You can have the best product in the world but unless you are well-connected on your social media platforms you will struggle to get your brand known. Many startups, in particular, can struggle to get traction on social media and build up a following. While there are many tools and tips and tricks out there, sometimes we need an extra bit of help.
Few people are better connected on social media than A.J. Cartas, a social media guru, and marketing professional. A.J. originally made a name for himself by posting comical posts on Instagram and funny videos on Vine gaining him over 1 million followers. Although providing amusing content for many, A.J. also became known as one of the top diverse creators.
Seeing a future in social media, A.J. left his third year of college to move to Silicon Valley to pursue a career in social media consulting. Since then, he has led social for some big companies such as ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, Revolut, and Alibaba.
Armed with over 5,000 influencers in his network with collectively over 500 million followers, A.J. can quickly launch campaigns to get start-ups on the map and on the road to their first 1 million followers.
While launching successful marketing campaigns has been an important part of A.J.’s journey, another side of his work lies in diversity. As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, a college dropout, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, A.J. fits the bill of diversity on several accounts. He prides himself on his minority-led social media agency, Syzygy Social, and on being a voice for diverse creators.
However, his latest endeavor aims to take this a step further. Divinfluence is a tool that aims to connect brands with underrepresented creators. While many companies just look to check the diversity box, A.J. believes that more needs to be done to get diverse creators represented in brands and valued on an equal level as their white counterparts.
A.J. is living proof that the untraditional route can lead to success, although he is the first to admit that not everything always goes to plan. His book, Start-Ups and Downs, aims to help others wanting to go the untraditional route with tips and tricks from someone who has been there.
