We were lucky to catch up with Anastasia Gardi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anastasia, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

What’s the most effective approach for social media as a business owner? Can choosing the right approach really make much of a difference? I’m here to tell you that the answer is an irrefutable YES! As an independent business owner who has chosen to run my own media accounts- I can assure you the work is worth the reward. The digital age created revolutionary ways to connect with targeted audiences. So how will you take advantage of this powerful tool? This begs an important question to ask yourself when beginning any new entrepreneurial endeavor.

The inner workings of social media are more than just following accounts and posting material. Social media is a virtual science equation that can be manipulated by a variety or combination of different methods. By defining your aesthetic preferences, and brand message, and staying consistent, you will ultimately have more control over the audience you attract. It is in this digital space where the most valuable consumers can discover your collection of content. By interacting directly with you and your team, you can create a unique experience that is easy for everyone to connect with. This admirable power of connection is what motivated me to dive deeper into this subject of social media management.

Routinely, people are using social media to discover, shop, and make connections with others all over the globe. This creates an irrefutable case that using this tool can revolutionize your brand from the ground up. That is- if you know how to. It’s never too late to apply a strategic approach to the media you are already developing and reflect on the insights of your past marketing campaigns. What lengths will you allow your company to grow to by using social media? Choose carefully.This can revolutionize the lengths you can take your business to, all at the end of your fingertips.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Truthfully, social media and entrepreneurship was never a path I thought would interest me. The first account I managed was for my student council when I was sixteen as a student liaison. When spirit day posters and school announcements stopped cutting it for my teenage peers- I chose to take a step in a different direction. The impact this change had on the community was like wildfire. Suddenly messages could be received directly from the sender to the desired audience. Using Twitter, the hottest social media app at the time, I grew a network of over 500 followers in one school year. It was also evident that event turnout improved. School morale boosted organically when there became a place for everyone to connect. This was one of many signs that hinted at my greatest specialty: developing a space to support a message.

After years of playing around with digital application skills for schools or extracurriculars, I pushed myself to refine the many principles of progressive digital marketing. It quickly became apparent that the virtual world is ever-changing. I became committed to staying up to speed on contemporary media trends. Years of applying my skills to promotional entertainment companies Luckily, my constant fascination with understanding customers’ needs gave me an edge that propelled me to where I am now.

Currently, I offer social media mentoring, event coordination, and content creation through my curation brand “Avant-Gardi.” The name is a play on the word “Avant-Garde” and my surname “Gardi.” When it came to pioneering my brand- I knew it was my sole job to bring skills and experimental concepts to definite action online. I aimed to curate a space for new conversations, and to do so I wanted to develop a diverse platform. There needed to be a central heart of my followers who actively wanted to see more from my brand. After gaining a steady stream of community followers, my next step became throwing local events for music makers, creators, and artists to share their passions with the community.

My first event campaign went well, but the second went even better. After assessing a few components of tracking social media insights, I knew what needed to happen to curate a prosperous foundation for any brand. By calculating my brand’s reach growth rate, my follower growth rate, and my engagement rate- I was overjoyed with what I saw. I chose to focus solely on Instagram with these campaigns because this is where I identified my target audience. My second campaign resulted in over 50% follower growth retention. At least 45.6% of my total audience was engaging with every post for the event, and my reach grew by 311% (reaching 2,210 accounts.) Choosing to work tactfully instead of scattering my efforts- proved to be difficult, but an opportunity to learn from the mistakes in my process.

From what I took along the way, my biggest recommendation is to put in detailed work BEFORE you log in online. Define which type of audience your brand means to attract. Focusing on demographic factors can help you narrow down which social avenues your future consumers use the most. Once you define your market, you need to analyze your competition. What are other companies doing well that are similar to yours? What are they doing that is not working? If your brand marketing needs reinvigoration, contact my brand, “Avant-Gardi,” through email or Instagram for consultation queries.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The one resource I wish I discovered sooner was the “Google Digital Garage.” This free, online-only platform was designed to assist creatives in achieving their professional dreams. When I became unsure of what my path to success would look like, these courses were there to guide me. These classes helped me organize my personal business goals and professional career. There are unlimited resources that highlight topics like coding, digital marketing, and technology. These courses clarified brand management to me in an irreplaceable way. This resource allows anyone, anywhere, at any time to learn the most valued digital skills to navigate the internet.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Creativity is complicated. The feeling of creative release is irreplaceable, but that passion may consume your time, energy, and sometimes an entrepreneur’s finances. Although this can drain some souls, it may invigorate others to work harder. To take risks that people don’t always understand. The “starving artist” aesthetic may be hard to support if a close loved one or friend chooses to put their creative goals first. What seems rational to one may not seem to another. Creativity is an experimental release that has the opportunity to transform the way people live their lives. Allow everyone in your life to take a chance on those creative risks.     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lift.bio/anastasia.gardi
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avant.gardi/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-gardi-54b5a1149