Your first mistake is not having a social media plan – GOOD VIBES founder Jordan Epstein on digital marketing

By Koketso Mamabolo

When Jordan Epstein was in high school the more ‘academic’ subjects did not interest him as much as drama and music. “At school I was definitely drawn towards a creative direction,” says the founder and CEO of GOOD VIBES Lifestyle Agency, which is a creative and experiential advertising agency. 

“I have always been extremely interested in entrepreneurship, business & advertising.” 

Founded in 2021, GOOD VIBES sits at the intersection of all three, having worked on digital strategies and campaigns for major brands such as Huawei, Kellogg’s and Diesel, among others. 

“Brands are waking up to the power of the influencer in the marketplace, they see what we’re doing here at GOOD VIBES, and they want in on it.” 

Born in Johannesburg, Jordan attended Hilton College, and majored in marketing and psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand. Along with his undergraduate qualification, Jordan completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration at the Wits Business School.

Jordan is also responsible for the creative direction for the Rockets Group, which has venues in both Johannesburg and Pretoria that have seen success indicative of how well Jordan understands the convergence of social media, events and culture.

Please tell us a bit about your background – what led you to where you are now?

I have always been extremely interested in entrepreneurship, business & advertising. At school I was definitely drawn towards a creative direction being more involved in drama and music rather than more academic subjects. I’ve always been fascinated by digital, social media, events & culture which for me is where most of my big ideas, networking and relationships are formed. 

GOOD VIBES has been running for just over a year, but you’ve bought in major brands as clients. How did you go about bringing the likes of Kellogg’s, Huawei and Steve Madden onboard? 

Brands are waking up to the power of the influencer in the marketplace, they see what we’re doing here at GOOD VIBES, and they want in on it. Where else do you have an already captured market that you can access for a fraction of the cost of conventional marketing. As long as the brand is in-line with the following of the influencer, brands can access millions of consumers with literally one click. 

 How do you ensure that your clients are happy?

 Clients are happy when campaigns are successful and they see a ROI, but with all businesses there are risks and desired results are not always achieved, no one wants the disappointment. Obviously, we would sit down with the client and the Influencer and review the reasons behind the negative ROI and try to rectify the problem with the right solution either with a campaign adjustment or take it back to the drawing board. This is why it’s essential to align the right product with the right influencer. 

How do you translate what’s happening in the world into a digital medium?

 Everything in the world is constantly being played out on multiple digital mediums whether it be Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and with the evolution of these mediums to the Metaverse the world will be even more entrenched in what is basically a digital reality. GOOD VIBES utilises these mediums to connect the brand to the consumer using the influencer as a conduit. People follow influencers because they relate to them, and can buy into a product or service based on their favourite influencer’s opinion about it. 

What are the major mistakes brands make when with their social media strategies?

The first mistake many brands make is that they don’t have a social media marketing plan in place, and they try to adopt the same strategy across multiple platforms. These general broad-based techniques don’t allow brands to align the content they put out with the messaging they are trying to push and the audience they are trying to target. Brands need to define their target audience and engage with them at a relatable level otherwise it can be a futile exercise. In addition to this many brands pump out social media campaigns but don’t track analytics, so they have no idea if any impact is being made. 

 What trends have you noticed in social media and how can businesses adapt?

 Insight: Businesses now want to be closer to the community and consumer and so a higher frequency of content and conversation. 

Commerce: Seeing influencers used more for social selling as well as brands now turning on e-commerce strategies overnight due to covid. 

Platforms: leaning more into TikTok and YouTube to get more video assets and a more authentic resonance.

Social responsibility: Brands and businesses are more cognizant of giving back and use social media and influencers to drive this.

How can businesses and individuals use NFTs as part of their marketing strategy?

It’s important to understand the what and why. Bottom line, marketers can create tokens that are tailored to specific audiences to target specific messages for specific groups. So when you need to hit multiple consumer sets this is a great play. 

Why do it? Because this is an impactful way to create a unique brand experience. This helps disrupt a busy marketplace and lets consumers choose your brand over competitors.

This will generate interest in your brand. Overall this helps you with awareness as this is something new that the future GenZ consumer will want to buy into.

 What are some of the ways that entrepreneurs and decision-makers can leverage their influence?

 They can use their influence for good. Be it to shine a spotlight on a need for funding or to dispel rumours or gossip; the platforms they have are powerful. They are seen as trusted sources so it is critical that business owners start leveraging social media to speak TO their consumers. 

 What advice do you have for other young people looking to get into digital marketing?

 It’s not a case of getting into digital marketing – it’s marketing. Everything we do is digital. I would say that the future GenZ getting into marketing has a great advantage as they grew up in a digital only world. To really set yourself apart, start looking at how to ensure effectiveness in digital. 

What books, films, documentaries or podcasts have you read, watched or listened to that have taught you something which you have been able to apply to your business? What were those lessons and how did you apply them?

I am obsessed with podcasts as I can plug in-and-out mini episodes. Business Wars is a great podcast that shares four episodes at a time on popular competing brands such as Adidas vs Nike or Dominos vs Pizza Hut or Apple vs Samsung. The lesson from this is that I learnt about pivoting in business and how you need to adapt as the market changes. Podcasts are also critical for me in understanding what is relevant in culture in Asia, U.K, U.S.A or anywhere around the world.