INTRO 2 SMM THREAD FEEDBACK & ADVICE

[cyborg_marketing01]

Hello all, i am finally beginning my SMM journey, I have my niche picked, & plan to grow through organic means to begin, and then i plan on advertising on separate pages (Leads sent to Brand page by promo from lifestyle page, marketing page, community page & meme page. as well as other advertisers.) (content for advertising will be engaging, and creative)

It is worth noting that i am going to have to be extremely creative as my niche market is constantly changing, still very grey area and not yet legal in all corners of the world, or even all states in the USA. Which requires jumping through extra hoops, and thinking outside of the box for advertising. As well as other experimenting with other methods.

Questions
-Can people see where i am located or posting from? Does this affect marketing?
-Do you recommend using proxies that can be handpicked by location? (down to the city) (for marketing)
-Since my niche is gray area, should i be posting from a state where my niche is most popular? (CALIFORNIA)
-How do you recommend organically growing my niche brand pages and their advertising pages?
-What additional social media marketing research do you recommend i do to prepare? Any recommended youtube videos?

 

[Simonsim89]

Firstly, congrats on starting your SMM journey, sounds like you’ve got a spicy niche! Let’s go through your questions:

1. Can people see your location?
Yep, some platforms auto-show location tags (like IG/FB stories) unless you turn it off. For posts, you can usually hide it. But meta-data (techy stuff hidden in files) might leak your location if you’re not careful. Use tools like “Exif Purge” to scrub photos. For marketing, location matters if you’re geo-targeting, but since your niche is gray, maybe hide it to avoid unnecessary heat.

2. Proxies?
If you’re doing geo-specific promo (e.g., only targeting Cali where it’s legal), proxies could help. But platforms hate fake locations, risky for bans. If you must, use reliable VPNs/proxies (like NordVPN or dedicated IP services). But honestly, focus on content that vibes with your audience’s interests, not just their ZIP code.

3. Posting from Cali?
If your niche is hot there, maybe. But if you’re not actually there, pretending could backfire (e.g., local slang fails). Instead, lean into culture over location. Use trends, memes, or influencers popular in those areas, subtle but effective.

And some tips for organic growth:

• Content first: Post stuff so good people need to share it (think tutorials, spicy takes, or relatable memes).
• Collabs: Partner with micro-influencers in safe zones (where your niche is legal).
• Engage hard: Reply to comments, hop on trends, use Stories/Q&A to build trust.
• Cross-promo: Use your meme/lifestyle pages to tease the main brand page (e.g., “Wait till you see our other account”).

And about the research phase:

• Study https://www.kontentino.com/blog/shadow-ban-what-it-is-and-how-to-prevent-it/ (how to avoid platform penalties).
• Dig into SEO for gray areas, keywords that fly under the radar.
• YouTube recs: Check “Grow Your Gray Market Brand” (fictional, but search similar terms) or channels like Social Media Examiner for stealthy growth hacks.

Finally, test everything. Run 3 versions of a post, see what sticks. Track competitors’ unspoken tricks (like using TikTok sounds to bypass text filters). Stay low-key, stay creative, and keep backups (accounts, content, etc.). Good luck!