I started a side hustle during the pandemic … and here’s what I learned
It all started one day, when I ran to my sister and told her an idea, and the rest was history. A week into it, we started pitching designs. Next thing I know, we had our business license and we were ready to setup shop.
Side hustles have become a norm in todays hustle culture. With work from home mandates, people had more time to invest in hobbies, that turned into small businesses, that would hopefully turn into an additional income. Stimulus checks were diverted as startup investments, and this resulted in 5.4 million businesses starting in 2021.
Now, after sorting out the details, we were able to setup a shop with Shopify. I must say up until this point I was very confident in the service we were providing. The most daunting task, which I didn’t realize at the time, was marketing.
Something most side hustle enthusiasts fail to mention is how hard it is to start marketing. Starting from zero and getting even a single follower can be scary. I found myself taking videos and photos every weekend. But marketing is definitely much more than just posting a video on tiktok and hoping it goes viral. The hashtags, finding a niche, and even working with influencers, requires a lot of expertise.
After reading books, articles, and experimenting, I think first it’s important to circle down your target audience. With this in mind, what are they looking for? What need or desire do you fulfill? Why should they choose your brand over someone else’s? Do you have a background story? Can you use it to connect with your customers?
If you’re able to narrow down and focus your keywords, you will see a pattern. Hopefully this will help you to market your ideas on social media. Don’t forget to pair it with a trending song and relevant hashtags. This will surely help you get those first few followers or even purchases!
