In 2008, there were only 5 million people on Twitter and 50 million on Facebook, but today there are nearly 4.6 billion social media users.
Because matter
Social media made a promise to the world. That promise was access to a worldwide audience of billions. An audience that could change your life e grow your business without having to pay attention.
How do I know?
Because that’s what was delivered to me.
In a few years I have grown to following of over half a million on twitter with some growth hacking tactics that launched my online business. It has allowed me to leave my corporate career behind and find freedom and independence from the 9-5.
Within a year or two of starting my online business, my website traffic exceeded 5 million views a year and my followers and subscribers grew to over 1 million.
Two ways to get attention and traffic
I’ve also found that there are two ways to get attention online.
- Pay for it (social media advertising)
- Earn (Increase your followers crowdsourcing your traffic for free)
The reality of having over half the planet on social media means that with some smart tactics and patience you can grow an online business that doesn’t need millions of investments from a venture capitalist.
If you’re short on time and have the resources to pay for it, then it’s quick (but expensive) to get people to buy your products and services.
If you’re savvy and don’t have a big budget, earn free traffic growing your followers with a smart strategy is a great option.
Social media is one of the best ways to get free traffic and eyeballs. But you still have to earn it. What are some of the best ways to “growth hack” and draw attention to your product, side hustle, or online store without paying?
Here are some books that provide some great tips and insights into how to get free attention on social media. These books include strategies for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok that you could steal.
1: The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google
Scott Galloway is a professor at New York University and writes with a sense of humor that is both insightful, entertaining and informative. This reserve is an overview of the big 4 digital platforms that changed the world.
This book is worth reading just to get some context and an overview of a vast digital world that we often only see in small fragments
2. How to get 10,000 fans and turn them into your next cash paying customers
Kim Phillips has personally shown me how to grow a large audience on Facebook and turn that audience into cash-paying customers.
In this book, you’ll find the social proof you need and build a ready-to-buy audience by converting leads into sales through a system that runs on autopilot.
Here is the book which reveals how to do it.
3: One Million Followers: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days
According to the overview of Brendan Kane’s book on Amazon “Every day over 60 billion messages are sent online on digital platforms and only a select few make it into the mad rush to get the customer’s attention.
This means that the question for anyone wanting to gain mass exposure for their transformative content is no longer Self they should use social media but how to make the most of the many different platforms.
How can you make a significant impact in the digital world and stand out among all the noise?
Digital strategist and “growth hacker” Brendan Kane has the answer, and he’ll show you how (in this book) in 30 days or less. A whiz of the social media sphere, Kane has created online platforms for A-listers including Taylor Swift and Rihanna.
I’ve read it cover to cover and it provides tips and tactics that you can apply to your social media marketing strategy.
4: YouTube Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Following and Making Money as a Video Influencer
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. And guess who owns YouTube?
Video continues to be the medium of choice, and if you can figure out how to use it to gain attention online, then you’re well on your way to getting free traffic for your startup or side business.
In this book Sean Cannell reveals the following:
- The recipe of the seven ingredients to create a successful YouTube channel
- How to leverage and manage social media in your YouTube strategy to accelerate your growth
- The latest YouTube updates you need to know to skyrocket your videos
- Foolproof video ideas to get you started on the right path to becoming a YouTuber
- The tactics Sean and Benji have used to build six-figure channels and commit themselves full-time to YouTube
5: Power of Instagram: Build your brand and reach more customers with visual influence
Instagram cannot be ignored as a marketing channel like according to by Semrush, it is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world globally, with 2.9 billion total visits per month. That’s a lot of eyes.
Jason Miles reveals in this book how:
- Leverage Instagram to build and strengthen your business or personal brand
- Design an effective marketing plan for the platform
- Sell directly on Instagram with Shopable posts
6: The Ultimate Guide To TikTok Advertising: How To Access 1 Billion People In 10 Minutes!
TikTok is hard to ignore. It is addictive and addictive and needs to be considered in your social media marketing strategy. Here are some numbers to think about.
As of September 2021, TikTok announced it had reached one billion active users worldwide, with 142.2 million users in North America. Not only is this a milestone achieved by few other social networks, but the platform also achieved it in just 4.9 years. It took Facebook 8.7 years to reach that milestone. (Source: Shopify)
In this bookPerry Marshall and Denis Yu reveal “How To Save 80% Of Your Time And Money By Focusing On The Right 20% Of Your Advertising Efforts On TikTok So 10x, Even 100x Your Success With Just $10 A Day Of Ad Spend”.
Wrapping it up
Harnessing the power of the sharing economy is something you need to build into your marketing. If you can get attention for free by growing your social media followers and learning how to create compelling and shareable content, then you’ve crowdsourced your marketing.
Cracking the code is gold.
Read the first part of this series: 6 books that inspired my success in the online hustle
Read the second part of this series: 5 books to boost your creativity
