What Kim Kardashian Has to Teach Us About Business

People are recognizing that I am an entrepreneur and do more than be on a reality TV show. Kim Kardashian

When the name of Kim Kardashian is taken, it’s mostly her male fans who turn their heads. But the 39-year-old actor-model is something much bigger than that. Kardashian is known to possess a shrewd understanding of business-related issues and her successful brand-building makes her a significant character to get inspired by. You can love her or love to hate her but there is no denying that you can rely on her for something more than eye-catching poses and photographs. Her influence in the world of celebrity-driven business is special and there is more than one thing that we can learn from her.  

Consider the fact that a sponsored tweet from Kim can cost upwards from $20k. Yes, you head it right! So, there must be something special about the woman who is a role model for many other ambitious women. Kim’s husband Kanye West, who recently announced that he is running for the American presidency but dropped soon after, summarized it nicely about his famous wife, saying: “In order to win at life, you need some Kim K skills, period.” 

What does one learn from Kim K? 

Here are some tips: 

Taking care of own brand name

Sex revelations involving women celebs is not something new and on many occasions, they are accused of making the most of the media limelight that they hog as a result of such revelations/leaks. But Kim takes this matter seriously. She had once sued a company for “leaking” her tape and even won $5 million in the settlement. On the other hand, Kim has made a good use of her surname in terms of family-based television shows and books that have not only earned her fame and name but also sent across messages to her million fans that she is an icon worth following.  

A genius in marketing

Along with her mother Kris Jenner who is also her mother, Kim has a brilliant marketing capacity. In an interview with The Times, UK, in 2011, Kim said a great voice or great acting skills would have made it amazing but she was being realistic to think that her skill and talent lied in marketing. Amanda Scheiner McClain, who wrote the 2013 book ‘Keeping Up the Kardashian Brand: Celebrity, Materialism, and Sexuality’, made an analysis of the celebrity’s presence on the social media and Internet that marketing professionals have considered exemplary. “What [Kim] has successfully engineered is a commodification of the public obsession with her, forging a connection between her image and whatever product she's trying to sell,” McClain famously wrote about Kim. To all the budding businesswomen, are you listening? 

A brilliant use of social media

This also comes under the marketing mechanism of Kim but yet deserves a distinct mention. It is not that Kim does and promotes any creative work but her posts gain so much traction from her millions of fans that her currency in social media hardly fades. It is not that all can aspire to be a celebrity like Kim but what all can learn from her is her way of using the platform better and smarter than others. Relentlessly promote issues that people find interesting and your social media presence will get a boost, which in turn will boost your business.  

Making your voice heard

Controversy is definitely one factor that has made the Kardiasians famous. But there is another reason why they are followed seriously and that is their strong opinions and choice of words. Kim is one who is never shy of expressing her outright views and with her years of presence in various fields like business and entertainment, she has only grown stronger with her opinions. This is a key requirement for people who want to make an impact. Never run away from having a strong opinion. That will create waves and push your own agenda in terms of a business venture.  

Make use of business opportunities

Kim did not stop herself from making a foray into the mobile and app world even though she is not from the tech world. She came up with innovative Kimojis, the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood video game, and her app. “When people looked at me in a way like, ‘Why is she stepping into the tech world? That’s not her territory! Stick to reality TV!' I was like, ‘No’,” she told Forbes.  “This is fun for me. Now I’m coming up with Kimojis and the app and all these other ideas. I don’t see myself stopping.” This is indeed another lesson in business from Kim: Change with the times and make the most of it.  

Not taking self too seriously

Kim has the ability to make fun of herself and that is a big plus point she has. The Kardashians even repost unflattering paparazzi pictures which give the message that when everybody think they are down, they come back on top. These are qualities worth emulating for an aspiring entrepreneur. Make fun of yourself from time to time. This will give you a humble public image and also stop yourself from turning over-confident.  

Giving your attention to your strengths

Kim and her family are as hated as they are loved but that never really hits them. Reason? They know to play to their strengths and one of them is, though it sounds funny, is taking selfies. Kim’s strength of taking selfies helps her make deals worth billions despite all the criticism. There is something to learn from this. Play to your strength irrespective of the criticism and you will make the world envious.