Unlock your digital potential: Tips, tools, and strategies for mastering social media marketing and thriving in the digital economy. Start now! #DigitalSkillsinPrison #ReentrySuccess #SocialMediaMastery
Audio Lesson
Creating an Income in the Digital Economy
When I began serving my sentence, in 1987, neither the internet nor the digital economy existed. People typically earned a living by working in local markets. With the digital economy, however, people can connect anywhere in the world, provided that they’re interacting with people who have an internet connection.
With cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, it even becomes easier to earn a living online.
This evolution brings tremendous advantages for people in prison. If a person can learn how to communicate well and share ideas, the person can build an income stream. A person’s ability to deliver value will influence whether he or she can earn a living in the digital economy, and a criminal record will not be an obstacle. It’s the reason for the lessons we offer in our introductory course, Preparing for Success after Prison.
To advance prospects for success, a person should develop a basic understanding of social media. Social media can help a person promote a business in the digital economy.
Developing effective social media campaigns requires a multi-faceted approach, combining strategic planning, understanding of social media platforms, content creation, and data analysis.
Below we offer some ideas on how to develop competency in social media. Even if a person doesn’t have access to the internet or social media today, the person can develop skills that will accelerate progress upon release.
Understand the Landscape
Social Media Platforms:
To begin with a person should understand that there are many different types of social media, and many platforms cater to a specific demographic. For example, consider:
YouTube:
YouTube is a video-sharing and social media platform where users can upload, share, view, and comment on videos. YouTube has grown to become one of the largest and most influential platforms on the internet, catering to billions of users worldwide.
YouTube hosts a vast array of content, including music videos, vlogs, educational tutorials, movie trailers, live streams, and much more, making it a versatile platform for entertainment, learning, and information sharing. Users can subscribe to channels, or create their own channels.
Many people have come out of prison to build YouTube channels that have generated millions of followers. Those content creators can become successful by mastering their storytelling skills in a video format.
Facebook:
Facebook is a versatile social media platform designed to connect people from around the world. It enables users to share content, including news, photos, videos, and personal updates, fostering social interaction and community building.
Beyond personal use, Facebook serves as a powerful tool for businesses, brands, and creators to engage with their audience, run targeted advertisements, and gain insights into consumer behavior through comprehensive analytics.
The platform also supports group pages, events, and marketplace features, making it a comprehensive space for social networking, business promotion, and community engagement.
Facebook’s demographic is broad, making it one of the most diverse social media platforms. It boasts billions of active users spanning various age groups, geographic locations, and interests, making it an essential platform for marketers aiming to reach a wide audience.
Instagram:
On Instagram, people share photos and videos with their followers. It has become one of the most popular platforms worldwide, especially among younger demographics. Instagram’s core features include the ability to post images and videos, use filters to enhance visuals, share stories that disappear after 24 hours, and explore content through the Discover tab.
Instagram also offers IGTV for longer-form videos and Reels for short-form, TikTok-like videos. The platform is particularly popular with millennials and Gen Z, making it a powerful tool for brands and influencers focusing on visual storytelling and engagement.
Instagram is used for a variety of purposes, including personal expression, brand promotion, influencer marketing, and e-commerce. Its user-friendly interface and emphasis on visual aesthetics have helped it maintain a significant and engaged user base, making it a crucial platform for digital marketing strategies targeting younger audiences.
Twitter:
Twitter is a microblogging and social networking platform known for its concise content format, allowing users to post messages known as “tweets” limited to 280 characters. Launched in March 2006, Twitter has become a global platform for real-time communication and is widely used for a variety of purposes including news sharing, personal expression, brand promotion, and public discourse.
Users can follow other accounts to receive updates, engage with tweets through likes, retweets, and replies, and use hashtags to participate in wider conversations or track topics of interest.
Twitter’s user base is diverse, encompassing individuals, celebrities, politicians, activists, and businesses, making it a powerful tool for public relations, marketing, and social movements. The platform is particularly appreciated for its role in breaking news, live event coverage, and its ability to facilitate direct communication between users and public figures or organizations.
Despite its broad appeal, Twitter’s demographic tends to skew towards younger adults, professionals, and urban users, offering a valuable channel for reaching engaged audiences in real-time discussions and trending topics.
Linked In:
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform designed to connect professionals across the globe. People use LinkedIn as a tool to showcase professional experiences, skills, and achievements, and for companies to post job opportunities and insights about their industries. LinkedIn allows users to create personal profiles that function like digital resumes, as well as company pages to highlight business news, culture, and career opportunities.
The platform is widely used for job searching, recruiting, professional development, and networking. Users can endorse each other’s skills, write recommendations, share and engage with professional content, and join industry-specific groups to discuss relevant topics. LinkedIn also offers learning resources and courses through LinkedIn Learning, catering to professional development and skill enhancement.
LinkedIn’s demographic is broad, encompassing job seekers, recruiters, professionals seeking to advance their careers, industry experts, and companies across virtually all sectors. It is particularly valuable for B2B marketing, lead generation, and professional branding, making it a unique social network focused on professional growth and networking rather than personal social interactions.
TikTok:
TikTok is a social media platform centered around short-form video content, where users can create, share, and discover videos ranging from 15 seconds to three minutes long. It has rapidly become one of the most popular and fastest-growing social media apps globally, especially among Gen Z and younger millennials.
The app is known for its ability to personalize the user experience by recommending videos based on individual preferences and interactions. TikTok’s content spans a wide range of categories, including dance, comedy, education, music, and DIY projects, making it a versatile platform for entertainment and learning.
Users can engage with content through likes, comments, shares, and by participating in various challenges and trends that frequently go viral. TikTok also features a range of creative tools and effects, allowing users to edit their videos directly within the app, add music, and collaborate with others through “duets” or “stitches.”
Social Media Mastery:
To succeed on social media, a person should develop better reading and writing skills. Those skills lead to building an audience, which in turn can lead to new business opportunities. In some cases, people can use their criminal background as a source of validity. For example, some people on social media have earned millions of dollars by discussing their prison experiences; others earn millions on social media without ever revealing their identity.
Social media can become a useful resource for success in the digital economy.
Investment:
On Tuesday morning, February 27, 2024, at 11:51 am, the Coinbase Exchange showed Bitcoin valued at $57,315.30
- Total investment in BTC: $192,202.76.
- Total holdings: 4 BTC
- Total value: $229,261.76
- Gain or Loss: $37,058.44
The value of my holdings surpassed the total amount that I had paid by $37,058.44 since I began investing in cryptocurrency, on January 31, 2024.
Separately, I purchased 1 ETH. It was valued at $2,954.74 and Coinbase charged me a fee of $66.48. My total investment: $3,021.22. Value of ETH at end of day: $3,258.15
Accompanying Video Lesson: Social Media, Creating an Income in the Digital Economy
Critical Thinking Questions:
- In what way would memorializing your journey through prison serve as an asset for your future?
- In what way would memorializing your journey through prison become a liability for your future?
- In what ways could a person use social media as a career accelerator upon release?
Advocacy Initiative:
Prison Professors encourages the exploration of blockchain technology to create positive social changes, such as improved access to education. We invite you to be a part of our initiative by documenting all that you’re learning through our MasterClass on the Digital Economy.
Please share your story and responses through the manner that works best for you:
- Send through email to [email protected]
- Subject line: Digital Economy Course
- Send through regular mail:
- Prison Professors
℅ Digital Economy Course
32565 Golden Lantern, Suite B-1026
Dana Point, CA 92629
- Prison Professors
- Send through the Edovo Tablets:
- Prison Professors
℅ Digital Economy Course
32565 Golden Lantern, Suite B-1026
Dana Point, CA 92629
- Prison Professors
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