Meridith Valiando Rojas - Selfie Made

your ultimate guide to social media stardom

MERIDITH VALIANDO ROJAS

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For my daughters, Penelope Lane and Theodora Robin: my greatest accomplishments. May my story inspire you to be whatever you dream, to think big, and to be Selfie Made. The only limit is your imagination. And for my husband, Chris, my forever partner, cofounder, and anchor. Thank you for believing in me always.

Selfie Made:

(adj:) pronunciation: /selfi-meid/digital entrepreneur who has used the internet to create and launch a business

Pic of me with emojis

Hi, Im Meridith Valiando Rojas, and were going to have so much fun.

You may know me as that DigiTour boss, which makes sense because its the company I founded with my husband, Chris. Yes, Im married, I have two babies, and I run a company that throws hundreds of events with your favorite social media stars every year, all over the country. But other than those little, tiny things, Im just like you.

What I mean is, even though Im adulting, my inner voice has always been, and perennially always will be, fourteen years old.

Total transparency: when I was fourteen, I was a bit of a teachers pet. Im a nerd; I cant help it! Ive always wanted to know everything about everything. Other kids thought I was weird because I asked so many questions in class, but I wasnt trying to be weird! By definition, teachers were the ones with the answers, so they were the ones I wanted the answers from!

Heres how this relates to you: Generation Z (you if youre a teen) has never wanted for answers to questions. You are the first generation to have the answer to almost every question available at your fingertips. This ability, paired with our ever-improving communication technology, has led to a totally new creation: the social media influencer.

Selfie in DigiTour sweatshirt

This is a topic I know a lot about, because I live it every day. With DigiTour, I work with the top social media talent. Ive seen stars rise quickly and fall even quicker. And Ive seen complete anonymity morph into international stardom within a matter of hours. Ive learned a few things about the subject, which is why Ive written a book on it. I also learned more than a few of you are interested in pursuing this path.

The invention of the internet has led to a great accessibility to knowledge and information, but that doesnt within itself lead to intelligence. Intelligence comes from the application of knowledge, and your ability to engage with it. Thats a fancy way of saying you cant learn street smarts from the internet. What good are the answers if you dont know how, when, and where to use them? Thats what teachers are for: they guide you through the learning process. So for the next two-hundred-plus pages, think of me as your teacher and virtual mentor. I will do my best to guide you through this wild new world of opportunity.

Every day Digi introduces me to new people and new ways to connect to them. Thats why I love my job so much! And its also why I wrote this book for you. Selfie Made contains everything you want to know about how to make it big in social media. And I know thats what you really want to do (otherwise why would you be reading this book?)! So pay attention! Take notes! Get out your highlighter!

Me @ Gramercy Theatre NYC before DigiTour Summer 2017. Photo courtesy of Nicholas Mrnarevic

Before we get started I want to point out a few key rules to follow when using the internet:

1. Whatever your parent/guardians rules are for using the internet, follow them. Their instructions come before any/all advice youre getting in this book.

2. Dont give out your personal information, or location, to anyone you do not personally know. When it comes to strangers, assume the person on the other end is not who you think they are, and act accordingly.

3. Let your parents/guardians know whats up. If something doesnt feel right, let someone know.

4. Be courteous to others, but keep in mind there are trolls out there. They want you to be frazzled. The only way to defeat a troll is to ignore them.

If youre good at social media, youre good at business.
NATHAN TRISKA

Selfie Made, you will soon see, is not like any other book youve ever read. Packed in these pages are tons of insider tips and tricks to help you take over the social media world. No think tank put this book together, just me: a social media obsessive who started my own company where I can do what I love. DigiTour was once just an idea I couldnt get anyone to take seriously. Now its a multimillion-dollar company! Ill tell you how I did it, and Ill tell you about how a lot of your favorite influencers did it, too.

Photo of me backstage at DigiFest 2014

Ill give you specific advice on what actually works. The tips I share are not the boring, superficial ones posted on educational blogs. This is the real deal; this is what your favs and the biggest talent in the social media game actually do and have done to gain their following.

If you havent created a social media presence yet, Selfie Made will guide you every step of the way. Together we will fine-tune your focus, set your goals, and put together an action-based plan to grow your following.

For those of you who have already put some work in and have the followers to show it, youll get detailed advice on what to do next in order to grow your brand, increase engagement, and ultimately, monetize! Its not a question of what you want to be when you grow up anymore; its what do you want to be RIGHT NOW?