Web Summit 2020 Roundtable: 'How to Build a Social Media Following'
Political host Brian Tyler Cohen hosted a roundtable talk today, giving advice on how to build a social media following. Cohen is an independent political host who leads a progressive political show on YouTube and Facebook with nearly a billion views. Additionally, he hosts a podcast called 'No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen', which has featured high-profile guests, like incumbent US Vice President Kamala Harris. The roundtables are centred on the audience being given a chance to interact and ask questions, which tailors it to the specific viewers' interests.
Cohen gave solid points on how to build a big audience. He encourages you to begin putting content out, without worrying about it initially being perfect, because improvement will come through experience (and mistakes) and you will "learn through the virtue of doing it." With this, he stated that quantity is initially most important, then you can figure out your level of quality as you develop. He reiterated the importance of being consistent with your posting rate, as your viewers will find comfort in the structure and will therefore remain loyal to your content. Having a personal and authentic voice is key to be able to connect with your ever-growing audience. Finally, figure out what has worked for you in the past - what has got the most engagement - and determine why it did, and repeat that algorithm of content. With this, he stated that if your content is not working, do not be afraid to change it, but be aware that engagement is "peaks and valleys."
He also answered questions based on how he deals with online criticism, how he perfected his own content, how he keeps it current and his openness with mental health on social media. On the latter, he noted that the de-stigmatization of mental health starts with influencers. This is because having a community of people who accept it is vital to spreading the word worldwide. The final question of the talk asked Cohen his plan for content post-Trump. He responded with the point that he does not think bad politics started with Trump, which means it will not end with Trump, and there will always be a talking point. He said that even though his main negative focus has been on Trump, he is "happy to call out road-blocks on both the right or left." This transparency and openness mirrors the concept of the roundtable talks and Cohen's content. In my opinion, this roundtable and Cohen himself made the advice and skills personable and doable for businesses to build their social media following.
By Abigail Gamble
A recent BA English graduate, who loves to travel and the theatre.
Reviewed by Abigail Gamble
on
Wednesday, December 02, 2020
Rating:
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