“Resonate” with Alex Wolf at BYOB
By: Jayla Moody
Over 2,000 content creators and entrepreneurs of color gathered in Atlanta, Georgia for Memorial Day weekend. They didn’t just gather to celebrate the holiday and the 3-day weekend, but to learn how to build their own brand.
The BYOB (Build Your Own Brand) Retreat began with a opening networking mixer on Friday night and extended to Sunday evening with a keynote speaker. In between, there were a plethora of sessions covering just about anything you needed to know to successfully brand and sell.
The women of the retreat set the tone, starting with author and social strategist Alex Wolf. In her session, Renting vs. Owning Your Audience: Building a Secure Brand (Outside of IG), Wolf emphasized the importance of authenticity in branding.
““You don’t have to do things that don’t feel right in the name of likes and followers” ”
Wolf broke down the difference between marketing and promoting during her session as well. She said promoting is projecting yourself publicly for likes, while marketing is establishing your position in the marketplace and earning the trust of your followers.
When branding, content creators and entrepreneurs should ask themselves what the message would be if they weren’t trying to sell something.
Wolf said social media should be used for socializing, but the real connections should be made in a more intimate space, like email correspondence. In order to do this, content creators have to make the algorithms a non-factor.
Instead of relying on frequent content creation, make sure there is value in your work.
“Good work doesn’t need constant resonation,” she said. “There are real artists and creatives who take time and respect their craft. That is a process.”
Wolf encouraged using the internet in more empowering ways, because quality work doesn’t have to be diluted.
Wolf published her thoughts about the topic in her book, “Resonate.”
In 2020, the BYOB retreat will be the place to be for up and coming business owners and content creators.
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