How Social Media Can Build Communities and Keep You Energised!
Youth worker and Social Media manager Bella Ndayikeze spreads community and positivity through honesty, integrity and high energy on Social Media. Listen in and remind yourself what real engagement looks like!
Welcome back to the Amplify Your Business Podcast!
This week for Episode Two we’ve got Bella Ndayikeze in to talk about how she builds communities and leverages Social Media, all while maintaining the level of energy it takes to keep the hustle going 100 percent!
Bella never stops moving! I’ve never been more inspired by her drive to hustle, to connect with people and communities, and to not only work constantly but also tirelessly towards a positive result for herself and everyone around her. We had an awesome conversation this week, so I hope you get some real value here too!
Who is Bella Ndayikeze?
Bella Ndayikeze is a Social Media manager and Youth Leadership Coordinator with the Edmund Rice Centre WA, which is a program that aims to introduce young refugee / migrant / indigenous youth to the ideas of good and moral leadership. She also owns her own social media company, Ignite Creative Media.
The Power of Letting Go on Social Media
“One of the big challenges in business now is how does a business let individuals operate and help work with their community online whilst still controlling, to some extent, who they are and what their brand is doing. A lot of the big companies are struggling to sort of let go.”
– Matt J Hanham
When it comes to helping a business lose that “suit and tie” corporate tone that people actively run away from on Social Media, Bella is a mastermind. She does it by staying personal, treating it like a real conversation, and remembering that Facebook and Instagram are places people go to have real conversations – not read corporate billboards.
“It’s a matter of actually doing it and posting and getting out there rather than worrying too much.”
– Bella Ndayikeze
Using Social Media to Amplify Community
Bella plays a massive role in building a community, and a lot of what she’s done comes from personal, hands-on experience. At the Edmund Rice Centre WA, she works with kids in groups and one-on-one, often going the extra mile to meet their families and build a bond there too.
“My role there is probably the toughest job anybody can ever have, ’cause I’m dealing with kids from a different background, kids who come from really diverse backgrounds…they’re either refugees or newly arrived, don’t even speak English, so it’s a really tough job. It’s about building relationships, which is essential to my role.”
– Bella Ndayikeze
Our conversation linked back to Social Media because Bella uses digital and Social Media to build on and expand the communities she creates through personal contact.
“I’ve realised as a young person, I’m able to have that influence online as well.”
– Bella Ndayikeze
“I think it must’ve been such a tough job 10, 20 years ago, to be able to reach a lot of people. Just hearing how you’re able to leverage the [online] community and actually get to people and talk, perhaps even in a situation where they wouldn’t necessarily want to talk to you face to face, but the way you [can] connect with them, by message or otherwise, must be a real boost to what you do.”
– Matt J Hanham
“Absolutely, and I currently do Social Media for the Football Commission, WA Football Commission, and I guess, the content that I execute is very effective. The community genuinely want to find out how indigenous people or aboriginal people are doing in footy, in sport, which is what I’m mainly doing and just being able to promote that positive message across the board, not just Facebook, but Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.”
– Bella Ndayikeze
Everything Bella’s doing goes to show how much power Social Media can have to build community, spread positivity, and provide real value to society.
Staying Energised
It takes a lot of energy to keep up with the insane pace of tech these days, and Social Media is probably one of the fastest-moving pieces of that picture. So what does it take to keep at it, keep driving all the time, and stay healthy physically and mentally?
For Bella, it’s meditation.
“I wake up, I meditate, so I reflect on life. I listen to calming music… and I try and question myself. If I made a mistake or someone’s told me something or someone’s talked behind my back, I sort of reflect on that and see how I can do better next time and find new energy.”
– Bella Ndayikeze
“To be doing some meditation and things like that at 21, I mean, I wish I started doing that type of thing at 21. I find it very powerful.”
– Matt J Hanham
That act of taking time to be calm, observe, collect yourself is key more now than ever. Whether you’re building a community like Bella, building a business or building on your passions, you’ve got to allow space for yourself to grow.
What Community do You Want to Build?
So what’s your community of choice? Who do you think you can provide real value for through Social Media? And have you allowed yourself the space to grow and keep up your energy? Let us know in the comments section!
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