Ben Thompson: The Independent Entrepreneur on the Rise

This is Ben Thompson, a 19-year-old independent entrepreneur, born and raised in Somers, Connecticut. Thompson is working his way up the ranks of the online advertising game. More specifically, he markets athletes and artists through forums such as Twitter and Instagram. He is a man that works solo — he noted that he has no team around him and nobody to back him up. As Thompson puts it, all he has is, “just myself delivering.”

What exactly does Thompson do for a living? Thompson said, “As a career, I deliver Instagram engagement to pro athletes, rappers, models, brands, companies, influencers, and entertainers.” Thompson works hard to direct regular organic Instagram traffic to his clientele. He also does an effective job of tapping into his client’s niche audiences as well as other target audiences specified by his clients. Thompson explains one challenge that he has faced is the criticism of buying followers. “So you buy followers? So you buy likes?” These are just some of the things that people have accused Thompson of doing. “People don’t know what it is exactly I do,” Thompson said. He continued, “I overall market and connect the dots for artists to grow their overall engagement, kind of like an Instagram manager.”

Thompson was not always an Instagram manager. He actually first started out on Twitter. “At first I was on Twitter from 2014 through 2018,” he comments. After four years on Twitter, Thompson made the switch to Instagram. He explains that it is “all about networking to reach a new audience.” Instagram is the perfect tool for just that. Thomspon loves being there for his clients as they find success in their respective fields. “The most rewarding part of my job would have to be seeing my client’s growth and seeing them reach new heights in their career,” Thompson said.

When asked where he sees himself in the next five years, Thompson said, “Signing to a major label or entertainment company to work full time.” Clearly, his ambition is high, likely due to the entrepreneurial blood that runs through his veins. Consistency and “staying with it day in and out” is what Thompson explains is the key to being a successful entrepreneur. “Stay with it and don’t give up, you might need to do free work for people in the beginning to build credibility and vouches,” Thompson said.

Follow Ben Thompson on Instagram here