#OAP101 Using Social Media to grow your Personal Brand as an OAP

Today I would like to speak a little about using social media for your benefit, as a way to help you build, maintain and grow your brand as a media personality.

The first thing to ask yourself is which platforms should I be on?
To answer that, you need to be clear on
- what your interests are
- where your audience is

A sportscaster for example will definitely enjoy twitter because it offers a great opportunity to talk about games and players, give real-time news and analysis, and have that immediate connection with your audience.

Radio hosts do well on most platforms, and I daresay, Facebook and Twitter are a must.
Television hosts on the other hand should not neglect their Instagram as that is the best tool for them.

Now a brand in Nigeria or that wants to speak to Nigerians should not neglect the big three as I like to call them- Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
This is because Facebook is still one of the most popular platforms as it is easily accessible, and there is a big percentage of Nigerians on the other two as well.

Having clarified that, the next thing to think about is your UserName.
If you do not want to be easily found, by all means, use hard to identify or search for names. If you do want to use your social media for your brand though, ensure the name is a name you are known as, whether it is a Nickname or your Real Name.
Whether or not you use your real or a nickname, ensure you have your real name in the profile so that when people search for your name, your account will still pop up.

Your Profile should state what you want people to know about you clearly and simply.
I have checked quite a few celebrity profiles and there does not seem to be any agreement as to things like, number of lines or whether or not you should have a bio at all. What is clear is everyone keeps it simple and tells you who they are.
You can try something as short and direct as 'Official Page of Your Name', or tell us what you do like 'Radio and TV Host'.
See Steve Harvey's, Dotun's, and Mine.


Your content is of course the main thing as no matter how cute your description is, if there is no content on your page, you may have followers but no engagement.
How often should you post? The jury is out on that. What everyone does agree on however is that being consistent is the key. The quality of posts is also crucial so keep your pictures and captions classy and distinct.

In my next post, I will go into a bit more detail with examples, as regards content types.

In the meantime, if you have comments and questions, do leave them below, reach me via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or send me an Email.

#OAP101 Answering your questions on becoming a Sports Journalist and Monetising Content

This week's podcast is out and you can listen below.
I tackled two questions we got via our Instagram page on if media world has room for Sports OAPS, and How to Monetise Content.
To summarise
- Is there Room in the Industry for Sports OAPS?
The quickest response is YES.
Niche journalism is actually interesting and some niche content creators make more money or impact. If you want to be a Sports OAP, have a good grasp of Sports in general and one or two sports (like tennis and football or formula 1).
There's a world of content to explore including previews and predictions, team news, transfer undates and post game reviews!

- How to Monetise Content
What is the content? Where is it aired? These are some of the first questions to ask.
Having said that, there are 3 broad ways to monetise content
. Using the platform you are on
. Sponsorships
. Hypes and Promoted Posts.

Listen to the Podcast for the full gist on each one and don't forget to keep the questions and contributions going in our comments below!

#OAP101 4 ways to have a kickass interview!

Hi everyone,

I hope you have been enjoying the OAP 101 podcasts?
This week's podcast touched on interviews and I s.h.a.r.e tips based on my personal experience on how to have kickass interviews!

The tips are

- Research
Do a quick research by searching for their name and visiting their official website or social media handles.

- Prep
Prep your guest to put them at ease.

- Be Creative and Fresh
People get tired of listening to or answering the same question over and over. Look for creative ways to ask yours!

- Interaction and Inclusion.
Let the audience be a part of the process by letting them engage with your guest.

Listen to the podcast for a break down of each one as well as examples i give.

#OAP101 Let me tell you about the auditions I did NOT get!

After i saw a direct message sent to The OAP 101 on instagram from someone who was a bit frustrated about having gone for auditions but not getting the gig, i reached out to them and we chatted further.

I had a whatsapp chat with them and laughed when i found out the 'auditions' were TWO previous auditions. Only.
I say this because we hear of only success stories usually, and because of that, we do not realise how many times that person got told NO before a life changing 'yes'.

Pull a chair! Let ME tell you about going for auditions; waking up early, queuing for hours, praying and giving it my best. And then getting rejected. Not once, not twice, not even three times. I have heard it all. From, the 'thank yous' that mean you won't be called back, to the, 'we really like you' buts, to the 'don't stop doing this' to the one i love the most- 'you are a bit short'.
Lmao.
I have had callbacks, try-agains, and 'we will call you' that never called.

And i am not alone. Think of every successful person you admire. They have gone through this too before.

So why do we not get selected for auditions?
Sometimes it is because we still need to work on our talent, skill or craft some more. No one knows it all and there is always something new to learn so if you ever get told no, don't get bitter. Get better.
You can check out some tips on acing your audition in my podcast at the end of the post below.

Other times, it has nothing to do with you. Some the 'no' may be because of the internal policies, politics or specific needs.
You do not know what the potential client is looking for. They might be looking for someone who is tall, someone who is blonde (i know), someone who is well-known, someone who is 'fresh', someone who is 'different'...
It is like going for an audition to play a role in a movie. The casting director has their guidelines. They do not have to s.h.a.r.e this with you. You may be too tall, or not tall enough. Too young, or too old.

Instead of spending precious time worrying about what went wrong, spend more time on being better like i said, and going on to the next one.
Remember that not all jobs or opportunities come from auditions. But you need to lay that ground work so that by the time these opportunities arise, you are selected.

This means while you wait to get on radio or television, prepare!
Get yourself out there. Create. Think. Plan.
Be ready.

#OAP101 Want to get on radio? Start a podcast now!

Hi all.

I do hope your week is off to a great start.

Mine sure is. I feel very productive today and i have been able to do a few of my to-dos before 12pm which means i can count this as a productive day for sure.

Today i wanted to touch on a question i get asked a lot in varying ways. The summary is- how do i get on radio? You can listen to the OAP 101 podcast here where i go in depth with different tips.

While the podcast gives different tips, i am tackling one tip- starting a podcast.

When people ask me about how to get on radio, i advise them to get a podcast first. Why?
- Podcasts are relatively free and easy to begin. With your phone and a host platform like Soundcloud for example, you can start broadcasting to the world.
- Starting a podcast and working on it regularly will train you for when you do get on radio. And thirdly
- You can start gaining a following which means you become more attractive to potential employers.

If you do want to start your podcast, here are three quick things to do
- Think of WHAT you want your podcast to be about. I personally have the OAP 101 podcast which is tips for aspiring media personalities, the Tosyn Bucknor Show podcast which is like a summary of my show on radio with extras, the daily news podcast, and i am about to kick off two new ones.

Decide what you want your podcast to be about and you are off to a great start.

- Decide on the style, and time. Also, think of a schedule in terms of when you record, if you edit, when you edit, and lastly when you publish and where.

- START! s.h.a.r.e and tell a friend about it!

If you have follow up questions please do ask in the comments. Otherwise you can shoot me a quick dm on Twitter or Instagram

#WhatsHappeningNaija Podcast Thursday February 9th 2017

It is your daily dose of News stories in Nigeria. Check it out and s.h.a.r.e to a friend!

#WhatsHappeningNaija Podcast Tuesday February 7th 2017

Daily news podcast! Enjoy.
Don't forget to catch the news live Mondays to Fridays via Instagram and Facebook Live, 6.35am

OAP 101 Episode 5 What to do when you make a Mistake!

Hi everyone! Welcome to another five minute, OAP 101 podcast ride!
The latest episode of the podcast is titled ‘What To Do When You Make a Mistake’. 

In this informative episode, i coach on what to do when one makes a mistake, especially since mistakes are inevitable. Some of my tips include acknowledging, apologising and moving on. I also break these tips down, and emphasize on how important it is to not dwell on mistakes  so as not to affect the totality of your show.

Follow @Tosynbucknor and @TosynOntheAir on social media to keep a tab on my activities.

#OAP101 How to Schedule and Create your Content

Hello lovelies! I have this week's edition of 'OAP 101 Podcast' ready and this week, have i got tips for you! Get tips on 'Scheduling and Creating Content' for your radio, television and other shows. I give you practical tips, lace it with examples and a lot of giggling. Lol. Please check it out and then let me know if you have questions or comments.
 

#OAP101 Episode 1

Listen to OAP 101 Episode 1 by TosynBucknor #np on #SoundCloud http://soundcloud.com/tosynbucknor/oap-101-episode-1