By Mishael Taruc

Student-owned small businesses at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are finding increasingly creative ways to utilize social media to market their products online.

Andrea Romero, interim director of Strategic Planning, Impact & Scholarly Research and Creative Activities at The Creative School said social media is “where people are. “It’s really hard to see people walking down the street and not being on their phones,” she said. If student business owners are able to tap into that, she says, they’ll have a better chance at reaching potential buyers.

Fourth-year business management student Lauren Martinez sat behind her stall of crochet tops, hats and keychains. Her brand Rengsuu (@rengsuu on Instagram) is among the lineup of small businesses at Mutual Market, a small business showcase that takes over Gould Street on Wednesdays and Fridays in October.

Rengsuu’s Instagram page features Martinez showing off her products in posts with maximalist designs and pastel and muted colour palettes.

Similarly, bright and light colours draw the eyes when scrolling through PageDraws (@pagedraws on Instagram)—an art business offering stickers, keychains, journals and live photobooth run by TMU alumna Paige Tsang with help from her sister Chloe Tsang, a second-year public health student.

Her Instagram account is littered with cartoon animals in her art style. “I’m trying to push the branding more. So I’m trying to keep all the colours cohesive, all the elements,” Tsang said.

Third-year business management student Sumaya Said who runs Sumaya’s Bake Shoppe (@sumayasbakeshoppe on Instagram) said her business’ online presence is an extension of her own personal brand. “I love pink, as you can see,” pointing to her all-pink set up, saying, “ever since I was little, it has been my favourite colour, it just brings me a lot of joy.”

Online, Said showcases her homemade cookies and cupcakes in pink menus and ribbons.

Romero says this is a common tactic in online marketing. “People want relatable personas,” she said.

“What type of things are they doing on a day to day? Are they at a coffee shop? What stores are they shopping at? How do they style the product? And all of that becomes relatable content,” she said.

Martinez said she does not run her business account like larger corporations do. “I kind of treat it as like my own personal account, kind of like an artist’s journey.”

She also said she focuses on reels “because that’s what gets the most traction on social media these days.”

Tsang also uses this format to show authenticity. “If you look at my reels, they’re a little silly. So they’re mainly just for fun,” she said.

Said, on the other hand, takes photos of happy customers for her followers to see.

Romero emphasizes that producing online content for a student-owned online business can start small. “You do want to have good lighting. You want to ensure that the video is crisp, but you don’t need something like overproduced. It just needs to be authentic,” she said.

She advised students who are thinking about starting their small business to use resources on campus.

The Creative Enterprise Hub offers programming for TMU students to turn their ideas into careers and businesses; they provide mentorship, resources and networks for creatives to jumpstart their projects.

She also warns students not to underestimate the value of their professors. She says they can be “a gateway to supporting you outside of your academic world.”

“Marketing is step two,” Romero said. She encouraged student entrepreneurs to talk to people first and share their ideas to get feedback.

She said young entrepreneurs should think about why their ideas matter and who it is serving. “You need to make sure that you’re giving something that people want, not just what you want,” she said.

For Martinez, simply starting is most important. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just get it going. And then you will learn on your way.”