Why businesses need their own brand on social media: Slobozhenko outlines pros and cons

We talked to Oleksandr Slobozhenko, the founder of Traffic Devils, the largest arbitration team in Ukraine.

The company was founded three years ago and now employs over 300 people. The team's development was partly spurred by Oleksandr's media presence and a well-developed Instagram page. And today we will talk to him about the advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls of active social media management for arbitration lawyers.

How did you start managing your social media? And is it necessary for those who work in arbitration to build their own brand?

I started my Instagram page solely out of a desire to share my lifestyle and hobbies with the audience. And I received a lot of feedback, messages that this content motivates guys to develop. The page grew organically, I didn't promote it. I was subscribed by those interested in my field of activity and hobbies: cars, extreme sports, and sports.

But whether or not to develop a personal brand in any field is a decision for each individual. Of course, media offers many advantages, but at the same time, it is important to understand that you need to allocate a lot of time to build it and also want to do it.

It took me a while to learn how to record those conversational stories and broadcast my life, it came with experience and practice. Consistency and regularity are also important. If you realize that this is not your thing, you are annoyed by talking to the camera, thinking about content, filming it, then maybe you shouldn't force yourself and try to express yourself and build recognition in other ways.

What are the benefits of media exposure for you?

It definitely helped in building my team. It helped us attract new advertisers, partners, and Traffic Devils employees. People can be sure that it is safe to cooperate with us because I am responsible for this, in particular, with my own reputation.

I also met a lot of new people through social media, who are cool and quite influential.

What are the disadvantages of being a media personality?

One of the most striking disadvantages is fake pages created by fraudsters to raise money from the audience. They were created before the war and offered some kind of cooperation, luring money from subscribers. I always say that the only active platforms I have are Instagram and Telegram, and I urge my audience to carefully double-check any requests that come allegedly on my behalf. I have never collected money from anyone, nor did I write with proposals for any incomprehensible money-making schemes.

Therefore, if someone writes to you on behalf of a media person, always double-check that it is really them. It's simple, you can ask to confirm their identity by recording a voice message, making a phone call, etc. Of course, fakes will not be able to do this.

Do you monetize your blog?

I could do it, but I don't want to. I run this page for my soul, not to make money from it. Of course, I get offers for advertising collaborations. And it would be interesting for advertisers, because I have a very engaged and active audience, crazy reach, but I just don't need it.

I can recommend great specialists or services that I work with, partners, sincerely and absolutely free of charge. But I have never advertised anything on my blog for money.

Moreover, I am not interested in monetization through courses. Because those who are successful in arbitration receive income from their work. And those who are less successful try to create courses based on publicly available information and generate income from it. This is pure information gypsyism.

Do you run the page yourself or do you have a team to help you with it?

At first, I did everything myself, but then I started working with a videographer who created bright and juicy content for the page. But we are not working during the war yet: life has changed dramatically and I have no desire to broadcast what I used to show before. Only now, three months later, I'm slowly returning to the blog, but I make all the content myself.

I also have an SMM specialist who deals with content design and other issues on the page.

Is the content on social media different from your real life?

I am quite open with my audience. I can ask for advice or help, I can say what I think honestly and openly. I don't try to build some non-existent image or seem better than I am in real life.

What advice would you give to those who want to develop their personal brand on social media?

The first thing is to understand why you need social media, what is the purpose of it. Do you want to monetize them, grow your team, attract partners, or just share your life? This will determine the vector of what you will broadcast.

The second is to be yourself. It's trite advice, but many people on social media try to embellish reality and are embarrassed to show anything. But I am sure that broadcasting who you really are will help attract the audience that will be interested in following you.

And the third thing is to be patient. You shouldn't expect that as soon as you post three posts in a week, a stream of subscribers will pour in. It's important to maintain your page systematically and work on the content. As elsewhere, results don't come with a click. You need to devote time to your blog, and you can use paid methods of promotion (targeting, advertising with opinion leaders), because nowadays, organic profiles are not growing as fast as they did a few years ago. Build a strategy and follow it.