Building a Business from Scratch: A Diary-Based Exploration of Social Media Entrepreneurship
Russell, Oliver (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120432988
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120432988
Tiivistelmä
This diary-based thesis aims to help me understand, reflect, and learn about three main points as my partner and I try to create a social media company from scratch, over a period of eight weeks. The main areas are deciding what type of business to create, doing the accounting and bookkeeping for the company, and getting sponsorships and partnerships for our content. We started posting consistently on social media accounts on July 4th, 2024, and saw early success.
The thesis follows the creation of the company behind the Off Grid Island social media accounts. At the start of the thesis, we had 18,000 YouTube subscribers, 250,000 Instagram followers, and 182,000 TikTok followers. The content is about building a log cabin on a remote offgrid island in Finland with no prior experience. As co-founders, my partner and I share all tasks. Our main goal is to turn a successful social media account into a profitable business by securing sponsors and growing the company. This involves careful planning, constant adaptation, and learning new skills to manage both content creation and business operations. A significant part of our interactions includes working with a marketing manager we signed on with to help us navigate sponsorships and promotional strategies.
When I started this project, my experience in social media and online content creation was limited. Through trial and error, I have significantly expanded my skill set and knowledge base, growing from a novice content creator to someone with some experience in managing an online business. Beyond technical skills, I've developed a strong work ethic and adaptability. Initially hesitant, I have gained the confidence to pursue this full time after my studies. This has just been the beginning of our journey, but we have set the foundation in place to slowly start to grow our company. First into a social media business but hopefully someday a business that does not solely rely on content creation for revenue.
The thesis follows the creation of the company behind the Off Grid Island social media accounts. At the start of the thesis, we had 18,000 YouTube subscribers, 250,000 Instagram followers, and 182,000 TikTok followers. The content is about building a log cabin on a remote offgrid island in Finland with no prior experience. As co-founders, my partner and I share all tasks. Our main goal is to turn a successful social media account into a profitable business by securing sponsors and growing the company. This involves careful planning, constant adaptation, and learning new skills to manage both content creation and business operations. A significant part of our interactions includes working with a marketing manager we signed on with to help us navigate sponsorships and promotional strategies.
When I started this project, my experience in social media and online content creation was limited. Through trial and error, I have significantly expanded my skill set and knowledge base, growing from a novice content creator to someone with some experience in managing an online business. Beyond technical skills, I've developed a strong work ethic and adaptability. Initially hesitant, I have gained the confidence to pursue this full time after my studies. This has just been the beginning of our journey, but we have set the foundation in place to slowly start to grow our company. First into a social media business but hopefully someday a business that does not solely rely on content creation for revenue.