By: Jamie Georges, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
SOUTH JERSEY – When thinking of social media users, Generation Z often comes to mind. Social media for many has revealed an innovative and profitable way for launching a business.
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, have made it easier for people to share and sell their products.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused people to remain indoors, it introduced different hobbies for countless people. A time where people learned to create DIY crafts, play instruments, and cultivate new skills. For some those skills were spent learning what it would take to launch a business of their own, specifically one online.
Rochelle Bremmer, 19, had thoughts of starting her crochet business in 2020 after developing a love for creating vibrant pieces and noticing an uptake in her peers beginning to invest in the hobbies they were trying to perfect.
“A lot of other people were making their business and just showing what they’ve been creating behind closed doors,” Bremmer said. “I guess that was also a motivator to get my work out there and see what type of comments or interactions I would get from it.”
Launching her business on Instagram: Rb._creations, Bremmer has sold crochet tops, skirts, dresses, and accessories. Social media has extended how her work can reach individuals and created avenues to work alongside those who have a passion for design and clothing.
“It has been a great opportunity to see how to get my work out there and also connect with other creatives, people that are in similar positions as me” Bremmer said. “You also get to build a good community around you that will help and support you.”
For 22-year-old entrepreneur Josiah Reginald, his idea of beginning a business started in 2024 on Instagram: Outerworld_clothing.
His love for drawing and fascination for space grew into a passion that inspires the designs of his online clothing business.
“Social media helped me gain a lot of exposure,” Reginald said. “It was a way for many to see what I had to offer.”
Social media has even provided business accounts the chance to expand their audience through following trends and through advertisements. The apps themselves also come with a shop feature, making it easier for buyers.
For these young entrepreneurs, what initially began as a thought turned into a dream— and with dedication and support, reality.
As social media has numerous positives to how one can market and sell products, it also has a downside that is inescapable for innovators– the naysayers.
“I would say, use positivity as fuel and negative energy, use that as fuel too because it can serve as critique, but also serve as motivation,” Reginald said. “Keep going, If you have talent, don’t hide it, expose it.”
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