podcast

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#49 - Why business Owners should be using Facebook Live

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Are you a small business owner looking to build your audience and increase your know, like and trust factor with potential clients? Live video is the latest marketing technique used to educate audiences on what it is you have to offer, and social channels, such as Facebook are rewarding those who have ventured in to live video.

Facebook Live for the business owner

Allison Hardy is a Business Strategist for mompreneurs who focuses on the importance of Facebook Live. I first saw Allison in a Facebook Live in a popular group I'm a member of and knew I needed to talk to her—so she is joining me on the podcast today.

Allison uses Facebook Live because she believes live video builds your know, like and trust factor. When we buy something, it is because we have developed a relationship of knowing and trust with a business or person.

Why choose Facebook Live?

Facebook Live is real time– you cannot hide or edit. Viewers can ask questions live and you can answer in real-time creating a genuine connection.

Periscope started the live video trend in 2015 and business owners were quick to start building big empires by connecting with people via live video. Because of this Facebook created Facebook Live and reward those who use it.


How does Facebook favour Facebook Live?

Facebook Live videos will show up in newsfeeds more than other text-based posts. They want people watching Facebook live videos so when people do them they show up in newsfeeds more. A lot of pages and groups also will send you a notification when someone you know is on live, which means even more viewers. Facebook Live will get you in front of your people more often.

In addition to favouring people using it, Facebook also favours engagement. If you are offering really valuable comment, people are going to share, react and give you comments. The more people engage with your Facebook Live, the more it will continue to be seen long after the live is over.

Another thing to note is that Facebook likes it when people stay on Facebook. Creating native content (uploading a video directly to Facebook or a Facebook Live) is a way to keep people where Facebook wants them and can get you better reach than when you direct them to another website.

One way to get more bang from your live is to broadcast your Facebook Live video from your Business Page and then share it into other groups. This helps more people see it and shares are popular with the algorithm.

The value to broadcasting Facebook Lives directly within a group is that you are providing added value for being a member of that group. 

What if I make a mistake?

People make mistakes and that’s okay! The more you do Facebook Live the more confident you will be. Find a safe place and just do it. More often than not people are supportive when mistakes happen. You just have to muster up the guts and confidence to do it. People realize you are putting yourself out there—not everyone does live video so it is something that people will tune into and want to watch. They want to learn from you. They want to see how you relate and what you have to offer.

What should I talk about?

What are you working on right now? What mistakes have you made and how are you going to fix them? Talk about the things you are working on in your business or a mistake that you made or how you are setting yourself up for success. People want to hear about what you are working on, so talk about that. Even if you don’t find a certain topic interesting, someone else out there does. There is always someone out there looking to learn from you.

Final tip

When you are doing Facebook Live always ask for engagement. Invite followers to engage from the very beginning. Ask them to say “hello,” then, when you launch into your content, ask them pointed questions. Asking questions builds engagement and increases your know, like and trust factor and means more and more people will keep seeing the content you've taken the time to create.

Will you be using Facebook Live? Leave a comment with a link to one so we can come and check it out, or come on over to the Biz Studio Community and try Facebook Live out with us!

#38 - Should we be Facebook Friends?

On today’s podcast I am speaking with Elizabeth Salazar, owner of Get Visible Marketing. Elizabeth helps female entrepreneurs launch online products or courses with a core focus on marketing. We know Facebook is a powerful marketing tool, but sometimes we forget (or maybe don’t know!) that our personal profile is also an important Facebook marketing tool.

How to market yourself through your personal profile

Elizabeth Salazar

When you are marketing your business organically on Facebook i.e., by engaging in Facebook Groups, etc. then this is an important issue because more often than, not clients and potential clients will send you a Facebook friend request.

You need to know what they're going to be finding when they click through to check you out. The first step is to check the info section of your personal profile. Don’t just check it from your point of view – view your timeline from the public’s point of view as well. Also, make sure people don’t have to click “About” to see more about you. Make sure the link to your Business Page or website is on the public version of your personal profile. The key is to make it as easy as possible for people to find out what you do and then take the next step to learn even more.

Why would someone want to see my personal profile?

Whether you accept everyone’s friend request or not - your personal profile is the first entry into your sales funnel. When people from a Facebook Group click your personal profile they are not trying to creep you, they are simply trying to figure out who you are, what the name of your business is, and what services or products you offer.

Keep your title simple and to the point – don’t call yourself something too ambiguous, but do have your business title and a link to your business page easy to find. People do not want to be clicking around to find out more information about you.

Should you be Facebook friends with people you are not really friends with?

If you want to – why not?

If you have a Facebook Group you may want to “friend” the members of your group so you can message them directly, without Facebook Messenger filtering them. 

There is a huge potential to building relationships with people on Facebook using your personal profile. Depending on what you post on Facebook, your content allows potential clients to get to know you better and the more you engage with them on a personal level the more they will get to know and trust you; and the more likely Facebook is to show your content to those on your friend’s list – just be careful not to discuss too much business on your personal profile because Facebook could flag your profile as being used inappropriately (business talk is for your Business Page or Group).

Let potential clients get to know you better by posting relatable content. Just remember that although there are people on Facebook who may never post or engage in your Facebook Groups, etc. they may still be seeing and paying attention to your content, so always maintain a level of professionalism that is in line with your business goals.

How can I control my personal Facebook content for clients?

You can segment your Facebook friends into lists. You can segment family, friends, clients, professional acquaintances, etc. into separate lists. So, you can segment content you publish on Facebook based on who (or which list) you want to see it or not see it. You can then put something up just for your closer friends, or put something up that just goes to your business acquaintances.

How you sort your friends list is entirely up to you and how comfortable you are with sharing your personal and public life on Facebook.

What if I am nervous about opening my Facebook Page to everyone? 

If you absolutely do not want to share your personal Facebook page then completely lock it down and keep it private - that's a personal choice that is completely OK. Instead invite clients and fans to go to your Business Page or Group and try to relate and create content there that makes you relatable and shows your more-human side. You don’t have to open your personal page if you don’t want to – there are other ways to market yourself and your business.

I’d like to learn more!

Elizabeth runs a marketing Facebook Group called, “Marketing your Business Mastermind.” It’s for service based businesses online who need help marketing themselves. There is a free weekly mastermind where Elizabeth and group members talk about a specific subject for 45 minutes – just so people know they are not alone in the roller coaster of business. There are also threads with information and feedback, as well as training available to business owners looking for more help.

#29 Podcasting: What is it and why should you care?

"What is it and why should I care" is something I hear a lot of when it comes to digital marketing, and is a statement I have addressed many times over the years. It's commonplace for people to hear about digital marketing tools over and over again, but don't really know what they are, and more than that, don't know why they should care or if they need to pay attention to that particular tool.

This week the tool I talk about is podcasting - because I often meet people who don't quite understand what a podcast is and whether or not they should be listening to them (let alone figure out how to start one of their own). So, this week I dig in to what a podcast is, why you might care about them, and how you can find good podcasts to listen to.

What is a podcast?

Podcasting, according to Wikipedia is:
A podcast is a form of digital media that consists of an episodic series of audio, video, digital radio, PDF, or ePub files subscribed to and  automatically through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device.[1] The word is a portmanteau of "(i)Pod" and "broadcast."

In my own words: A podcast is an audio or video file that someone created (anyone, really - that's the beauty of podcasting) that people can download and listen to at will. You can sometimes stream podcasts from someone's website, but people who really get in to podcasts have episodes downloaded to their portable devices.

Why listen to podcasts?

Podcasting - what is it

  • Podcasts are great on the go! Cleaning, driving, running, shopping? You can listen to podcasts while completing these tasks. Podcasts allow you to learn or be entertained while doing something else (it's hard to read a book while driving!).

  • You can listen to podcasts when you want and about whatever you want. No need to worry about schedules or having to listen to a topic that does not interest you. You can pick any subject matter and find content that fits it (and your mood in that moment) to listen to or watch.

  • You can pause/stop and listen later. You don't have to miss the end of a podcast because you arrived at your driving or walking destination. And if you are listening to a podcast with someone else, you can stop a podcast and discuss an interesting point with the person you're listening with without missing the next three points.

How do you listen to podcasts?

Some people will have an episode embedded on to their website so you can listen right from there (like I do at the top and bottom of this post). Most listeners, however, listen to podcasts from an app on their mobile devices that downloads the content right to their device.

On an iDevice there is a podcast app already installed, called Podcasts. From this app, you can find and subscribe to podcast shows and new episodes will automatically download.

On Android devices a commonly used podcast app is called Stitcher.

I have links below to both to be able subscribe to this show - you should do that :) 

How can I get started with my own podcast?

A lot of times people will get started with their own podcast only to realize that it is a lot of work. You will be expected to produce a podcast on a regular basis. It is more note than a blog... especially with show notes, which are great for those who do not want to listen to the podcast and prefer to learn by reading, like a blog post.

Do your research. You want to get your podcast out to a lot of people and build momentum. The more you build and produce within the first eight weeks of a podcast, the higher your chances of being successful with it.

If you decide to start a podcast, make sure the content is both informative and conversational. Make sure the podcast is relevant to your brand and think about what the goal of your podcast is before you launch.

 

Do you subscribe and listen to podcasts? Or do you have a podcast of your own? Will you start? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Resources & Links

Social Media Simplified on iTunes

Subscribe on Stitcher



 

 

#22 The Power of Social Media

This week's podcast is a little different. I recap a speech I did for Toastmaster's about social media and how I believe it gets a bad rap and that many people have misconceptions about social media. I discuss the friendships I have made online and outline some benefits to social media.

Have a listen and let me know if you agree with my thoughts on social media.

Have A Question?

Is there a digital marketing topic you would like me to talk about on the Social Media Simplified podcast? Leave a comment and let me know!

Special thanks to everyone who has emailed, commented and left reviews about the Social Media Simplified podcast on iTunes - if you haven't already left a review, I would love it if you did!

Resources & Links

Social Media Simplified on iTunes

Subscribe on Stitcher

Join my FREE Online Community: The Biz Studio Facebook Group


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#17 The Importance of Creativity and Play in Your Business

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Why is creativity important for your business?

In episode 17, Joanne Lauzon joins me as we talk about the importance of creativity and play - a topic that is near and dear to me after discovering just how impactful it has been for me in the last year.

Joanne regularly inspires me to be creative and that helps me to be a better entrepreneur and more creative in the work that I do and the information that I share online.

What is Play?

Play reminds us to be imaginative, which everyone thinks is amazing in children, but has a reputation in adults for being about daydreaming and distraction. What science has shown us is that it is important for adults to do things that are just for fun.

Definition of play by Stuart Brown:

  • Play is something that is voluntary and not a chore
  • Play is flexible and can change during the experience
  • Play is enjoyable and fun

Why are Play and Creativity Important for Adults?

Among many other benefits, play's effect on our brains has been proven to decrease stress, improve brain function, helps with problem solving, and improves relationships.

Why are Play and Creativity Important for Entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurs get stuck IN their businesses. If you get stuck in a rut, how will you get out? Play and creativity can help and they don't need to take a lot of time to have impact in your life and business.

When you are finding yourself spinning your wheels or feeling like your self talk is negatively effecting you, spend 10 minutes stepping away from your work and draw something or go outside for a few minutes of joy.

Reasons to prioritize finding time for play and creativity:

  • Offers new ideas and perspectives on problems
  • Triggers innovation
  • Increases physical energy
  • Minimizes burnout

Ten-minute solo play idea

  • Lego: 15 or 20 pieces to see what you can build
  • Adult colouring books (they're creative and meditative)
  • Play dough
  • Sketch books
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Juggling balls or bean bags - practise for a few minutes to improve your skills

Resources & Links

Joanne's website (sign up for her newsletter for updates and ideas on creativity and play for entrepreneurs)

Events Joanne is hosting (use code SMSPLAY for $10 off!)

Find Joanne on Facebook

Social Media Simplified on iTunes

Subscribe on Stitcher

#13 Can you design your own graphics?

There is an ever growing need to have images in all that you do for your business. You want to make sure that you are creating a business that looks professional and that stays in line with the brand that you want to be associated with.

This week I sat down with Rachela Brisindi of Butter & Honey Graphic Design and we talked about the importance of good design and whether or not you can do some of the design in house.

Simple tips for creating your own designs

- Know what your most important point is and make it the most prominent

- Use good quality images that you have the rights to use (no Google image searches!)

- White space is your friend, don't overcrowd your designs

What should you go to a designer for?

Your logo is the most important design piece for your business. You want to make sure that it is not only well designed, but that you have all of the right files types and information to go with your logo.

Designers are also great at create brand guidelines which you can use moving forward to create your own images.

Links & additional resources

Follow Rachela online and check out her web site and free mini course. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to get all the new episodes automatically.

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#6 What I learned at summer camp

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This past week I went to summer camp for grownups - more specifically for, "Makers, Entrepreneurs and World Shakers."

It was held at a kids' summer camp with all the summer camp experiences - arts and crafts, cabins (there were 12 lovely women in mine) without heat, cafeteria meals, bonfires and talent shows. 

It was amazing. I had such a wonderful time. I met incredible people and I came home feeling changed, for the better.

In this week's podcast I highlight some of the things that really struck me at camp. Things that aren't directly related to social media, but that apply to how we need to think about our businesses as a whole and how we deal with our communities and messages.

Find your community

Marsha Shandur of Yes Yes Marsha and I

Marsha Shandur of Yes Yes Marsha and I

I've talked about the importance of figuring out who your audience is and the need to be willing to niche yourself, but more than ever camp reminded me just how amazing it can be when you really and truly find a community that is tied together by joint values.

When you let yourself create a space that is not for everyone, then the people it IS for feel even more comfortable and connected to you. 

Create experience

While most campers started their day with Yoga and meditation I stuck to my coffee but sat reflecting on all that I was learning.

While most campers started their day with Yoga and meditation I stuck to my coffee but sat reflecting on all that I was learning.

Knowing what you want people to feel and experience when it comes to you, your business, and the content you share is an important part of marketing and creating a great business.

Every moment that I was at camp I felt fully immersed in the experience they created for me. It was impressive and delightful. Speaking of which...

Delight

Jonathan Fields, who started the Good Life Project and spoke several times during camp inspired me more than I ever could have imagined. He endeavours to create delight and is entirely successful at it. 

It is my goal over the next year to create more delight in and with my business.

 

Harness your fear

Point 3 of Jonathan's 10 commandments is around fear and he said something that I will never forget. He asked people to think of what it feels like to have butterflies in your stomach when something scares you and then to imagine all that you could do if you could harness those butterflies.

That statement might have been the most impactful statement of the entire weekend. (I'm harnessing them right now as I share a drawing of the statement I made post camp.)

Going to sleep away camp for entrepreneurs was an epic experience for me. I learned a lot and I hope some of the thoughts I've shared from my trip help you too.

Links & additional resources

Camp GLP

Yes Yes Marsha - who I adore and you should follow her. Her claim to fame is that I was the first subscriber on her mailing list (no wait, I think that's my claim to fame, but yanno, I'm spinning it here)

Jonathan Fields talking about turning Fear Into Fuel in a Tedx talk

Social Media Simplified on iTunes

#3 Do you show up well online?

Episode three focuses on how people perceive you based on what you are putting online about yourself.

What is personal branding?

According to Wikipedia, you can define personal branding as the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group or organization. Personal branding often involves the application of one's name to various products.

Personal branding is important for someone whose business is built around his or her name, such as myself: Lara Wellman Digital Marketing. It is important to think about how my business, my business name and myself are interconnected.

Why is personal branding so important?

Whether or not your business name is the same as your personal name, you are still linked to your business’ reputation. People will Google your business and, more than likely, they will see your name attached to it. In the eyes of a client or customer, you are your business.

How do I find out my personal brand?

1)    Browse incognito: because browsers are designed to find content that is most relevant to you, if you Google yourself you are more likely to come up with more hits about yourself than someone else would, since your Browser knows you are interested in you. To prevent this you need to browse incognito, here’s a link to a tutorial to show you how on various web browsers: http://www.7tutorials.com/how-browse-web-incognito-all-big-browsers).

2)    Ask a friend: Ask a close friend to Google you and report back on what they find out about you. You may be surprised!.

At the end of both of these activities, take notes of what you find out about your personal brand. Is the information online telling people what they should know about you?

Create general guidelines for yourself and your business outlining what you want people to think about you and your business based on what is online. For example, are you okay with images of your children or other family members being online? What about complaints? Do you tend to post negative comments on Facebook or other website? Remember, those are searchable online and are representative of you and your business.

How do I make the right impression online?

What kind of information do you want people to find about you and is any of that missing? Fill those gaps! This means filling out your LinkedIn profile, and being cautious with personal posts on any social network. It's very important to think of anything you post online as having the potential of being seen by everyone. Think before you post!

This includes professional images – including headshots. If you are a professional and want people to take you seriously then a professional headshot will help you achieve this. Before you meet with a photographer think about what you want people to think about you when the see your professional headshot? Write down these keywords and bring them with you to your photo session. This will help ensure that your professional photos really speak to what you want people to see. Then keep this in mind with every photo you post – it’s okay to be fun and quirky if you are comfortable with people seeing that photo (now and in the future) and know it may connect with your audience somehow.


Remember, the more new, compelling and relevant information that you put out there, the more the old stuff will be slowly pushed down and out of Google search. So, create content that reinforces what you want people to know and think about you and then work to maintain and manage your personal brand online.

Links mentioned in this post + extra resources:

How to browse the web incognito: http://www.7tutorials.com/how-browse-web-incognito-all-big-browsers).

Blog post: Personal branding 

Blog post: How to make sure people know enough to want to connect with you

The carrot onesie :)

The carrot onesie :)


Episode 2: Twitter

Episode two focuses on the social media network, Twitter: how it works and whether or not your business should be using it.

 

What is Twitter?

According to Wikipedia, Twitter is defined as:

An online social networking service that enables users to send and read short 140-character messages called "tweets". Registered users can read and post tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. 

How does Twitter work?

Twitter users can share messages that are 140 characters in length. Users can also share images as well as videos up to 30-seconds long.

Basically, people follow your Twitter account, which means that the content you “tweet” gets pulled into their Twitter stream. Tweets show up in chronological order so the chances of people seeing your content depend on when they go online and if your content appeared (and was noticed by them) as they scrolled through their Twitter stream.

Some users follow a lot of people on Twitter, which means content moves quickly and depending on how many followers they have, people may miss content shared by the people they follow.

What makes Twitter a great tool for businesses?

Twitter is more than just telling people what you had for lunch. Conversations are a huge part of the magic of Twitter.

You find your audience and you have conversations with them. You can have conversations with people you never would have had the opportunity to have conversations with anywhere else and this not only includes your audience, but also thought leaders in your industry.

Twitter has amazing potential for relationship building – I’ve made great friends and have also found great clients through Twitter.

What is a Twitter handle?

A Twitter handle is the @ symbol followed by the person’s Twitter name i.e., my name is @larawellman. When you put someone’s Twitter handle in a tweet they will have that show up as a notification in their Twitter account.


What is a hashtag?

Hashtags are a great way to follow a conversation or event that is being tweeted about. People use the hashtag symbol “#” followed by the word, and when users search for a specific hashtag i.e., #SocialMediaSimplified every tweet that uses that hashtag appears in a list.

When should a hashtag be used?

If you’re having an event and you share a hashtag, people will start talking about your event using that hashtag. This is great because people start to follow each other, and it makes it easy to find other people who have similar interests.

To be a part of the conversation and to expand your following, you should be tweeting and paying attention to hashtags at events you’re at or events of interest to your audience.

More Twitter Tips

 Create lists

Once you find the right people to follow add them to a list, i.e., Lifestyle Bloggers. Put together a list of industry experts, businesses you support or want to help, and users you want to interact with. By creating these “channels” you make your time on Twitter more efficient.

Look at other people’s lists

To find out what lists a specific Twitter user is on go to their Twitter page. Right above their tweets you’ll see Tweets, Following, Followers, Favorites and Lists. Click on lists. You can also just go to twitter.com/username/lists. Once you’re on that page you’ll see the lists that person has created. Below their avatar on the left you can switch that to “member of” and then you’ll see all the lists that person has been added to.

From here click on the list and then on the left hand side under the name of the list click on “members.” You can now easily follow people from this list.

Don’t read it all

People have a tendency to think of Twitter as an Inbox. Instead you need to think of it more like the radio. Just pay attention to what you see while you’re there, but don’t be afraid to close it and return again later.

Use DMs for private messages

Don’t broadcast your personal information on Twitter, instead use the private DM (direct message) feature to share personal information. You can only DM someone who follows you.

Links mentioned in this post + extra resources:

Lara Wellman’s Twitter

Twitter Lists

Blog post: How to create Twitter lists

Blog post: Managing Twitter with lists