“Follow your passion” is probably one of the oldest pieces of advice for everyone who wants to become successful in any area of expertise, if you genuinely love what you’re doing, then you’re less likely to run out of ideas in the long run. You’ll also be naturally willing to take opportunities that will help you grow.
Sista Ginna – Ghanaian Blogger and music promoter. Here is my story of turning my hobby into a career. Welcome to my world of Everything internet. Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.
Who am I?
Well, I originally trained as a chef and spent about 6years working in the catering industry. After vocational school, I worked in hotels and restaurants around Tema, Spintex, and Labone.
During this time, one of my hobbies was the internet. I found the online world back in 2006, It was so much fun to be able to connect with people all over the world, share thoughts, Download Music, make new friends, and also see what’s going on around the world, I mean platforms like 2go, Tango, MySpace, Tumblr and then eventually to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Around 2016 I started creating simple blogs and websites using free website creation sites like BlogSpot which is free and also very active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for my updates. Little by little I started taking the first small steps to have my own place in this on-line world.
As a social media enthusiast, I came to know how the modern world is fully adapting to digital media and in the increasing popularity of social media, I realized I have a keen interest in information technology so out of curiosity, I began to teach myself basic HTML coding, bought my first online domain and created my first website a fashion blog which was a free hosting on BlogSpot.
Everyone learns differently. Some people can read instructional articles online, youtube videos, and then jump right in and start working on a project. While others need step-by-step instruction. I will categorize myself under the self-taught. After numerous research and understanding the basics of digital marketing and blogging, I found social media marketing easy because I understood the dynamics and what people wanted. I went ahead to enroll and studied IT. to up my skill and also learned how to do basic graphics designing, editing, etc. I eventually grew to understand how to use every online platform, and began to grow my audience. My online business started with me working my phone and managing lots of small brands and high profile personalities pages. I also provided technical support to many influencers.
The concept of Digital marketing has so many sides to it. You may maintain a particular niche blog in your spare time, but later when you get decent amounts of traffic and have a loyal audience, you start receiving affiliate partnership, sponsorship deals, and providing services and this is when a hobby becomes a career.
One thing that helped me work with brands, influencers, and providing services online is: create trust, have integrity, and understand the brand’s goal and objectives. People love it when you understand them and when you can also deliver what they want and expect. The process at the beginning was tough because I was not sure of what I was getting into. I had a job at that time so this was a side hustle for me. I didn’t believe so much in it until it became clear to me that this is what I am actually called to do.
I’ve definitely faced difficult times in this business. Especially now that I am into full-time artiste and relations, Digital marketing, and blogging. One thing I know for sure is that challenges often come when you are not prepared. During these times, a lot of things are tested and how you react to them determines what comes out of it.
Marketing your presence on social media is important as creating your presence. The strength of your social media is determined by the strength of your content. Social media has evolved to be an unstoppable force.
I manage and founded Gospel Hypers, a Christian Public Relations and Entertainment Media, known for providing Music Promotion and Brand PR/Marketing services for clients in the music industry, Pastors, churches, and personal brands. The website’s goal is to cover quality Christian entertainment and bring more exposure to the music scene.
