Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tia Squires. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Tia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?
When I first started my brand I was doing it by myself and I had no idea what I was doing. I reached out to my college roomate Breana, whom is an amazing writer for help. I knew she would be a great addition to the team. It is hard for me to trust people with my brand because it means so much to me. I started to recruit my friends, and I turned them into bloggers. Once I got the team established, I opened up the door for a few intern positions. The interview and onboarding process is pretty tedious. The prospects would meet with me and my leadership team, they had to present writing samples, and answer a few questions. Once selected, they go through training. I train interns on the do’s and don’ts, how to edit, how to properly source information etc. After training is completed, everyone signs a NDA and non compete and they are given access to the brand. If I was to start today, I don’t think I can say I would do anything differently, but I will know how to make the process smoother.
Tia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a 33 year old small business owner from Durham, NC. I started my own black owned blog “Tea With Tia”. My brand covers all things in entertainment, tv/film, celebrity news, world news, politics, sports and more. My goal is to entertain and inform my followers. I focus on helping to push the culture forward and bridge the gap between the media and the public. I also host events, attend red carpets and conduct celebrity interviews. My personality and wittiness is loved by my faithful fanbase “The Tea Party”.
I am most proud of my growth. I grew my brand 100% from the ground up. I am the definition of ‘getting out the mud’. I birthed this business and it’s like a baby to me. I pour my everything into my business and I love watching it grow. My growth is also organic with no paid promotion. Everything I have was earned.
I got into the media industry because I enjoy keeping people in the know. The road isn’t and hasn’t been easy. I have run into many failures, problems, upsets and let downs. Becoming your own boss always comes with its challenges. I’m new in this industry and I am here to stay. Being told “no” is probably the worst thing someone who is trying to make it can hear. I turn all of my “no’s” into “Next Opportunities”. I will be a household name, mark my words.
How did you build your audience on social media?
You have to be yourself. You have to give people something to get into. Understanding your purpose and who you want your target audience to be is key. Presentation 100% matters. When I first started out, my work didn’t look as clean. My content wasn’t as good so the followers came in slow. I started to perfect my craft, I worked on my editing skills, and I figured out how to spot great engaging content. Once I was able to master these things, the following grew organically because people enjoyed the content.
My advice to anyone trying to build a social media presence is to give your audience something to be interested in. Figure out what you want them to see and then make it engaging. If your social media content is not eye grabbing, entertaining or engaging it will be hard for your following to grow. Also marketing matters. Make sure you present yourself and your brand the way you want to be perceived. Once you see the type of things that your followers like, continue to build on that and watch your growth.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
A good word of mouth will go a long way. I made relationships with people in the industry, and they always look out for me. The more people see you grinding and putting in the work, the more they will talk about you to others. I became more visible, and had to put a face with the brand. My personality has help me build a good reputation the most.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/TeaWithTia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeaWithTia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tia-anderson-745493126
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/_teawithtia
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TeaWithTia
- Other: TikTok- www.TikTok.com/OfficialTeaWithTia