Podcast appearances and mentions of kami huyse

Everyone's diving into video—who doesn't crave the spotlight? But let's be real: going viral is the ultimate goal! The secret? Crafting content that truly resonates.  Can't wait for next week as we bring together an Outstanding panel to explore this exciting topic. Join us on!

Is AI the greatest gift ever for lazy people? I've often said that if you want to find a better way to do something, ask a lazy person. Laziness, as it turns out, is a virtue. Lazy people want to find the most efficient way to get through a task. No wonder they're taking to AI like fish to water. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle connects with Kami Huyse, CEO of Zoetica. A self-described "lazy entrepreneur," Kami has nonetheless blazed new trails in AI adoption and implementation and is a recognized PR industry thought leader, speaker, and author.  Dan and Kami explore the transformative impact of AI on the PR and marketing industries, emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations and critical thinking.  Their discussion highlights the necessity of asking better questions, experimenting strategically, and maintaining a human-centric approach to AI. They also delve into AI's ethical challenges, stressing the need for transparency and responsible use.  It's anything but a lazy conversation - it's a must-listen for professionals looking to navigate the evolving landscape of AI in communications. Listen in and hear about.... The importance of an entrepreneurial mindset while embracing AI AI "recipes" that can help you advance from a "home cook" prompter to a true AI "chef"  How prompting skills may become obsolete as AI integration in software increases The necessity of critical thinking, curiosity, and a strategic mindset for effective AI interaction The importance of ethics and transparency when we use AI How AI can assist in content creation while maintaining a brand's unique voice and style Practical insights on leveraging AI for community building and social media strategy Notable Quotes On Being a Lazy Entrepreneur: - "I call myself a lazy entrepreneur in a sense, because what I've always done is I look at a problem that's in front of me, and I try to figure out a way to do it more efficiently and different." — Kami Huyse [00:03:33 → 00:03:45] On the Evolution of Social Media and AI: - "I've always been a forward-leaning person, and we did some of the first social media campaigns for big, big brands that you would know. So we did those social media campaigns early because we look at solving problems with current technology. And to me, AI is just an extension of that." — Kami Huyse [00:05:00 → 00:05:20] On the Importance of Asking Better Questions: - "We need to start to think about how to elevate those conversations. What do we need to, what questions do we need to be asking? We need to ask better questions. That's where the training comes in." — Kami Huyse [00:12:00 → 00:12:10] On the Role of Imperfection in Human Creativity: - "How do we have a pattern interrupt? I'll tell you how you throw in the imperfect human. That's how you tell imperfect stories. You talk about being a lazy entrepreneur. These are pattern interrupts that AI won't come up with on its own." — Kami Huyse [00:30:00 → 00:30:15] On the Future of AI and Human Interaction: - "We need to think about what can we bring to the table that is like a spice of human while understanding fully the AI and using it fully. So not throwing the baby out the bathwater, as we always said, but using the AI for what it's good for and throwing in your own spice." — Kami Huyse [00:30:30 → 00:30:50] On the Ethical Use of AI: - "AI isn't inherently evil, but the people who wield it are maybe so there's people that wield the AI. Here's the problem with AI in general. It's just like our society. Like, we talk about, you know, racism and bias and, you know, sexism and terrible things. Here's what AI does. It takes all of the knowledge of the world, and it boils it down and it repeats it back to you." — Kami Huyse [00:59:41 → 01:00:10] On the Role of Communicators in Ethical AI: - "We as PR communicators should be the ombudsman for our organizations. We should bring our point of view to protect the people that we represent as PR people. And the people we represent are our audience, are our customers, our stakeholders." — Kami Huyse [01:06:25 → 01:06:45] Resources and Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter Kami Huyse Kami's Flowpage: Links to social media, resources, and more Zoetica Media, Digital Agency | Website Books Mentioned The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever: More than 350 inspiring ideas!, by Mark Schaefer and Friends (Including Kami and Dan) Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, by Ethan Mollick   Timestamped summary for this episode (as generated by ChatGPT) The origin of ideas (00:00:00) Dan discusses his excitement for new ideas and tech, including the concept of creating custom GPT. The traits of successful idea execution (00:01:02) Dan outlines the traits and qualities required for successful idea execution, such as discipline, focus, and support. Introduction of Kami Huyse (00:02:01) Dan introduces Kami Huyse, highlighting her background and expertise in PR, marketing, and AI integration. Kami's problem-solving approach (00:03:46) Kami discusses her approach to solving problems efficiently and her focus on community building and AI integration. Evolution of media and technology (00:09:53) Dan and Kami reflect on the digital transformation and the importance of hands-on experiences in the marketing profession. The importance of AI training and mindset (00:11:55) Kami emphasizes the significance of training and developing an entrepreneurial mindset for effectively integrating AI in communication and marketing. Ethan Mollick's principles of AI interaction (00:17:07) Dan discusses Ethan Mollick's principles for interacting with AI, including inviting AI to the table, being the human in the loop, treating AI like a person, and acknowledging AI's continuous improvement. The importance of asking better questions (00:18:56) Kami discusses the importance of asking better questions to guide AI in achieving desired tasks and outcomes. The analogy of home cook and chef (00:19:37) Kami compares the difference between a home cook and a chef to illustrate the importance of understanding and utilizing AI tools effectively. The need for strategic training in AI tools (00:21:40) Kami emphasizes the significance of strategic training for the next generation to effectively use AI tools and adapt to the evolving marketplace. The integration of AI in software applications (00:22:54) The discussion revolves around the increasing integration of AI capabilities in various software applications and its impact on prompting and human interaction. The evolving role of prompting in AI usage (00:24:01) The conversation delves into the evolving role of prompting in AI usage, the impact of contextual understanding, and the distinction between chefs and home cooks in utilizing AI. The significance of asking power questions (00:25:04) The importance of asking power questions and the role of strategic prompting in utilizing AI effectively is highlighted. The importance of being relentlessly curious (00:27:07) Kami emphasizes the significance of being relentlessly curious and training the brain to notice and understand AI interactions. The concept of almost homemade solutions (00:29:01) Kami discusses the concept of almost homemade solutions, encouraging individuals to add their own unique touch to AI tools for personalized outcomes. The value of the imperfect human in AI interaction (00:30:01) The significance of embracing imperfection and adding human elements to AI interactions for unique and effective outcomes is emphasized. The need for critical thinking and curiosity in AI interaction (00:32:02) The importance of critical thinking, curiosity, and asking questions to drive effective interaction with AI tools is discussed. The importance of adding personal touch to AI tools (00:33:56) The significance of adding a personal touch and unique spice to AI tools for tailored and effective utilization is highlighted. The significance of being a critical thinker and inquisitive communicator (00:37:05) The importance of critical thinking, curiosity, and being an inquisitive communicator in adapting to AI tools and driving effective outcomes is emphasized. Critical thinking (00:38:20) Emphasizing the importance of critical thinking skills in evaluating information and avoiding deception. Asking better questions (00:39:12) Highlighting the significance of asking great questions to avoid monolithic content and promoting individuality. Life experiences and personal touch (00:40:10) Discussing the value of bringing personal experiences and unique elements to content creation to avoid generic outcomes. Human element in AI (00:41:49) Emphasizing the need for human input and caution when relying solely on AI, acknowledging occasional breakdowns and the importance of adding personal touch. Ethics and AI technology (00:42:43) Exploring the ethical implications of AI technology, including power consumption and the need for continuous input of new information. Reading and vocabulary (00:48:27) Stressing the importance of reading to enhance vocabulary and improve communication with AI. Writing and editing (00:50:20) Emphasizing the significance of being a good writer and engaging in editing to effectively communicate with AI. Community involvement (00:52:52) Advocating joining communities to learn from peers and stay informed about emerging technologies. Curiosity and diverse learning (00:54:51) Encouraging continuous curiosity, diverse learning, and open-mindedness to expand knowledge and perspectives. Neuroscience and AI (00:57:08) Discussion on the neuroscience behind AI interaction and the concept of neural networks. Ethical Considerations (00:58:22) Exploration of the societal, political, and civilizational changes brought by powerful digital entities and the focus on ethical AI usage. Bias in AI (01:00:04) Insight into the biases present in AI and the need for training to reduce biases, with examples of biased prompts and diversity representation. AI Governance and Ethics (01:05:44) Discussion on the need for external oversight in AI governance and the role of communicators as ethical safeguards. Transparency and Ethics (01:08:24) Importance of transparency in AI usage and the alignment of AI ethics with general ethical principles and governance. Ethical Decision-Making (01:13:25) Emphasis on the responsibility of individuals to inject morality and ethics into AI, and the ongoing discussion and importance of ethical considerations. Backbone and Ethics (01:15:08) The need for courage and backbone in ethical decision-making, with a focus on the role of communicators in promoting ethical practices. Difficult decisions (01:16:14) Discussion on the challenge of expressing contravening opinions and the weight of decision-making in today's society. Tools and resources (01:17:14) Mention of plans to discuss tools and resources, and a recommendation to connect with Kami for valuable resources. Connect with Kami (01:18:00) Information on how to connect with Kami Huyse on social media and her company, Kamchatka, and a mention of her live streams and AI show. Closing remarks (01:19:52) Gratitude for Kami's participation and an invitation to subscribe, share, and provide feedback for the podcast.   (Notes prepared by humans with the assistance of a variety of AI tools, including ChatGPT and Flowsend.ai)

In today's fast-paced world, effective communication is essential for success in both personal and professional settings. One crucial aspect of communication is clarity, which ensures that your messages are understood accurately and completely. Whether you're delivering a presentation, writing an email, or engaging in a conversation, clarity helps to eliminate misunderstandings, fosters better collaboration, and strengthens relationships.   Please join us this Thursday on   Russ Reals Live: Clarity in your Message February 16, Thursday, 4pm Pacific Featuring Gail Robertson, Kami Huyse, Nancy Baki, and Nancy Debra Barrows   Connect with Gail: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gailrobertsonkeynotespeaker Website: gailnow.com/ Email: Gail@gailnow.com   Connect with Kami: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kamihuyse Website: kamihuyse.com  ; smhbou.com; smartsocialmastery.com/ Email: kami@zoeticamedia.com   Connect with Nancy Baki: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nancy-baki Website: BestEntrepreneurSolutions.com  ; BEScoaching.com Email: nancy@bestentrepreneursolutions.com   Connect with Nancy Debra: LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/nancybarrows Email: nancy.d.barrows@gmail.com   Connect with Me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russhedge/Website: www.russhedge.com #clarity #message #communication #socialmedia #marketing #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #connection #community #inspiration #InspirationSpecialist #RussReals

Kami Huyse, CEO of Zoetica, provides advice for PR agencies on how to integrate and embrace the power of generative AI – offering insights into ethical issues, future trends, and applications such as personalizing AI voices. An accomplished author and keynote speaker, Kami also shares her thoughts on the future of communication strategies and the impact of technology on the evolving landscape of marketing and public relations. Connect with Kami on LinkedIn.

Are you eager to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving marketing world? If so, this four-way conversation is for you! Marketing experts Frank Prendergast, Kami Huyse and Joeri Billast join Finola to discuss the exciting future of marketing, exploring the power of a collaborative community and how new technologies like VR and AI will revolutionise the industry. Frank, Kami and Joeri delve into the Rise community, a space dedicated to exploring the future of marketing and learning from each other, and its impact on creating the must-read book "The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever." They also explore the emergence of the Metaverse and the potential opportunities it presents for businesses, big and small while acknowledging concerns about its impact on younger generations. Key points throughout include: An Introduction to Frank, Joeri and Kami and their connection to Mark Schaefer The need to create a safe space for marketers The importance of building, following and investing within a community What does AI mean for the future of marketing? Market research: the key to resonating with your customers The next generation: An insight into Web 3.0 and the Metaverse Tips on addressing Metaverse parental concerns Business opportunities: Can smaller businesses tap into the Metaverse? The benefits of being a member of the Rise community Resources: Book: The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever by Mark Schaefer https://www.amazon.co.uk/Most-Amazing-Marketing-Book-Ever-ebook/dp/B0C595G7NF Get connected with guests Frank, Joeri and Kami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeribillast https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamihuyse/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankprendergast/ Get connected with host Finola Howard: https://www.finolahoward.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/finolahoward/ https://www.instagram.com/thisisfinolahoward https://www.facebook.com/thisisfinolahoward https://www.youtube.com/c/howgreatmarketingworks https://www.twitter.com/FinolaHoward This podcast is proudly produced in partnership with podlad.com

To be a successful business today, having a social media presence is important to your marketing efforts. Social media allows you to share great content, thereby increasing brand awareness. Coming this Thursday, please join me with a Great Panel of Friends, only on RUSS REALS LIVE: Social Media Opportunities That Grow Your Business 2nd March, Thursday, 4pm Pacific Featuring Gail Robertson, Kami Huyse, Kara Campuzano, Dr. Nupi Arora, Tisha Marie Pelletier, Russ Johns, and Tim Sohn Watch Here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7035996830433689600/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/173269348800006 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnbkAxdoBng Connect with Gail: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gailrobertsonkeynotespeaker Website: gailnow.com/ Email: Gail@gailnow.com Connect with Kami: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kamihuyse Website: zoeticamedia.com ; smartsocialsecrets.com/ Email: kami@zoeticamedia.com Connect with Kara LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karacampuzano Website: kccreativesocial.com; Iamcow.com Email: kara@kccreativesocial.com Connect with Dr. Nupi: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drnupiarora Email: theglitterpractitioner@gmail.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCc9tUevkJsh58VNtiBmE8LQ Connect with Tisha: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tishamariepelletier Website: tishamarieenterprises.com Email: tisha@tishamariepelletier.com Connect with Russ Johns: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nextstepnext Website: russjohns.com/ ; thepiratesyndicate.com/ Email: russ@nextstepnext.com Connect with Tim: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timsohn Website: PerspectivesOnCancer.com Email: tim@sohnsocialmediasolutions.com Connect with Russ: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russhedge/ Website: russhedge.com Schedule on calendar: russhedge.com/contact #socialmedia #opportunity #business #marketing #branding #awareness #community #RussReals #connection #InspirationsSpecialist #RussSelfie

So excited to chat with Kami Huyse at 9pm ET tonight. Kami is another social media OG and tonight we're going to talk about “freelance forward” aka the new freelance boom, community building and of course, social media marketing. It's such a treat as I'm teaching social media strategy right now at WVU and so I'm really paying attention to “going back to basics” and reminiscing…not as nostalgia, but rather laying the foundation for future innovation and growth. Then Fanzo joins us on Wellness Wednesday with his weekly contribution and finally, Brian Keith classes up the joint with OPERA!!!!! Have any questions for Kami, Brian or want a shoutout on air? You can potentially ask your question live or get a shoutout using $JAFFE coins which you can purchase via my creator coin link: rally.io/creator/JAFFE I'll also be giving away $JAFFE coins every episode to viewers who tune in live. Watch full episodes at youtube.com/c/josephjaffeisnotfamous. Subscribe at bit.ly/subscribetotheshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kami Huyse, APR, is a public relations professional, speaker, and author who helps organizations connect with their ideal online community, build awareness for their brand, meaningfully contribute, and drive measurable results. She is the CEO of Zoetica Media digital marketing and public relations agency, founder of the Social Media Breakfast of Houston, and Smart Social Secrets. Her website WHO IS MARK STRUCZEWSKI? Mark “Ski” Struczewski (Mister Productivity) works with executives to help them gain control of their time by taming distractions so they can experience less overwhelm, feel a sense of freedom, and enjoy their lives. In addition to being a productivity coach, Mark is a speaker, host of The Mark Struczewski Podcast, and author. His strategies have guided CEOs/Executive Directors, business owners, business corporate specialists, and entrepreneurs to get back control of their time. You can find out more about how to connect with Mark and his mission to create confident leaders at MisterProductivity.com. Does your to-do list have you overwhelmed? When you join my Digital Productivity Coaching (DPC) Program, you'll learn how to get and stay focused, become untangled from the chaos of your to-do list, experience less overwhelm, and have time to do what you really want to do! Find out more and sign up today at MarkStruczewski.com/dpc Let's talk about the show. Join our podcast Telegram channel. Become a Mark Struczewski Insider and get productivity tips and exclusive content that I only share with email subscribers. Follow Mark on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

Kami Huyse, the CEO of Zoetica, a social media agency, who for me was first and best known as @kamichat discusses a number of important ethics issues including: 1) Why you need to respond and not react to unethical behavior 2) What one question should you ask friends facing difficult situations? 3) Why ethical PR people act like ombudsmen 4) What is the best thing PR pros can do in difficult situations?

We're celebrating our 100th episode by revisiting our top 10 most downloaded episodes from the past year. We are so grateful for the guests who have joined us and for you who take the time from your busy day to listen. We continue to work on bringing valuable content to you. And now, on to the Top 10: #86: Wikipedia for Business in 2021 with Josh Greene 2/8/21 Who knows that Wikipedia is the second most visited website in the United States? Josh Greene of The Mather Group knows and now so do you. Josh is the author of Wikipedia for Business: Supercharge Your Business and the recently-released Wikipedia for Business 2021: The Rules & Latest Developments that Businesses & Communicators Need to Know to Succeed. #81: Are You Ready to Propose? 1/4/21 No, it's not about The Bachelor. This episode covers what to include in a new business proposal or RFP reply. #89: Too Many Words 3/1/21 We PR pros love our words. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves not to overdo it. Like Coco Chanel's policy with accessories, check your writing to see if you can remove a few words and make your point more effectively. #77: PR Lessons from The Fraud Street Run with Jeff Lyons 12/7/20 Who says PR can't be fun? We had a great time talking with Jeff Lyons, co-host of the Junk Miles with Chip and Jeff, a running podcast, about the charity run inspired by that event that time at that landscaping place, not the hotel.   #84: Client Prospecting by Building Relationships 1/25/21 We say this all the time -- build relationships. Meet new people, ask for the introduction. Introduce yourself! The seed you plant today may never see the sun or it might one day be your mightiest asset. #71 PR is Not a Popularity Contest 10/26/20 This episode was inspired by the TikTok from Nathan Apodaca posted of himself skateboarding to the tune of Fleetwood Mac's “Dreams” while drinking his Ocean Spray - leading brands across the country to ask us: “That Fleetwood Mac skater guy video went viral. How can we go viral?” But we know that PR, despite what people may think, has never been a popularity contest. Public relations that works is based on sustainable strategies, community building, and investing in your customers. #88: Winfluence with Jason Falls 2/22/21 Jason is an amazing digital strategist who joined us to discuss his third book - Winfluence - taking a look at the world of influencer marketing and how to be smart about it. #83: Now What? Business Development in 2021 with Chip Griffin of the Small Agency Growth Alliance 1/18/21 We refused to allow 2021 be 2020 two-point-oh. Our friend Chip Griffin, who has successfully coached many agencies and solos on how to build their path to success through his Small Agency Growth Alliance, joined us to talk about preparing for change and creating a sustainable business. #87: Just Get Started with Kami Huyse 2/15/21 Who says there are no guarantees in life? We promise, spend time with fellow solo Kami Huyse and you will come away inspired. In this episode, she tells us to not let perfection stop us from getting started. Make sure you sign up for her Smart Social Secrets newsletter. #52: PPP Loans & The Solo PR Pro with Brent Thompson of Canon Capital Management Group 6/6/20 Brent Thompson is a CPA who guided us through the early stages of PPP loans and other life preserver funding opportunities. You can find more information about PPP loans and more at his company website, www.canoncapital.com. Do you have a favorite That Solo Life episode? Is there a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know at www.soloprpro.com.

Get to know these successful thought leaders and find out how they present themselves and their crafts as experts in their fields. Sarah Lawrence is an award-winning speaker, writer, speaking coach, and TEDx organizer. She believes in helping people to find their story and message and to make the impact they have always wanted. If you say to yourself, “I really rocked that stage but kind of sucked at this other one,” and you need clarity in your message, reach out to Sarah Lawrence at Sarah@Sarah-Lawrence.net. Douglas Spencer is the president, founder, and chief brand strategist at Spencer Brenneman LLC. He is big on brand strategy, which is seen largely in his passion in helping clients find and keep the right customers, talent, and ideas through the power of the right brand strategy. He has more than 20 years of marketing experience, working with professionals from around the world in verticals such as healthcare, financial and professional services, media, and nonprofit. He is a frequent speaker on how strong brands improve business performance through strategic alignment, employee engagement, brand governance, verbal and visual identities, and more. If you’re a small to mid-sized B2B firm looking to have a more consistent brand and communicate with all your stakeholders, reach out to Douglas Spencer by visiting his website, https://spencerbrenneman/, and going to https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasspencer/. Kami Huyse is the CEO at Zoetica Media, a social media expert, digital strategist, speaker, and author who connects people and ideas. She is passionate about building communities and driving measurable results. She is an award-winning architect of numerous marketing and influencer relations programs, which have earned her two Society for New Communications Research Social Media awards and the IABC’s Gold Quill of Excellence Award. She is a professional in getting results for clients through the use of a strategic approach tailor-fitted to every project. If you’re in a medium- to large-sized enterprise and don’t have an online community despite having many customers, reach out to Kami Huyse by visiting her profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamihuyse/. Global Credibility Expert, Mitchell Levy is a TEDx speaker and international bestselling author of over 60 books. As The AHA Guy at AHAthat (https://ahathat.com), he helps to extract the genius from your head in a two-three hour interview so that his team can ghostwrite your book, publish it, distribute it, and make you an Amazon bestselling author in four months or less. He is an accomplished Entrepreneur who has created twenty businesses in Silicon Valley including four publishing companies that have published over 800 books. He’s provided strategic consulting to over one hundred companies, and has been chairman of the board of a NASDAQ-listed company. Mitchell has been happily married for thirty years and regularly spends four weeks in Europe with family and friends. Visit https://mitchelllevy.com/mitchelllevypresents/ for an archive of all the podcast episodes.   Connect to Mitchell Levy on: Credibility Nation YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3kGA1LI Credibility Nation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/credibilitynation/ Mitchell Levy Present AHA Moments: https://mitchelllevy.com/mitchelllevypresents/ Thought Leader Life: https://thoughtleaderlife.com Twitter: @Credtabulous Instagram: @credibilitynation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Marketing with Russ... aka #RussSelfie is an interview with Kami Huyse a community builder, author, speaker, entrepreneur, CEO Zoetica and Mom.  Founder of Kami's Smart Social Secrets, she is a Powerhouse in the Social Media world!   #SocialMedia #Connection #Connecting #Marketing #Inspiration #Encouragement Connect with Russ:  Website:      https://www.russhedge.com/  Connect with Kami:  Website:     http://www.zoeticamedia.com/ Website:     smartsocialsecrets.com 

This episode features #ThoughtLeaders and #Experts Brian Swift, Kami Huyse, Justin Lokitz, and Andoni Silva.Continue Reading → The post #414-417: Swift, Huyse, Lokitz, Silva w/ Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Bob Frantz and Shara Fryer take you through the stories that matter on the morning of 07/22/2020.As 'cancel culture' activism peaks, big tech and its algorithms quietly fuel the flames, while much of it is said to be driven by social-justice movements and momentum, social media and big tech are pushing a narrative. Joining us is Kami Huyse of Smart Social. Coronavirus has taken illegal immigration out of the headlines – just like the left wants, and calling in is Orlando Salazar. Orlando is on the leadership team of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, a political organization founded in 1967 for Conservative Hispanics wanting to bring their message forward while working to get Republicans elected.Hans von Spakovsky with the Heritage Foundation joins us to talk about how the 2020 Election Will Be the Most Litigated in U.S. History.

Today on the #PirateBroadcast Russ Johns talks with Kami Huyse. Kami is the founder of social media breakfast of Houston. She also runs a social media agency, where she helps brands with their social media and community management. She and her team run community management for the Houston Methodist Hospital. Kami started Social Media Breakfast 11 years ago.

In this episode, Kami Huyse shares how she is using StreamYard. She also answers a bunch of questions so you can learn all the ins and outs of this great live stream tool. Podcast show notes available at https://communitiesthatconvert.com/episode122

This social media platform continues to evolve, and we are HERE for it! Twitter remains SUPER relevant, and there have been a bunch of updates lately (with announcements of more to come in the new year). Madalyn Sklar is the preeminent Twitter expert who can answer ANY question about strategy or tactics in using the platform, and she does so on episode 45. Our guest... Madalyn SklarSocial Media and Digital Marketing Strategist | Blogger | PodcasterMadalyn Sklar is a serial entrepreneur, community builder and leading Twitter marketing expert. She's ranked the #1 Social Media Power Influencer in Houston. Each week she hosts the #TwitterSmarter Twitter chat that brings together hundreds of people in an active one hour discussion revolving around Twitter marketing. Since launching three years ago, it has reached over 6 billion impressions. She also has two podcasts - one is #TwitterSmarter on which she interviews leading social media and marketing experts. She also co-hosts the weekly Communities That Convert podcast with Kami Huyse. Huffington Post has named Madalyn one of 50 Women Entrepreneurs to follow. On this quick LIVE episode of the podcast, we learn a handful of tips from Madalyn to use Twitter to its fullest potential.One of her tips was to create gifs, and here is her Giphy page - check them out! You can also watch the video if you'd like SEE it - Ep. 45 on YouTube.   We are "Making a Marketer"... in all ways. Check out episode 45 -- and if you're so inclined, we would love for you to subscribe, rate, & review us on iTunes -- https://bit.ly/mamITuneNEW. :: This episode is sponsored by Powers of Marketing - your communication should be strategic and POWERful :::

In this episode I focus on one method of building a community. This method has proven to give quick traction, but there’s a key task you must do to fine tune that traction! A great podcast that can help you dive deeper into the art of community building is the Communities That Convert podcast hosted by Kami Huyse & Madalyn Sklar! #CTCPodcast Don't forget to follow through with this episode's call to action! Tweet me @khetrific and let me know how we're doing! Please leave us a rating & review as well! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aboveaverage/support

Last year we launched our podcast Copy & Content. We had 20 episodes for Season 1, and it was amazing. I’ve always wanted to host some type of interview series. Copy & Content gives me the chance to have that experience right now. The challenge I saw is that our episodes average around 45 minutes per episode. That’s a good amount of time, but it’s certainly not even close to being the longest podcast per episode on the market today. That being said though, my friend Kami Huyse made a great observation when we reconnected at an event in May. Kami asked me, “Do you believe your crowd will enjoy your podcast in one sitting?” What she means is, “Do I believe my audience will be able to comfortably consume an entire episode of Copy & Content without being distracted? Is each episode a digestible enough size for the average listener to enjoy? Is there a new piece of content from someone else that is more appealing because it’s easier for our listeners to digest before they finish listening to one of our episodes?” So, we cut our podcast episode lengths in half for Season 2, which launches on Tuesday, October 1st. You can find the Copy & Content podcast wherever you find your other favorite podcasts. Give us a listen for Season 2 and remember, your Message matters. The Keynote Clarity for Thought Leaders Flash Briefing is presented by Jon Cook, founder of Keynote Content. Jon and his team help thought leaders, namely speakers, coaches, and consultants, craft and share their messages to better serve their audiences. Connect with Jon and his team at Keynote Content by visiting keynotecontent.com. You can subscribe to The Keynote Clarity for Thought Leaders Flash Briefing by visiting bit.ly/KeynoteClarity and enabling it there. Then, all you have to say is, “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?”

Show Notes Kami's background and how she loves to help businesses connect with customers, community building The things you're doing today are going to impact what happens to you in 24-48 months Story of Rabbi Akiva noticing a trickle of water hitting a rock You haven't failed if you learned something Why are you on an online group or on social media. Go there for a purpose Present on social media but not On social media Be clear what your voice and purpose is Groups on Facebook Set a timer - Be Focused based on Pomodoro technique Structure to your day - Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt 3 main focus points for a week and a day Self control through ritualism 90 day year Todd Herman Open up tabs for what to do the night before Chrome folders on bookmark Best Self Co my link for 15% off Toby add on - Drag tabs into folders on a desktop Communities that convert Podcast Smartsocialsecrets.com How to spin content Anything about online community building Measuring results, mindset, write plan over those categories about 6 months worth of content in 2 hours Be somebody that people know what you do, who you are Influence 20 people - you really want to be close with Single-mindedly start to help them, get to know them, to actually build a relationship 1000 true fans that each would pay $200 a year is enough to make a living video about Kevin Kelly True fan vs fan Advice to college graduates wanting to connect Go givers and go getters More you give more you get but don't give just to get that's easy to spot Go to Social media breakfast 2nd Friday of every month at 8:30 am at Alice Blue Social media breakfast Kami's gift: you matter and that the thing you're doing is something only you can do. You have a community that's waiting for you.

Social media has transformed our world since the launch of Twitter and Facebook. These platforms, along with Linkedin and others, have shaped the landscape of two-way communication for businesses in the digital age. For entrepreneurs and small businesses getting started, building a sustainable online community can seem like a giant hill to climb, complicated by pay-to-play opportunities thwarting organic engagement with loyal brand supporters. Joining The Business Communicators to examine these social media topics in depth is Kami Huyse, APR, and CEO of Zoetica, a digital marketing and public relations agency in Katy, Texas. This episode will delve into the intriguing questions you may have never thought to ask about navigating and extracting maximum value from business tools inherent in today's social media platforms: Debunking the concept of “how many ‘likes' is my brand worth?” How have fluctuating platform algorithms impacted business accounts? What will mark a challenge for social media in the next decade? What is the BIG hot topic on the social media scene moving into 2020? Plus, stay tuned to the end to find out how you can score a valuable free gift from Kami! Connect with The Business Communicators on Twitter and Instagram, and find out more about our chapter at IABCHouston.com. And, if you haven't done so already, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave us a five-star review. Questions or comments? Send us an email at podcast@iabchouston.com.

Does building an online community sound impossible? Is it worth the effort? What can you do with one after it’s built? Crystal talks with digital communications expert Kami Huyse about how to build an online community and provide the inspiration you might need to get started creating one for your project, campaign, or organization. Also, Flack Pack contributor Gina Luttrell talks with Robert about the importance of transparency when social influencers are part of your tactical approach; a guest contestant finally slays the Buzzer Beater; Harold Burson waxes about the Cola Wars; the team makes a pitch for a Coke machine in the Flack Pack office; and the rules of an awesome contest with a cool prize are announced! Links: White House braces for Mueller report Guest: Adrienne Wallace Gucci apologizes after social media users say sweater resembles blackface Burberry chief says it’s “deeply sorry” about noose accessory Dems down to three possible 2020 convention host cities Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson sets date of first trip into space Guest: Kami Huyse How to build effective online communities Zoeticamedia.com Podcast: Communities that Convert Contributor: Gina Luttrell IZEA 2018 State of the Creator Economy FTC Endorsement Guides Cola wars: A social and political history Guest: Harold Burson Amazon: The Business of Persuasion: Harold Burson on Public Relations Video: I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke National Cherry Blossom Festival

In this MarTech Interview, we speak to Kami Huyse. Kami is a digital strategist who helps companies build online communities that convert. She's the CEO of Zoetica, an author of multiple marketing books, and public speaker. Kami is an expert in assisting corporations large and small to build their own communities online. In this podcast, Kami discusses the benefits, the challenges, and the do's and don'ts of building an online community. Learn the four systems you need to build a solid social media strategy and an engaged community: Clarify - Get your strategic plan in place with the right audience and the right offer. Learn the GOAL POST process that the biggest brands out there use to set goals, define and find their online audience and implement sustainable social media outreach. Create - Create content that people really want and need that inpire people to take action and engage with you and your brand. All without a huge advertising budget. Connect - Connect with your audience and build a tribe of loyal followers that help spread your message. Take a page from local community leaders to harness the true power of social media. They know that even a small but powerful community can drive action, learn how to find your tribe and activate them. Calibrate - Put Kami's 5-A method to work in order to measure the effectiveness of your social media, determine if your social media outreach is really working and to pinpoint where to make adjustments. Be sure to listen to the entire podcast, as Kami shares a great playbook to get started at the end! Special Guest: Kami Huyse.

If you are a community manager, you might wonder how you can balance the needs of your community while juggling everything else. We cover the key to doing this. The Counterintuitive Secret to Being More Productive In this episode, we cover the key to getting everything done, and it is NOT to do more – but to do less and focus. We all multi-task and many of us think we are good at it, but studies show we aren’t doing as well as we think. In today’s episode, we’re talking about strategies for limiting distractions and improving focus. For community management, the most important tip is to schedule the times you will drop in on your community and let the members interact with each other. You do NOT have to do all of the interacting and work. In the episode we talk about: Context Switching is what happens when you go from one thing to another thing and productivity or attention is lost. For every task you add, you’re losing 20% of your focus. Studies have found that multitasking reduces your overall productivity by 40%. A University of London study found that multitasking, when attempting to do cognitive tasks, lowered IQ scores as much as if study participants had used drugs or stayed up all night. Tips to Overcome Time Loss Use Trello with to-do lists Use White Noise apps (see tools and links below for our favorites) Turn off phone and desktop notifications Prepare to accomplish 1-3 things per day Block out productive time on your calendar Set deadlines and understand what’s important Limit checking email to 2-3 times a day Drop in on your Facebook or LinkedIn communities at the same days and times Appoint a moderator to be responsive to comments and messages Tools, apps, and links mentioned: The Horrifying Truth About Multitasking And Productivity Is multi-tasking bad for your brain? Multitasking Damages Your Brain And Career, New Studies Suggest Focus at Will Nosili App Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year The Full Focus Planner The Eisenhower Method Take Action Let’s talk about distractions and how you overcome them. Do you like to multitask? Has this episode changed your mind? Come join our community in the Facebook Group, and use the secret word ACTION to get in.  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

This past month we have been exploring how to build a successful online community and scale it to grow and support your nonprofit cause or your online or offline business. This episode is a wrap up to these recent, can't miss, episodes: Episode 65: How to Promote Your Community Episode 66: Why Niche Communities Work Better Episode 67: Launching a Community When You are Brand New Episode 68: Strategies for Staying Connected Through Social Media with Tyler J McCall and this one, Episode 69: 5 Steps for Building a Successful Online Community Today, we are going to talk about the five steps you can take to build a successful online community, including how to define your ideal members, ask questions, create content they want, choose a platform and engage and grow your community. Step 1: Define your ideal online community member Use social listening to hear what your ideal community member or customer is saying about their problems. Even if you don’t have a community of your own yet, join similar communities who have your ideal customer in them and observe what people in that community are saying about their challenges and desires.   Think of products that you can offer all along the growth path of your ideal customer by solving a current problem, then solve the next level problem, and so on. Create a ladder of products for your customers to climb to your higher level products. Ask yourself what your life’s purpose is and who it is you are here to serve. Don’t waste your time on things that fall outside of that purpose. Step 2: Ask your online community lots of questions Ask questions within a group. Go all-in to find out exactly what your audience is looking for and then test your solutions to that problem to gauge interest. Talk to people one on one. Reach out via DM, email or phone. Don’t sell them anything, just ask them questions to learn how they describe their challenges and concerns as it pertains to the topic of your expertise. Take note of the language they use. Utilize polls and surveys. Use Twitter and Facebook to ask the community questions that help you gain a better understanding of them and know their wants and needs. Step 3: Create content that answers your online community’s questions Create content that directly answers a single question. This is great for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and also lets you see which content strikes a note with your community before you build it out into something bigger. Create content that teaches instead of teases. Step 4: Choose a platform where you will engage your online community most often Find out where your ideal online audience is hanging out the most: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat or somewhere else? (You can get some demographic statistics on this chart from Spredfast) Focus on that platform and build out an online community around the topic of your business, organization or expertise. Step 5: Engage and grow your online community Create a plan for engagement. It doesn’t happen unless you plan for it. Have a private group or page to interact and engage with your community. Promote your group to grow your community. Tools, apps and links mentioned: Episode 15: 7 Types of Content to Rock Your Community Episode 18: 5 Ways to Quickly Create Relevant Content Episode 24: How to Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose Your Content Episode 30: How to Build a Converting Community on Twitter with Adel de Meyer Episode 31: How to Build a Converting Community on Instagram with Sue B Zimmerman Episode 32: How to Build a Converting Community on Facebook with Zach Spuckler Episode 33: 6 Steps to Promote Your Business Without Being Spammy with Kirsten Oliphant Episode 34: How to Grow a Loyal Community Online and Offline Episode 35: How to Build a Converting Community Using Content with Gini Dietrich Episode 36: How to Build a Converting Community on YouTube with Sunny Lenarduzzi Episode 44: Surveys and Polls to Get Community Feedback Episode 46: Making Your Content Evergreen with Tim Fargo from Social Jukebox Episode 49: Madalyn Sklar’s Tips to Build a Twitter Community Episode 54: How to Define Your Ideal Community Member Episode 64: Overcoming Content Block Spredfast 2018 Social Audience Guide Pete Vargas Stages to Scale Program Take Action Who is your ideal community member and what platforms are you going to use to connect with them? Share a tip for how we all can engage and grow our online communities in our private Facebook group. You can join us by clicking on the button below and using the secret work “ACTION” to join us.   How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Connecting with the people that matter the most to your business is essential. We talk with Tyler J. McCall about the best ways of staying connected with your community through social media. About Tyler J McCall Tyler J. McCall helps creative entrepreneurs use Instagram with the intention to grow their community online and grow their business. When he is not buying everything in Target’s Dollar Spot or binge-watching Real Housewives, he spends his days teaching entrepreneurs how to grow their business by turning their Instagram followers into raving fans. With nearly 10 years of marketing experience – for businesses and causes – he knows what it takes to build an audience online, get people excited about what you do, buy your products and book your services. Get in touch with Tyler: Instagram @TylerJMcCall Editor’s Note: Tyler J. McCall has grown a huge community over the past few years using Instagram. Many of his tips are universal, but if you are looking to use Instagram to grow your community, there are some great ideas in this interview. Question: How did you get started with social media? Answer: Back in college, I used Facebook as a student, but then began using it to connect with other people  around the country. Before what I do now, I was in the nonprofit world doing political and community organizing. I spent time with the YMCA, working nationally and internationally connecting with students on Facebook. After college, I worked for the YMCA for 6 years and ran their social media. In 2011, I got involved in online political action and that is when I discovered Twitter as a magical place where I could connect with people all over the place, host Twitter chats around political issues, causes, and community issues. Then I made my way over to Instagram. In 2015, I started my own handmade business, selling at trunk shows, craft shows and on Instagram. In 2016, I started doing that full time. Question: Why do you use Instagram as your one channel for building a community? Answer: I’m pretty all in on Instagram. I do have a Facebook Group I use sometimes for promotional materials and ads. I’m on Twitter tweeting about politics and Real Housewives, two of my favorite things, but I don’t use it for business. Twitter is a carefree platform and I love that. Instagram always stood out because I love the community nature, that it’s really easy to connect with other people, easy to go out and find other people. Unlike Facebook, Pinterest or YouTube, it’s easy to look up shared interest or shared location on Instagram. I also love, from a business perspective, it’s one of the more engaging platforms so you can really see the engagement coming through on your content. That’s why I have really focused on it. Question: What have been some of your results that you didn’t expect to happen? Answer: There’s three in particular. The first is revenue generation in my business, which has been huge. I run an online community where we teach marketing strategy using Instagram and we even see that in the businesses of our students. The second thing is the ability to build mailing lists using Instagram. It’s just so simple. Many people aren’t fully using Instagram to do this, but with the introduction of Instagram Stories and the ability to use direct messaging, you can build your email list fast and effectively. Lastly, the opportunity for partnerships, and collaborations. Things like this, being interviewed on other people’s platforms, podcasts, and channels. All of that comes through Instagram, connecting with people, having real conversations, and all these opportunities are organically happening. I see a ton of value in that for Instagram. Question: What are the best ways to engage with your community on Instagram? Answer: Getting people to direct message you and responding to comments to continue building and nurturing those relationships. Think about how you are engaging outside of your own account. How are you going out into hashtags, other people’s accounts and engaging with new people to introduce them to your brand? Especially on Instagram, people complain about stagnant growth or a decline in followers, but they’re only posting content with hashtags and logging off. If you want to see the results on Instagram, you need to post great content, use hashtags, go find new people, bring them into your account and engage with them. Question: How do you find the people you want to engage with? Answer: It starts with complete clarity about who you want to attract to your community. The next thing to consider is using the hashtags that are longtail or niche hashtags and not using the ones with millions of posts. Engage in these more targeted hashtags and it can get you a lot further. User habits have changed and people are spending much more time watching stories on Instagram and less time scrolling the feed, but they’re still using hashtags. Even if people aren’t finding you through hashtags, you can find others through those hashtags. Another space on Instagram is locations. That’s a valuable place to look for content to engage with, especially for location dependent or brick and mortar businesses. Question: How did you decide what you were going to sell online? Answer: I was doing social media management, running Instagram accounts, creating content and then people started asking me to run their accounts. I realized I could teach what I knew, so I started doing coaching and consulting. I started talking to my clients and talking to my followers to see if they’d be interested in a membership option. I started collecting names on a waiting list, had a solid waiting list in place and then launched it to the world. The first launch, we had 80 people join and in a little over a year, we now have 600 members. Talking and having that conversation and getting their feedback first was important. Question: Why did you choose a membership community as a vehicle? Answer: Typically, I’m teaching about a platform that is rapidly changing and I wanted to make sure I could continue to support my students. I was looking for consistent revenue because the coaching was very feast or famine. The same is true for a course, especially when live launching. I love the community, connecting with people, having conversations with people. Our community is great — so engaged, so supportive and I’m so grateful every day. I’m still surprised every day that this community exists and people are cheering each other on. It’s called marketing, it works. Question: How do you nurture people through email? Answer: Our membership experience is high touch, so when someone joins they get the standard welcome emails. We also use Bonjoros and a postcard by snail mail and a welcome gift. Then we do an email welcome sequence for about 8 weeks. We are clear on ground rules, specify boundaries of what they can and can’t expect us to do, introduce them to content, give them a clear roadmap of what to do. We also do a weekly email to the members, feature member of the week, highlighted posts from the week, what you missed and what’s coming up. We also highlight our most engaged members publicly in the group and by using email. We do a lot to nurture that community. We get them on-boarded with a high-touch experience and then keep them connected. Tools, apps, and links mentioned: Bonjoro Tyler’s Instagram Roadmap Take Action Tyler J McCall has agreed to share with us his Instagram Roadmap with six steps to create your very own Instagram marketing strategy, the three big mistakes you’ve gotta avoid to make Instagram work for your business, and a four-part system that gets your follower buying what you are selling (with a lot less work). It is free to download. Click here. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Are you looking to start a meetup in your local area but don’t know what to do to get one started? In this episode, we talk with Sandy Mentzel who shares how she recently started a social media meetup in her new hometown. Madalyn and Kami talked with a Sandy Mentzel, a freelance digital marketer who just moved to Savannah, Georgia, where she started a new chapter of the Social Media Breakfast, even though she knew no one in town. Read along or listen to the episode to get some ideas and inspiration as you start your own meetup community. We love action takers and Sandy is certainly an action taker. We have asked her on the show today so her story can inspire you to take action and start something that will be of service to your community. Question: Why did you choose to launch Savannah SMB? Answer: When you move to a new community, you learn some things. You learn that if you just sit in your house, it’s not going to bode well for you. You have to get yourself out there. I experienced a great community in Houston and didn’t want it to end. I wanted to get out and meet people and have great interactions. You can get the full backstory here. Question: What steps did you take to launch the breakfast? Answer: I went through the motions of getting the infrastructure in place (see the Quick Start Guide below). Then, I got out there and met people through existing meetup groups. Volunteering is a good way to get out in the community and offer useful help like running Facebook videos and live streams. Networking is also a no-brainer. When you meet people in person, you can give your pitch. That’s how I met a person that was one of my first presenters. Question: What results have you gotten? Answer: I’ve had a blast talking to people. I love doing this and love bringing this value to the community. There’s no denying that the organizing is time-consuming. I try to stay in the ready, aim, fire mindset to keep things rolling and learn as I go. I’ve held two meetings and there have been about 15 people at both. The Facebook page has grown to 75 likes in two months and I’ve gotten some email subscribers as well. I’m not making money, but I’ve spent very little money to establish the community. Being a freelancer has made me aware of the free and low-cost tools out there and it’s possible to start building your community without spending big bucks. Question: Have there been any challenges and how have you overcome them? Answer: I’ve been told that, even though it’s not a sexy superpower, I have an organization superpower. I can take the idea of something and put meat on the bones of it. Organizing is time-consuming, but I knew how to do it (see Sandy’s gift below with step by step instructions about how she started the Social Media Breakfast Savannah). It was challenging to understand how Social Media Breakfast would be different from other groups in the community. There are other groups, but I wasn’t seeing the educational component. I’m hoping the other people in Savannah don’t see sharing knowledge as a threat and that everyone is built up by it. Presentation skills are not one of my superpowers. I’m introverted and would rather walk on coals than speak in front of people. I’m overcoming that challenge through practice. Question: What are your goals for the breakfast in 2019? Answer: Understanding my target audience better so I can learn how to best serve them. That’s the key thing I need to figure out as the breakfast continues and I meet new people. Tourism, history, and shipping are big here so I would like to be introduced to some key people in the community. I’d love to connect with someone with expertise in social media etiquette and fitness. I want to connect with those people and bring them in as presenters. I dream of a calendar filled out in advance with topics and speakers. I’m hoping to have 25 attendees per meeting, 100 emails on my list and 200 Facebook Likes by the end of the year. Question: What do you want people to know about taking action? Answer: Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge. Have the abundance versus scarcity mentality. If you have an abundance mentality, you realize there’s plenty for all to go around. If you have a scarcity mentality, you’re afraid that sharing your knowledge may hurt you in some way. Being in a community enhances everyone and sharing your knowledge helps you and also helps others around you. About Sandy Mentzel Sandy Mentzel is a freelance digital marketer who develops, creates and promotes any product or service that involves electronic devices, specializing in organizing Webinars, Email Campaigns and Events. She began this digital journey after learning Mailchimp as a Race Director for a non-profit in 2012. Prior to this, she earned a BA from Rutgers, worked in the accounting and securities industries, stayed home raising kiddos, served two terms as a school board member and also worked as an Event Coordinator. After a move to Savannah in May 2018, she began a community called Social Media Breakfast Savannah in July 2018. She’s looking forward to bringing value as a Digital Marketer and discussing the business implications of social media with other professionals in her new community. Learn More About SMBSAV Social Media Breakfast Savannah Social Media Breakfast Savannah Group Take Action What are your takeaways from our interview with Sandy? Are you inspired to start something too? Click here to download Sandy’s quick start guide for starting a community. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Learn the five top reasons why niche marketing strategies work. Many people worry about limiting or narrowing their focus because they are concerned they will limit their reach. In reality, when you focus on one audience, your message isn't watered down and you can reach more people. It might seem counterintuitive, so why do these niche marketing strategies work? Read on to learn how smaller audiences might mean bigger results. 1 – A Focused Audience Is Easier to Find It is easier to target your audience if you have a really good idea of who they are. Your solution might be helpful to numerous audiences but resist the temptation and just choose one. Social ads are much easier to target when you have narrowed your scope and audience. Being clear on who you’re trying to reach will bring down the cost of running Facebook advertising over time. 2 – It Solves a Specific Problem and Attracts More Customers If you can discover and solve a specific pain point of your audience, you will have an easier time getting people to take action and join your community or buy your course. It helps you to be more mindful and attentive to what your community is telling you. and allows you to serve them better by eliminating confusion about what they want. The broader the audience, the more confusion. 3 – It Builds a Tribe of People with a Lot in Common People who have common pain points and needs tend to connect better in online communities. Certain discussions don’t happen when you have too wide of an audience instead of a niche community. Having a narrow focus grows a community that knows, likes and trusts each other. 4 – It Helps You to Be More Specific With Your Content One of the hardest things to do as a creator is to determine exactly what to offer and create new content. If you know what community you’re speaking to, it’s much easier. It also helps you to know what to leave out. 5 – It Creates Clarity You will be much more clear on every aspect of your business if you have an ideal client, customer or community member in mind. You can add people later, but start with just one audience so that you know exactly who you’re reaching and how to serve them. Ninja tip: Think of them as one person instead of a large audience. Tools, apps and links mentioned: Communities That Convert Facebook Group Are You Losing Sales By Giving Customers Too Many Choices? Take Action Head over to this episode's show notes to download our “How to find your ideal audience worksheet.” The worksheet is designed to help you clarify WHO you are trying to reach. For extra credit come and share your results in our Facebook group. (Hint: The secret password for our Facebook group is “ACTION.”)   How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

This post will be part one of a series on social media changes from 2018. This doesn't JUST include social media, but also touches on Amazon and blogging and more.  It can be SO hard to keep up with all of the changes that happen on the internet in a WEEK, much less a year. But I want to go over some of the big news and social media updates that you need to know. Most of these took place in 2018, while some were a little earlier and some are currently rolling out or have been announced, but haven't taken effect! HOW TO KEEP UP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA As a tip to start, if you find yourself overwhelmed trying to keep up, the best thing you can do is follow people and sites that do a good job of keeping you apprised. Here are a few sites or emails that will help you keep up: The Quick Fix - my weekly email with news, tips, resources, and more   The Sell More Books Show - podcast with news related to writing & publishing (especially indie publishing) The Digital Reader - more writing and publishing news, updated daily For tech and social news, I check Mashable, The Verge, Product Hunt, and Social Media Today. As far as experts, I follow Madalyn Sklar for Twitter updates, Jenn Hermann for Instagram, and Sarah Ahl for Pinterest. Let's dive into those links!! FACEBOOK CHANGES I'd sum these up by saying privacy and groups. Because of the Cambridge Analytica issue, FB has made some changes with regards to privacy that affect ads. Business manager required for custom audiences - If you have targeted by uploading your email list to Facebook (yep, you can do that), this will now need to happen in the Business Manager. Which is its own special circle of heal. MORE HERE. New square images for ads - Um, yes please! Older versions of FB may not show these, but Facebook let me know in my ads manager that I can choose a bigger image. Can't wait for this! Posting within groups as your PAGE - So we're clear, your PAGE is what people can LIKE, as opposed to your personal profile, where you ad friends. FB is rolling out the option to post as your page, but the group has to okay it. I haven't had this rolled out to my groups yet. READ MORE. Groups may have mentors and mentees - This is a weird one and I've seen it happening more in a testing way, with it being added by FB to a group without the owner's permission. Members can sign up to mentor or be mentored. I feel like this is a disaster of smarminess waiting to happen where people in a group trying to get clients will sign up as mentors and try to "help." READ MORE Groups can now be paid - This is another rolling out change where you can have a paid Facebook group. This has previously been against terms of service, so all those courses with a bonus group had to be careful how they worded that to avoid violating TOS. READ MORE Groups can have learning units - Going hand-in-hand with paid groups, this would make a group function as a kind of course. READ MORE INSTAGRAM CHANGES New app for IGTV - Instagram added Instagram TV, which allows you to broadcast within the separate app for up to an hour. Word on the street is people are underwhelmed. READ MORE I big-time love Kami Huyse and she has a fabulous show on IGTV. Here's a link to the show notes, which have updates on social media as well! CHECK IT HERE! New shopping features - I don't know how this will trickle down to people like you and me, but this is fun. MORE HERE New quick replies to DMs - If you want to reply fast, you can do this much more easily now. Nametags - This works like Snapchat ghost codes, from what I gather. Because Instagram has copied everything else... IGTV previews can be shared in Instastories - Oh, and Instastories can be longer now too. READ ABOUT THE 2018 UPDATES TO INSTAGRAM HERE! BLOGGING CHANGES Gutenberg is coming to Wordpress - This is the biggest change to Wordpress since...uh...forever? You might want to stick with the Classic Editor til they fix some bugs. READ WHY HERE   EMAIL CHANGES GDPR happened and we didn't die - I would love to never talk about this again. But the privacy policy enacted in the EU had worldwide repercussions. Mostly things are fine. You can read my posts about it HERE and HERE.   AMAZON CHANGES Createspace morphed into KDP Print - If you used the print on demand company Amazon owned, it's now gone and merged into the same dashboard with your ebooks in KDP. This will in the long run be great, but it's been a bumpy transition. Affiliates can share their influencer page link in email - Amazon doesn't allow sharing affiliate links in email. But they did update (maybe in 2017) to allow Amazon Influencers to share a link to their page in email. This is a separate program within the affiliate program. APPLY HERE. Curious? Check out my influencer page! All those links are affiliate links, to provide disclosure.   TWITTER CHANGES Maybe we'll finally get to edit tweets - This has been the most-called-for feature by users and Twitter is "thinking about it." I'll believe it when I see it. READ MORE Have live audio - This is a neat feature that works on the app or in Periscope. It's like a live video...but audio. READ MORE.  Twitter will let you use a chronological timeline - Go under your settings & privacy and uncheck the "see best stories first" thing. Testing new desktop features - You can check out screenshots HERE.   GOOGLE PLUS CHANGES Google Plus is dead - If you've still been using this, you can chill and have one less thing to do. READ MORE. 

Here are some of the best ways to promote your online community. You have a lot to offer them, but you can’t make the impact you want to make unless you grow your community. In this episode, we shared the best ways we have found to grow your online community. 1. Smart sharing on your social media channels In Episode 46, we interviewed Tim Fargo from Social Jukebox and we talked about evergreen sharing. Having evergreen content on social media really works and Social Jukebox does an amazing job. Start using livestream on your social media platforms to deliver valuable content. It’s a great way to get your content in front of people. Change your profile link (especially in Instagram) for whatever you’re promoting or launching. 2. Create bonus content This gives people a taste of what you’re offering and also helps to grow your email list. Email and chatbots can be helpful in delivering content to people who are interested in it. We have an episode about how to use Chatbots effectively from the founder of ManyChat. 3. Nurture the people already on your email list Todd Giannattasio from The Growth Suite was on Episode 55 talking about building a funnel to grow your community. There’s a lot to learn from him in how grow and nurture your email list. Bundle your content thematically and share them in your drip email sequences to warm up your list and add value. 4. Use testimonials to show value Social proof is incredibly important because people want to see how you got results that they relate to. We talked about this in Episode 48. We went in depth about how to get and use testimonials. Create a Twitter Moment “buzz from others” when other people say something good about you. This is a great way to showcase testimonials and also let the other person know you find their feedback as valuable. There’s nothing better than people saying nice things about you or your services. Madalyn’s process is to ask to use someone’s comment as a testimonial. Screenshots are a smart way to establish social proof in your community. Just be sure to get permission from the testimonial author. Tools, apps and links mentioned: Episode 46: How to Promote Your Evergreen Content with Tim Fargo Episode 48: How to Ask for Testimonials from your Community Episode 55: How to Create a Sales Funnel to Grow Your Community Ep 59: Build a Facebook Messenger Bot with Mikael Yang from ManyChat The Growth Suite Hello Bar Snagit Madalyn’s new website built by Todd Giannattasio from The Growth Suite About Twitter Moments Kami’s “Buzz From Others” Twitter Moment James Wedmore Take Action If you have a community, how are you currently promoting to them? What promotions have caught your attention from communities you have joined? Head over to our Facebook group (Secret Word is “Action”) to share at or on Twitter or Instagram using our hashtag, #CTCPodcast. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Creating content can be overwhelming, we cover six causes of writer’s block and how to overcome them so that you can create amazing content. There are a lot of reasons why you might struggle to create content and get writer’s block. The stories we tell ourselves about why we aren’t creating at the level we would like. Today, we're talking about the most common barriers that cause writer’s block and how to overcome them. 6 Reasons You Might Have Writer’s Block and Strategies to Overcome Them Reason One: How do I find the time to create content? One of the most common reasons people have writer's block is because they don’t have the time to create quality content on a regular basis. Here are six strategies to overcome time limitations. Plan ahead. In Episode 18, we went into detail about creating relevant content. We outlined ways to put together content for 6-8 months in just 2-3 hours. Use content you've already created. In Episode 24, we talked about evergreen content and how to reuse, recycle and repurpose your content. Use live stream video. This is a quick, easy way to get content out. This is also a good way to build an audience and build ads around them. Live streams can be done in 30 minutes, where a blog post may take hours or days to write. They're a huge time saver. Speak it. Use an audio recorder and record your content that way. Have it transcribed and turn the transcription into a blog post or other content. Podcasting is fun and easy. Podcasting is easier than creating a blog post because you only need a general outline of what you're going to talk about. Get a Partner. Working with someone gives you a partner to bounce ideas off of, generate ideas and assist with content creation. It's easier to produce content when you have someone to talk to about it Reason Two: How do I get my mind from getting distracted why I am creating content? If you are having trouble concentrating and it is contributing to writer’s block, try these three strategies. Create blocks of time. The Pomodoro Method is creating in shorts bursts in blocks of time. You create for a small block of time, then take a short break which helps with distractions and content blocks. There are apps that can assist with this process, but you can also do it manually with a timer. Block all social media. Turn your notifications on your phone and computer off for a short time so you can focus on content without the added distraction. Use Rescue Time. This is a time management software for the desktop to stay productive. It shows you how you spend your time on your computer and shares your daily habits. Analyze how you're using your time and ensure it's in a productive way. Use White Noise. Playing white noise or different types of music puts your brain in a flow state, making you hyper-focused and exponentially more productive. Find what works for you, because it may just be the tv playing in the background. Reason Three: How can I figure out what to write about? One big reason for content block is not knowing what to write about. Try these two strategies to get clarity on your topic. Find Your Passion. Know what you're passionate about because it comes across when you're talking or writing about something and people feel and hear that and connect with your content. If they don't, they get bored. Use Kami's “future self” tactic, writing down what would you say to yourself if you could meet yourself in the future and tell yourself about the accomplishments you made up until that time. Niche Down. If your subject is too broad, you need to get more specific. You will grow an audience faster with a very specific topic, but if you're also less likely to get distracted if you're not covering a broad subject. Later on, you can always branch out, but when starting it helps to get and stay focused. Reason Four: How do I get over feeling burned out? Creating content takes focused effort, and you can get that if you are burned out. You have to take a break to overcome this. Paradoxically, taking a break can help you break through to your inner content ninja faster. Change Your Focus. Change your environment, go outside, take a walk, get a breath of fresh air, take a vacation, just take a break from creating. Get out of that space and that can help to re-energize and refocus and get back on track. Plan breaks. You should take planned breaks to give yourself mental space. Reason Five: How do I get over my perfectionism to create more content? Perfectionism is the enemy of done. Letting go of our preconceived ideas about how something “Should” be done is critical to getting things done. You can be excellent, but you can also get nothing done while holding yourself to an impossible level of perfection. Scale back expectations. If you have the idea that you must do everything perfectly or not do it at all, it becomes overwhelming and distracting. This state of mind can prevent you from starting at all. Just get started and great mini-goals that you can get done easily. Use the elephant method to break down tasks into digestible pieces. Do “B-” Work. Sometimes you just have to get content out, then make corrections, tweaks, and refinements later on. Be willing to just get it out there. Don't let perfectionism stand in your way of getting things done. Reason Six: How can I overcome the feeling that I am not an expert? If you can talk about a topic for an hour, off the cuff, or advice someone one-on-one and get good results, then you are most likely an expert in that field. Here are two strategies to overcome imposter syndrome, which is a feeling that you are an imposter, which can keep you from creating the content you need to feed your business. Imposter Syndrome. We all suffer from this from time-to-time. In Episode 58, we talked about ways to overcome imposter syndrome. Don't let it block you or interfere with creating content that you need to get out there and share with the world. Don't worry about other people. It's easy to worry about what other people will think. But you don't want to get caught up in that way of thinking. Remember that you will attract the people you need to attract and repel the people you need to repel– both are desirable. It doesn't define your self-worth. Tools, apps and links mentioned: Dynamic Facebook Ads: Interview with Emily Hirsh The Pomodoro Method Rescue Time Quality Time Focus at Will Noisli Luke Brawner Brooke Castillo and Amy Porterfield: Why You Aren’t Taking Action Episode 18: 5 Ways to Quickly Create Relevant Content Episode 24: How to Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose Your Content Episode 58: 6 Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Anxiety Take Action What is one thing that you think is holding you back from creating content? Share with us in the Facebook group and tell us how you might use one of these strategies to overcome it. (Secret Word is ACTION) How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

You can use a pop-up community to build your brand. A pop-up community allows you to capture momentum during a launch or campaign then disappears or goes dormant. These communities have a lot of energy around them but don't require you keep them going all the time. We have a couple of ways for you about how and why to use them. Pop Up Communities for Events The PRSA International conference recently used an app called Pathable which connects to your LinkedIn contacts and Twitter and allows you to connect with people you know (or want to meet) who are attending the conference. The Social Media Marketing World Conference (#SMMW) uses a pop-up Facebook community once a year for the conference. They also use a mobile app service called Bizzabo. The app provides information about the speakers, provides the schedule and allows you to reach out to people in attendance. Pop Up Communities for Courses Todd Herman’s 90 Day Year is active only when he's in full-launch mode and during the program delivery period. The community goes dormant between launches. Madalyn's Video Like a Rockstar has a private Facebook Group for each group of students in the program. It's the place to be during the program, it doesn't get shut down afterwards and it's kept open for the students as a mastermind environment. Programs that have private Facebook Group pop-ups may get archived as soon as the program is over. Keep in mind that when you sign up for programs with pop-up communities, you may want to ask ahead of time what will happen to the community afterward. Pop Up Communities for Affiliates When Marie Forleo’s popular B School program is active, her affiliates offer their own companion pop-up communities. For example, Amy Porterfield, who is one of Marie’s affiliates and a popular podcaster, offers bonuses. James Wedmore, Rise of the Digital CEO, also has pop-up communities and affiliates that are driving people to his community. Pat Flynn was an affiliate for Michael Hyatt's Best Year Ever and offered bonuses. One bonus was a private Facebook Group he kept open during the program. He did a Facebook Live each week and also does another Facebook Live quarterly during the program. Tools, apps and links mentioned: Pathable Bizzabo Social Media Marketing World 2019 Todd Herman’s 90-Day Year Madalyn Sklar, Video Like a Rockstar Marie Forleo’s B School Program James Wedmore’s Rise of the Digital CEO Michael Hyatt's Best Year Ever Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Take Action Share which Pop-Up groups you have been a part of or tell us if any of these tactics sound interesting to you to try with your own community. Share with us in our Facebook group, where we have all the fun! (SHHHHH, the secret word is ACTION) How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

In Episode 61, Working With Influencer Communities to Build Your Brand, we talked about how you can leverage the audience of an influencer to build your brand. Be sure to listen to that episode as well to make the most of the connections with influencers that you make using these four methods. Method 1: Join Influencer Community Many influencers have Facebook groups, both public and private. The private groups are a better way to get on the radar with influencers because there are fewer people and they are easier to approach in these groups. Interact within the group to let influencers know that you're there and you care, especially during live video streams. Be front and center so you stand out and when you approach them, they'll be more familiar. You're more likely to get seen, be heard and have an opportunity to approach the influencer. If you have value to add to the conversation, speak up. It helps the influencer, but also helps the others in your community and makes you look like a leader within the community. Method 2: Connect with Influencers and Be Helpful Check and see if you are connected through mutual friends on Facebook or LinkedIn. Do you see anyone you know connecting with the influencer you are interested? When approaching an influencer, come from a place of helpfulness. Volunteering and helping is the smartest tactic to get in front of people because it's appreciated and people will remember you. Method 3: Reach Out to Influencers Through Social Media Use Twitter to reach out to influencers. Madalyn shares how she reached influencers for her #TwitterSmarter podcast when it first launched in 2015. Right now, Instagram is a great way to reach out to influencers through comments on stories or direct messages. Many influencers have said they are still personally checking these, even if they have a team handle other channels. Method 4: Ask Friends for Recommendations Ask friends which influencers they follow and listen to and then start showing up, using the steps above. Take Action Take the dream list of ten people who you would love to collaborate with and use the techniques above to start reaching out to one or more of them. Come visit us in the Facebook group and share how it goes. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

In this episode, we focus on working with influencer communities to build your brand by using collaborations, workshops, Facebook Live and even your own platforms. Back in Episode 19, we went into depth about How to Build Your Community Using Joint Venture Partnerships. We recommend that you listen to that episode as a companion to this one Building Community Collaborations Lee Odden from TopRank Marketing often works with trade shows and associations to create ebooks for download before a conference. He collaborates with tradeshow attendees who download the ebooks and share it with their companies and friends. He also creates lists every year, starting with the list 25 Women That Rock Social Media. Every year, he asks those featured for their recommendations for the next list. He has done this very successfully for a number of years. The #SocialROI Chat Madalyn hosts each week is presented by ManageFlitter. They've created an ebook based on the Twitter Chat. They collaborated with 25 social media and digital marketing experts to cover 25 topics. Using Webinars to Activate an Influencer's Community Work with an influencer to create a content-rich webinar for a win-win. This works well for affiliate partnerships. For Madalyn's Video Like A Rockstar mastermind program she is doing webinars to promote it. A great way to do this is to connect with influencers and invite them to be a guest on your webinar. You can also have them as an affiliate too. Using Facebook Live to Build Community Kami uses this every month for Social Media Breakfast and it builds a community beyond the live event. Facebook Live allows more people to attend online than at the live event. Madalyn hosts Facebook Live sessions after her TwitterSmarter Chat and Social ROI every week. It's a great way of opening it up to a wider audience and bringing communities together. Social Media Examiner does a weekly talk show through lilive streamThrough the talk show and podcasts, they highlight thought leaders and guests who usually become speakers for their annual conference, SMMW. They provide speakers with a link for the conference to track who they bring along. Inviting Influencers to Appear On Your Platform Invite people that have communities that match your potential customers to appear on your podcast or YouTube channel and they might share it with their audience as well. Plus, you get some social proof from it as well. Here’s are a few of the people who have appeared on the Communities That Convert podcast: Kirsten Oliphant, Create IF Writing, Creative Collaborations How to Form Lasting and Lucrative Partnerships  Elisa Camahort Page, How I Built That and BlogHer, Inside the Career of a Master Online Community Builder Mikael Yang, ManyChat, Build a Facebook Messenger Bot with ManyChat  Tim Fargo, Social Jukebox How to Promote Your Evergreen Content Sunny Lenarduzzi, YouTube Expert, How to Build a Converting Community on YouTube Sue B Zimmerman, Instagram expert, How to Build a Converting Community on Instagram Gini Dietrich, Spin Sucks,  How to Build a Converting Community Using Content Dorie Clark, Speaker, Author, and Marketing Consultant, Leveraging Community to Build Income Streams Adel de Meyer, Twitter Expert, How to Build a Converting Community on Twitter Zach Spuckler, Heart Soul and Hustle and Marketing Expert, How to Build a Converting Community on Facebook Tools, apps and links mentioned: Episode 19 Lee Odden's List “25 Women That Rock Social Media” #SocialROI Book Social Media Examiner's Talk Show Madalyn’s link to Social Media Marketing World Get a custom short domain like my Sklar.ly Past Communities that Convert Interviews Take Action Make a dream list of ten people who you would love to collaborate with. Of these people, five should be at or about your level and five should be above your level. Come visit us in the Facebook group and share your list with us. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

We are sharing seven of our best strategies to inspire word of mouth marketing from your community. Getting your community to spread the word is one of the best ways to get a steady stream of customers and save money. Here are 7 Strategies to Inspire Word of Mouth Marketing Put the interests of the community first before your ownCreate helpful and shareable content that really addresses the needs and pain points of your community. Don’t just blast messages without that consideration.   Acknowledge your active fansIf someone comments or interacts with your content, be sure to acknowledge them. If they’re a happy customer who loves your content, ask for a testimonial. Refer back to Episode 48 for more information on how to get testimonials from your audience and community.   Feature your community in your contentOne of our most popular episodes was about #VideoReplyDay, because the community behind the hashtag got excited and shared it. This is a great way to bring the community together and have them spread the word.   Always have a call to action in your content If you don’t ask people to do something, they won’t do it. That asks people to take some kind of action. (ask a question, join a group, download a resource, etc).   Ask your community to like, comment and share your posts on social media When you’re doing live events, the share button is a great way to spread the word and you’ll get an awesome snowball effect when your audience uses it. Ask people to share and invite friends if they find your content to be valuable and often they will do it.   Create an affiliate program for superfans of your product This goes beyond the influencer idea and more into your customer fan base. We know lots of companies that have used this with great success.   Create a sharable experience for your community Differentiate with shareable experiences like a live gathering, an online event, a video or other content that features them.   Bonus Tips From Our Fans Tip from Stacey DePolo: Ask nicely and share a reason why you’re asking to spread the word (launches, mentions, asking for community input , fundraising, etc). Tip from Simon Zaku: The strategy I use is I always mention influencers in my content. Then I reach out to them, telling them about the mention. Most times they tweet it, exposing my content to thousands.   Tools, apps and links mentioned: Telegram Messenger Episode 48 Episode 3 ConvertKit Pat Flynn’s Affiliate Course Take Action Create one idea to get your community to spread the word. If you get stuck, join us in our Facebook community (Secret Word is ACTION) to get some more ideas or run yours by all of us. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

We talked with ManyChat Co-Founder and CEO Mikael Yang about how to build a Facebook messenger bot with ManyChat for your community. It may seem counterintuitive, but Mikael built the ManyChat Facebook Chatbot to help you be more human rather than less.   ManyChat is a tool that can help businesses and professionals engage their audience through messaging apps, but like any tool, it has to be used to further community building rather than just sending out messages. Mikael has revolutionized how businesses communicate and engage with audiences through messenger apps and chatbots. ManyChat allows businesses to create a Facebook Messenger chatbot within minutes and interact with prospects on a personal level. We asked Mikael how you can use a chatbot to be more human. Question: Tell us about ManyChat and how it works. How is it different from other chatbot competitors? Answer: ManyChat allows users to conduct sales and marketing through Facebook Messenger. They automate what their Facebook page is saying to their customers on Facebook Messenger. Businesses are doing this because people are getting much higher open rates and click-through rates. With these higher engagement rates, businesses are able to accomplish more to drive higher ROI. ManyChat prides itself on making chatbots accessible to solopreneurs and small businesses and those that aren’t as tech oriented. We’ve built a visual system that is easy to use with drag and drop functionality. Anyone without coding or technical knowledge can create their messenger automation and drive results for their business. Question: What gave you the inspiration for ManyChat? Answer: We started ManyChat when Telegram Messenger (a popular messaging app with a focus on speed and security that syncs seamlessly across any number of devices). I wanted to do a telegram newsletter and send a broadcast out to my subscribers. I spent a few hours trying to set up the database and get the code to work. It became obvious that there are thousands of other people wanting to do the same thing and who may not have the technical knowledge. We wanted to solve our own pain, but also realized there were so many things you can do with messenger apps. Question: What is the future for using chatbots in marketing? Answer: Messenger marketing will consist of building messenger subscribers, converting subscribers, messenger broadcasting, manual support, sales and marketing automation, and business tasks. This means of marketing is going to be the most popular form of marketing in the next 3-5 years because it’s the way people are communicating, which is all that matters. People are using messenger apps every day. Until now, there was no way for businesses to be part of those conversations. Now, with platforms like ManyChat, your business can become a part of that conversation and can use messaging apps to get business results. There are over 2 billion people using messaging apps in the world every month. Messaging apps have surpassed social networks in terms of popularity. Since 2016, messenger apps are the number one apps in sales. Businesses don’t decide what marketing channels they use. Businesses have to respond to what customers are using to be successful in marketing. Question: How do suggest you use a chatbot or messenger app to make it feel less impersonal? Answer: I think messaging apps feel more personal than email. The more customization and detail you can provide to the user that makes them feel like the bot is talking to them specifically based on the actions they have taken in the past and based on the information the bot has on them, the more personal it becomes. Question: How can we not create fatigue for customers and how much is too much in chatbot or messenger marketing? Answer: It’s important to understand your audience and segment them. Get people on your list that want to read your messages and want to interact with you. Understand what’s interesting and relevant and send that content. Question: What is the current click-through rate for a bot and how do they compare to other marketing communications? Answer: The open rates are typically 80-90% in terms of people opening the messages and the CTR’s are anywhere from 10-30%. The open rates are 4 times higher than email and CTR’s are 10 times higher. Question from Susanne Hemet: To what do you credit the self-confidence you have to just go out there and disrupt the marketplace? Where do you get your best ideas and/or do your best thinking? Answer: When we were starting, we were just trying to solve our own pain. It was a gradual process before there was a realization that we were disrupting something. Sometimes things grow to bigger than you imagine them to be. Our best ideas and best thinking typically come from talking to users, reading community posts, reading about other startups, talking to the team and meditation. Question from Jim Fuhs: Do you have any concerns about the data issues that Facebook has been facing? Do you think that they will make it more difficult for businesses to use ManyChat or other messaging programs to integrate with Messenger? Answer: ManyChat is already integrated. The only thing that could happen is that permissions could be revoked from platforms. It’s not about the information, the thing businesses are excited about is the ability to connect and build meaningful relationships with their customers. Facebook is interested in businesses doing that, so their gain is to become the ubiquitous platform that powers human connection and communication. To make that happen, they need businesses on board to provide useful services to end users. That’s where platforms like ManyChat comes in to provide sales and marketing support and bring businesses into the platform. Question: How do you support businesses that want to use ManyChat? Answer: We build the product and help them to leverage the product to drive their business results. We also have a free community where people can get a lot of help and feedback. We released a free course as well with over 10 hours of marketing content. We hosted the first-in-the-world messenger marketing conference in Austin, Texas, on September 22nd, 2018. We talked about strategies and tactics to be successful. Tools, apps, and resources mentioned: ManyChat Website  Free Course: Messenger Marketing & Chatbot Mastery  Messenger Marketing & Chatbot Conference ManyChat Conversations2018 Take Action Sign up for a free ManyChat account and test it on your business Facebook page and click over to the Communities That Convert chatbot to get an example of how it works and get messages about new episodes. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or click here to go to our Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Are you a very successful person that feels like you got there by chance? Despite your achievements and education, do you fear you are missing some qualification? We have put together 6 Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome to help you get over the anxiety, and have included some specific examples. The Psychology of Imposter Syndrome The psychology of imposter syndrome was first observed by Dr Pauline Clance and Susan Imes  who noticed during therapeutic sessions with high achieving women that many suffered from anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, despite the evidence to the contrary. In fact, up to 70 percent of women they treated reported that they felt like an imposter when they succeeded. This was later documented in the The Journal of The Journal of Behavioral Science in a paper titled The Impostor Phenomenon by Sakulku, J. If you are trying to do important things, chances are you have experienced imposter syndrome. Many of the qualified experts on the planet have probably experienced it from time to time, so you’re not alone.  People like Sheryl Sandberg, these 25 Celebrities, and these notable people. Reasons you feel like an imposter You have high expectations for yourself and others You feel the need to learn more before getting started You think that if it doesn’t come easy to you that you aren’t an expert You feel you must do it by yourself, and if you need help, then you aren’t legitimately successful You feel you must succeed in all aspects of life and business or your success in another area doesn’t count You compare your success to what others are achieving, this is especially prevalent on social media How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome Anxiety Acceptance is the first step. Acknowledging that you have these thoughts and then reframing them. Below, we have taken the reasons we listed above and came up with examples of how to reframe your thoughts for each one. Imposter: I have really high expectations for myself and others. Winner: I’ve set a good enough, good and very good goal and I will be happy with whichever goal I achieved. Imposter: I need to learn more before I get started because I am not an expert yet. Winner: I will learn as I go, I just need to get started. Imposter: If it doesn’t come easy to me, I am not an expert. Winner: Working hard is how I become an expert. Imposter: I have to do it all by myself or I am just pretending to be an expert. Winner: Finding and assembling a competent team reflects well on my expertise. Imposter: I need to succeed in all areas of life or I am a failure. Winner: We are all a work in progress and I celebrate even my small wins. Imposter: Compared to my other peers, I am way behind. Winner: Everyone has personal and professional challenges, even if I don’t see them. Like Oprah said, don’t focus on your competition, focus on your purpose. Tools, apps and links mentioned: TIME: Yes, Impostor Syndrome Is Real. Here’s How to Deal With It  Oprah 2: Skinheads And Scented Candles Being Yourself Is Marketable! Quit Pretending To Be Someone You Aren’t Take Action The Imposter Syndrome Test Go to http://bit.ly/CTC58quiz to take the Imposters Syndrome Test, then share with us how you scored and which of the reframing exercises above most resonates with you. Challenge: invite a friend to the Communities That Convert Facebookgroup to talk about this.  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or click here to go to our Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Learn how to measure your success with some of our Best Social Media Analysis Tools. We discuss some of the tools we use and share insight into how we use them and what we measure with each of these social media analysis tools. Listen to last week’s episode to learn the 4 Essential Community Engagement Metrics You Should Be Tracking – Ep 56 What is the Best Way to Measure Twitter? Log into Twitter on desktop, use the menu at the top right to access Analytics. Very quickly, you can see a 28 day summary of how many tweets, tweet impressions, profile visits, mentions and followers you’ve had. It’s important to do this once a month and draw a lot of helpful information. The most important number is your profile visits because this tells you how many people looked at your profile and how many times your profile was visited in a month. That tells you is what you’re doing is working. If you’re using video on Twitter, you can also get your video activity.  Socialert, a paid service,  can be used to collect the posts, users and reach impressions and use the metrics to see who the top influencers are, what country they’re in and a lot of other helpful information to measure your Twitter community.  What is the Best Way to Measure Facebook Groups? On desktop, Facebook Group Insights on the left side of the screen when you’re in your page. On mobile, Admin Insights are under the circles with the people in your group. Group Insights shows you the new members that have joined in the last 28 days, your posts, comments, reactions, percent of growth, total members, membership requests, top members, popular days and times and top group posts. Your metrics can be set to 7, 28 or 60 days so you can look at whatever range suits you. What is the Best Way to Measure Instagram? You need a business account to measure your analytics, which requires you to have a Facebook Page. Go to the profile on mobile, click the hamburger menu at the top right, access your Activity, Content and Audience sections.  The Activity section provides measurements of interactions, profile visits, reach and impressions. The Content section is the number of posts you’ve done for the week. The Audience section is the number of followers, top location, age range, gender, days and hours they’re online. What is the Best Way to Measure Your Website Using Google Analytics? Access your Google Analytics dashboard which provides a ton of data. And it’s free!  The social media dashboard tells you how many people visited your site through different social media platforms, which can help you figure out which campaign is working the best to drive people to your website. The Unique Users tracks how many people come to your website uniquely, only counting them once even if they visit multiple times.  Goal Completions allows you to set goals and Google Analytics will keep track of how many goals were completed. The Returning Visitor Rate is an engagement rate and shows you how many people visit your site over and over again. Tools, apps and links mentioned: Be sure to listen to the episode to hear about other tools we use to measure social media and explore the links below for more of the Best Social Media Analysis Tools. Twitter Socialert Google Analytics True Social Metrics Bitly Buffer Hootsuite Sprout Klear Buzzsumo Take Action Come share your favorite measurement tools in our Communities that Convert Facebook Group. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Learn about the four essential community engagement metrics you should be using to measure the health of your online community. Knowing where to start to measure the health of your online community can feel overwhelming. We recommend using these four essential community engagement metrics, or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).  Four Essential Community Engagement Metrics These are my go-to metrics and are also important for most campaigns: Overall growth rate of the community and the percentage of growth of the community from month to month. Engagement rate and how many people are engaging with materials, conversing, applauding and amplifying your content. Benchmarking and how you’re doing against yourself and your competitors in your niche. Conversion rate and how many people take action or purchase something. Is there one more metric that is more important than another? Answer: It’s hard to pick one, but your conversion rate is hugely important. However, with tweaks to other items, it may impact the conversion rate, so they’re interconnected and interrelated. You have to understand how they play with each other. Take Action Choose your KPIs and share them with us in our Facebook group which metrics you choose to track so we can help you with step 2, which is choosing a tool. We will cover the tools in next week’s episode. sign up below to get a reminder. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Todd Giannattasio breaks down how to create a sales funnel in four easy steps. If you have been looking for a quick guide on how to create a funnel, look no further. You can also download Todd’s free guide to get even more support. About Todd Giannattasio Todd empowers entrepreneurs to get their business properly established online in 30 days with the right tools and strategies so they can build their brand, grow their email list and leads, and drive sales. He is also the Founder & CEO of Tresnic Media, which provides online solutions for small to mid-sized companies ranging from web design to internet marketing and social media management as well as search engine optimization and content development.  If you enjoy Todd on this episode, be sure to listen to How to Turn Strangers into Customers on Episode 23. Episode Highlights: Question: How can funnels help build your online community? Answer: If you have a business, you have already have a funnel. If it’s intentional and well planned, you have a successful funnel. If it’s unintentional and the experiences aren’t well set up for your customers, you’re going to be inefficient and ineffective which is hard to measure and improve. There are four steps to creating create a sales funnel to grow your community. Step One: Awareness create awareness and a target audience. Step Two: Engagement engage with them with quality content Step Three: Subscription Bring them into your world with a lead magnet or other valuable subscription-only content Step Four: Conversion Continue to connect with them and offer them a paid product that solves their problem This helps with building an online community by using the community as a lead generation tool, but also building relationships and having conversations within the community that lead to sales.  Question: What are the benefits of a structured funnel? Answer: When you intentionally create a funnel, you can be more efficient with your time and resources. Reverse engineer from your main product offer. Think about the target audience, what they’re trying to achieve and what their main objective is. Think about how your product helps them and offer a lead magnet to educate them and set them up to engage with the main product offer.  Question: How do you decide what type of sample product or lead magnet to use in your funnel? Answer: Connect your lead magnet with your main product offer. If your lead magnet isn’t related to your main product or next offer, you’ll have a big email list of no buyers. Question: What are the parts of a funnel and what are the steps to build one? Answer: Awareness is getting in front of your target audience. Join other groups where your target audiences is, engage, join the conversation and add value. That creates awareness and engagement. Engagement is where you deliver more value and creating a relationship so they know you, like you and you have credibility. You’re positioning yourself as an expert or authority in a topic. Subscription is where you build your email list through offering a lead magnet that gives someone insight and value and gets them interested in your brand. Conversion is within your email follow up where you offer a higher level course or product.  Question: How much time does it take to build and maintain a funnel? Answer: It depends what tools you’re using and how savvy you are. When you’re a passionate expert, you can create the content pieces of the funnel quickly. When it comes to measuring, look at reporting on a weekly or monthly basis. Once your funnel is set up, your job is to go out and educate the marketplace and be an evangelist for your brand and topic. You can best serve your audience with a funnel since it solves their problems while setting up a strong monetization strategy for your business. Question: What if you are multi-passionate? Answer: You really need to have separate funnels for separate audiences, especially when they’re distinctive.  Question: How can a funnel help you build an email list and grow your business? Answer: In the subscription stage of the funnel, you want to offer some sort of lead magnet that gives free value up front. You can then use your awareness and engagement on social media to drive traffic of interested people back to your free offer and email list. Build your list, so you can build a relationship and a community. Tools, links and apps mentioned: Marketing 101 Delivered In 37 Tweet-Sized Lessons How to Turn Strangers into Customers on Episode 23 Message-Market-Match Template Take Action Need more help? Todd put together an easy-to-follow guide to build a funnel without feeling overwhelmed. Your call-to-action is to download the funnel and come to the Facebook group for our funnel building challenge. Go to http://TheGrowthSuite.com/CTCFunnelGuide to download the guide and then meet us at the FB group to discuss it. If you need more help with how to define your audience, you can also download Todd’s Message-Market-Match Matrix Template. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Learn how to create target market strategies that sell themselves and help to build your online community. Learn to define your offerings and find the pain points of your community so you can create products and services that sell themselves.   Strategy One: Define your offerings by asking yourself these questions: Who do you want to serve? What do you want to do to help them? Who do you like to work with the most? What are the biggest pain points of those you help? Strategy Two: Solve the problems of your community by identifying and solving their pain points Eavesdrop and listen to people inside your niche. Focus on posts and responses in Facebook groups where your niche is active.  Get feedback by conducting polls and surveys in social media and with current or potential clients. Send a direct message or email to someone in your target audience and ask them directly. Make phone calls to people to ask how you can help. Create an “ask me anything” session and open up the conversation to people through a post, livestream or Instagram Live. Ask for testimonials when your customers happy and pay attention to where people say they got the most value. Then provide more of that service. Once you have a better idea of your ideal community member, you can start to test promo copy, email, visuals and video and other tactical elements when you know what motivates them. Once you know what your community needs you can create products and services that will sell themselves. Tools, links and apps mentioned: Quora How to Use Instagram Stories to Grow Your Email List with Tyler McCall Jenna Kutcher Goal Digger Podcast Rich Roll Podcast How to Ask for Testimonials from your Community – Ep 48 Asking for Feedback from Customers with Polls and Surveys – Ep 44 Take Action Create a “help statement” which clearly states how you can serve your market. Fill in the blanks on this sentence: I help (your target market) get (tangible benefit). Share it with us the Facebook group or on Twitter with the hashtag #CTCPodcast. Examples Kami’s Help Statement: I help brands and entrepreneurs build a meaningful online community and brand awareness to drive measurable results. Madalyn’s Help Statement: I help marketers achieve rockstar results with their social media, especially Twitter, and I inspire them to take action. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Learn why social media marketing is a marathon and not a sprint, why it works better in the long game and some of the steps you need to take to play the long game. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to think of their social media marketing plan as a sprint. Sprints work great to launch a program or for a campaign, but true success comes when you treat it more like training and running a marathon. To run a marathon you have to consistently train, fine tune your diet and push your limits over a very long period of time. Social media marketing is a marathon and not a sprint because like a marathon, you have to consistently show up by posting and connecting everyday, fine-tune your approach and push your limits over a long period of time. Why do people feel they have to run a social media sprint? People want to become an overnight success, an idea which we discuss in detail in The Myth of Overnight Success – Ep 40 Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) drives people to hit their goals, driven by the fear of being left behind. We discussed this back in Episode 47. How to Overcome the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) – Ep 47 Things are always changing and it’s hard to keep up. Don’t over-invest in any one platform, but experiment with multiple platforms to see what works for you and your audience. Some people may be early adopters and want to be omnipresent with everything. There’s always new people coming in and succeeding faster or going further and they feel they need to sprint ahead. Consistency is more important than lots of activity, then the dropping off. Why is social media really more like a marathon? Social media is more sustainable over a long period of time if you’re  controlled and consistent. If you’re running a sprint, you’re going to wear yourself out. The long game requires the ability to reinvent yourself and pivot. Look at megastars like Madonna, Britney Spears, and more recently Beyonce and Jay-Z (The Carters) they have all reinvented and rebranded themselves where changes needed to be made. Every person will changes careers an average of five to seven times in a lifetime. Kami and Madalyn shared their reinvention and pivoting stories: Madalyn Sklar started in the financial industry and sold annuities and mutual funds to college professors for for 8 years before becoming an entrepreneur. She was an early adopter web designer and pivoted to become self-employed. She also started her music community, GoGirls Music. Madalyn pivoted again in 2015 and today is a Business Coach and Social Media Coach focused on Twitter and is well known as a Twitter marketing expert. Now she’s now doing social media as a business, podcasting and leading masterminds for women. Kami Huyse started in nonprofit public relations and then worked in a trade association, becoming the national spokesperson. She then became the editor of a national trade publication. She pivoted in 2002 to become a consultant. She continued to get clients and build her business. In 2005 she started her blog and then pivoted again in 2008 when she started the Social Media Breakfast Houston in 2009. Finally, she started her current agency, Zoetica in 2010, with several partners. Today, she focuses on creating content, helping people through this podcast, and launching a few other companies. She feels she’s pivoting again with more online training and other ways to help communicators connect with their online communities. How do you stop sprinting and become a marathoner? Be consistent. It’s incredibly important to be in the long game, plan, create content and post every day. Pivot as needed. Watch where your community goes and follow them. If they change platforms, be there, too. Notice Your Passion. This can change over time, but put emphasis on what your current passion is, turning a hobby into something that can benefit your business. Sprint when necessary. Sometimes you need to run a sprint to get something done, but never for more than 2 weeks – 30 days, otherwise you will fall out of the longer race. Use SCRUM. Break your work down into actions using Trello or Asana. At the end of the 2 week to one month period, create a product, even if it’s “B-” work. Tools, links and apps mentioned: Career Change Statistics: You Will Change Careers 7 Times in Your Life? Asana Trello Take Action How have you changed over the course of your career? Come join the conversation in the Facebook Group. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

This is the 52nd episode of Communities that Convert and marks our one-year anniversary teaching you how to build a stronger online community and create content for your community. We dug through the archives and looked at our most popular downloads and choose five episodes to share with you from the past year. The most popular episodes centered around how to create great content, so we bundled the best tips together for you. 5 Ways to Quickly Create Relevant Content for Your Community – Ep 18 In the full episode, 5 Ways to Quickly Create Relevant Content – Ep 18, we shared three ways to quickly create relevant content for your fans. In this episode, we focus on the highlights these steps and what you can do to create content that people love. How to Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose Your Content – Ep 24 And as long as we are talking about content creation, How to Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose Your Content – Ep 24, In this episode we talked about how to reuse your Keystone Content, such as social media, books, blogs, videos, podcasts, presentations, white papers, reports or speeches. How to Start a Podcast for your Community – Ep 27 In the full episode, How to Start a Podcast for your Community – Ep 27, we walk you through how we started ours and we put together a free quick start template to help you get started. You can also click over to the full episode to download a free quick-start template to help you get started. In this episode, we pulled what we discussed about an how to create an editorial calendar. Steps to Start a Twitter Chat Community — Ep 9 This full original episode, Steps to Start a Twitter Chat Community, is worth listening to in its entirety if you want to learn to start a Twitter chat. For this episode, we pulled out the clips about how to find and choose a hashtag for your community or your marketing campaign. Hashtags are especially important to get right since they help with discovery and connecting people. Leveraging Community to Build Income Streams with Dorie Clark – Ep 13 Dorie Clarke is a marketing strategy consultant and professional speaker who has worked with high profile clients. She’s a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and the author of a brand-new book called “Entrepreneurial You.” We invited Dorie to come on the podcast to talk about how she leverages her community to build income streams. Listen to this week’s episode (above) to hear a clip about how to create a lead magnet to build your online media list. You can listen to the full episode here:  Leveraging Community to Build Income Streams with Dorie Clark – Ep 13. Click here to binge-listen to all of our favorite episodes on this playlist. Take Action What was your favorite episode this year and why? We’ve already started the conversation in our Facebook Group. Join us. We’ll be listening.   How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Social media is a great strategy for growing a strong community around your brand or cause, but you need community engagement strategies to keep it going. Here are 8 of our favorite community engagement strategies to keep your community going strong. Here are our 8 Community Engagement Strategies to keep your online community growing strong. This episode is about how to get your people talking, keep them engaged and how to promote other collaborations from the relationships they build.  Episode Highlights: Activate super fans to help out ^ Reach out to people who are super fans. We define a super fan as someone who consistently shows up and participates in an online community. Invite them to be a part of a smaller group of people that reaches out to other members. Madalyn discusses how she uses ambassadors during her Twitter Smarter chats to help warm up the crowd and welcome people.  ^ Create Direct Message groups on Twitter, Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn or Instagram, where your small VIP group can connect, check-in and communicate. ^ Be sure to regularly show appreciation to your small group for their service. Use Twitter Lists to Organize ^ Create a private Twitter List of super fans. When you talk with someone that is an obvious super fan, add them to your list. Keep track of who those people are because you may need to reach out to them at some point, and they will help to spread the word. ^ Create a public Twitter List of people that engage and make an effort to connect and engage with those people periodically to grow those relationships. Post a welcome message ^ When people join your community, encourage them to introduce themselves. That gets them in the habit of posting in your community.  ^ People can be nervous to talk and may wait to speak until prompted by a post. Show them that it’s a warm place and a great place to connect. It’s important to foster collaboration and sharing in your community and make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. Use live stream video ^ Use video and live streaming to connect your groups.  ^ There are so many reasons to live stream. People care what you’re doing and you’re allowing them to have a front row seat. Find an accountability partner ^ If you haven’t already done so, you should have an accountability partner. You should also encourage others to do the same. ^ Create an accountability partner system within your community where everyone chooses their partner and has someone to buddy up with. This will increase engagement as people in the group get to know each other better. Use email  ^ Send an email with a link to a specific post in your Facebook group and ask for feedback. ^ This tactic works well for people who may miss activity, but have a lot to offer to the community. Create hot seat opportunities ^ Create opportunities for people in your community to ask you anything and interview individuals. This works well as a video in a private Facebook group. ^ Creating “Hot Seats” in your group, where you help one member solve a problem while others watch, provides a learning opportunity and gets people talking to each other. ^ Also, having an individual in the hot seat introduces you to the other person’s community. Conduct surveys ^ Use the polling and survey functions in your social media networks to listen to and understand the challenges people are facing, how they can overcome them and what’s motivating them. ^ Refer back Episode 44, Asking for Feedback from Customers with Polls and surveys, for more in-depth information on this topic.   Tools, links and apps mentioned: Appear.in Skype Zoom Slack She Podcasts Facebook Live Communities That Convert Livestream: 11am CT on Thursdays The School of Greatness The Growth Suite Marisa Murgatroyd Biz Chix Podcast Take Action Come comment on our post in our Facebook Group and tell us which of these 8 Online Community Engagement Strategies (or even some we didn’t mention) that you will try this week to connect with your online community. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Master community builder Elisa Camahort Page shares her insights and the ups and downs to starting and running a successful business that is built on community power. Can you make a career out of building online communities? Our guest today has done just that. Elisa Camahort Page has been at the forefront of the social web revolution. Elisa has built value for women online and is a model for how to build communities. She co-founded BlogHer Inc. in 2005, which was bootstrapped for two years before successfully raising four rounds of $20M in funding, eventually achieving exit by acquisition to She Knows Media. She is now the owner of ElisaCP. She’s a community builder, public speaker, board member, business catalyst, consultant and so much more. She’s also writing a book right now called Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All. Question: You helped to build the biggest community of women bloggers in the world at the time. What gave you, Lisa Stone and Jory Des Jardins the idea for BlogHer? Answer: Back in 2005, there were a lot of conversations about having more women represented in tech, business and politics. Jory des Jardins, Lisa Stone and I came together somewhat serendipitously to start BlogHer. We were so tired of all the excuses for why women weren’t speaking and women weren’t being quoted. We had this idea to have a conference that was like any other tech or blogging conference, but all the experts would be women. There was always that kind of activist nature to what we were doing and we wanted to validate for these women who were finding a mode of expression. It turned out they were really good at building and influencing their community. The idea was to create opportunities for women to get their piece of exposure and community and at the same time, help them learn more about how to do it well and bring about some economic empowerment. A lot of the women were stay-at-home parents who were looking to contribute to their household income and do something that had meaning to them.  Question: BlogHer was acquired by She Knows Media in 2014. How did that come to be and what did you do afterward? Answer: We bootstrapped for two years and we grew organically, but in that two years, some traditional women’s media companies were starting to recognize there’s gold in women bloggers. They had deep pockets we didn’t have. Everything we were doing was really based on bootstrapping, bartering, going through our life savings and taking out personal debt. We realized that we could keep organically growing and have a nice business, but we didn’t want these folks to pay money to leapfrog over us. We worried that these newcomers didn’t come from the community and wouldn’t really serve the community. We had some fire in the belly, we wanted some world domination and we were thinking very big. That’s when we decided to go out and get venture funding. Every time you take outside investment, whoever is investing in you or giving you capital has expectations and an expectation of an outcome. You sign up for that when you take the money. Debt is not a dirty word. Most businesses fund themselves at some point through debt. The expectation for what you do to settle your debt is a lot different than the expectation of what you need to do if you take venture funding. Once you take venture funding, the expectation is you’re going to have an exit for that company that’s going to pay your investors back, and hopefully you, too. Ultimately what happened and why we eventually did sell was because we’d been doing it almost 10 years at that point. We had done four rounds of funding. The reason we ended up taking more funding is because of two macro things. In the beginning, we were a little cocky and a little naive. We thought we knew what was going to happen and we thought we had a plan. We saw a path to profitability and we didn’t want to give up more ownership than we needed to, so we didn’t take that much funding. Less than one year after we took our first round of funding, the bottom fell out of the economy and we had the recession and we didn’t control that. When we started BlogHer, the smartphone didn’t exist, there were no mobile websites, there was nothing. Think of all the things that happened in digital over the last 12 years and you could imagine that we had to reinvest in developing mobile solutions and video solutions. Those were macro dynamics of the market and the economy that affected us. After 10 years, we were looking at another point of inflection. We were creating video content when the sponsor was paying for it, but we weren’t set up to just be a video content company. We were looking at that point of inflection saying,  are we going to reinvest to do this or do we find a partner who’s already invested in this but doesn’t have what we have? We had a community and conferences in a distributed network, so we fit the pieces together and it made a lot of sense. After 10 years we said, let’s share the load a little bit, let’s join another company, let’s get more resources that will help the community and will help them continue to make money and help them continue to get exposure for their work. Not only did we sign up for finding an exit when we took the money, but at a certain point of time it made sense for where the business needed to go and where we needed to go as founders. Question:  You started ElisaCP and started working with entrepreneurs and with the NPR Podcast, How I Built This. You helped them build an online community and also organize an upcoming conference. How did that come to be? Answer: Our first executive hire at BlogHer, who opened up our New York office, was Gina Rubo who is now the President and CEO of National Public Media, which is the selling arm of NPR. She heard they were thinking of doing a conference and she recommended before they do anything they talk to me. So I was brought in for a one-day engagement to do a strategy session and then write a report with some best practices and recommendations. Then they hired me for a couple of months to do more due diligence, and scope out the budget and plan. I happened to know a whole team of amazing events, people from my career, and it was a win, win, win. NPR needed this help, my friend needed the contract, I needed the contract, so we all played together. That was just a couple months and then they came back and said they were pulling the trigger. What would it take for you guys to just help us produce this and build the program? BlogHer started as a conference and then we said, oh there’s a community. What else can we do for this community? How I Built This started as a podcast, but they began to get so much feedback from people sending in their own companies and that’s how they started having at the end of every episode, the How I Built This segment, where they feature some of their community.  Question:  You talk about harnessing the power of people as one of your skills. How have you done that to build successful online communities? Answer: People desperately want to connect, to feel a connection, to feel validated, to feel purposeful. The other thing is they want to feel a sense of consistency. They also want a sense of expectation meeting reality. And I think that’s where a lot of people go wrong. First of all, one of my cardinal rules of community isn’t about giving people a way to talk to you. I think that’s how people kind of interpret it. Not everyone’s going to get the answer they want, but they get an answer and they get some transparency about why things are the way they are. They can rationalize and say either, well, I understand I didn’t get what I wanted here, but I get why it is the way it is and I’m cool with that. So that’s sort of my cardinal rule number one is that you have to have some sense of call and response that they can talk to you and you answer even if the answer is no. But the other seemingly contradictory rule thing is that people don’t always want you chiming in. I see brands do this all the time. Like anytime someone mentions them online they have to chime in. And actually, that starts to feel a little like big brother or big sister like. You may think it’s stupid, but a lot of us feel like we’re having private conversations even in public social media threads. So if I’m talking to someone on Twitter or on a public thread on Facebook, it’s still a conversation and I find that too many brands or organizations interrupt the conversation and make it about them in a way we didn’t intend when we were having a conversation. So a lot of times the hardest part of managing an online community is controlling yourself, that your input is not always required or necessary or desirable. They’re allowed to have their feelings. They’re allowed to be disappointed in you. They’re allowed to be mad at you. They’re not asking you a question or they’re not asking you for action. And I think it’s really important to recognize when people are asking you for information or action and when are they not, what are they’re just expressing how they feel. Question:  What are your tips for those of us looking to grow an engaged online community to support our businesses? Answer: I would say be human. Talk about human things. Don’t be afraid to say feeling words. Be Responsive. Be Consistent. When you’re managing the community be transparent about why it’s managed the way it is. Really live that ethos of reciprocity, that nobody owes you. Community is not a fixed asset. It’s a constantly living organism and it needs tending. The last thing is to have a stated policy. What’s the code? What are the community guidelines? Then enforce it evenly and fairly. You can’t make everyone happy, but you can make everyone feel understood and heard even if in the end you agree to disagree. Some people are going to be nasty. That happens all the time, but that’s their prerogative. If someone is going to leave your community because they think you’re doing it wrong, in the long run, you’re probably better off. If you start to see an exodus of your community, that’s a problem you need to look into. What have you changed? What have you done to alienate the people who were your community? That’s a very important thing to figure out.  Tools, links and apps mentioned: She Knows Buys BlogHer, Expanding it’s Reach Among Women ElisaCP Road Map for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism, and Advocacy for All How I Built This How You Built That Facebook Community How to reach Elisa: Website: www.elisaCP.com Twitter: @ElisaC Instagram: @elisacp Take Action Join the How I Built This Community Buy Elisa’s book Pick an issue that most touches you and be a little braver and integrate civic participation into your brand How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

In this episode, we're talking with Twitter expert Madalyn Sklar about how to use Twitter effectively and how you can build a bigger, better community. If you ever wished you could find a friend who really understands Twitter and pick her brain, this is the episode for you. We learn five top strategies that Twitter expert Madalyn Sklar shares to help us get more out of the platform and to build a stronger community. Question: How do you create a strategy for using Twitter? Answer: It doesn’t have to be a fancy, drawn-out strategy, just have a clearly defined plan in place. Have clear, trackable actions that are tied to your business goals. Write down your thoughts and put them into action so that when you’re building your community, you have a better chance of building influence and reaching people when you have a plan. Question: What is the best kind of content for Twitter and how do you plan your content? Answer: It’s important to do a variety of things – tweets, blog posts, images and videos. In addition to your tweets, Moments is a great feature to utilize. A Twitter Moment is a set of curated tweets, like “best of” tweets, chats or evergreen content that were tweeted about a topic. You can create a Moment in Twitter that appears in the menu of your profile. Evergreen content can be put into Social Jukebox on an autopilot schedule. Think about using Twitter to storytell using video. Twitter allows 140 seconds (that’s 2 minutes and 20 seconds) of recording. Live shows are also a great idea when it comes to using video on Twitter. You can do recorded video or livestream and connect it through Periscope. Question: What are the best ways to use Twitter Lists? Answer: Twitter lists are an under-utilized feature that is incredibly powerful. You have the ability to take a group of people and make your own stream of tweets. If you follow a lot of people, you can create a Twitter list as a way to create smaller feeds of information. Twitter Lists can be public or private. Make lists for “your eyes only” and set them as private for your reference. Or you can make them public which can be seen by anyone and it also allows for people to subscribe. As an example, Social Media Marketing World creates a Twitter List of the speakers every year which you can subscribe to. POWER TIP: If you’re placed on a Twitter list you don’t want to be on, go to the creator’s profile, block them, then unblock them and that will remove you from the list. As you can see, the possibilities are endless with the Twitter list feature. Question: Why do you think Twitter chats are the best way to build an engaged online community? Answer: There’s no better way to connect with like-minded people on a regular basis than with Twitter chats. You’ll meet people faster in a Twitter Chat than anywhere else. When you’re surrounded by other people that are like you, talking about the same topic, you’re going to make connections. If you would like to start your own chat, it’s important to choose a hashtag that represents what you’re trying to do. You can start a chat with or without guests. When you host a Twitter Chat, you can connect with people all over the world, which is awesome. See Madalyn’s list of The Very Best Twitter Chats for Social Media & Marketing. Question: How do you measure your impact on Twitter? Answer: Twitter browser analytics shows you a 28-day summary of tweets, impressions and profile visits. Make sure your profile is amazing so when people are viewing your profile, you’re capturing them as a follower and they’ll click to your website. Have a good profile picture. Your header is the prime real estate, so make sure your image says who you are and what you do. Your bio is 160 characters and should include a description that’s reflective of what you do. Use hashtags sparingly and methodically to send people somewhere, like to your website, registration, event, etc. You can update and change your bio as often as needed. Take Action Sign up for Madalyn’s Secret Sauce to Boosting Your Twitter Presence. Also, tweet us your biggest takeaway using the hashtag #CTCPodcast How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

In this episode, we're talking about how to ask for testimonials from your community and we have some great suggestions for how to get them without feeling uncomfortable. Natural Ways to Ask for a Testimonial Just Ask. You can’t be afraid to ask for testimonials. Ask students, clients and colleagues whenever you’ve worked with them, completed a session or training and ask right away before much time passes. Written Testimonials. Ask for testimonials that are both written and on video, but understand that people are busy and you may not receive both. Written testimonials are easy to tweet, post on Facebook and share. Video testimonials are even more powerful. Incentives. Consider an incentive when you ask for testimonials, like an offering or gift certificates. Marisa Murgatroyd in her Experience Product Masterclass offered $25 Experience Bucks for future products from LiveYourMessage.com for people who sent in a video testimonial at the end of her course. Case Studies. Put together a case study and use it in a presentation or article. Case studies are a great way to showcase your work and don’t require you to ask for testimonials. Create a case study after each client interaction which demonstrates the challenge and goals, the approach and the results. This gives insight into how you work and provides a measurement of success. Surveys and Ratings. Send your customers a survey after a course or event and ask for testimonials when they rate and review you on their online service of choice (such as Yelp, Google, Amazon, Trip Advisor and many others, depending on your industry). You can also use a direct survey to ask for a testimonial and get permission to use it. Facebook Groups. Use Facebook Groups to connect with your community and ask for testimonials within your group. Create a win-win for others where you can to obtain a testimonial, but also showcase someone else. Live Events. Get testimonials at live events by bringing a camera and asking people to speak about what they got out of the event on the spot. LinkedIn Recommendations. Ask for recommendations from former colleagues and clients on LinkedIn. You can then ask for permission to feature them on your website. Email and Verbal Feedback. Look out for the opportunities right in front of you in the form of an email, tweet or post where someone says something nice about you. Ask their permission to share it publicly before sharing it as a testimonial. Tools, links and apps mentioned: Experience Product Masterclass Twitter Chat Case Study: #ChatSnap Nusii iPhone Live Photos Madalyn Sklar Instagram Channel Quik Video Editor Thinkific Kami’s LinkedIn Kami’s Twitter Moments Madalyn’s Twitter Moments LinkedIn Recommendations Overview Take Action Make a list of 2-3 current or former clients and ask for a LinkedIn testimonial. We have already started a conversation in the Facebook group. Come and share how you are getting testimonials and get advice on getting more. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Our brains are wired to respond to the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Social Media. Learn how to overcome the naturally occuring negative bias in your brain that predispose you to FOMO. In this episode, we are talking about FOMO, anxiety caused by a desire to stay continually connected to what others are doing. We’ll discuss ways that you can reframe the Fear Of Missing Out to the Freedom Of Making Optimism. How to Overcome the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Social Media Episode Highlights There’s been a lot of neuro-research conducted around negative bias. Your brain responds and reacts more strongly to negative stimuli and thus, you focus more on negative instances. When exposed to negative stimuli, there is a greater surge in electrical activity in our brains. As a result, our attitudes are more heavily influenced by downbeat news than good news. As research relates to FOMO, we tend to focus more on what we’re not accomplishing rather than what we are accomplishing and what others are accomplishing that we aren’t. Mirror neurons mirror the behavior of others that we observe. These neurons fire up the premotor cortex of our brains which prepares us for motion, and parietal lobe that grabs our attention. This is why there are contagious actions and feelings and why we want to be like others. FOMO is in the brain, so how do we overcome it? Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is the belief that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, people can bring positive or negative experiences into their life. Reframing. Get away from trying to exercise self-control, because willpower is limited. Studies show that willpower is an expendable resource and you only have so much every day. Instead, reframe the way you think. Replace the subject or matter of frustration with another thought. Avoidance. Stop focusing on competitors which will slow you down. You do you. Spending time reflecting on the competitor is a waste of time and only hurts you. Tools, links and apps mentioned: FOMOFanz podcast with Brian Fanzo Our Brain’s Negative Bias Is There Scientific Evidence for the “Law of Attraction”? Law of attraction (New Thought) The Secret  Making Oprah Take Action Share with us which of the ways you are going to use to put FOMO to bed or share how you already have so we can all learn from you. Go to our Facebook Group or share on Twitter with the hashtag #CTCPodcast. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

If you wonder how to promote your evergreen content efficiently, you might want to check out Social Jukebox, a tool that allows you to share your content over and over again on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. In this episode, we talk with Tim Fargo from Social Jukebox. He is a two-time Inc. 500 winner, an entrepreneur, an international speaker and bestselling author and the creator of Social Jukebox. We are paid users of Social Jukebox and use it on a daily basis to promote the Communities That Convert podcast. It may even by why you are here. Tim shares with us some of his best tips and practices to get the most out of your evergreen content.Social Jukebox is an automated content delivery system. So it’s essentially Buffer that just keeps on going, When you get to the end of one of your content databases on Social Jukebox, the content will keep recycling over and over again like an hourglass that just keeps turning over. Question: What is Social Jukebox and why did you create it? Answer: In 2013, I published the book Alphabet Success. I was trying to build an audience to promote the book and found the process of scheduling posts to be mind-numbing things. You could carve your tweet on a granite tablet and send it on horseback to be delivered. The person receiving it on Twitter will have no idea that ever happened so they don’t care how it got there. As a result, I started looking around for a more efficient way to deliver the content. I ended up calling my former head of IT from Omega, that I sold in 2003, and asked him to build a tool to help me deliver my content to the social media sites. I didn’t intend to sell it, but I quickly found people were much more interested in why I was posting 24 hours a day then they were my book. I thought maybe it’s time to abandon the book and try the software business. So here we are. I just shared it with a few people in the beginning and it had a lot of utility. It just didn’t look very nice. So for people that are thinking about starting something, don’t get too hung up on getting it perfect. Just go for “good enough” when you’re getting started. Question: When you started, it only worked with Twitter, but now you have added a few more platforms, correct? Answer: We added the other two biggies in my mind, which are Facebook and LinkedIn, where most people have at least some presence. Almost everybody I think has a favorite go-to platform whether they’re doing a lot of Facebook marketing or whether they’re Twitter-centric. So we added those two platforms and, of course, we continue to look at other platforms to possibly add in the future. Question: What is evergreen content in your mind? Can you give us some examples? Answer: World Cup scores are great to share live or comment on. I have a connection with Sweden because my kids are half Swedish and Sweden’s actually South Korea right now as we are speaking. So that’s a great thing to live tweet because the game is happening now. It’s not a great thing to put in Social Jukebox because in a couple months it’ll be like, yeah we kind of know what happened with that event (Sweden won that match 1-0). Things that make great evergreen content include a social media tip, a great graphic, podcasts, blog posts are very often great, especially if they cover leadership or management. A good example is a plumber that creates videos about how homeowners can take care of jobs that are super easy, like how to tighten the washer onto someone’s sink can then be put in a Jukebox to be shared on Facebook and Twitter to develop a social community. It’s anything that would resonate with your audience on an ongoing basis. Today everyone’s their own media company. Media companies have editorial calendars and you can have an editorial calendar, too. You can create a Jukebox to share seasonal items only at a certain time of year. For instance, you could have content in a Jukebox for Black History Month, if that is something that would resonate with your audience. Question: For people that have not been on the tool yet, can you describe how it works? Answer: Jukeboxes are basically miniature databases of content that post over and over in a random pattern. When people quiz me as to why I chose to do it this way, I tell them that every time I tried to accurately predict the perfect time for the perfect content I was almost universally incorrect. If you have a particular kind of content that you want to share at a certain hour of the day, then that’s great, but don’t get too hung up on it being a specific post. In the Jukeboxes, the content is randomly going, and we also have a calendar for targeted posts where you’ve got a greater level of control. There are actually three different ways to schedule things: Auto-schedule allows you to decide how many times per day you want something to post from each Jukebox. It does it all for you and spaces out the posts. You can set a specific schedule for an entire Jukebox to be used over a specific period of time. You can also visual schedule, which looks like a giant excel spreadsheet. You can move posts around on that for people who want to tweak and get more specific with the time slots. What I recommend for those people is to use auto-schedule to create the massive schedule to start with and then go into the visual schedule and pinpoint different times. Question: What is the effectiveness of the system? Answer: The effectiveness and engagement will depend on the content. If you have a post that’s great, it’s going to get picked up and shared, but if you have a post that sucks, it’s not going to go anywhere. No amount of wizardry is going to make and uninteresting piece of content resonate with people. Think back to the TV shows Friends and Seinfeld. The whole idea was to get eyeballs and once you have those eyeballs, have enough trust generated that those eyeballs will stick around and watch the commercials. There’s lots of different ways to skin a cat and I think driving engagement comes from different ways, right? Some of the ways I have seen work include: Helpful content General interest content Things people find interesting or amusing. Interesting content could be just facts or something that you share that might be relevant to your audience and develop some pickup. Other things could just be pure entertainment. The key is going to be in what does your audience care about. Take the home shopping network, for instance. By my estimation, that whole channel is spam, right? But it’s a business. They don’t exist for no reason. There are people who sit at home and call the place up and order stuff. If they didn’t they go off the air. So it’s all about serving your audience and that’s the key. All that my tool can do is deliver that message to the audience you have. You can automatically add a hashtag to every post in a Jukebox by just adding it once in options instead of adding it to every post in the jukebox, which is much more efficient. But it does always go back to don’t try to put lipstick on a pig. If you don’t have good content you need to focus on fixing that because getting a new tool isn’t  going to take you across the goal line. Question: Twitter has new policies in place when it comes to duplicating tweets. Does your tool violate any of these new rules? Can you talk a little bit about the new Twitter policy? Answer: Twitter has had a no duplicate policy since 2009. I don’t want to tempt fate, but the amount of resources that it would require for them to check every post that’s coming on against everything that’s been posted on your account before–you’re talking about a gargantuan amount of overhead. We run an algorithm now to make sure that people aren’t duplicating content too quickly as it goes out because we’re enforcing a 72 hour rule. I’m sure that if I contacted people at Twitter, they’d say it’s absolutely forbidden. But I haven’t heard from anybody that’s having a problem.   My impression about these rules and what they were trying to combat is the rise of fake news. Particularly on Twitter where we’d see trends pop up and it was a six word phrase. How does the six word phrase trend? The only way a six word phrase trends is because a bunch of accounts are coordinating the posting.   I could add a wrinkle to Social Jukebox where you could update a thousand accounts because you’d have a shared jukebox between all 1000 accounts or 10,000 accounts for 100,000 accounts.  There really isn’t an upper limit as long as you have the server resources and you can automatically have that post go out to all those accounts more or less simultaneously. That is something Twitter specifically talked about when they were reaching out. And I’m sure it was the same for everybody that has a posting tool for Twitter. They were very keen to know how you could move content back and forth between accounts, how quickly it could be shared, things like that. So my impression, and I think it’s correct, was they really wanted to find a way to limit people who are trying to make something look as if it was news. And if and if you can have something trend and the articles look newsworthy, people only read the headline and don’t necessarily click on the link but that message becomes the takeaway. I think from Twitter’s perspective, you don’t want to be caught in the middle of this kind of chaos, with people putting out things that are just patently false on your platform.. I’m pretty sure what they were really after was to prevent that kind of thing. And by the way, they don’t like repetitive stuff, so I do think there’s going to be a higher level enforcement where you have to maybe wait, say six or seven hours before you can repeat a post and I’m sure the time table is going to continue to increase. But the idea that you could never share the same post again, I’m not saying never. I said I don’t want to tempt fate, but I don’t see that happening. Question: What makes Social Jukebox standout over similar services on the market? Answer: I like to keep the platform somewhat simple. I think there’s a tendency among almost all software tools to keep adding stuff until you have a product that is so complicated that you need a master’s degree to turn the thing on.   It’s great to add features, but at the same time you add overhead to the process, you add complexity to the product, and as a result it very often it becomes intimidating to use it for the simple task that it was made for from the beginning. I’m much more interested in having it be really effective at the things that it’s really meant to do. I’d even include in that having a predictive tool about the best time to tweet is an idiot’s game. All you do is take everyone’s followers and tell them that at 8:00 AM in your area, most of your followers are online. Wow, that’s a real insight. And by the way, it’s not like you’re buying super bowl airtime.  You’re adding posts, so why wouldn’t you post around the clock just with the idea that maybe you’ll get a great client from Malaysia? Maybe you’ll find somebody that’s really interested in what you do in New Zealand.   Don’t be parochial and think that just because your existing audience is in a certain time zone that you should restrict yourself to that. In the ideal world, you’re not just serving who you’re talking to now. You’re expanding the number of people you’re talking to. At least that would be my key to marketing. I would say really our key is just keep simplifying the tool. I’m not saying take things away, but just try to make it easier and easier to use. If you ever have a support question for Social Jukebox, you get me, there is no support department. If you create a support department, they will do what you’ve mandated them to do. They will give great support on the product. Right? Very rarely are they going to try to figure out a way to eliminate their own job. And the reality is clients don’t want great support. They want a product they understand. And if you keep getting the same questions from customers, don’t figure out a great support answer, figure out a way to redesign the product so that the person doesn’t have a question anymore. That is my mindset. I’m incentivized as the entrepreneur because not only am I the one who’s going to have to ask the questions, but I’m also the person that can affect change. For me that’s a really important distinction, making sure that you’re constantly trying to eliminate the number of questions people might have about something rather than just try to find great ways to answer those questions. Tools, Apps and Links Mentioned: Social Jukebox How to reach Tim: LinkedIn Take Action Make a list of your own evergreen content and tweet it out with the #CTCpodcasthashtag so the community can see your best content and share it. We will retweet some of the best ones from our Twitter accounts. You can also go to our Facebook community and share your best content in our share thread. To get in, use the secret word: ACTION How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Learn how to build a targeted email list, why bigger isn't always better and why a smaller email list might even save you money. Pair down and target your email list It may not seem very intuitive, but you actually want people to unsubscribe from your list. Sometimes people sign up for the freebies but they don’t open your emails after that.  The more targeted your list, the more deliverable your email and the better open rates you will get.   Paring down your list saves you money and helps you make more money, especially if you are paying by the contact on your list. If you are spamming people that aren’t engaging or opening your emails, over time it may hurt the deliverability of your email. How small is too small? We all start at zero. Start building your list and today. You’ll own your list and no one can take that away from you.  If your average open rate is about 30% and you have a good conversion rate of 2-3%, think about how many people need to come into your funnel, opt-in, open your email and convert.  Obsess about your open and conversion rates, not necessarily the size of your list. The larger your list gets, the lower your conversion and open rates will be. Work on the quality of content you’re sending and the way you’re segmenting your list. Attract the right people to your list Build really good lead magnets and freemiums that will attract your ideal community and audience. Know who you want to attract and what they want. Ask them or do a poll and build lead magnets around that.  You want to attract the right people. While your product may have a broad appeal, it’s not good for everyone. You’ll be more successful if you can appeal to a specific audience and speak to an individual when you’re writing copy.  Attract the right people and repel the wrong ones. It keeps your list smaller, but it has a better opt-in rate, open rate and conversion rate which leads to more income.  Engage with your list When people trust you and look forward to your emails, you’ll have better open and conversion rates. Focus on adding lots of value to your emails.  Smaller lists make it easier to connect with your audience, but you don’t have to turn people away. In general, keep your list tight and small and limited to the people that are really interested in your content and potentially being your customer. This will make it much easier to engage and interact with them. Tools, links and apps mentioned: How to Hit 1M with a List Under 20K 10 Time Tested Ways to Increase Open Rates Take Action Download our free spreadsheet (Google Sheets) for that allows you to plug in your own numbers to determine how big of a list you will need to meet your goals. Sign up here for our weekly updates and we will send you free gifts like this one, plus our weekly episode reminder. Fill out the form below and you will be sent to the form instantly! How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Do you need more information about how to ask for feedback from customers with polls and surveys on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? In this episode, we are talking about how to engage with your audience through surveys and polls to get community feedback and to get people talking.  Customer Feedback on Facebook Whether it’s business related or just for fun, engaging questions are an easy way to get community feedback. Ask a question and use one of Facebook’s graphic backgrounds. Facebook polls allow you to gather information, interests and preferences from your community. The information gathered can be very valuable to you. Facebook Polls allows you to create multiple answers and people can add their own answers and responses. You can use Facebook Ads to run A/B tests with varying copy and photos. The ones that get the best engagement and responses give you an overview of what most resonates with the people you’re aiming to reach.  Customer Feedback on Twitter Twitter polls are under-utilized, likely because they are so basic.  The question in your Twitter polls can include a maximum of 280 characters, and each poll choice can be up to 25 characters with up to 4 choices. You cannot attach an image or GIF. Twitter poll hack: To add emojis to your poll choices, create the answers with emojis in the Twitter composition box, then copy/paste it into the answer lines. Unlike Facebook, Twitter allows participants to vote anonymously and responses are private. Not even the poll creator can see the source of poll responses. The poll can be run for as little as 5 minutes (too short for most uses) and up to 7 days in length. We usually choose 24 to 48 hours. You can also pin the poll or re-tweet your poll to keep it in the feed or retweet it once — which Madalyn refers to as the second pinned Tweet. Customer Feedback on Instagram Instagram polls can we created with Poll Stickers on Stories, which can be used with a photo or video. By default, the poll answers are “yes” and “no”, but you can also customize the responses. Refer to Episode 41 for more details on Instagram’s features.  Participant’s answers on Instagram polls are not anonymous and can be viewed by looking at the stats.  The Emoji Slider Sticker is another way to engage with people in Instagram Stories. Participants slide the poll option which displays poll results in emojis. Apps, Tools and Links Mentioned: About Twitter Polls Survey Monkey  Google Forms  Convert Kit Tags in Email  Typeform  Apester Playbuzz Take Action Pick one of the methods we discussed to interact with your community through a poll or a survey. Then, share the link to the poll in the Communities That Convert Facebook Group so we can all participate. (Password is ACTION) How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

One of the hardest things to do is set a price for your digital products. In this episode, we talk about the psychology behind digital product pricing strategy and methods. We also have included a pricing calculator and PDF. Listen to this episode to learn the psychology behind digital product pricing strategy and methods and how you can use them to set your own prices. Tactic 1: Leveled Pricing. Using three prices usually makes the middle price more attractive, no one wants the cheapest and no one wants to pay the most. This is a powerful pricing strategy that tricks your mind to pick the middle option. Tactic 2: Graphic Design Choices Using a smaller font is usually more attractive and placing the price at the bottom left also creates the perception of a smaller price tag. Removing the comma in the price removes the fluid reading of the price, making it seem smaller. Punctuation stops the eye on the price. Tactic 3: Anchoring Let people know how much it would cost if they paid full price, then give your much lower price, along with the reason why you are offering it at this time. Alternatively, if something isn’t selling, create a better product and double the price, offering your original product at the lower price. Tactic 4: Just Noticeable Differences Make small price increases more frequently to raise prices. This tactic is often seen in the form of a countdown timer when a product is launched at an introductory price which will be raised after a set amount of time. This tactic creates an urgency to buy. Tactic 5: Down-Sell Offer a smaller package for a lower price after a launch. Have something in mind before your launch which has fewer features, but will still capture sales. Tactic 6: Reduce the Left Digit By One For decades marketers have used charm pricing — prices that end in 9, 99, or 95. Charm pricing is most effective when the left digit changes. For example, the one dollar difference between $200 and $199 will make a psychological sales impact. Tactic 7: Display Prices in a Small Font Size Your brain has a universal conceptualization of size where there’s a blurred overlap between visual size and numerical size. That’s why customers perceive your price to be smaller if you display your price in a smaller font size. The reverse works for discounts. Since you want to maximize the size of discounts, you should display those numbers in a large font size. Tactic 8: Offer Payments in Installments When you give people the option to pay for your product in smaller increments rather than one lump sum, you anchor people on the smaller price. They’re popular because they are visually lower even though they are paying more. Tactic 9: Follow the “Rule of 100” When you offer discounts, maximize their perceived size so people feel like they’re getting a better deal. Give percentage discounts when your price is under $100 and give absolute discounts when your price is over $100. In both cases, you’ll be choosing the discount with the higher number which inflates the perceived magnitude of your discount. Tools, apps, and links mentioned: Complete Guide to Psychological Pricing Paul Lee: The Williams-Sonoma Bread Maker: A Case Study Bump Sale Pricing Psychology Take Action Download our pricing calculator to work through an exercise to help you determine a pricing structure using the tactics we discussed today. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or to go our Facebook group here (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Are you looking for the best social media promotion tools in 2018? We share our favorite social media scheduling tools, graphic design tools, and video creation and editing tools. Listen to the podcast to hear about what we consider the best social media promotion tools in 2018 to help you manage post scheduling, design graphics and promote and create your videos. Scheduling Tools Buffer – Allows team sharing in the pro version for an overview of what’s going out and who put them in, but they also have a free version for individuals. It also suggests the best times to post. One drawback, Buffer doesn’t offer the ability to connect with your followers through one dashboard. Hootsuite – Allows you to follow keywords and hashtags and jump into the conversations in social media. The pro account allows you to add team members. AgoraPulse – Great for different types of scheduling, evergreen tweets and recurring tweets. ManageFlitter – Analyzes your Twitter account to tell you the best time to tweet. They also have a lot of amazing features beyond scheduling. SocialJukebox – Great tool for scheduling evergreen tweets where you add it once and and it resends periodically on autopilot. Graphic Design Tools Canva – Use this tool to put together banners, graphics and social media posts. They have great customizable templates you can use to create any graphics you need. They also have a lot of stock photos to choose from that are free or cost only $1. Adobe Spark – They have an app and desktop version. This tool is great to create graphics with quotes, but they also have many templates to use and make designing graphics really easy. SnagIt – This tool allows you to grab screenshots, crop and adjust photos. Plus you can make short screen recordings and edit photos. DepositPhotos – A photography and stock photo collection for purchase to use in your content. If Advances Tip: If you watch for them, AppSumo offers a pack of 100 photos at a discount a few times per year and the credits never expire. Video Creation and Editing Tools Lumen5 – It automatically takes your blog RSS feeds and Lumen5 creates quick video promos you can pin. This is a great tool do create a quick and easy promo video. iMovie – Comes with Mac products and is really easy to use. Apple Clips – This is another Mac product. You can make a video through the app and as you’re talking, it creates the captioning. YouTube Captions – Upload your video to YouTube and use the “add captions” setting, then download it back out of YouTube. Filmora – A great editing package that’s really easy to use and very intuitive. They also have free editing packs available to download. Camtasia – A great, robust video editing tool available on PC or Mac. Videos can be uploaded, saved as an mp3, strip the audio and convert it to a podcast. Viddyoze – They have a marketplace where you can find an intro / outro bumper for a fee. BlueJeans – Beyond going live on social media, this tool is great for streaming at a low bandwidth. You can also add guests to your video. BeLive.tv – This is a great tool for streaming to Facebook. It’s affordable and easy to use. It has great features and also allows you to add guests. Apps, Tools and Links Mentioned: Buffer Hootsuite AgoraPulse ManageFlitter SocialJukebox Canva Adobe Spark SnagIt DepositPhotos AppSumo Lumen5 iMovie Apple Clips YouTube Captions Filmora Camtasia Viddyoze BlueJeans BeLive.tv Take Action Join us in our Facebook community and share YOUR favorite tools for promoting your community online. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

There have been a number of changes at Instagram that impact your community. Learn about all the new features and the ones that are coming up in the near future. Instagram is burning it up with new features. The changes at Instagram seem to be coming almost every week. If you aren’t using Instagram regularly, you need to get started. Instagram is a fun platform with a lot of fun features. In this episode, we’ll go over some of the newest features and talk about the best ways to use them. List of Changes at Instagram that Will Impact Your Community Re-sharing Feature in Stories This is a new feature that allows you to re-share within your account without using a third-party app. It’s similar to a retweet in Twitter. It shares the post to your story. It turns a photo into a sticker and inserts it into your stories. It’s a great way to connect with people more. The tagging feature doesn’t always work, so you may have to do it manually if it doesn’t do it automatically. Access your settings from your profile screen if you don’t want others to share your photos in their stories and turn the feature off. Story Camera Features It’s challenging to perfect the art of the perfect 15-second story, but there are apps like Storeo that can help with recording it. Here is a list of some of the features inside the Instagram camera. Type allows you to create a screen with text to describe what you’re talking about in your story. This can be added to a highlight (see the bottom of story for more about highlights) and serve as a cover page to tie your stories together, get responses from people and spark conversation. Live, which is the livestreaming option, can also be saved into your highlights which will build your relationship and help with community building. Boomerang is an oldie but goodie. It records for 2 seconds and then loops. Superzoom zooms in on something and adds special elements like stars and colors. Focus is a portrait feature which blurs the background of your photo or video and makes the subject of the video stand out. Handsfree is a feature that gives you 15 seconds handsfree video without having to hold the button down. Rewind allows you to play a recorded video backwards. Stop Motion takes bursts of pictures and strings them all together. Stickers in Stories After you’ve taken a photo, you have a number of options you can use “like” stickers, freehand drawing, and text. You can use stickers or text to mention someone in your story. Clicking on the @mention will take you to the person’s profile. Slider Polls allows you to insert a basic “yes or no” poll in your story. You can also input your own short answers to choose from, but you’re limited on space and may only use two. Hashtag Stickers allows you to quickly add a hashtag to your story. Also, you can now follow a hashtag on Instagram. Location enables you to share your location wherever you’re at- your neighborhood, a place of business or event. It gives people in the area the ability to see your posts based on your location. If people are looking at stories by location, it’s likely they will see yours. Instagram Highlights This new change at Instagram is available, but underutilized. The Highlight feature allows you to extend your stories past 24 hours. Highlights appear as a circle on your profile page under your bio. People can see about 4-5 of them, though you can add more that people can swipe to see. You can use a text or emoji title up to 11 characters. Use Highlights to show off your very best content. Upcoming Features Instagram will likely be launching the following changes at Instagram in the near future. Time tracking app Online Payment Market Muting users Tagging Facebook Video Calling Slow-mo Calendar View Floating Emoji Reactions Listen Now We recently interviewed Sue B Zimmerman, who specializes helping business owners to grow their Instagram accounts, about how to use Instagram for communities. Listen to her insightful episode. Links to Tools and Resources Mentioned: Instagram Now Lets You Share Other People’s Photos in Stories Instagram is letting users share posts directly to their stories Instagram officially launches re-sharing of posts to Stories Storeo for Instagram What Is Instagram’s Emoji Slider Poll? This New Feature Is Making Stories Even More Interactive How to use the ’emoji slider’ on Instagram Instagram will soon show users how much time they spend in the app Instagram is Bursting into the Online Payment Market All the new rumored Instagram features that might kick Snapchat’s… Take Action We have been testing these new features and have made them into a Highlight on our Instagram. Check out our IG profiles and look for CTC Podcast to view them. @kamichat @madalynsklar How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook group here. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Have you ever wondered why someone that seems new on the scene seems to come out of nowhere to become an overnight success? Or is it just a myth of overnight success? In this episode, we talk about the myth of overnight success and share some examples of people who appear to be overnight successes in social media marketing, but who really built their skills the old-fashioned way. By hard work. Episode Highlights: Here are a few people that Madalyn and Kami watched as they came on the scene and heard people say were “overnight successes.” You can read their back stories on the links to see that they were anything but. They did leverage all of their experiences before, and some were even well known in other industries. Brian Fanzo got his start in Meerkat, which was a live stream program that was crushed by the release of Periscope. Brian took advantage of the live streaming technology to get widespread recognition. He was at the right place at the right time, getting seen by all the industry experts. They took notice of him, and next thing you know, he was speaking across the world. Before he broke out on the online marketing scene, he has a successful career in Cybersecurity. Sunny Lenarduzzi is a YouTube star doing business to business videos starting her career in news media. She started working for a news organization and knew how to be on camera in a good way. Moving away from that, she used Periscope and YouTube to talk to her audience and expanded into the videos she does today. She collaborated with others to do a promo with Applebee’s which was marketed really well and was really successful with over 1 billion impressions. (Related: Listen to a recent episode with Sunny about how to rock YouTube). Mike Stelzner rocketed to the top and is known as the CEO of Social Media Examiner which is a blog dedicated to social media marketing. He also has the largest social media podcast called The Social Media Marketing podcast. Here is what Stelzner did before he took the social media blogging world by storm. He was known for being the Whitepaper expert, and he helped many companies write these persuasive essays to build their business and wrote books about it. Hard work made it easy to pivot into a new, but closely related industry. Are you ready to find your path to success like Brian, Sunny and Mike. We went over a few keys to get there, but it probably won’t get you there overnight. Be Consistent If you lose your consistency, you lose your voice. Choose your platform and show up every day. Check in on your secondary platforms and find a frequency you can adhere to. Let Your Work Speak for Itself Keep your work at excellent levels and people will take notice. People are always looking for good content, fresh ideas and things to talk about. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others You have something specific to give. Figure out what that is, then share it. Look at your competition, audit them and find a gap that isn’t being covered, rather than compete with them. Be Head Down and Focus on You What can you bring to the table that’s different? Take courses and listen to books to better yourself and learn more. Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate Find opportunities to partner up with someone in your network and collaborate on something together. That is how we started this podcast. Build on your relationships to find common interests. Tap into your network to start a new project, write a blog post or start a podcast. Tools, links and resources mentioned: Audible Blinkist 10th Annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report Take Action Come and discuss overnight success with us in the Facebook Group. Who do you think of as an overnight success? Do some research and get the backstory and we bet that you will find years of work behind them.  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go to our Facebook page here. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

We cover the latest Twitter changes and how they will impact your business. There have been many tweaks to the service over the past few months as Twitter works to solve its persistent spam and trolling issues. Episode Highlights: Twitter is growing again, adding 6 million users over the last quarter. They have now been profitable for 2 quarters–the first time they have been profitable in the company’s history. During the first quarter of the year, Twitter says it removed 142,000 apps using its API that violated developer rules and were responsible for 130 million “low-quality” tweets in that three-month period. Twitter also started enforcing its new terms of service on Friday, March 23, 2018, which prohibits cross-posting the same tweet across multiple accounts, “with an intent to subvert or manipulate the topic, or to artificially inflate the prominence of a hashtag or topic.” Service providers have changed how they work to comply with these rules. Duplicate tweets on a single account repeatedly using the same hashtag or text in a spammy manner isn’t allowed. Using multiple accounts to artificially inflate a specific tweet or hashtag will not be allowed. Major changes to the API are coming which has left developers and third-party app developers worried about how the changes will affect streaming and push notifications. Twitter has stated that they will provide a 90 day notice. Auto DM’s are out. Third party tools that offered this had to deactivate it effective October 12, 2017. It’s rumored that Twitter is opening up to verification of all users to combat the bot problem. Verification will be indicated by a blue check mark. Account users that don’t log in and accept Twitter’s new terms may be deactivated. If you’re using a lot of third-party apps and don’t often go into your native Twitter account, look for a notice from Twitter in the next few months. Are the Twitter changes a good idea? Twitter has needed some changes to combat the bots and other spammy issues like auto DM’s. Too much auto DM spam leads to missed opportunities. You can look forward to spending less time cleaning filtering through those messages. There’s a good opportunity to have better communication on Twitter if automation is more limited and it makes you think more about what you’re sending out. One concern  is that the shelf life of a tweet is very short and the percentage of followers that will see any given tweet is low, leading people to want to send out multiple duplicate tweets several times per day to hit all of the time zones and reach more people. This approach will need to be rethought, perhaps Twitter will give tweets with more interaction a longer life in the feed? How will Twitter work to eliminate spam and bots? Twitter uses an algorithm where if you’re reported as a spammer or you trip one of their machine learning algorithms, you may not show up in the feed. The amount of time that must exist between identical tweets isn’t clear, from 24 hours to a week. No one really knows and Twitter has been silent about it. Either they don’t want anyone to know or they can’t police it. They’re trying to avoid Twitter farms where people use multiple accounts to reinforce other accounts or mount an activist campaign. When Twitter turned off auto DM’s there was an obvious change, but other changes haven’t seemed as noticeable. How does duplicate tweeting impact Twitter chats? Well, we aren’t sure yet, but… There aren’t many duplicate tweets in Twitter chats outside of the generic duplicate, reminder type tweets from the host. Twitter chats with trending hashtags and retweets may become a gray area which will present questions. And perhaps new machine learning will cut down on hashtag spam in chats. Tools, links, and resources mentioned: Twitter Makes Changes to Combat Spam: Here’s What You Need to Know The Twitter Rules Automation and the use of multiple accounts Twitter changes may bring major issues for third-party apps  Twitter’s user numbers are growing again Twitter Wants to Verify All Users as a Way to Prove Identity Twitter can’t decide if it wants to kill third-party apps API changes will break Tweetbot and Twitteriffic alerts and streaming, Twitter not yet sharing new solution Madalyn’s FB Live with Emeric Important Update On Statusbrew For Twitter Twitter takes new measures to quiet trolls, spammy content Take Action Share with us in our Communities That Convert Facebook community and tell what you think about the changes on Twitter. And we’d like to know how are you consuming Twitter. Are you using the native app and website or 3rd party tools? We have a poll in our Facebook group. Please take a moment to let us know how you’re using Twitter. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or just click here. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

We cover the latest Facebook changes that will impact your business. There are some big changes happening on Facebook right now, so you know how, when and if they will affect you. What happened with Facebook January 11th and what has been the fallout? Mark Zuckerberg made a big announcement that has since changed the way that posts are shared with your friends and family. With the change in the algorithm, came some revealing issues that have Facebook in some trouble. Data has been misused by third-party applications like Cambridge Analytica, and Mark Zuckerberg had to answer to Congress about how that information was shared. The privacy settings on Facebook were overhauled to make them easier to use so you can now see all of your privacy settings in one place. Click here to review your privacy settings on Facebook. How does this change at Facebook impact you? Outside of Facebook, you may experience less functionality to engage with friends in third-party apps. Facebook ads will still be available and unchanged. Other non-US countries may move more quickly to protect privacy. GDPR is a new standard in the UK where certain rules apply to recipients in the UK. For more information, read Kirsten Oliphant’s great post about this and listen to the Podcast, see the link below. Facebook is shifting to a focus on groups, community building and authentic connections. They’re pushing for tighter connections and an extra layer of relationship beyond sales. The more you build relationships, the better you’ll perform in any social media channel “At its best, Facebook has always been about personal connections. By focusing on bringing people closer together — whether it’s with family and friends, or around important moments in the world — we can help make sure that Facebook is time well spent.” – Mark Zuckerberg What are authentic connections on Facebook? If friends join communities together, they will get notifications when their friends post in the group. Asking questions on Facebook is currently driving engagement, but currently, adding links lowers the effectiveness of the post. It is important to make sure the people in your groups understand that they are an essential part of the group. Live streaming video drives engagement right now, especially when there is a lot of engagement such as comments, likes, and shares. Non-salesy educational Facebook Ads or ads against already well-performing content will be served more often and better. Look at your well-performing content and run an ad against it. What are inauthentic connections on Facebook? Apps using your friends’ data to sell them stuff Anything that requires an O-Auth with Facebook Spammy or Sales Groups: Hate Groups, Low Quality, and Spammy Groups, Pay to Join Groups. If you have a group as an add-on, make sure you have your course materials set up somewhere else like Thinkific or Kajabi, even if your community isn’t leaving Facebook to get the material. Using Facebook Messenger in a spammy manner Using Facebook Ads in a spammy way Product and service sales groups What is coming up in the near future on Facebook? Rumors of a fee structure or ad cost for business groups. Facebook will continue to be under pressure to clean up their act as it pertains to privacy and data. Facebook will be making any changes needed to avoid regulation, so keep an eye on your account and in the Communities That Convert Facebook community for changes. Tools, Resources, Apps, and Links Mentioned: Facebook Privacy Basics Page See where on Facebook you have been tagged Facebook Announcement What Facebook Says It Is Doing to Protect You GDPR FAQS. Kristen Oliphant Tips for GDPR Compliance and Why Data Matters BeLive Facebook Is Shutting Down Its API For Giving Your Friends’ Data To Apps  Thinkific Disqus Kajabi ManyChat  Messenger Limitations for Chatbot Developers Facebook is Not Allowing New Chatbots on It’s Platform Announcement: The Messenger Bot Pause is Over Take Action Share with us in our Facebook community what is working and what isn’t working in your Facebook marketing right now. Have you noticed a difference? How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go here. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Kami Huyse, is a public relations professional and author. She is the CEO of Zoetica Media LLC, a digital marketing and public relations agency. She is the founder of the Social Media Breakfast of Houston live event and live stream, co-founder of the podcast Communities That Convert, co-founder of travel and tourism influencer blog TexasTravelTalk.com and founder of Growth Hacks 4 Women, a mastermind community for leaders. She also serves on the board of Civilination, a nonprofit dedicated to taking a stand against online harassment, character assassination and violence. Kami helps brands and entrepreneurs connect with online communities that mean the most to their business in order to build awareness for their brand; contribute meaningfully to the community; and drive measurable business results.   Where you find Kami online: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn smbhou.com communitiesthatconvert.com growthhacks4women.com   What did you think of this episode? I want to know. Go to MarkStruczewski.com/kami and leave a comment.   To leave feedback about the podcast or give suggestions for ideas for future episodes (including guests you'd like to hear me interview), go to MarkStruczewski.com/mypodcast or email feedback@markstruczewski.com. If you are looking to take your productivity to the next level or if you are interested in bringing me in to speak at your event, visit MarkStruczewski.com. Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to my weekly Next Level Productivity Digest. If you love the show, share it with a friend on Apple Podcasts.

  This week on Kingdom of Rock, guitarist Matt Gibson spoke with Twitter expert Madalyn Sklar about her experiences as a social media expert and the music industry! Co-Host Amanda Bocchi will return next week after she finishes her degree in Classical guitar from Hollins University! Madalyn Sklar is a serial entrepreneur, community builder and leading Twitter marketing expert. With 22 years digital marketing experience and 13 years social media marketing under her belt, it’s no surprise she’s ranked the #1 Social Media Power Influencer in Houston. Each week Madalyn hosts the #TwitterSmarter Twitter chat that brings together hundreds of people in an active one hour discussion revolving around Twitter marketing. Since launching two years ago, it has reached 4.64 billion impressions. She also hosts the weekly #SocialROI chat that’s presented by ManageFlitter. Madalyn interviews leading social media and marketing experts for her TwitterSmarter podcast and co-hosts the weekly Communities That Convert podcast with Kami Huyse. Huffington Post has named Madalyn one of 50 Women Entrepreneurs to follow. https://www.madalynsklar.com/    

Have you been wondering how to launch paid communities and courses? In this episode we talk about a process to find the best idea for your paid and online courses, how to test and validate it, and build your communities and courses as you go. You might want to launch a paid community or course but only have a general idea of what to teach. Listen to this episode to get tips on how to find your idea and develop it into a successful online course. Discover the Perfect Idea for Your Paid Online Communities and Courses Look to the questions that you are asked most by coworkers, clients, friends or in your community. Look for trends. Madalyn discusses how she picked up on the number of women she talked with who reported they had never done a live stream video. She launched the Video Like a Rockstar program to help them master the technology and overcome their fear. If you don’t already have a community to ask, join a group to see what others are talking about. You can also run a poll on Facebook or Twitter or search your niche on Quora see what questions people are asking. You can also read through complaints in your existing groups to see what questions and answers people have.  Beta Test and Validate Your Pilot Program Test the idea by quickly launching a mastermind and ask people to validate it by charging a fee. It’s easy for someone to say they’re interested in what you want to offer, but not everyone will be interested enough to pay for it. You validate your ideas by charging a fee, stepping back and waiting to see what happens.  Charge a lower fee to validate the idea, ask for testimonials and most importantly, feedback. Be flexible when doing your pilot program and listen to your students. Build Your Perfect Paid Online Communities and Courses as You Go If people want to continue beyond the initial offering, create a follow-up course or community that builds on the learning from the Beta launch. When you’re launching, it’s a lot of work on the front end and you’ll spend a lot of time building your course. The beauty is that if you’re going to continue the course in the future, or build upon it, you’ve already done all of the hard work. Poll students taking your course or students who have already completed your course what they would pay for it and let them guide you on pricing. Repeat and Improve Your Paid Online Communities and Courses Learn as you go. Start the Mastermind again, then feed into the ongoing community. Make changes as needed, repeat and build as your community leads. Ask the community how they would like to proceed and grow. Listen and your students will help you. Look at the big picture. People may sign up in mass initially, but you need to build a solid program and keep adding to it to make it better. Eventually, it’ll become a sustainable income source. Take Action Go to our Facebook group and tell us what ideas you have for your own paid communities and courses. Let’s start a dialogue about your topic and get feedback from the group. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Today we have Sunny Lenarduzzi here to share her insights on how to build a converting community using YouTube. This is the final interview in our 6-part series about how to build a converting community online. Sunny is an award-winning video, social media, and online business strategist. She’s worked with hundreds of clients across multiple industries – helping Hootsuite develop a YouTube series that increased subscriptions by 75% and Applebee’s hit 1 billion impressions in 1 day. Sunny was named one of 20 Must Watch YouTube Channels That Will Change Your Business by Forbes and she’s been featured on national radio, television and online platforms like Entrepreneur.com and The Huffington Post. Question: Why do you like YouTube as a marketing tool? Answer: I ran a consultancy for years and was doing just Twitter and Facebook at the time and built successful campaigns. I had so many clients that I was feeling burned out and incapable of answering everyone’s questions. At the time Periscope was the rage and my clients wanted to know how to integrate it into their strategy. I filmed a video to teach them what they needed to do, sent it to my clients and I woke up the next day to a couple thousand views of my video, hundreds of inquiries from across the world and inquiries in my email from people referencing my video on YouTube and wanting to work with me. It was a lightbulb moment and I started doing the videos each week based on my client’s questions about social media. The next thing I knew, I had 50K subscribers in 12 months and I had reached over 3M people with my videos. YouTube changed my life and changed my business. In that one year I went from a tiny $50K consultancy business to a place where I hired a team of 10 people, we’ve launched a course and we continue to do high-level consulting. YouTube allowed me to reach the people on a mass scale and share my knowledge on a mass scale. Question: How do you get people to follow you on YouTube and how do you build a community there? Answer: I always lead with education. I focus on the entrepreneur to help them build online businesses and market their businesses easier. The theme of the channel is to “be your own boss and build your own life” and I focus on a few factors each week to get found and build my subscriber base. First and foremost is to answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), which is how he whole channel started. I also focus on trending topics and hot content, books or materials that I can leverage to build traffic. Going back to Periscope, I was the first person to make a video about it when it was trending which made the video popular. I also look to what my community is asking on a regular basis and what they’re talking about on other platforms to incorporate into my intel. Finally,  I focus on keywords and crafting titles in a way that people are searching for them. Question: How do you get people to take action and convert to a customer from YouTube? Answer: I have created a foolproof formula for entrepreneurs using YouTube to leverage their traffic and viewers and turn them into customers. You tell people what to do with a specific call to action that tells them where to go next and where to find you so you can nurture those leads to conversion. Question: How are you using the various features of YouTube? Answer: When new features come out, I test them and try to think of unique and creative ways to use them. Because I don’t own YouTube, I don’t monetize my channel, but I leverage YouTube to build an email list that I do own and drive people to my products and services. Be sure to join our Facebook group for more insider tips. Sunny has recorded a few tips just for our online community. Head over to the page to request access. The secret password is ACTION. How to reach Sunny: Website YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Tools, apps and links mentioned: Boss YouTube Checklist Sunny Show Podcast Take Action There are two key factors to succeeding on YouTube and every entrepreneur should be leveraging them. First, create a list of FAQ’s from your community, customers or clients and use those to create video topics. Grab Sunny’s Boss YouTube Checklist to get your YouTube Channel setup for success. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go here to our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

One of the best ways to build a converting community by using content is still blogging. Our guest today talks about how she has used the Spin Sucks blog and the Slack App to build a vibrant community that converts into customers. As part of our series on how to grow and monetize your business by providing huge value to your online community, we invited Gini Dietrich on the podcast to share her insights on using content to grow a community.  Question: Why do you still like Blogging as a marketing tool?  Answer: It’s two things- it’s a creative outlet for me and it’s become its own brand and people expect it.  Question: How has blogging changed over the years? Answer: Blogging is a huge undertaking. I spend about 25 hours a week of my time with a team of four supporting the blog. But you don’t have to blog. You need to weigh it against the results you are looking to obtain. There are other ways to build your brand awareness and credibility that you can use in addition to blogging, or even instead of it, like video, Facebook Live or Instagram Stories. You can embed these on your website or even on a blog-like news site. Question: How do you build a converting community using content? Answer: Think PESO, starting with O for owned. Create content that answers the questions your audience has? What are competitors doing? What things do your sudience pay attention to?  The PESO (paid, earned, shared, owned) model was developed by Gini Dietrich and is now used widely by the Public Relations industry to describe the mix of communication that businesses should consider creating (see the links for more about the PESO model). Question: What are some tips you have for someone who wants to start a blog? Answer: Consistency, consistency, consistency. If you decide to blog, choose a day or days of the week or month that you’re going to do it and be consistent.  Question: What would you say is the biggest advantage of blogging with all of the other channels available to us out there? Answer: It’s easy to optimize search results, but it allows you to think through issues and solutions and provide your best thinking which puts a human behind the brand and establishes credibility.  Question: How are you using Slack with your blog to drive conversions and engagement? Answer: I was looking for a way to engage the community and introduced Slack to test it and see if engagement and community could be built there. The conversations on Slack are deeper, more thoughtful and respectful than on other social platforms. It has taken about a year to grow the engagement, but the conversion from the free community to the paid membership is 40%.  Question: What are you working on that you would like to share? Answer: The Slack community is free, growing and has great conversations happening. To join, go to https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community/. How to reach Gini Dietrich: Gini Dietrch is the Chief Executive Officer at Arment Dietrich, Inc., a virtual PR firm headquartered in Chicago. Inventors of the PESO Model, the agency educates PR pros and evolves the industry. She is also the author of Spin Sucks, a popular PR company. Website Twitter Facebook Tools, apps and links mentioned: PESO Model https://spinsucks.com/communication/pr-pros-must-embrace-the-peso-model/ Spin Sucks Slack Community  https://spinsucks.com/spin-sucks-community/ 10 Ways to Come Up with Better Content Topics https://spinsucks.com/communication/content-topics-better-writer/ Feature Content that Answers Questions for Better SEO https://spinsucks.com/communication/feature-content-that-answers-questions-for-better-seo/ Take Action Figure out what your audience is searching for, what questions they have and what their issues are and create content like a video, or guest post on someone else’s blog. Share what you are doing with us in the Communities That Convert Facebook group (request access with the password, Action).  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or just go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

One way to grow a loyal community online is to take it offline. Social media can help you to build relationships with customers and fans, but there comes a time when that means you will need to bring it into the real world. We came up with tips for how to grow a loyal community online and offline in a few different real-world scenarios and how you can use social media to build business relationships. How to Grow a Loyal Community while Attending a Conference When attending a conference use the designated hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. It’s a great way to connect with people in attendance and strike up relationships. If you can’t attend a conference, use the hashtag to attend virtually, gather information and connect with speakers and attendees. Don’t be spammy, look for ways to add value. Identify people you want to meet ahead of time to connect with them. Look at the speaker and attendee lists and monitor the hashtag before, during and after the conference. Make a Twitter list or subscribe to the event organizer’s list where available. Do a really good job of “covering” the session of a speaker you want to meet with live tweeting, use their Twitter handle, and introduce yourself afterward. How to Grow a Loyal Community at Monthly Professional Development Gatherings and Meetings If you’re organizing a conference or event, be sure to research and identify one official hashtag to be used which will help bring everyone together. Connect with attendees between events on social media. Create a special Facebook or LinkedIn group to connect between meetings, speaking events or breakouts. How to Grow Online and Offline Relationships with Your Work Team Highlight the great work of your co-workers. This brings great recognition for the both the company and the employee. Start a Slack Channel to connect with employees, quickly share information and build bigger communities among your team in a less public way. Plan events and highlight them in Instagram or Facebook Stories so the public feels the company is relatable. How to Grow a Loyal Community During Cultural or Sporting Events Use the hashtag associated with the event, if one was provided by the organizer or is adopted by people attending, to connect and build community. Connecting during these events is an easy way to build relationships with people with similar interests. How to Grow a Loyal Community While Watching a Television Program Television shows really get the fact that people love to watch shows “together” on a second screen using a hashtag and are starting to encourage it by providing the hashtags in a lower third during the program. Use the show’s hashtag to chat with people in real time while watching a show. Look for opportunities to connect with television cast members between episodes. Marcus Lemonis from CNBC’s “The Profit” does Facebook Live posts from his Facebook page in between commercial breaks to chat with his community. Make a Twitter list of people whom you connect with as you watch your favorite show and reconnect week-to-week. Take Action At the next upcoming event, whether you are going in person or not, follow the hashtag and interact in one of the ways we mentioned in this episode. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or go directly to our Facebook group (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Most people feel a little uncomfortable about promoting themselves or their business. We asked people why they felt that way and came up with the following 7 Steps to Promote Your Business Without Being Spammy. Why are we so uncomfortable promoting ourselves and our businesses online? We asked entrepreneurs, “Are you uncomfortable promoting yourself and what you are doing on social media channels? If so, why?” These are some of the responses we got: I’m getting over being camera shy I’m not worth it I always get nervous to over-share Impostor syndrome I don’t want to sound braggy I really thought people didn’t care about what I had to say I didn’t want to add to the noise Fear of what others will think Fear of rejection I’m not doing much special I hate feeling markety and self-promotional Those who self-promote seem less genuine I’m very cognizant of making sure I’m contributing more than I’m asking for Self-deprecation is my superpower Do any of these reasons ring true for you? Let us know in the comments. “I hear this so much, especially from women. I try to gently remind them that they are really promoting the good they can do in the world, not themselves as selves per se.” — Laura J Fitton Do we have the wrong idea about promotion? If so how do we do it the right way? What steps should you take to feel more comfortable about promoting yourself? Practice in a safe environment like a sandbox or private group Get an accountability partner Get clear about your message and what you want people to do to help themselves and help them overcome their challenges Ask how you can help others, rather than asking them to help you Always add value first Keep it short, clear and to the point Practice daily because practice makes perfect and with time, you will get more comfortable Don’t hold back if you’re nervous about doing video. Practice really helps. Remember, we all have something to share with the world. Just do it! “You have a light and you have a responsibility to spread that light.” — Kim Garst Tools, apps and links mentioned: Facebook Post That Created This Episode Madalyn’s Video Like a Rockstar Program Take Action Write down one thing that people usually come to you for help about, even if you think it is nothing. Then jot down your best advice and come share it with us in the Facebook group. Share your light with us! How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or join our community on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Kami Huyse is the CEO of Zoetica Media and the founder of Growth Hacks for Women, a community where she shares inspiring life, business and productivity hacks for entrepreneurs. In 2009 she started the Social Media Breakfast of Houston. And last year Kami and I started a new podcast together called Communities That Convert. In this episode, Kami shares her “BE FUN” secret sauce on Twitter. She stresses the importance of building a community by being community-minded and nurturing. Plus, she talks about how you can maximize the use of GIFs, Twitter videos and quick hashtags to make your tweets more engaging! Episode Highlights: Kami’s secret sauce is to “BE FUN” on Twitter Kami talks about ways to have a good Call-To-Action (CTA) Kami talks about ways to build your community on Twitter Use your GIFs strategically Twitter Video Hashtags My Favorite Quotes: “Don’t be a taker. Be a giver.” “Be community-minded. Think of yourself as a community manager rather than as a person who has an audience.” “My purpose in life is a community builder that builds communities. My goal is to help other people empower other people to build their own community.” How to Reach Kami: You can reach out to Kami on Twitter at twitter.com/kamichat and her website Zoetica Media, www.zoeticamedia.com Your Call-to-Action: Your call-to-action for this episode is to use GIFs strategically in your tweets. You can create your own GIFs on your phone using the Giphy Cam app (giphy.com/apps/giphycam). It’s available for both iPhone and Android. Make it a habit to play with GIFs in your tweets. It’s so much fun! Send me a tweet @MadalynSklar with a GIF, either one you created using the app, OR a fun one you found on Twitter or GIPHY. I want to hear from you. I’ll be waiting for your tweet. Share Your Love For This Podcast: Want an easy “one-click” way to Share Your Love for this podcast? Go here: www.madalynsklar.com/love to post a tweet.

This episode is a part of our series on how to build a converting community on Facebook. Zach Spuckler outlines how you can effectively use Facebook, even with the recent changes. Kami is a part of Zach’s paid private Facebook community and asked him to join us and share some of the things that he is doing to maintain a thriving business using Facebook, and how he uses this platform to build a converting community on Facebook. Read the details in our show notes. You'll also get access to all the links we discussed in this episode. About Zach Spuckler, Heart Soul and Hustle Zach Spuckler is an online business strategist. In under a year, he built a 6-figure business that allowed him to leave school, quit his job, and become a full-time entrepreneur; He coaches clients to create 5-figure launches by leveraging Periscope & Facebook Ads; and Serves as a consultant to 6 and 7-Figure entrepreneurs who are ready to grow their businesses using social media and live streaming. Take Action Head over to Zach’s page to get his free Facebook ads training heartsoulhustle.com/fbads. And if you know you need to be doing live Facebook video, but don’t know where to start, sign up for Madalyn’s Video Like a Rockstar wait list. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or “Join Our Free Community” here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Continuing with our series on how to build a converting community and monetize by providing huge value, we invited Sue B Zimmerman to share her incredible insights on how to build a converting community on Instagram. We asked Sue some questions about how she built her business using Instagram and she shared some of her secrets below. You are also going to want to hear some of the extra things she shared in our our free Facebook community. You can listen to those extra “off the script” tips here. Question: Why do you like Instagram as a marketing tool? Answer: It was born organically out of a small business I had on Cape Cod. I didn’t just wake up and decide to be an Instagram expert- I used it in my store to grow an authentic community around the products that I was selling. Back then, I used all social media, but specifically focused on Instagram because my kids were on it at the time and I knew that they were setting the trend. I just loved it for so many reasons. I’m a visual person, artistic, creative and I love connecting with others and really growing an authentic community. There is no other platform that can set your community on fire if you do it right. Question: How do you get people to follow you on Instagram and do you build a community there? Answer: It’s not straightforward. I’ve been on this platform for over 5 years and I’ve done a lot of trial and error in terms of posting strategy. I finally figured out the groove that works for me. I have a personal account that depicts a successful small business owner in Boston. On my business account, I teach daily Instagram tips, strategies and tactics. You have to understand your hashtags and have a posting strategy that aligns with your business, brand and core values. The gold is in the engagement, not the posting. Otherwise, you’re missing out on the community building opportunity. The one to one conversations is what leads to conversions. Building that trust makes people want to do the thing or call to action I’m requesting. I want people to feel like I’m leading with nurturing. Nurturing is building that trust, caring, listening and telling that person what they need based on the way they’re engaging with you. This is not a tool you can automate or systemize, you need to keenly focus in on people. Question: How do you get people to take action and convert to a customer from Instagram since you can only use links in your profile? Answer: There are a few opportunities to convert. If you have 10,000 followers or more on a business account, you can swipe up. In Instagram direct messages, links are live. If you have a conversation with someone and they’re interested in something, you can drop a link there. You need to have a real conversation, not just send them a message to sell. Question: Why are hashtags so important on Instagram and how do you use them? Answer: Check out the Hashtag Handbook. The riches are in the niches. You don’t want to use general hashtags with a lot of views. You want to find the ones that match up to the number of likes you’re getting on your pictures. Hashtags related to locations or events you attend are good options. Follow a hashtag to see what content is being curated to test if it’s right for you and your business. General or popular hashtags attract spammy people, comments and bots. Typically, 7-12 hashtags are enough for an account, but it will vary based on your business, so experiment to see what works. Question: How are you using the various features of Instagram: Lives, Stories and Highlights? Answer: I am that entrepreneur that like to be the first one to try everything. I love highlights and I’ve branded mine in both my personal and business profiles. Highlights sit right below your bio and is the best real estate on Instagram. You need to strategically think about what you business highlights should be. I have my blog, tips, my show, a free download to my guide that gets you going on Instagram, my latest blog post and “Meet Sue B”. I want people to know who I am and I highlight based on that. Every blog day, I do an animated GIF and then I go live on Instagram at 9pm EST. I condition my audience to tune in live and get about 200-400 people. With stories, you don’t want to do heavy graphics and posts just to do them. You have to figure out what your voice is and show your true personality. If you’re going to do promotional in your stories with highly curated graphics, you should get on a video and show your audience your personality. Question: Can you tell us about your new Facebook show? Answer: I decided in year five of teaching Instagram that I don’t just teach, I actually do more coaching and teaching business strategies. We created something around that part of my personality, and what I love doing, which is helping people make money. It took us a year to plan The Social Sip. It is a high-energy, fast-paced 30 minutes with segments and a theme for every show. We want people to walk away and take action on what I’m teaching. About Sue: Sue B. Zimmerman is an insightful, energetic and in-demand social media educator, speaker, and business coach. Sue’s blog was ranked as one of the Top 10 social media blogs in 2017 by Social Media Examiner. She is also one of the most popular CreativeLive instructors and has been named by Huffington Post as one of the “Top 50 Must-Follow Women Entrepreneurs”. Sue is driven to help business owners leverage the power of Instagram to meet (and exceed) their business goals. As a lifelong entrepreneur, she has over 30 years of business experience. And, with her extensive knowledge and implementation of social media, it is Sue B.’s mission to teach, mentor, and empower others. Take Action Go listen to an episode of the Social Sip episode by subscribing here. Share one of the things you learned from the show on Twitter or in the Communities that Convert Facebook group.  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or just “Join Our Free Community” on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Adel de Meyer shares her tips to build a converting community on Twitter. She shares tools and techniques she has used to build a strong online brand and company. This is a part of our series on how to grow and monetize by providing huge value to your online community. Today, we have a special guest for you. We are excited to have Adel de Meyer with us today to talk about Twitter. Adel de Meyer is a Social Media and Brand consultant, brand ambassador, author and mentor with a top-listed digital and tech blog. She’s recognized as a leading Instagram and Twitter influencer on social media and business in Australia and around the world. You are going to want to join our Facebook community too because, in addition to this value-packed episode, we will also share “off the script” tips ONLY in the Facebook group. Question: Why do you like Twitter as a tool to build a Converting Community? Answer: Twitter is a mindset that people are friends, they’re open and approachable. It takes time to get adjusted to the platform, but once you’re comfortable you can utilize Twitter as a tool to build fantastic friendships and also to generate leads and convert people into customers. Question: How do you get people to follow you on Twitter? How do you build a converting community there? Answer: You have to start with a strategy, deciding you want to use Twitter as a lead generation tool, take time to really engage, find people to follow, start conversations, find amazing content to share and look up Twitter chats in your niche. People pick up on your engagement, so it’s more than pushing content. You have to actually engage so the Twitter algorithm favors you so you’re more discoverable. Always be yourself and provide value, not showing up to sell or self-promote. Engage in chats and ask questions, making time to become part of the community. With constant engagement, you can slowly build on that support and see the results of your engagement. Question: How do you get people to convert to a customer from Twitter? Answer: They key is starting with a good bio and intro. Then make sure any links you share for your website or other site are working by periodically testing them. Think about if a person wants to work with you, where do you want to send them? Optimize your profile with a good banner and profile picture. Use tools like Hootsuite, Talkwalker or Twitter Advanced Search to search for conversations and keywords that you can jump in on. Question: How are you using the various features of Twitter: Moments, Lists, Polls and Video? Answer: Adel talks about the power of a feature on Twitter called “Moments” (see links to all of our Moments at the bottom of the post) and how Twitter algorithms are working to provide feed notifications for given topics. You can make moments about your fan shout outs or portfolio. Lists can be used to keep track of friends, influencers and clients. Nimble is CRM software that can be used with a Chrome extension while you browse Twitter. It will pull through all of a person’s information and build lists to email or track them. Polls are used for business questions, fun questions or research to find out what people are interested in. Videos are automatically played through Twitter Ads. Of all the Twitter features, Adel finds the most value in the List function and how it can be used with other integrations. Question: Is there something you’re working on that we can highlight? Answer: Adel recently kicked off a new partnership with a social media peer, Shane Barker who offers content and influencer marketing solutions. They’ll be offering content solutions such as infographics, PR, copywriting, block content and the whole overall package. Check it out here at Content Solutions. About Adel Adel de Meyer is a Social Media Specialist, live streaming show host, author and mentor. Adel works with entrepreneurs, startups, personal brands and business owners to identify opportunities within Social Media and how to use Social Media as a marketing and relationship building tool. Adel is listed as a Top 10 Social Media influencer in Australia and in the Top 100 Social Media influencers globally. Adel is ranked by Dr Jim Barry as a Top 20 Social Media Coach. Her blog is recommended as a Top 25 Social Media blog by Post Planner. How to reach Adel: If you’d like to learn more about Adel de Meyer, visit her website at http://www.adeldemeyer.com. You can also tweet her @adeldmeyer Take Action Build a private Twitter List of 20 people that you’d like to get to know in the next 20 days. Make a goal that every day, you communicate with one person on that list.  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or “Join Our Free Community” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

We are starting a deep dive into what you need to know about how to make money on social media by monetizing your community. This episode outlines the overall philosophy for building a HUB Community, which will give you platform from which to eventually sell your product or service. We will cover specific tactics from four major social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. In each episode, we will teach you strategies for how to make money on social media by growing an engaged online community. We have already interviewed a few of these well-known experts, including Adele DeMeyer, Sue B Zimmerman and Zach Spuckler. All of these experts have built vibrant online communities and have monetized them in different ways. The HUB Community Building Approach In the HUB Approach, you will build a niche online community around a single idea or need and provide all of the tools your community members need to succeed with the following four strategies. By doing this, you create a community that is willing to pay you for your knowledge and assistance. Strategy 1: Create a Path of Value Define what you want people to do, then build a path of value that leads them there. Start with the end in mind and what outcomes you want for your community or problems that you want to solve. Whenever you’re creating something, keep the outcome in mind, think about any objections people in the community may have for not achieving that outcome and build that into your product. Building lead magnets, create free trainings or run challenges that will help the community overcome any objections. Position your end product as the next logical step. Consider smaller products that assist in getting people to the end product. In each positive interaction, you are building a relationship so that people get to know, like and trust you.  Strategy 2: Condition Your Community to Respond People tend to be passive receptors of information, but they can be trained to be responsive. Ask easy questions about specific things which encourage people to share or help someone else. Ask them to respond to your email. Try different things to see what works best. Send people personalized responses to model the behavior you want from them, and to indicate that you want to interact with them.  Dig deeper into a person’s responses by asking them to provide more context and ask follow-up questions that let them reveal what is truly holding them back in a specific area. Strategy 3: Create Just in Time Systems Create products and services that are highly responsive and meet a specific need in real time.  If you develop systems that make it easier for people to succeed, people will pay to learn them. Solve one problem for your community at a time. You might not know the endpoint in advance and that’s okay.  As you solve problems, you will get a clearer picture of what people really need and you can create new products for them just in time. Strategy 4: Monster Value Strategy Create such a huge value that you have no problem asking for the sale and people will pay. If you know what you have will help people and solve a real problem, it is much easier to charge for it. It’s all about creating value, creating something that helps your community.  Have confidence in your skill, knowledge, and ability to offer value to your community. Listen to what people want and only create products that people are asking you to create Offer a beta, pilot or low-cost opt-in to a training or product to gain feedback and co-create the experience. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or “Join Our Free Community” to head straight to Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)! https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert

Looking for how to build a brand community? In this episode, we look at how to humanize your voice to amplify your brand and build loyalty and brand advocates that buy your product or service. Brands are people too. Well, they aren’t really people, but they are made up of people, and understanding this fact is the key to building a community around your brand. In this episode, we talk about how to humanize your brand on social media and go beyond the logo. Introduce the people behind the logo. People want to talk to people, even if using the brand logo or avatar. This is especially true on social media. On Twitter, brand managers will often sign with their name or initials, which is a nice way of humanizing the post, even where multiple people are using the account. It’s nice because people know who they’re talking to. Brands can use and share user-generating content. Humanizing your brand to your community is likely a trend we’ll start seeing more of. For instance, Kraft used consumer-generated content for its Super Bowl ad this year. Why do people associate with your brand? Companies brand phrases really well, like Nike’s phrase “Just do it”. Madalyn talks about her tattoo, which reads “Just Do It. This is a slogan for Nike, and when people see it, they take notice of it and associate it with the Nike brand. The feeling people get of association and connection is interesting. Connecting with someone in such a way that they tattoo a logo on their body is powerful. Not that you have to get people to tattoo your logo on the body, but it help to look at companies like Nike and Harley Davidson, to see what they are doing to ignite the passion of their fans around their brand. "We find that the best way to build a brand community is by becoming a friend vs. just a follower."  How do you become a brand friend? How Brands Can Be Friends with Followers: Show your human side and connect with people person to person. Ditch the cold brand voice for a more personal tone. Brands can become friends with their audience through creating delight and having genuine connections. How followers can be friends with brands: Kami and Madalyn discuss instances where people have used tweets to large brands, like Wendy’s or the Milwaukee Brewers to connect with some surprising outcomes. When you tweet to a large brand, you’re talking to and connecting with someone behind the brand. You have to make your comment in a way that stands out. Apps, tools and links mentioned: Kraft Wants to Feature Your Family Photos In the Super Bowl HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS Cookie-selling Girl Scout hits home run on Twitter   Social Connection Makes a Better Brain The Center for Humane Technology Take Action Share with @MadalynSklar and @Kamichat a brand that you think is really doing a great job of humanizing itself in social media. Tweet it to us using our new hashtag, #CTCPodcast How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or click here to join our free community (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Have you been thinking about how to start a podcast? In this episode, we walk you through how we started ours and we put together a free quick start template to help you get started. People have been asking us about how to start a podcast, so we have dedicated this show to sharing our insights after 6 months of running this awesome podcast. How to start a podcast? Choose a good topic and niche audience Choose a launch date and stick to it Create a title that will resonate with people Research to ensure you can have a unique URL How do you brand a podcast? It’s important to have branding when you’re starting something new Create artwork that reflects the podcast Think about whether you want to use a graphic or a personal photo You can always change artwork later if you decide to re-brand Create a color palette Look at other podcasts to see what grabs your attention and strategize what branding stands out Where do you create a home for your podcast? Consider if you want a website, using the URL you initially secured Research platforms and consider the flexibility and functions you want Do you need a team?  Think about the tasks you can assign to a team Consider if you will do the podcast solo or with a co-host Determining the format of the podcast with dictate the type of team you need Your podcast production team may consist of a co-host, a virtual assistant, an audio engineer and/or a graphic artist  What kind of podcasts can you do? Solo- Just you Cohost- Conversational Interview- Podcast guest speakers Storytelling- NPR Style Episodic- Seasons of topics Sponsored – Advertisements built in What tech needs to be in place? If you have a computer or a phone, you can podcast. Sound matters, it needs to be clean and crisp. For starters, you can look for the Audio‑Technica ATR2100 microphone. You will need the ability to record video and audio recording. Try some of the tools below.  A hosting company is required for your podcast where you put your podcasts when they’re recorded. This is how your podcast becomes available for everyone to listen to. You may want to hire an editor to edit and finalize your podcast before publishing. Do you need an editorial calendar? In episode 18, we talked about 5 ways to quickly create relevant content and make a great editorial calendar. Have an idea of what you’ll talk about well in advance. https://communitiesthatconvert.com/5-ways-to-quickly-create-relevant-content-ep-18/ If you do a weekly or monthly podcast, you don’t want to reach the deadline and not have a topic prepared. Without an editorial calendar, you’ll be inconsistent with publishing your podcast. How do you promote your podcast? Send an email out to your list Use social media to share with your community Take Action Download the free Quick Start Podcast Template and share with us what type of podcast you plan to launch on social media, or in our Facebook group. https://socialstrategy.lpages.co/podcast-quick-start-template/ How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or just click the “Join Our Community” below to head straight to Facebook (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Madalyn Sklar Show Notes Madalyn Sklar is a serial entrepreneur, community builder and leading Twitter marketing expert. With 22 years digital marketing experience and 13 years social media marketing under her belt, it’s no surprise she’s ranked the #1 Social Media Power Influencer in Houston. Each week Madalyn hosts the #TwitterSmarter Twitter chat that brings together hundreds of people in an active one-hour discussion revolving around Twitter marketing. Since launching two years ago, it has reached 4.64 billion impressions. She also hosts the weekly #SocialROI chat that’s presented by ManageFlitter. Madalyn interviews leading social media and marketing experts for her TwitterSmarter podcast and co-host the weekly Communities That Convert podcast with Kami Huyse. Huffington Post has named Madalyn one of 50 Women Entrepreneurs to follow. Most passionate about I’ve been doing digital marketing for the last 22 years, and social media as a business for the last 13 years. I was named as the Number 1 social media marketer in Huston, which is where I live and the 4th largest city in the US. I have two podcasts and two Twitter Chats that I host. I’m doing a lot, but it’s all in the world of social media, especially Twitter; I love helping people understand how to best use Twitter. I enjoy podcasting so much, so I really would like that to be a bigger priority in my business world in the future. I also really love online teaching, so right now I’m creating a whole library of online courses. The last project I’m really passionate about today is a Master Mind group I create for female entrepreneurs that want to learn how to live stream. Madalyn’s customers These days my customers are typically social media marketers. Many of them are learning the business and look up to me as an online mentor, teaching them how to use social media and Twitter. I had been in the music business for close to 20 years. I loved that, but I wanted to do something different. I was watching the Mari Smiths and Kim Garsts for years, these successful ladies from the social media world. And I wanted to be known as someone who could help people with social media and especially with Twitter. And I decided to niche down on Twitter. We really need a niche, because when you try to serve everyone, you end up serving no one! Focusing on Twitter was the smartest decision I made. Madalyn’s best advice about approaching customers What’s really important is to listen. You got to listen to your customers and find out what they want. That’s what happened to me with the Women Master Mind group I’m creating these days, as a result women telling me over and over what they need and want. Biggest failure with a customer Very early on in my startup career. I’m an idea person. I come out with ideas all the time. Some work and some don’t. Back when my son was very young and I wanted the ability to be able to see how my son is doing through out the day using web cameras. I came out with a business plan, and got a loan and I did everything and it failed because I did not research enough. It came out that the ladies in the day care centers didn’t want it. I’ve got to admit that it was good that I failed in such an early stage of my business. Biggest success due to the right customer approach One of the things I’m most proud of is an online community I started in 1996! The Internet was just started and I started a female musician community with the vision to empower these women. It was a really cool thing. Everything I’ve done was born from an idea. This story is a reminder for me to follow your passions. When I started all this, I had no idea I will be an entrepreneur. Recommendation of a tool for customer focus, marketing, or sales? Evernote – For me, it’s like a file coming from my brain. I’m really big with post-it notes. They are all over. I must write every idea that comes to my mind A person who...

If you want to build an online community, first ask yourself these 5 questions. They will help you evaluate your current participation in online communities and help you find a niche to build your own. If you are asking yourself if you should I build an online community, this episode is for you. Remember, you can always find an existing community and in Episode 4, Getting the Most Out of Participating in a Community, we outline a few ways to do that. In the meanwhile, if you are feeling pressure to build an online community but aren’t really sure if you should, be sure to ask these five questions first. 5 Questions to Build a Community Are you building an online community because everyone else is doing it? If you start something just because you feel like you should, you may later become resentful and lack the passion to make it move forward. It takes a lot of time and planning to build a community. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Do you have a compelling reason to build an online community? It’s important to have a “why.” or an overreaching reason you are starting a new community – be it advocacy or business building. If it doesn’t come to mind exactly why you need to have a community, you may not need to have one. Surround yourself with the right people to build a community. Is there an already existing community that meets your needs? If there are already communities in existence that meets your needs and other’s needs, determine whether another community is needed. Consider not starting a community, but instead participating and investing in an existing community. Do you want to the be the market leader? If you aren’t the leader type, maybe you don’t need to build a community on your own. Instead become integral and useful inside an existing community. Helping a leader with their community is an opportunity to learn a lot, get a lot out of the experience and be seen. You don’t have to lead to become really well-known for what you do. Is the only metric you care about Return On Investment? When your primary goal is to make money as fast as you can, your community will recognize that you’re only trying to sell to them and they and won’t feel valued. It’s okay to make money from your community, but for the long gain, not the short gain.   Take Action Click here to get a copy of our Community Participation Audit Cheat Sheet to evaluate the communities that you are currently in and develop ideas for new communities that might add value. Share what you learned on our Facebook community page, or on Twitter. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or just click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/communitiesthatconvert. (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

Do you ever wonder how to find and participate in the best Twitter chats out there for your niche? In this episode, you will learn that and also how to participate in a Twitter chat once you find the right one. Madalyn Sklar has started two successful Twitter chats and she shares her knowledge with us about, how to participate, etiquette and business benefits of participating in and starting Twitter chats. She’s also giving us access to a free resource, so tune in! Question: What is a Twitter chat? Answer: A Twitter chat is a group of people coming together during a set time to have a conversation that revolves around a hashtag. As long as you include the hashtag in your tweet, you are part of the conversation. A Twitter chat is a way for people to meet up and have a conversation about a topic they are interested in. It’s bringing like-minded people together at a scheduled time, usually for an hour each week. Imagine you’re at a networking event with hundreds of people. In an hour you have the ability to walk up and say “Hi” to everyone. Question: How do you find the best Twitter chats? Answer: It’s not always easy and there’s no single directory that has every Twitter chat in it. Just Google search for the topic you’re interested in. Madalyn has compiled a list of the best Twitter chats for social media and marketing. Another way to find chats is through word of mouth or other friend’s tweets or a Google “Your Topic + Twitter Chat.” Question: How can participating in a Twitter chat benefit your business? Answer: If you’re not participating in Twitter chats, you’re missing great opportunities to connect and engage with people in your industry. It’s a place where you can learn valuable information, share your expertise, be recognized as an expert, grow your visibility online and build your audience and community. Question: What are some helpful Do’s and Don’ts? Answer: There’s a definite etiquette. Listen before jumping into the chat and you’ll learn quickly how to chat. Follow the lead of the chat host because they dictate the flow of the chat. Use an A and the number of the question before each of your responses. Don’t promote, this is not a place to sell. Instead, have an incredible Twitter bio and profile. Do share your insights, show off your knowledge and expertise. Be friendly to everyone on the chat. Have a browser tab open to the chat host. Question: What are the benefits to starting your own chat? Answer: Running a Twitter chat gives you the opportunity to get seen as an industry expert and thought leader. It helps you to build authority and boost your brand awareness. Do research first to see if there are already Twitter chats in your market. If no one else is doing something that you’re an expert in, be the one to get out there and start the best Twitter chat in that category. If the market is oversaturated, go watch, participate, see what’s missing. You can still be successful by putting your own spin on it. Question: How can people learn more about how to start the best Twitter Chats to build their online influence? Answer: Madalyn is building a free mini-course for that called, “Building Your Influence with Twitter Chats.”  We will add a link to the show notes once it becomes available. In the meanwhile, you can visit her online courses page. Tools, apps and links mentioned: TweetChat Hootsuite The Very Best Twitter Chats for Social Media & Marketing ChatSnap Twitter Chat Building Your Influence with Twitter Chats Madalyn Sklar’s Online Courses Take Action Find the best Twitter chat related to your industry with topics and guests that resonate with you and participate in the chat. Be sure to tag us when you do @kamichat and @madalynsklar. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join Our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join or click here to “Join Our Free Community.” (shhh. The codeword is ACTION)!

In this episode we talk about content and how reuse, recycle and repurpose content you've already created into brand new content across social media channels. Keystone Content is content you’ve spent a lot of time working on and thinking about and delivering through social media, books, blogs, videos, podcasts, presentations, white papers, reports or speeches.  Reusing Content Repost your content from your blog onto LinkedIn Pulse (Pro Tip: Be sure to reference where it was first published) Repost a video from YouTube directly into Facebook Upload a video from YouTube into directly into Facebook Embed a YouTube video into a longer form blog post and crosslink Embed a Facebook live video in a blog post (Pro Tip: You get credit in Facebook for views that happen on your blog) Use clips of audio or videos from longer-form recordings Promote all of these things across all social media channels Recycling Content Look for content on your blog or website that has done well and update it (use Google Analytics to find content that performs well) If original content has great traffic, leave it in place and let people know it is updated Write a new post with updated and link to it from a post that is getting traffic If there’s no traffic on an old post, refresh the post and recycle it to use again Repurpose Content Capture shorter quotes from other long-form content Make GIFS from a series of photos using GIF Maker Use video clips from longer videos and live streams or audio clips from podcasts to use for social media Put together a one-page cheat sheet from courses for a great piece of content based on something you’ve already created Repurpose content from blog posts, webinars, podcasts or courses and think about how you can use it in other places. Take Action Choose one piece of content you’ve already created and reuse, recycle or repurpose it to create new content and share it with us in the Facebook group. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join!

Social Media Talks Podcast, The Podcast for business owners who want to learn more about Social Media Marketing, presented by Alan Hennessy Head of Digital at www.kompassmedia.ie. On this week's show, we talk to Kami Huyse from Zoetica Media and Communities that Convert about Build Communities online and offline Kami is a public relations professional and author. She is the CEO of Zoetica Media LLC, a digital marketing and public relations agency. She is the founder of the Social Media Breakfast of Houston live event and live stream, co-founder of the podcast Communities That Convert, and co-founder of travel and tourism influencer blog TexasTravelTalk.com. Kami helps brands and entrepreneurs connect with online communities that mean the most to their business in order to build awareness for their brand; contribute meaningfully to the community; and drive measurable business results.

Are you wondering how you find and engage and convert an online community strangers into happy and satisfied customers? In this episode we talk about how to determine your own niche market, create an interconnected community, and overcome the technical challenges. On the podcast to help us with this discussion of how to turn strangers into customers is Todd Giannattasio, Founder of The Growth Suite, a company that helps businesses turn strangers into customers over at TheGrowthSuite.com. The Communities That Convert website is set up on the GrowthSuite platform discussion has been helping us to set it up and get it running as Beta members of his community. We felt our audience would enjoy hearing some of his tips for getting started as an online entrepreneur. Episode Highlights: Question: Tell us a little bit about Growth Suite, what it is and why you started it?  Answer: It’s a combination of membership training and tools for entrepreneurs and marketers who need to get their business going online. Todd has another done-for-you agency called Tresnic Media that offers high-ticket retainers to clients where we do all the marketing for them and that’s a struggle for many businesses to pay but the need is still there. TheGrowthSuite is a culmination of the same value proposition of Tresnic Media, helping businesses turn strangers into customers, but it’s at a lower-ticket subscription and available to virtually any entrepreneur to sign up and access. Question: Can you talk about how you boil down your market niche and who you are helping?  Answer: Todd discusses how you provide the most value to people by narrowing down your niche. But it’s also important to do this one audience at a time, starting narrow, but expanding from there, starting with a specific audience and building audiences from there. Ask yourself, where can you provide the most value the fastest and who is going to be the most passionate about what you’re doing? Todd created a Message to Market Match Matrix worksheet for the Communities That Convert podcast audience. This tool will allow you to map out your audience, their problems, the outcomes you want to create for them and the transformation or benefits you can provide (see the links below to get to this resource). Question: You are really great at making people feel like they are seen and valued. What is your philosophy for this? Answer: Listen to your community to give value back and understand there’s a feedback group that helps you improve your business and your community. When you pay attention to what people are asking for, you make everyone feel like they’re part of something and the feedback helps build a better product. Question: What do you think the hardest part is for entrepreneurs and what do you think they need help with to succeed? Answer: It depends on the entrepreneur and the industry they’re in. Everyone’s entrepreneurial hurdles are different and that’s how TheGrowthSuite was born– as an answer to the entrepreneurs who have trouble with the technical setup and understanding of how to market their business. Question: Can you talk a little bit about the service you’re providing to your community? Answer: TheGrowthSuite offers a service which is essentially three parts to success: the toolset, the skillset, and the mindset. Todd is combining all those and bringing them together with TheGrowthSuite. The business gives access to its website platform, video training on website set-up and marketing campaigns, a marketing fundamentals masterclass, and worksheets and exercises. He also hosts a Facebook page and community where you can ask questions and join discussions. Question: What are some of your tips for getting people to engage in your online community? Answer: Todd says that you have to connect with other experts in the space to get in and ask questions, creating that a practice for members. Use email to fuel discussions and ask questions within the group that anyone can jump in and answer. Guest Info Todd Giannattasio, Founder of The Growth Suite Facebook: Todd Giannattasio Instagram: @growthsuite or @tresnic Twitter: @growthsuite or @tresnic Todd’s Free Resources: Message to Market Match Matrix Take Action Go get Todd’s free gift to our community, Message to Market Match Matrix. Do the exercise, then share how it went on our free Facebook Community. Click here, then give us the secret phrase (shhhh, the phrase is, “Take Action”) How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join!

To automate or not, that is the question? Actually, it really isn’t the real question. The real question is how do I automate without losing my audience? In this episode, we take an old measurement acronym and adapt it for how to automate SMART. See what we did there? Automated Episode Highlights: Set it up. Define what you are hoping to gain from the automation and choose tools that help you achieve your goals. It’s not a good idea to set up your automation and forget about it.  Never automate your interaction with people.  Social Jukebox, Bulkly, RecurPost and CoSchedule are all tools that integrate with most social media platforms to help organize and automate your content. Try video as a way to thank people for their engagement and connect with people. Measure it. Your automation tool should include measurement so you can see how it is working. Before you start, have a measurement plan in place. If you missed it or need a refresher, we discussed measurement in episode 21. Activate and Automate. Part of activating an automation is to watch it closely to see how it performs, which relates to your measurement plan. Be on hand to interact with people. Be an active part of the automation and engage with people. Your participation shouldn’t be automated. Refine it. Make changes to what you are doing based on the results you are seeing. Look at what is working and what isn’t to refine and further refine your automation. Social media platform algorithms are ever-changing and what people see changes with that, so you may have to refine your efforts as a result. Test it. Check new ideas against the old and A/B test for best results. Try different types of posts, different times of the day and different platforms to test what works best. Never set it and forget it. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: Social Jukebox Bulkly RecurPost CoSchedule Commun.it Episode 21: 6 Ways to Track Sales Take Action Set up an automation plan and let us know what tools you have decided to use and for what parts of your social outreach. Extra credit for a video! How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join!

Don’t be afraid of the numbers, knowledge is power! In this episode, we share the tools and methods to measure how well your community is doing.  Episode Highlights: 6 Ways to Track Sales Create an email list Creating an email list helps you measure the movement of the needle. It helps you connect with your community better and grow relationships, but also helps you measure community analytics.  You can use your email list to measure analytics and experiment with what gets more clicks, different headline styles, images or no images, open rate and also track if your audience is responsive to your call to action.  Email is not dead and is a must for your marketing efforts. Use UTM codes See the link below to Google’s UTM Code builder by Google Analytics. Drop your website URL, a campaign source (your newsletter name) and campaign medium (set to email). You’ll want to include a note or slogan in your medium so you can associate and track where the traffic came from.  Another tool is PixelMe, a URL shortener you can use with retargeting campaigns on Facebook and Twitter, building a retargeting audience list in the background of people who have engaged or interacted with those accounts. Set up a funnel  Kami has created a tutorial video for setting up a funnel in Google Analytics. See below for a link to the video tutorial. Set up a funnel, establish a goal and monitor outcomes and measure the results of your goals.  Create supplemental content and measure download and conversion rates Create supplemental content and measure the success of your sales from that content.  People want to work with you and they want to know how they can work with you. Madalyn discusses how she uses freebies and giveaways through Thinkific. Adapt this to what you do, whether your product is a service or something physical. Think about who you’re trying to reach and what you can offer them. It doesn’t have to be a sale, it can be a download, a sign-up, changing behaviors or any actionable that you’re asking your audience to do. Ask and keep track of how people heard about you This may sound old-fashioned, but it works. You can ask on a prospect call or include a question in a web or sign up form. Kami uses this method of information gathering on the Zoetica website contact form.  Madalyn discusses how she connected with Jay Busselle and how he found her through the speaker list for Social Media Marketing World, looking for Twitter experts. He followed the Twitter chat and was inspired to start his own chat, Promo Chat which has been successful for over a year.   Create coupon codes Creating a special coupon code for your community and using different ones for each touchpoint, especially for events, allows you to track the audience as they relate to the code. Codes can be used with Thinkific for courses, Eventbrite for events and most merchant providers work with codes for sales as well. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: PixelMe Buffer Google Analytics The Secret Sauce to Boosting Your Twitter Presence Thinkific Eventbrite #PromoChat started by Jay Busselle Call to action: Tell us what method you are thinking of using, or already using, to track your sales for your community? How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join!

The more your community talks, the more they act. Today we’ll discuss strategies to get your community talking. Episode Highlights: Ask them questions Madalyn discusses how she uses this tactic using Twitter and Facebook polls to gauge what her community interested in, especially when working on new online courses. Ask your community what they want before you create things. Work on the offer that’s attractive to your community, something they really need and want. Create a Challenge Contest You can get people to act in a short period of time and get results. Madalyn discusses her experience taking part in Facebook challenges where the leader brings everyone together in a live discussion on the Facebook page and how it’s beneficial in making her feel like a part of the community. Live Streaming Congregate your community in one place using Twitter, Facebook live streams or Periscope, to get your community talking to one another. Madalyn hosts live streams after her #SocialROI and #TwitterSmarter Twitter chats. After the chat is over, she discusses the topic in more detail with a guest over the livestream. Kami highlights that moving a community to a live stream brings people together in a more intimate setting where they can more closely connect.  Create a Leaderboard Kami discusses how she uses Grytics to create a group leaderboard and reward people for their participation. Leaderboards are a form of gamification, encouraging your community to connect. It also serves as a reward for the people that are active in the group. Social Media Marketing World conference uses a leaderboard based on the use of their official event hashtag. Madalyn talks about her experience at last year’s conference being in the top 10 of their leaderboard and how it gave her a sense of validation in her career.  Hot-seat coaching Feature someone in your community to the rest of the community and then outline how they also can be featured. Use live video so your community can interact and ask them questions. Others can learn a lot from the interaction between you and a hot-seat coaching participant. Mastermind groups have hot-seat sessions to present issues and problems and the community will help by presenting ideas and opinions. Pat Flynn has a podcast called Ask Pat, where he answers questions from the community. To celebrate hitting 1,000 podcast episodes, he plans to do impromptu Q&A sessions in live coaching sessions in his Facebook group. Kami discusses a class a class she’s taking called The Experience Product Mastermind. She discussed a hot seat session she witnessed, and how everyone listening worked together to help come up with a name for the company of the student. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: Grytics analytics tool Ask Pat Podcast Social Media Marketing World #SocialROI chat #SocialROI “After” chat (Authentic Storytelling) #TwitterSmarter The Experience Product Mastermind Todd Brown Call to action: Join the Communities That Convert Facebook Group to find out WHY they call Kami “Kamichat”. Go to www.communitiesthatconvert.com or sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join.  How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join!

In this episode, we are going to go a little deeper about how to build your community using joint venture partnerships. In episode 8, we touched on using a Joint Venture as one of several other ways to grow and monetize your community. Then in episode 13, our guest Dorie Clark brought up Joint Venture partnerships as a way to get a lot of traction to build an income stream and grow your community fast. Episode Highlights: For the purposes of this episode, we thought we would define the way that we are defining a Joint Venture partnership: A joint venture partnership, or JV, is a business arrangement in which two or more parties agree to pool their resources for the purpose of accomplishing a specific task. This task can be a new project or any other business activity. Four Types of Joint Venture Projects Creating a New Brand or Product with Joint Ownership Kami discusses how she has done this with Texas Travel Talk, working with a legal contract between two companies, Zoetica and Fran Stephenson’s company, Step In Communication. Lisa Fraley provides online DIY collaboration templates to purchase for the protection of JV partners. You may also want to hire an attorney to be sure the contract meets the legal requirements of your municipality. Offer a Free Webinar or Podcast to Someone Else’s Community Madalyn talks about her recent JV with Marketo, teaching Twitter marketing on their webinar. These opportunities can also lead to future ideas and content spinoffs. For Madalyn, the VP lead to writing for their blog and also taking a presentation and turning into a paid course. Creative Collaborations The idea for Communities That Convert was born on June 9th, 2017. Kami and Madalyn discuss how they came together and partnered for this podcast. As you meet people, always be on the lookout for how you can collaborate and work with others. Don’t pass over potential opportunities. Create an add-on as an affiliate Build a community with someone else’s community and create or participate in an affiliate program. Create supplemental content and offer it to another group for the “cost” of an email. Kami highlights how GrowthHacks4Women grew from a Microsoft conference by offering a three-part mastermind and how a TexasTravelTalk.com community grew from scratch and used a more formal JV.   Tips and advice for establishing a JV Don’t go it alone, expand your circle. Look for ways to give to potential partners before asking for a partnership. Start small by doing a test or pilot and go from there. It doesn’t have to be a commitment. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: Lisa Fraley Legal Templates Top Tips For Successful Community Building on Twitter June 2017 Social Media Breakfast Video November 2015 Social Media Breakfast Video Call-To-Action: Come up with a list of people who you’d love to work with. Send a tweet or email to each of these people. Send us a tweet about one of these people and why you admire them. Hint: this will get their attention. You can thank us later. Tweet us @madalynsklar and @kamichat. We want to hear from you! How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join!

In this episode, we are going to share ways to build and market your community using email. You would think that with the rise of social media, email would become less important. However, it is now more important than ever. Social networks are constantly changing the algorithms that deliver your content, but email, if done correctly, gives you a direct path to your audience. Episode Highlights: Connect with Your Tribe You have to have a way of connecting with your community and email is the best way to do it. Social media has visibility limitations and is always changing, whereas an email has a better chance of grabbing someone’s undivided attention. Make Sure Your Email Tribe Opts In It’s a privilege to land in someone’s email box. Be sure you have permission from the recipient and they have opted in. Don’t opt someone in and add them to your list automatically based on an email conversation or because they are a new client. Fewer open rates through your email provider equate to lower delivery rates. You want to attract people to your list that will open your emails so your overall delivery is as successful as it can be. Email Tools to Use Madalyn’s favorite email provider is MailChimp. They have a free account for people with 2000 or fewer subscribers and offer perks for small businesses that are just getting started. Kami also uses MailChimp for reminders, social media, and marketing events and ConvertKit for business-related email. Setting Up Your Email List Funnel Set up an email list funnel specific to your community. If you need a sense of how to set it up, sign up for our list and note the signup process. Also, see the four-step funnel process below. Using a Lead Magnet How do you get people on your list? It works best to offer people something when they sign up, like an e-book, checklist, lead magnet, freebie or another incentive. Think about what you can offer people to draw them in and encourage them to sign up. One example that Madalyn uses is her Secret Sauce as a Twitter lead magnet. 4-Part Quick-Start Email Funnel Set up a Form Use your email provider to set up a form and place your sign up on your social media platforms or website. Promote it across your channels and ask your followers to sign up. Welcome Email Set up a welcome email that is automatically sent to subscribers when people sign up for your list. Use this as an opportunity to tell them what to expect from you. Thank You Page Create a “thank you” page on your own blog or website that has information about the community and provide a lagniappe or freebie for people. Also, you can add a goal on Google Analytics to see how many people convert and how effective your marketing efforts are. Email Schedule Create a regular email schedule to send out to your community and be consistent. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: Leadpages MailChimp ConvertKit AWeber Infusionsoft Drip Communities that Convert Sign-Up The Secret Sauce to Boosting Your Twitter Presence Call-to-Action: Set up an email account with Mailchimp, ConvertKit or another provider. If you already have a list, set it up to send an automated email when people sign up if you haven’t already done that. Check your process by signing up yourself so you don’t miss anything. Be sure to tweet us @madalynsklar and @kamichat and share your progress with us. We want to hear from you! How to Reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to Reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Join our Community We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join.

Today we have Kirsten Oliphant on the podcast to talk about collaborations. She is an author and blogger. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and is the leader of the CreateIfWriting podcast, website and online community. She is the author of 5 books, including her latest Creative Collaborations: How to Form Lasting and Lucrative Partnerships without Being Smarmy. Episode Highlights: Kirsten has built a number of online communities. The first community she built was before Facebook communities were prevalent. From a call out on Twitter, she started a support group of women writers to talk weekly about what they were writing and what their struggles were. Kirsten feels the Facebook Groups platform lends itself well to growing communities and moderates several groups. Kirsten’s two most active groups include CreateIfWriting and The Profitable Blogging Summit. She also maintains about 30 other private and pop-up communities. What are some of the top tips you have for building a strong community? Kirsten talks about the most important note, being present and active in the group as the leader and moderator. What is the ideal group size? For Kirsten, she likes to stay between 5,000 and 10,000 people to serve her audience and remain hands-on. Above those numbers, people don’t know each other, it’s difficult to maintain the quality of the group and it’s hard to keep spam under control. How do you approach selling to your community without being smarmy? You have to build a community in which you authentically engage and create value. Different income streams determine how you can sell to your group. Kirsten has products, coaching, courses, books, and affiliates. When doing large promotions, be mindful of scheduling. Be upfront and honest with your community about selling and promoting. Find your sales voice, plan and build a trust with your community. Have you collaborated with others to build your community? Kirsten discusses her different levels of collaboration in her communities. She emphasizes that there has to be value and trust in collaborative relationships to make it work because it’s a commitment. Keeping the lines of communication open, aligning your time and ensuring you have similar goals is also important for collaborative success. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: Profitable Blogging Summit Matt McCarrick, One Verse Devotional Podcast Paula Rollo Bryan Cohen, Author Create If Writing Website Book: Creative Collaborations: How to Form Lasting and Lucrative Partnerships without Being Smarmy Free Training Giveaway: Best Practices for Facebook Groups Call-To-Action: Your call-to-action for this episode is to get Kirsten’s book: Creative Collaborations: How to Form Lasting and Lucrative Partnerships without Being Smarmy. For a limited time, she has lowered the price to $0.99 on Amazon for our community! Also check out the free training Kirsten gave us. Tweet to us @madalynsklar and @kamichat or visit our Facebook page, Communities That Convert, and let us know what you think of Kirsten’s book. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar.

In this episode we are going to dive into 7 Types of Content that you can use to build a community that keeps coming back for more. 7 TYPES of Content to Deliver Webinars Pre-Recorded Video with or without slides Mini Class Live Video Challenges Pilot/Beta Courses Flagship Courses CALL TO ACTION: Tweet to us @madalynsklar and @kamichat or visit our Facebook page, Communities That Convert, to tell us what kind of content you think you will try first. We might even go deep on one or more of these if there is enough interest. How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar.

In this episode, we discuss content. The most important thing you can do as a community leader is to create good content that your community will enjoy and benefit. We’ll talk about the 4 best places to host your content. Episode Highlights: Closed Facebook Groups and Pages  Kami talks about streaming content to a private Facebook group. You can do this directly or use tools that allow you to stream into a closed group. These tools even allow you to invite a guest speaker to present to your group without joining directly, which eliminates the awkward problem of adding someone then dropping them afterward. Recommended tools: BlueJeans, BeLive, Crowdcast and Zoom (see links below). Email List and Webinar Software Madalyn recommends inviting your email subscribers to attend a webinar. Using webinar software, you can present your webinar live, record it, then offer it in replay later. Just a few of the webinar tools you can check out are WebinarJam, GoTo Webinar, Zoom, Easy Webinar, Webinar Ninja, BlueJeans and GoTo Meeting (see links below). All these programs have a free trial, so you can test them out and see which one works best for you and which have the integrations that are most important to you. Open Live Streams Facebook Pages/Profiles, Periscope/Twitter and YouTube are great places to livestream and deliver great content to your community. A tip from Madalyn: If are just starting and aren’t yet completely comfortable with livestreaming, you can set your stream to private instead of public until you’re comfortable doing it. Kami started a Facebook group to play around with the tech that only includes herself and a few people from her team. Stream on more than one platform if you can because different platforms attract different audiences. Address and acknowledge each audience to let them know you see and hear them. At the Houston Social Media Breakfast live event, Kami uses her computer to stream to Facebook, and her phone to stream to Twitter. Course Platforms There are quite a few Software as a Service (SaaS) companies that will house your online training content, or you can build it yourself on your website. These platforms aren’t free, but they give you the ability to deliver content in a professional way. Some platforms you might want to look into include Thinkific, Teachable, Kajabi and Ambition Ally, which you can use to build a community on your own website (see links below). Call to Action:  Tweet us @madalynsklar and @kamichat or visit our Facebook page, Communities That Convert, to tell us which platform most appeals to you to deliver educational content to your community. In the next episode, we’re going to dig in a little deeper and talk about the 7 types of content to deliver.  We have a new community on Facebook. We will extend the conversation from each episode and deliver bonus content. Sign up for our email list at http://bit.ly/CTCVIP to get an invitation to join. Tools to Try BlueJeans BeLive Crowdcast Zoom WebinarJam GoToWebinar Easy Webinar WebinarNinja GoToMeeting Periscope YouTube Thinkific Teachable Kajabi AmbitionAlly How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Check out our website at CommunitiesThatConvert.com.

In this episode, we have a special guest, Dorie Clark. Dorie is a marketing strategy consultant and professional speaker who has worked with high profile clients. She’s a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review and many other great publications. She’s the author of a brand-new book called “Entrepreneurial You.” And she’s also written two other widely popular books, “Reinventing You” and “Stand Out.” We invited Dorie to come on the podcast to talk about how she leverages her community to build income streams. So here is our interview with Dorie Clark. Building Income Stream Episode Highlights: Dorie discusses that she started to realize just how important community building was during the research for her book, Standout, which is about how to become a recognized expert in your field. She realized that for the wide range of experts she interviewed about building a following around your ideas, a three-step process emerged– build your network, build your audience and build your community. Building your network consists of forming a small tight-knit group of people around you who can help advise you, steer you and discuss your ideas. Building your audience requires you to start creating content, giving speeches, writing blog posts or doing a podcast to spread your ideas and gain circulation in the marketplace. Building your community starts to happen when your ideas gain momentum and other people start talking about and spreading ideas. Email is an important marketing resource and powerful tool you own compared to social platforms like Twitter. You can download the free 42-page Standout Self-Assessment to help in create a good lead magnet and build a following around your ideas. Dorie discusses how she builds her own community by working with other influencers and communities. Your first broad launch should be a small pilot to your own email list and audience. After you’ve proven the process you can approach partners and ask for a joint venture promotion.Joint ventures involve recruiting partners that agree to promote your product or course for a commission. Regarding income streams, how can you create income from an online community and not feel like you are selling too much or taking too much or being too pushy? Dorie talks about the email list building tool she uses (and we use it, too) called using ConvertKit for segmentation and targeting to your community. This way only relevant information and ideas reach potentially interested community members. This system allows her to avoid hitting people with marketing they don’t want. When someone is trying to build their own community from scratch, what can they do to build it? Dorie gives an overview her methodology of how to become a recognized expert in your field. There are three key components: content creation, social proof and your network. Pick one, get momentum and then work to build the rest out. Content creation is of significant importance because no one will ever know you for your ideas if you never share them. Social proof is your credibility and the reason people should listen and trust you. Your network is important because you need people to amplify and share your ideas. TAKE ACTION Buy Dorie’s book or download one of her assessments below. Tweet to us, or leave a comment on our Facebook page about what content from Dorie most resonated with you. Links, Tools and Apps Mentioned: JVMM Group (Joint Venture Marketing Mastermind) by Dov Gordon ConvertKit Recognized Expert Evaluation Toolkit Speak and Spill  Reinvent You Stand out Entrepreneurial You 88 question Entrepreneurial You self-assessment 42 page Standout Self-Assessment How to reach Kami: If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticamedia.com or tweet to @kamichat. How to reach Madalyn: If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar. Check out our website at communitiesthatconvert.com

At the seed of every good online program, there’s a community. Kami Huyse believes empowering that community is critical to lasting success. In this podcast Kami, along with Madalyn Sklar, will focus on the root of the matter  - building online communities. Through this process, they’ll share information, helpful tips and advice, and takeaways to help build your own community. Learn how to monetize, provide value, inspire others to take action, and make this a great experience for everyone. Kami and Madalyn will show you how to build a network on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Discover how to build a tribe of raving fans and hear ideas, advice and case studies you can use right now on growing your own community. Get in touch with us at CommunitiesThatConvert.com and @MadalynSklar and @KamiChat.

Kami Huyse is the founder of Zoetica Media, a digital marketing and public relations agency comprised of highly experienced leaders in marketing, public relations and social media. The company connect clients with communities that matter most to them and deliver measurable results. Kami is a national leader on the topic of public relations and social media strategy. A 20-year-veteran of public relations, she speaks at social media events and conferences all over the country and her work in social media has earned her two Society for New Communications Research Social Media awards and IABC’s Gold Quill of Excellence Award. She is also a founder and administrator of the Social Media Breakfast of Houston, a monthly meeting of over 100 influencers in Houston. She has been named as one of the 100 most powerful Women on Twitter by Twitter Grader, was listed as one of the 30 top people to follow in public relations on Twitter by e-Releases, one of AG Beat's Top 50 Influencers and a Top 100 Power Influencer in Houston. Website: www.zoeticamedia.com Twitter: @kamichat

In episode 100 of #ThoughtLeaderLife, Mitchell Levy, Chief Aha Instigator of the Aha Amplifier (http://AhaAmplifier.com), issues a shout-out to Michael Procopio (@michaelprocopio), who started #TLL with him in 2013. Also in this episode, Mitchell formally introduces his co-host for the month, #ThoughtLeader Kami Huyse, CEO of Zoetica Media (http://www.zoeticamedia.com). This month, Kami has lined up four #ThoughtLeaders to guest on the show to talk about cause marketing and how it can drive success for companies.Continue Reading → The post Kami Huyse and Mitchell Levy on Cause Marketing Success appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Kami discussed how she came to head her own agency and the path she took to being one of the leading voices for effective public relations in social media.

Kami Huyse talks about the value of social media monitoring, what goes into launching and maintaining a successful conference blog and exactly why social media could be a panacea for improving organizational communications.   Kami Huyse is digitally savvy public relations executive based in San Antonio, Texas where she is the president of a boutique… The post Value of Social Media Monitoring with Kami Huyse appeared first on Eric Schwartzman.