The Social Media Trap : Why Creative Entrepreneurs Should Never Rely on One Platform: Social Media, Branding, and Real-Life Strategy With Ju

Speaker A: We are creative entrepreneurs and we also know how difficult it can be to navigate the journey of entrepreneurship. Today you are going to unite with other creatives. Let's step out of this isolating experience as business owners, as authors, as podcasters or speakers. And let's start learning actionable tools you need to build an explosive brand. Let's start creating now. On with the show.

Speaker B: Julie. Why are people so dependent on on one platform? Are you seeing that?

Speaker A: I'm seeing social media as the brainwash of, um, the American culture, especially the entrepreneurial culture there. It's a dopamine release. We all want to be famous. We all want to make a million billion bucks. We all want to go viral. So there is a lot of dependency and it's very strategic in the minds of people like Meta, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and YouTube technically is not a, a social media platform, but it is a platform. People are addicted to that dopamine rush. We are addicted to getting those likes and thinking that social media and different platforms like that are going to make us famous, rich, and maybe even pretty. Dom, can they.

Speaker B: There's filters. There's people getting rich. There's AI. Maybe they're right.

Speaker A: Yeah, maybe they are right. Actually, I do look a lot prettier when I take a picture on Instagram or Facebook with a filter.

Speaker B: I add filters on top of filters, Julie.

Speaker A: You do?

Speaker B: Nah. No.

Speaker A: I have seen you in person and you're quite fine looking.

Speaker B: Yeah. Isn't it weird when somebody looks nothing like their picture and I'm like, wait a minute. I thought like we talk a lot about like building trust. Part of building trust is probably showing up like you actually look or like you're thumbnail picture is how could somebody show me some AI uh, version or them from 20 years ago and it's not them at all.

Speaker A: I think they think it's better to look prettier, handsomer than being their real self. However, have you walked into a room and you met somebody And I know real estate agents do this, no offense, real estate agents, but you see their car, their billboard and you're like, oh my God, I don't even recognize you. Have you, have you ever been like that? Because I immediately recognized you the minute I saw you after knowing you ak online. Have you ever had that experience where you're just like, oh my goodness.

Speaker B: Yeah, that's what I'm saying, like all the time. I just don't. I just don't. So today me and Julie are going to argue about some, a few things. Like we said this is a creative entrepreneur podcast. We're so thankful you're here. We're going to argue about some things. We're going to talk about people who are platform dependent. We're going to talk about some people that we probably shouldn't talk about that, uh, that are using the picture from 30 years ago. Julie.

Speaker A: Yes?

Speaker B: Enough about people not using their pictures. I heard you got kicked off of a platform recently or what'd you do wrong and why aren't you there? People are texting me saying. They're saying Julie's not on LinkedIn anymore. Where? Why? Why isn't Julie on LinkedIn? Uh, what's going on?

Speaker A: It's devastating and I may be platform dependent. However, I know the power of LinkedIn. I don't put all my eggs in one basket. L has a great domain authority, meaning if you are being searched, Google picks up LinkedIn immediately. I was kicked off LinkedIn. I had sales Navigator, great stuff, but I was not using it. So I canceled Sales Navigator, which is a premium product for LinkedIn, and then they kicked me off.

Speaker B: I use it too, periodically, except for kicking Julie off. I like Sales Navigator and hope. I hope I don't get kicked off.

Speaker A: It's. Well, it's helpful. Don't get off of Sales Navigator. But it has been a situation where I have been removed from LinkedIn. I have been talking to some people at LinkedIn. They're trying to help. However, I put in so many hours. I put in my love, I put everything, my branding, my projects, my businesses, my connections, recommendations, skill sets, everything. And boom, um, it's gone.

Speaker B: Okay, so this is perfect. This is where I wanted to go in this conversation today. So I don't believe our dear friend Julie Loken. Well, she put her heart and soul into LinkedIn, as she said. I don't believe she's dependent on that platform. She has newsletters, she has email lists, she's on Facebook, she has communities, she's on Instagram, she's doing Live Creative Con. So, Julie, you. I can't see how you are dependent on one platform, but then I see people out there that are only on LinkedIn or only on TikTok or only. So what's their problem?

Speaker A: What if it all goes away? That's the question. What if it all goes away? I'm not dependent on LinkedIn. It was a part of my toolkit to build my brand, to build my reputation, to build my strategy in terms of growing my business, and it's gone. My heart is broken. However, I knew from day one that you can't put all your eggs in one basket. Meaning I want to see you on LinkedIn. I want to see you on Facebook, I want to see you on Instagram, I want maybe X, I don't know. That's a tricky topic. I want to see you on YouTube. I want to be able to Google you Google what you do and you come at the top of that search engine. I want you to have a Google Knowledge panel. These things are important. And by doing all these things, Google recognizes you because at the end of the day you need to be searchable. Right?

Speaker B: Yeah, I'm hearing, I'm, I'm hearing you, but I'm, I'm not letting you off the hook so easily on you. Okay, I'm going back to these platforms and the uh, the LinkedIn of you not being dependent on it. So, so you were dependent to Google Knowledge Panel. Okay, so I'm going to go right into okay, it's.

Speaker A: But I, I put so much time and effort Dom into LinkedIn and you know, it's been years and years and years. I'm not saying I had a huge following but I had a lot of recommendations, I had a lot of stuff on there and meeting those high level people, they're looking to validate me through LinkedIn and I'm not there. So that's the scary part. And especially for us having such a high level conference, people may look on LinkedIn, you're there. Thank goodness. I have to check your LinkedIn and make sure.

Speaker B: All right, so I'm not. So let's talk about this. So I'm a big believer in being, being there, being the first Julie doing what she does on whatever platform. So I remember years ago I set with somebody in the insurance industry that told me they did a thing called Captives. It's a unique style insurance. And they said I'm, um, the best there is in this industry of captives. And I said oh really? And I looked them up on LinkedIn and they weren't there or their profile was very weak on, on that platform. So here you are telling me you are the best of the best. And on that platform you're not there. So I always want whoever it is, I think you should do what you do. So if I'm Dominic, I'm a publisher book, I share inspirational content. I share content I believe will develop will. I share content that I believe will elevate humanity at the end of the day. That's what I'm trying to do. So everywhere I am, that's what you'll see. So it is just me being me on any of those platforms. But I think if you're not there, if you're not on a TikTok, if you're not on the Facebook, all of a sudden when somebody goes like Julie's just saying they go to look for her on LinkedIn and she's not there or like that person I mentioned that did captive if you're not there.

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Speaker B: what does your client think about you?

Speaker A: Right, that's where I have to push in the bigger Godfather, which is Google to be honest. And you had me thinking, okay, so someone reached out to you, said where's your partner? She's not on LinkedIn. It looks really bad. However, I would say just Google her because I still have a good Google profile. However is it's not one and done. You can't just be on LinkedIn and say oh uh yeah, I'm awesome. Everyone's going to that adds to my credibility. No, you need to build credibility in a very rounded way.

Speaker B: 100%. So this is right on mission with the conversation here. Julie isn't platform dependent. She can say look HM at my knowledge panel. Go on Google and people instantly will find her other places. Now here's something for everybody. Don't be any platform dependent. Don't be so meaning you should be going out, knocking on doors or attending networking events or be out in your community or speaking at chambers or rotaries or connecting, going to dinners with people and things like that. Having one on one, one on one meetings at the coffee shop. You can do those kind of things too. I don't want people to forget about the value of as Julie Says the IRL event. So what's irl?

Speaker A: Julie in real life, Dominic Damasky.

Speaker B: And so how is that a value to you? Are you just Julie on the web or are you Jolie in real life as well?

Speaker A: I'm both. I'm um, multidimensional. And it has, there has to be that crossover with COVID It made a us, uh, it made it really easy for us to be consistently online and not do IRL things. But people are creating, people are craving in real life connections. So we can't dismiss that. We have to look at the real stuff. And as Dom likes to say, the lowest hanging fruit, which is social media, gives everyone access to the world, which is amazing. However, doing things a step up, not just concentrating a thousand percent on that lowest hanging fruit, I see as an asset. Meaning, for example, dumb. Having that published book. Publishing a book is a huge lift in your brand, your business, getting recognition, building your reputation as well as being on podcasts, being guests on podcasts, hosting a podcast, that adds to your reputation as well as what I love to do. Writing for Entrepreneur magazine, that was really a game changer. That gave me credibility. Dom, that was a game changer in terms of getting me clients who saw the importance of connecting with big names like Entrepreneur Magazine.

Speaker B: I love it and I love the words you're using authority and credibility. And to me those are our ah, key. You touched on publishing books and I am, um, a, uh, publisher of books. And I see it over and over again where my authors get different opportunities, different speaking opportunities. And it is somewhat aided when they say they had this published book, they had this best selling book. Sometimes they're getting opportunities, they're speaking at places because somebody saw the content that they've been putting out about the subject matter in their book. And now large corporations, Fortune 500 corporations are calling them, saying, I heard you talking about diversity, I heard you talking about age discrimination, I heard you talking about positivity. And we'd love you to have come in and speak to our clientele. And had they not put out the content, had they not had the book, would they just be, as we also say, that tree in the woods falling, does it make a sound? Does it not? Julie?

Speaker A: That is to be discussed. And I don't think there will ever be an answer to that. And thinking about you and looking at Dom, and I told Dom today, I said, I always like your things on social media. I always like them, I even comment on them. However, do I really look at them or listen to them? Not necessarily. There has to be a lot of strategy. Nothing against Dom. Dom's content is incredible. However, we always are trying to support our friends. Are you looking for more friends? You have to be strategic in terms of what you are building. Or are you looking for new followers? Are you looking for connections? Very strategic in how you do social media.

Speaker B: Yeah. Our friend Prof. T want to give Prof. T credit to this. She said that you have to use social media. Don't let it use you. Anybody here that's caught up in doom scrolling, okay, you are letting it use you. Anybody who's seeing things that you think you don't want to see or figure out time block, how you're going to use it, how you are going to use it to your benefit. So you heard me say the same thing before. But I believe all these platforms are just distribution platforms. Free and most of them are free distribution platform for content. When I was, um, when I was probably in my teens, I worked for my dad at his landscaping company and I'd always give him my ideas and he never wanted to hear any of them. And one day I was like, oh dad, we should get a skid. We should get a new skid ladder. Dad, we should get a billboard. We should put an ad in the paper. So one day I walk into my dad's office and I'm like dad, uh, we should get this sign over here and. And he says, dominic, can you one time give me a mother effing idea that makes me money and doesn't cost me money? And he was an intimidating guy back then and I didn't have that answer. Now today's world, I do believe in this free distribution platform that you can put out content there rather than doing direct mail, rather than doing a ad, uh, in your local paper. You can't even get in your paper. You can't send one piece of, one piece of mail without a stamp. When I owned a restaurant, I used to go around and put stuff in people's door. Now you would get charged with trespassing. So this is the only possible free distribution platform. What say you about that, Julie? Before I go on a whole another

Speaker A: five episodes about that, I would say free is not always for me. Meaning I know you have to put money in to make money. And, and this is the misnomer I want to share with our audience. Think about this. You are a voice in a sea of a million billion people. How can you be seen? They need to make money. Facebook needs to make money. LinkedIn needs to make money. X needs to make money. They all need to make money. So you need to pay to boost these ads too. They will suppress you. They know how to, they know they are in the business of making money. So don't think everything is for free but be strategic on how you allocate those marketing dollars.

Speaker B: Okay. This I agreed. I'm um, I. So I spend monthly every month with Google Ads. That's the one thing it's been consistent for five years in business or whatever. Five years they've been advertising on Google Ads. Something like that. Non stop. Every month I see the return, I get it and I, I play the game other places I think you have to, you got to figure out where it's best for you to spend your money. But I, I'm, I'm going to push back on just uh, the thought of if, if Julie can make a video and put it out there and it gets one view, two views, if it impacts two people, if she gets uh, a client that sees it six months from now, was it worth it? Yeah. And it, it didn't cost her anything but that time. So I think you have to make sure you're using if all of a sudden you say I want to jump the line and I have some money to spend, hell yeah. I would do. Boosted ads on Facebook. Targeted ads. I think Facebook. Now here's my, the sidebar. I think Facebook has the best, best targeted ads.

Speaker A: Okay. So I'm not an expert on that. However I know that it takes a little bit of time to get those algorithms right when you're placing those ads.

Speaker B: Yeah, that's for sure. Yeah. Uh, you got to know what you're, you got to try them out and you got to have something worthwhile to sell. Go on Julie.

Speaker A: It lives in infamy. Like you are creating a digital footprint. No matter what you're doing online. I would encourage you dominant to think about blogs, about medium.com to put more. And you're, you do a great job on blogs on your website. That is a great way to drive traffic. So this is just a cautionary tale of putting all your eggs in one basket. Being very strategic. I think being strategic Julie, I'm going

Speaker B: to, I'm going to jump in because one I'm read but I was just thinking everybody got kicked off of News.

Speaker A: You mentioned blog News Break, right? Correct.

Speaker B: So here we were, we're writing articles on Newsbreak. They basically said we' changing the platform and now everybody. That was if you would have been dependent on News Break just like Julie said, I was using News Break but I also put the blogs on my website. We both have websites, so we're not dependent on social. We could be, you know, people could find the website. Full disclosure, I, A few years ago, guy who thought I was doing all right on, um, Twitter, and I didn't realize I was, the videos I was sharing was like copyrighted music and I got my account shut down on Twitter and had to start all over myself. So I, I, I feel your pain, Julie. But I wasn't. Go on.

Speaker A: No, it's a lot, Dom. And the truth is, is that do the research. Know what the domain authority is. Do it well. Don't just put junk up there to get out there every single day. That's a waste of time. Know each platform. Every platform is different. Every audience is different. Instagram, they want those beautiful pictures. Facebook is more about community. LinkedIn is more about connecting on a professional level. X. I like X for journalistic connections. YouTube is a search engine. It's, I see that as a challenging algorithm. However, it's great for search engines to make sure that you have that video content out. Know each platform, why you're doing it. Be strategic. Don't exert yourself necessarily on one. Think about the possibility of investing some money into a platform that is really working for you. And think outside the box. Write a book. Get on podcasts, get on medium.com. medium.com is a great tool for blogs. You can repurpose them. You don't want to necessarily put the same content on Medium because Google dings you if you're reposting blogs and content on Medium. I think it is about what Don's favorite word is. Now go back to omnipresent. Being omnipresent, however, I just have to, I tell people this all the time. I see people struggling, people who are wanting. And we're talking to creative entrepreneurs, solo entrepreneurs that maybe have not hit the payday. They're trying, trying, trying. There are so many different ways to do it. Just don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Speaker B: Okay, Julie, I'm, I'm with you. I, I agree with everything you said there. Look, we were arguing. Now we're agreeing. But the thing I agree with you most on, and I want to be so crystal clear to everybody, if you are just putting out junk, if you are posting to post, if you're like, I'm just gonna post today, that's bull. It's garbage. You are wasting your time. On these platforms, on these platforms, it has to be strategic. Everything you do with your business, with your brand, has to be strategic. The time you spend, the networking events you go to, it all has to be strategic. You have to have a plan, work the plan and be consistent with it. But if you, like Julie said, if you're putting out, if you're just doing it to do it or putting out junk, why, why are you wasting your time and our time? I got no time to be wasted. Speaking of, what's Julie, this is the creative entrepreneur. He's done, um, Creative Entrepreneur podcast. I don't have anything more to say. What do you think, Julie?

Speaker A: I'm just gonna, yeah, I'm gonna just tell everybody. This is what Dom does every time we talk. He's done. So I can tell, I can tell he's just done. The content is out. His message is out. He's done. But Dom, where can people meet you in real life in 2026?

Speaker B: Oh, I can't wait to see you. Besides, besides my hometown Greensboro, where I'll be back. You might catch me at a Creative amped. Creative amp something we're starting soon. But you can see me in 2026 in Chicago at uh, the Intercontinental. I will be at Creative Con. So come on, bring your friends. If you are a creative entrepreneur, if you, you. If you believe in this day and age that your business needs video, that your, that your brand needs a. Could need a podcast that you have to use all the tools, the tool. Joel Jolie used this word toolkit earlier. You have to use all the tools in your toolbox. If you believe publishing, books, branding, media, social, all these things.

Speaker A: AI, AI, AI.

Speaker B: Right, Jolie. That's what we're doing at Creative Creative Con. It is a community of, uh, we're

Speaker A: going to make money. I mean we're not going to. Well, we are going to make money, you guys.

Speaker B: It's a profit when we sell the place out and there's so many tickets. But get yourself there. There's going to be, there's going to be syndicated radio hosts, people with TV shows, best selling authors, people that have sold all kinds of books, people that have, have taken their businesses public, people that, uh, had movies made after them. I mean, it's the place to be. That's all I got, Julie. Like you said, I'm done.

Speaker A: He's done. Okay, we're done. But you don't be done. Follow us Share this episode and we can't wait to talk to you again. Thanks Kratos Episode. See you at Creative Friend 2020. Your podcast with your favorite entrepreneurs, Julie Loken, Lauren Ericson and Dominic Damaski. Don't forget to follow us, rate, review and subscribe to the Creative Entrepreneur Podcast. Until we meet again, keep creating.