Ayaz Aftab Hussain recently sat down with Carlota Pico to discuss his array of roles as a solopreneur, including: DJ, marketer, podcaster, music coach and social media guru. He talked about his small marketing agency, All About Helping—centered around a YouTube channel—which is designed to help rappers, producers, singers, DJs, songwriters and other creatives market their music effectively. He also offered concrete advice on leveraging influencer marketing, tapping into specific audiences and making the most of your budget.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on YouTube, listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and read our recap below.

Key takeaways

  • One of Ayaz’s tasks is testing new technologies so that he understands firsthand how his clients can leverage them. The decisions and suggestions he offers are based on a trustworthy combination of research and real-life experience. 
  • Social media is saturated with content, so to reach the right audiences you have to target specific personas. Ayaz advises outlining your ideal customer—from their basic stats to detailed likes—and creating content with them in mind.
  • You can’t get so wrapped up in one channel that you neglect your other ones. If one platform doesn’t seem to be working as well as another, you have to figure out why and change your strategy instead of abandoning it and its audiences.
  • TikTok isn’t for everyone—but if you decide to jump on the bandwagon, make sure you do it right. Find out which songs and dances are trending and put your own spin on them. With this app you can’t focus on yourself—you have to be part of the community.
  • The future of marketing will distinguish between regular content and fan-only content. The rise of pay-for-content platforms like Patreon, OnlyFans and Twitch (and the upcoming Stars by Facebook) is allowing artists to generate more income than they would on typical streaming services.

Selfishness cripples brands; those who give more than they take are always going to win.

Rapid-fire recs

What’s an app or tool that you can’t work without?

I’d have to go with Hootsuite’s mobile app. It allows me to control and see my content in the palm of my hand, to schedule things far in advance and plan everything seamlessly.

A marketing influencer who you follow?

I find Gary Vaynerchuk hugely inspirational. I started listening to him a few years ago, and he helped me switch my mindset and unleash my competitive side.

Another source of inspiration is my grandfather, Aftab. I created my whole company with him in mind. I wish he could see how much I’ve grown and how far I’ve come.

A valuable resource, event or group?

A good friend of mine, Michell C. Clark, wrote a book of 100 daily affirmations called “Keep It 100.” It’s my coffee table book. Once or twice a week I’ll open it to a random page and read an affirmation. They always hit the nail on the head and help me start my day off right.

Connect with Ayaz and Carlota on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Mary Kresge, a freelance content creator based in Madrid.


For more insights into being a solopreneur, check out:

Resilience and reinvention – Betsabé Yona, social media maven and entrepreneur

Your social media is a real-time gold mine for customer insights

To see the full transcript, click on page number 2 below.