Social media provides an opportunity for creative entrepreneurs like Jason Sadler to make a living wearing a different t-shirt each day. Seriously.
When I first heard about iwearyourshirt, I thought it was an incredibly simple and brilliant idea. It’s the kind of thing we all probably wish we’d thought of.
We talked about a lot of things, but a few themes kept coming up: connecting with people, building a community, having fun and using social media to help drive revenue. These are the foundations of Jason’s business and should be the foundations of why social media is integrated into any communication strategy. I’d argue he’s created one of the most successful business models driven by advertising and content creation.
The reason Jason is an influencer is because he’s tackled one of the biggest hurdles still facing many online: how to monetize social media. Small businesses in particular stand to benefit the most from things like iwearyourshirt because they can afford smaller investments in terms of dollars with big returns like custom videos, fun photos and exposure to large numbers of fans and followers. But a one-shot deal isn’t enough. The exposure and momentum are great, but if those businesses fail to continue connecting with customers, none of it matters. Jason feels pride in helping launch companies, helping grow them and helping them understand how to continue what he starts to lead to conversion. From a purely business perspective, iwearyourshirt rocks. From a personal perspective, Jason is a smart and cool dude.
Jason admits he skated through college pretty easily and found during those years he learned a lot more by networking than he did in the classroom. Education is important, but learning how to meet new people and make real connections is something often lacking from college priorities. In talking with Jason, we agreed we think this is one of the most important skills to work on developing. In an influence-based world, learning how to meet new people and nourish relationships is a key to success in many areas of business, particularly those trying to succeed using social media.
Mr. Sadler is onto something. Check out a video with what he had to say about his passion for connecting (and a few other things.)
Hit him up on Twitter. Check out his photo and video adventures. See him do his daily thing on Facebook. Meet his dog Plaxico (awesomely named after a fellow Spartan). And of course, put his bodacious bod to work for your company on his website. And if you’re curious what the frame was all about, my Friends in a Frame series is here.
Check out my other influencers here.
Photo: Taken with Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. Exposure 1/1000 sec. Aperture f/2.8. Focal length 28mm. ISO Speed 400.
