Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
Social media platforms have evolved beyond their initial purpose of connecting users with close friends and family a long time ago. From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, these platforms have become a modern marketplace — a digital storefront where likes, shares, and comments have become a new currency of success.
Yet, for Jackson Lintz, a co-founder of HighKey Enterprises, these platforms represent something far more valuable than a simpler way to sell a product.
As a social media expert who has built his career on helping people leverage the power of social media to create a strong brand identity, Jackson knows social media platforms are the ultimate branding tools that can skyrocket any person’s success in ways unimaginable.
“The testaments to the power of social media are all around us,” Jackson points out. “The Happy Dad company rose to a $250 million valuation in under two years. Logan Paul and Casey Neistat achieved similar feats. The Rock has built a tequila business worth $3.7 billion. All that success is thanks to social media.”
While skeptics may argue that those success stories are simply outliers and not achievable for the average person, Jackson believes otherwise. He sees social media as a powerful equalizer that allows everyone to compete with big names on an even playing field.
“Social media gives every person out there an opportunity to showcase their brand and connect with customers directly,” explains Lintz. “Organic engagement isn’t something that you can buy.”
For that, you need the right content strategy, and Jackson has a simple but effective recipe that has helped numerous HighKey clients achieve massive success on social media.
As he explains, all you need is three types of content: high-growth content, authenticity-building content, and buyer content.
High-growth content represents eye-catching short-form videos—TikToks, YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and Facebook Reels—that are used to quickly capture the attention and grow an audience.
Once you have grabbed the attention, you start to build authenticity with long-form content such as YouTube videos, podcasts, and newsletters – high-value content that positions you and cements your place as an expert in your respective field.
When you have their attention and trust, you start to implement buyer content – courses, cohorts, events, masterclasses – that provide even more value, and followers become customers.
“Buyer content completes the circle. That’s when people start thinking, “This person is already giving me all this free value, but what would happen if I paid for it?” and they start paying for it,” says Jackson. “The only thing left is to keep the circle going and enjoy your success.”
Best of all, this strategy goes hand-in-hand with building the most precious resource in today’s world: personal brand.
As Jackson explains, social media has changed the branding game in a way where your business isn’t just a business anymore. People don’t just buy a company’s products, they buy into brands and the story behind them. And the most valuable story out there is your own – your life, your experiences, and your knowledge.
“Social media is all about storytelling. While you can tell a story about your business, it’s easier for people to connect with an actual person and their story—it always sounds more authentic,” says Jackson. “That’s why it makes more sense to create a brand out of a person behind the business than out of the business itself.”
Moreover, Jackson points out that building a personal brand isn’t a one-time thing as it isn’t attached to a particular venture. It’s attached to your name and your story, and it continues to grow with you even if you exit or sell a business, or start a new one.
“If you exit or sell a business, and even if you start another venture, your personal brand carries over. You share the story of exiting or selling a business and share the lessons learned,” says Jackson. With the new venture, the story is all about new challenges and successes.
“That’s why personal branding is the number one compounding asset right now. It’s superior to stocks, real estate, and even crypto—perhaps except during a Bull Run,” he adds. “And that’s why investing in your personal brand is the best decision you can make.”
