posts that accompany each podcast episode. The show notes are a great place to put a general description of the episode along with links to any resources mentioned, or products you’d like to bring attention to.
While it can be tempting to gloss over show notes, it’s worth putting in a bit of effort. Not only are podcast show notes helpful for SEO which can bring new listeners to your show, but they can keep your audience engaged and ready to follow your content on other platforms.
12. Secure your podcast social media handles.
If you haven’t already, make sure you’ve saved the social media handles related to your podcast. Some podcasters create social media accounts dedicated to their podcasts, while others use their existing personal or business accounts to promote their shows.
Whichever you decide, you’ll still want to make sure you own the name and identity of your show across socials and online, so make sure you’ve saved related social media handles and web domains.
13. Upload and schedule your launch episodes.
Once your episodes are edited and your show notes are written, you’re ready to publish. Upload your audio files and show notes to your podcast host and schedule your episodes to publish on your desired launch date. Your launch date should fall on the day of the week you plan to publish moving forward.

Research by Megaphone found podcast episodes published on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays around 5 am EST resulted in higher downloads than those published at other dates and times.
14. Market your podcast and celebrate your launch.
Congratulations, you just launched your first podcast! Now it’s time to get the word out by marketing your show to your ideal listeners and celebrating your hard work. In 2022, short-form video has become a popular medium for promoting podcasts, with podcasters sharing short videos or audiograms of each episode on platforms such as Reels, TikTok, and YouTube.
Starting a podcast can be a rewarding creative endeavor that allows you to serve your audience in a new way. Bookmark this post to serve as your checklist as you navigate your launch.

Many major emerging technologies in artificial and virtual reality are becoming more accessible, but are they worth investing in? 
In this post, I’ve gathered TK stats related to emerging technologies and the impacts and potential impacts they can have on marketing and marketers in the near future. 

Augmented and Virtual Reality
For years, researchers have said that virtual reality, which gives viewers an immersive and interactive 360-degree virtual experience, will hold the best opportunities for gaming, entertainment, and academic industries.
Experts have also thought that augmented reality, a partially immersive but still interactive experience, will thrive in the world of branding and marketing.
We have already seen some of these predictions come true, but both still have significant potential. Here are 16 stats that demonstrate the growth and opportunities of AR and VR.

Consumer and enterprise virtual reality market revenue is expected to reach $6.71 billion by the end of 2022 and $12.9 billion by 2024. (Statista)
Augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality market size worldwide is expected to jump by more than 220 billion USD between 2021 and 2028. (Statista)
101.6 million people in the US will use AR in 2022. (eMarketer)
39% of media planners who use NFTs say they have the best ROI of any channel in their media mix. (HubSpot Blog)
In a recent study, 33% of survey respondents understand the concept of the metaverse, 37% have heard of it but aren’t sure what it means, and 30% aren’t sure at all. (GlobalWebIndex)
Over half of consumers are interested in participating in the metaverse, and 1 in 3 who haven’t heard of it still say they want to be involved.(GlobalWebIndex)
It’s estimated that, by the end of 2022, virtual reality hardware and software sales will generate more than 6.4 billion USD in revenue. (Statista)
54% of people visit the metaverse to play games, 46% visit to virtually hang out with online friends, and 43% visit to virtually hang out with in-person friends. (HubSpot Blog)
36% of consumers interested in participating in the metaverse worry about how companies will use their personal data online. (GlobalWebIndex)
Over the next five years, Gartner predicts that one in four people will spend at least one hour per day in the metaverse. (Gartner)
Over the next five years, 30% of businesses will have some sort of product or service available in the metaverse. (Gartner)
Over 1 in 5 people aged 24-54 are invested in crypto. (HubSpot Blog)
People ages 18-24 are likely to buy NFTs to join a community. (HubSpot Blog)
Deloitte’s 2021 Global Blockchain Survey found that 80% of participants say their industries will see new revenue streams from blockchain, digital assets, and/or cryptocurrency solutions. (Deloitte)
Over 250 million Snapchatters use an AR feature on the app every single day. (Modern Retail)
Creators on Snapchat have built over 2.5 million AR Lenses. (Modern Retail)

Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is so prevalent in 2022 that many of us don’t even notice all the ways we interact with iton a given day. If you’re less familiar with AI, here are eight stats to keep in mind:

Gartner forecasts that the worldwide artificial intelligence software market will reach $62 billion by the end of 2022. (Gartner)
The business value of AI will reach $5.1 billion by 2025. (Gartner)
52% of marketers prioritize implementing marketing automation platforms to enhance their marketing efforts. (Demand Gen Report)
17% of marketers currently use automation or artificial intelligence as part of their marketing strategy. (HubSpot Blog)
1 in 5 consumers uses live chat or in-app chat daily. (Vonage)
71% of consumers say they would be happy to use a chatbot if it meant an improved customer experience. (Conversocial)
A Drift survey reported that 54.8% of B2B professionals across various industries say they receive a greater volume of high-quality leads with chatbot tools. (Drift)
61% of people globally believe that automation could put people’s jobs at risk. (PWC)

Voice Assistants and Smart Speakers
While voice assistants are technically a segment of AI, they’ve become so prominent in the emerging media world that they deserve their own section of stats.

Statista predicts that the number of digital voice assistants will reach 8.4 billion units by 2024, which is higher than the world’s total population. (Statista)
The total number of Amazon Echo users is more than double that of Google Home. (eMarketer)
123.5 million adults in the US will use voice assistants at least once per month. (eMarketer)
Almost all voice assistant users use the technology on a smartphone. (eMarketer)
By 2023, digital voice ecommerce is expected to triple to an $80 billion industry. (Juniper Research)

Smart Devices and Appliances
Smart appliances and devices have significant potential to impact marketing. Although the space is still young, it’s providing interesting opportunities to bigger brands. 
As you can imagine, devices like smart TVs could provide great potential for content marketing and branded media. However, a more unique example of an appliance that could provide brand potential is a smart refrigerator.
“I’m excited to see how a smart fridge that can tell me when my avocados are about to spoil can be leveraged by a brand to give me information that might serve me in that particular information, says Amanda Zantal-Wiener, a senior content strategist who creates content for HubSpot that covers news and trends.
But, Zantal-Weiner’s excitement doesn’t end at smart-home appliances — she’s also fascinated by the world of smart cars.
“Until we start to see self-driving cars on the road, the idea of connected cars can also be used to help me do more than mindlessly scroll through my phone when I’m using a ride-hailing service, by serving as a distribution channel for real-time, relevant information during that trip. Everything is connected, and I’m excited to see which brands are able to adapt to that earlier on in a way that actually helps customers,” Zantal-Wiener explains.
Here are four key stats that highlight why you should keep these technologies on your radar.

Smart home appliance user growth will more than double between 2020 and 2025, from 30.6 million to 64 million. (eMarketer)
Smart TVs are the most popular smart home devices. (Statista)
The average cost of a smart-home device is expected to drop by 52% by 2023 (Juniper Research)
The percentage of US internet users using a smart appliance will increase to 21% by 2025. (eMarketer)

Navigating the Future of Marketing
Yes, creating voice assistant skills, leveraging AI, and building branded AR/VR experiences might be pretty inaccessible and costly to your company right now.
But, if you want to continue to innovate your brand or be a competitive marketer in the far future, you’ll want to keep up with how technology and marketing possibilities are evolving — you’ll be more prepared to adopt new technologies when they are accessible in the future.

Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success.
Zippia found that 67.5% of all content creators and influencers are white.
As people look to influencers to find someone like them to take inspiration from, the overwhelming amount of White content creators means that Black consumers likely have a hard time finding what they’re looking for.  
In this post, we’ve compiled a list of Black influencers from various industries with authentic perspectives and advice that are worth following.

Black Influencers to Follow on TikTok
1. Marquees Brownlee — Technology Youtuber
Niche: Technology and software
Marquees Brownlee is a tech influencer known for his reviews and instructional videos. He has over 3M views on his YouTube channel, and, as an influencer in a predominantly and overwhelmingly white industry, he is a great representation and inspiration for those looking to make waves in their own communities.
On TikTok, he reviews mobile gadgets, digital tech, and software developments to help his audiences make informed decisions about their purchases.

@mkbhd
RIP. The last iPod has been officially discontinued.
♬ original sound – Marques Brownlee

 
2. Tabitha Brown — Actress and Influencer
Niche: Food and lifestyle
Tabitha Brown is a food and lifestyle influencer well-known for her calm demeanor and comedic cooking videos. She shares recipes and inspirational content on TikTok and shows audiences what plant-based living looks like. She also gives actionable advice to those looking to follow in her footsteps, helping aspiring entrepreneurs searching for inspiration.

@iamtabithabrown “YOU” season is not the same as “YOUR”  they can be uncomfortable as you get back to YOU, but lean into the discomfort ❤️. You deserve YOU!! Love you!
#spreadlove
#tabithabrown
♬ original sound – Tabitha Brown

 
3. Dayna Bolden — Creative Director of Bolden Creative Media
Niche: Lifestyle and entrepreneurship
Dayna Bolden is the Creative Director of Bolden Creative Media and a lifestyle and entrepreneurship influencer and blogger. On TikTok, she shares lifestyle content like morning routines and travel advice, and she’s a worthwhile follow for entrepreneurs looking to learn about maximizing their potential and achieving success.

@daynabolden
Another productive morning as a Boss Mom #routine #morningroutine #momlife #momsoftiktok
♬ original sound – Dayna Bolden

Black Influencers to Follow on Twitter
4. Shana Minei Spence, MS, RDN, CDN — Registered nutritionist
Niche: Lifestyle and wellness
Shana Minei Spence, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, created a platform for open discussion on nutrition and wellness to dispel misinformation in the lifestyle and wellness industry.
She shares content on Twitter about finding balance, food education, and recipes she enjoys making, giving her audience access to high-quality and accurate information. She’s an excellent inspiration for entrepreneurs looking to learn how to engage with audiences, build a following, and make an impact in their niche.
5. Tiara Willis — Licensed esthetician
Niche: Beauty, skincare, and lifestyle
Tiara Willis, licensed esthetician, has built a community for women of color, who are often left out of beauty, makeup, and skincare discussions.  
Willis shares tips, insight, and information with her followers to help them make informed decisions about the products they use and how they relate to people’s skin complexions.
She’s a worthwhile follow for people looking to learn more about skincare and for entrepreneurs looking to learn how to interact with audiences, build community, and share information (she was the first person to sell out a ticketed Twitter Spaces event about content monetization).

Image Source
Black Influencers to Follow on Instagram
6. Donye Taylor – Director of Creative Initiatives at Fohr
Niche: Marketing and advertising
Donye Taylor is Director of Creative Initiatives at Fohr, an ambassador marketing company, and a marketing and advertising expert that helps brands develop marketing content that stands out and shares their unique brand personality.
On Instagram, she shares marketing tips, tricks, and advice that her followers can learn from and apply to their practices to up their marketing game. Taylor also runs a fun and relevant series where she explains how she would market musical artists’ projects. Most recently, she created a sample campaign for rapper Jack Harlow.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by donYe taylor (@donyetaylor)

 
7. Shontay Lundy – Creator and Founder of Black Girl Sunscreen
Niche: Entrepreneurship and beauty
Shontay Lundy is the creator and founder of Black Girl Sunscreen (a sunscreen for Black people) and disruptor of an industry that historically underserved and excluded Black people from conversations about sun care and sun safety.
Lundy grew the brand into a million-dollar business that you can find on the shelves of popular stores like Target, Ulta, and CVS Health. On her Instagram, Lundy shares inspirational content for entrepreneurs and founders embarking on their own ventures.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Shontay Lundy (@shontay_lundy)

8. John Henry — Founder and CEO of Loop
Niche: Business and finance
John Henry is the founder and CEO of Loop, AI-powered car insurance, and an entrepreneur and influencer in business and finance. He is well recognized for his impact and was named in Forbes 30 under 30, Inc. 30 under 30, and Ebony Power 100.
He shares must-know information on Instagram about the bias and privilege in insurance that excludes people in lower-income communities, which ties directly to his company’s mission of making care insurance more equitable for people of color.
As an influencer, he also shares advice for entrepreneurs on their own ventures that may be facing roadblocks and looking for inspiration.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by John Henry (@johnhenrystyle)

 
9. Cinneah E – Project Manager at PayPal, Creator of Flynanced
Niche: Finance, travel, and business
Cinneah E is an influencer in many different niches.  Most significantly, she shares tips and actionable advice for people in the workforce, like how to continue to live the lifestyle you want while maintaining a 9-5, how to have an effective job search, and how to continue to develop skill sets through continued education opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Cinneah E (sin•EE•ah) – Wealth for 9-5 Hotties (@fly.nanced)

More Black Influencers to Follow

Jackie Aina — Beauty, fashion, and lifestyle influencer
Esther Olu — Cosmetic chemist and licensed esthetician
Jessica Clemons, M.D. — Board-Certified Psychiatrist
Hunter Harris — Writer
Barry Jenkins — Filmmaker
Jillian Anderson — CoFounder of HERide App
Jahmal Cole – Founder & CEO My Block, My Hood, My City
Marie Beecham — Activist
Elaine Welteroth — Author
Eunique Jones Gibson – CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Culture Brands

Right now, Gen Z is the main target audience for brands trying to stay relevant and attract new consumers. Gen Z’s love for platforms like TikTok and Twitch caused many companies to switch up their marketing tactics —turning to strategies like influencer and social media marketing. However, there’s a new generation that is expected to change the marketing landscape even more: Gen Alpha.
This generation is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century — in a fully digital world. Alpha is also expected to be the largest generation in history with over 2 billion people by 2025. With those numbers, this generation will have a lot of buying power, so companies need to prepare their marketing strategies. Here’s what brands and companies need to know about this next generation of consumers.

Who is Gen Alpha?
Generation Alpha is the demographic that comes after Generation Z and is made up of anyone born during or after 2010. Right now, Gen Alpha is composed of children under the age of 12, so the oldest in this demographic will become teenagers in 2023. The cut-off year to be considered born into Gen Alpha is 2025.
Gen Alpha kids are also sometimes called “mini millennials” because they are the children of Millennials, are believed to have a really close relationship with their parents, and are likely to have similar consumer habits.
What is Gen Alpha Like?
According to Heather Dretsch, assistant professor of marketing at North Carolina State University, Gen Alpha children will likely mimic their parents when it comes to the kinds of products they consume as they get older. That’s because millennial parents are extremely conscious of the products they use.
“As health-conscious caretakers, millennial parents seek out a lot of information about the products they buy and expose their kids to,” Dretsch said. “From toys and food to clothing and personal care products, they love to be in the know about the best brands for their children, and they choose only the safest, cleanest, highest-quality ones.”
Since Millennials are deciding what brands are to be trusted in their homes, Gen Alpha will likely choose those same brands and products for themselves because they’ll be all they know. With that in mind, Dretsch says Gen Alpha kids are already aware of cheap knockoffs and competitors — and they already have a strong preference for higher-quality products and industry-leading brands.
Gen Alpha is also more connected than ever due to growing up in the age of social media. In a 2022 survey by market research company GWI, it was found that 38% of children said they spend most of their time on social media after school. GWI said the number increases by 43% on the weekends.
That same survey shows that 43% of children preferred to speak to their friends online over the weekend instead of seeing them in person.

Not only are Gen Alpha kids connected to their peers via social media, they are also socially aware and keep a pulse on global concerns like climate change.
For example, Shopify writer Dayna Winter spoke to three young children and asked them what is the one invention they would create if they could. Ten-year-old Zy said she’d invent a device that would make getting vaccines easier and “less scary.” Eleven-year-olds Fia and Mylo both worried about climate change. Fia would invent a machine that picks up trash from the ocean, and Mylo described climate change as a “snowball” that’s getting bigger as time passes but is small enough to stop before it’s too late.
All three children are part of an online program called Upstander Academy where they learn about social justice and regularly interact with guest speakers that include politicians, activists, and entrepreneurs. The program was started by World-Changing Kids founder Lindsey Barr. Barr, who is also a mother, told Winter she started the program because she noticed children have already developed an interest in social justice.
“They want to talk about social issues,” Barr said. “They care about homelessness, they care about refugees.”
Gen Alpha’s interest in world issues has a lot to do with constantly being in front of a screen and having a lot of access to the internet via tablets and smartphones. That screen time has only increased during the pandemic, which caused children to spend a lot of time at home with their devices.
The way Gen Alpha interacts with the digital world also differs from previous generations. Thanks to platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Minecraft, and Roblox, Gen Alpha children are accustomed to content that gives opportunities to contribute and not just consume.
For example, Fia told Winter she enjoys playing in Roblox Studio because it’s where users can learn code and create games for Roblox.
How Future Marketers Can Prepare for Gen Alpha
So what does all of the above information have to do with marketing to Gen Alpha? Well, now we know the following about that demographic:

They have refined taste when it comes to the products they consume.
They are deeply concerned about issues like social justice and climate change.
They enjoy technology and content that keeps them informed, connected, and creates opportunities to contribute instead of just consume.

With that in mind, here’s what marketers need to do to reach Gen Alpha:
Be authentic and transparent.
Again, Gen Alpha is incredibly socially aware, which means they are also aware of how certain products, services, and industries have long-term impacts on the environment and society. With that in mind, brands will need to be transparent about their mission, impact, and what they’re doing to provide solutions.
For example, fashion brands shouldn’t shy away from discussing the negative impacts fast fashion has had on the environment. Instead, these brands should invest in creating products that are environmentally friendly and of long-lasting quality. Brands should make it clear to Gen Alpha consumers that the company is doing the work to lessen its impact on the environment.
Being transparent also means acknowledging the role your company may have played in issues like social justice and climate change — be it good or bad.
For example, let’s say your fashion brand has a history of generating large carbon emissions through its manufacturing process. A great way to gain the attention (and trust) of Gen Alpha is through marketing materials proving the company is actively combatting the issue by changing manufacturing practices and partnering with organizations fighting climate change.
This shows honesty and social responsibility, and it provides a solution.
Create experiences and not just products.
Gen Alpha kids are growing up during a huge content creator boom where everyone is given the chance to lend their creativity to platforms like TikTok. Knowing this, it’s important that brands and companies figure out ways to give people in this generation opportunities to contribute and not just buy.
One way to do this is to leverage interactive marketing tactics like user-generated content that allow audiences to be a part of the experience. For example, the England-based band Glass Animals has a website that allows fans to create their own art, memes, and music to be used for the band’s future projects.
Gen Alpha also loves to learn, especially regarding the latest technology. So if you’re a tech-based company or brand, holding interactive workshops that showcase your products’ different features can also pique their interest.

Create meaningful content that connects with Gen Alpha wherever they are.
Social media and virtual communities play a huge role in the lives of Gen Alph —, so in the future, brands will need to leverage interactive social media campaigns that meet Gen Alpha where they are. A great example of this is Pringles’ #PlayWithPringles campaign.
The campaign was started after the company noticed consumers were already on TikTok making content involving Pringles cans. So Pringles decided to join in the fun by starting its own challenge as a brand campaign. The company partnered with TikTok creators and influencers to challenge users to make creative videos using Pringles cans. After five months, the campaign generated over one billion views and more than 278 million videos.
Gen Alpha is expected to be the most socially aware and digitally savvy generation thus far, so brands will need to be smart about how they connect with them. While there is still so little information about this young generation, the information above can help your brand prepare to delight them in the future.

submitted by /u/Frequent-Fondant5582 [link] [comments]