We were lucky to catch up with Chetachi Egwu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chetachi, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

When it comes to OTT/digital networks, people tend to think about it as linear television. Essentially, they put programming up for people to watch, but there is no interaction and it’s not transactional. What we attempt to do with IndieSoup Media is to create an interactive experience and build community. So while the show may be why we all gather, you stay for the community. We also try to build community among the creators on the network, so that they can work with each other and help extend each other’s brands. This is not to say that other independent television networks do not approach their business in this manner, but it is not some thing often seen with larger or establish networks.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always loved media. In fact, my love affair with media began when I was young – my nickname was TV addict. Even now the television is always on for background noise. I began helping to run peoples live streams around 2012, and then jumped deep into the live streaming game with the advent of Meerkat and Periscope in 2015. I knew that these platforms were going to provide a way for the average person to get their message out there without a gatekeeper, so I was excited to use them. I started a live streamed show called MediaScope in July 2015 to talk about media, tech and pop-culture news. I’ve added two more live streams and a podcast to the roster since then. After nearly eight years (at the time) of doing my own live stream, the next logical step was to collaborate with other creators who were in the live streaming space. I thought that we could all get more leverage and attention by combining our efforts under one roof, rather than being separate entertainment silos. This is where the idea for IndieSoup Media came from.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started, my energy was put into getting the channel up and running and finding creators who wanted to collaborate. Social media was a big concern, but because I was doing everything myself, it was difficult to work on building a real presence. Once we launched, I found that the momentum from daily postings on our channels, particularly, YouTube from different creators had a large impact. In fact, we went from having about 50 subscribers on YouTube when we launched on March 25 of this year to now having 13.1K subscribers. This was a combination of organic reach, because of constant posting, and promoting a few videos to get them in front of a wider audience. YouTube is a big part of our strategy because of how pervasive it is and that it does not require viewers to sign in to watch content. We have some wonderful interns that are now working with us, which will give us a more consistent presence in places like Instagram. For people or companies that are looking to build the social media presence, though it seems cliché, the keyword is consistency! Design a posting schedule, and stick to that posting schedule. Post content that gives value to the audience and resonates. There is no rhyme or reason, sometimes, to what works and what doesn’t work, you just have to keep trying and listen to the audience. It’s a matter of listening to understand what your audience wants rather than listening to respond with a post. There are millions of people who use social media every day, so of course, it takes time and effort to get your things seen. Also, don’t be afraid to add paid marketing to your organic strategy to improve reach. Start with posting content that resonates and building community amongst your followers/subscribers, and then select those pieces of content, and use them to create ads or boost/promote to put in front of a wider audience.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Because I was in school forever, seemingly (completed a Ph.D. in Mass Media), I’m very comfortable with being a student. Thus, I am always looking for opportunities to learn new things to improve. A huge resource in business has been my mother, as she owned a healthcare agency since 1985. Watching her operate provided one of the best educations in business, essentially for free! I also really enjoy the work and teaching of Sha’ Cannon, Myron Golden’s B.O.S.S. Moves, YouTube videos from Alex Hormozi, Earn Your Leisure, among others. All of them have had a significant effect on my approach to business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://indiesoupmedia.tv
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dr_tachi
• Facebook: facebook.com/mediascope16 and facebook./indiesoupmedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetachi-egwu/
• Youtube: youtube.com/@dr_tachi and youtube.com/@indiesoupmedia