It’s more Q&A on today’s Straight Shot marketing podcast.

 

Welcome everyone to the latest episode of Straight Shot. Today, we are going to do things a little differently. We’ve held Q&A sessions before here on the show, but today, we are going to answer some questions that come from a SCORE seminar that Zachary presented online earlier this month.

 

Yes, I told the attendees that I would answer all of their questions, even if I couldn’t do it during the seminar, so this is it. We decided to make it an episode of Straight Shot.

 

Guys, Zachary takes Q&A all the time on his social media platforms. So if you ever have a question related to business or marketing, just reach out to him there. If he can’t answer them in real time, we usually compile several questions together and then make a post or two to answer them as part of our social media content. So you should follow him, and straight shot, on all the various social media platforms that we have. Now, Zachary is ”BZacharyBennett” on all of the platforms – FB, IG, LinkedIn, SnapChat, Twitter, etc..But  Straight Shot’s handle may be different on the various platforms - based on availability - but there are links to them on the show’s website at straightshot.net.

 

So now, let’s get to the questions and comments from the seminar. Now, this was a Facebook Masterclass that SCORE contacted Zachary to present in Atlanta before the pandemic. With the stay-at-home order, it was moved to be an online webinar to help keep everyone safe and more than 6 feet apart… so our first question:

 

• I have a question about FB ads. I can do my business’ over video teleconferencing, but it takes more money to target the US, or even other countries, as a whole. Any strategy suggestions?

• You are correct sir. In the fact that the more area that you need to cover, the more investment that it will take to cover that area. But you don’t have to cover the entire country at once. Select a few cities based on your consumer target – test them against each other – and stay with the ones that bring you the most leads, the greatest yield. The more targeted you can be with your ad spend, the greater the monetary efficiency. That includes cities, hobbies, demographics, etc.

 

• I started the webinar at the end of him discussing his mentor listing but I don't see him on the Score site.

• While I do offer one-on-one counseling and business coaching as part of my business,. I am not a SCORE mentor. SCORE stands for the Service Corps of Retired Executives… and I am not yet retired. SCORE is part of the SBA and offers mentorships to business owners as a non-profit service from retired volunteers. They bring me in to teach seminars as a subject matter expert that is still working in the marketplace.

 

• Why are my linkedin posts not showing up in my linkedin feed or my employee’s linkedin feeds?

• LinkedIn is not facebook. Not all social media is the same. Linkedin’s news feed is NOT chronological like facebooks is. And it is based on several factors with their own algorithm. A major component is activity. If you aren’t active, it is less likely you will see it. Gotta keep fresh content on your page and you need to be interacting within the community to get full value from LinkedIn feeds. If you are not, that may be why you aren’t seeing your posts.

 

• Do you think after the covid-19 situation will business marketing change due to the increase in social media usage?

• I think the landscape of business is going to change, not just their communications/marketing. People don’t like change, but once they are forced to, as they have been during the  pandemic, it has a tendency to move the needle and there is a “new normal” I think businesses that have been ignoring the digital realm, will no stay involved, since they didn’t have a choice during the secure in place situation. So there will be more offerings and more use of digital platforms for both communications and business.

 

Now, I’ve grouped some of these questions together as they started to fill certain categories. This first one you answered during the webinar. “How do I find FB groups - that are relative to my business? But here is another having to do with facebook groups:

• Why does marketing seems like a shark fest on social media in fb groups?

• You have to look out for predators. Wolves dressed up in consultant’s clothing That’s not just in social media but everywhere… but there are a lot of fb groups that are targeted towards small business startups where people will come in and say they can help you with any of your marketing needs, faster than lightening, and with very little work, and super cheap… but just like anything, if it sounds to good to be true, it usually is. They are just trying to make quick money off of you.
• But there is the other side as well, people that are wanting to start a business without having to make any investment… they don’t recognize the hard work it takes or the quality needed and just want to “get rich quick” asking for free design work… so those people kinda belong together…they are both wrong.
• But if you have the patience to weed through all of that, then you can find some helpful advice… you just have to be discerning. I will go through these groups from time to time looking to help shed some light in certain areas for people and steer them in the right direction… but you have to be mindful of the people that overpromise and don’t know your business.

 

Here’s another that you answered in the presentation:  “Does the presenter recommend setting up a FB “business page” or a personal page for solopreneurs?” but a similar question came through as well:

 

• I have both a personal and a business page but how do I keep them separate?  I don’t want my business page directly linked to my personal page.

• They will be connected. Facebook rules you have to have a personal profile in order to make a business page. But you can lock your personal page down to where it isn’t viewable to people you don’t choose to connect with.
• The only other option is to create a pseudonym for the personal account. But fb has to be able to verify it, so you’ll have to put in some work to do that as well.

 

You answered this one during the presentation also, but I think you wanted to address it again:

• Do hashtags lead to FB content?

• Yes, that one surprised me during the webinar and I don’t know that I truly understood what he was asking
• On one hand, yes, hashtags lead to facebook content that have chosen to utilize those hashtags.
•  But does it lead to new content for you to procure… yes, you can look through the hashtags to find content that you can share on your platforms.
•  Can you use hashtags as content, no.

• What mediums can you use to have FB interact with other social media platforms?

• I’m not sure what this question is asking. But, I will say that you can use youtube post in your facebook feed, you can share fb content to Instagram and vice versa, you can post tik tok content to snap chat; its also common to see snap chat and snap chat repurposed on Instagram and facebook.
• If you are asking for a tool to do that, there are some available, some are native to the apps, and a lot of times, people just screen record their phone and repost on the different platforms.

 

• In regards to posting memes should it be based on your business type.  I think they are fun but I do not want to be unprofessional. Of course I am not talking about inappropriate memes, but just memes in general.

• Memes in general should be considered just like any post type… it has to be specific for your targeted consumer audience. If they wont appreciate it, if they wont like it, if it wont being them value or support your brand – don’t post it. If it will, then it’s viable.
• Memes are a good way to show a playful side to a brand. But if your brand doesn’t have a playful side, then don’t post.

 

Ok, here is another group of questions – all relative to consumer research and knowing your audience, so I put them together:

• How can you figure out who your audience is?

•  Consumer research – the best way is to straight talk to them. that’s interviewing them conducting focus groups, surveys, mystery shopping, there are many ways to do that. Some are quicker than others, so are more robust, and the costs vary along those same scales.
•  You can also use reports of consumer research conducted by someone else in the industry that you can study and pull data from.
•  Most businesses are going to want to hire an agency to do that work for them. It’s quite involved.

• How to target my potential customers?

•  I spent a good bit of time talking about the facebook advertising specifics of this in the webinar. But you basically seek out people that match your targeted consumer profile using as much data as possible, from your consumer research, to make that determination as focused as you can.

• What is the best paid advertising to use for promoting an event where you want sign ups?

•  I see why you grouped these together
• You target those people that you believe are most likely to attend with a creative, attractive ad that showcases how you are different from your competition and why they should choose to come to your event…and then direct them to a landing page where they will sign up.
• You can then use the retargeting that I discussed in the webinar, if they don’t sign up on their first visit.

 

• Coach Mariern asks-  “ Do you create facebook pages as a service? And What is the cost to set up a fb marketing page?

• Yes, marketing is my business. It’s what I do to make a living. Social media and facebook fall within that wheel house. So yes, just go to reformationpro.com to research the agency and make sure you think we are a good fit for you and then reach out to us when you are ready to start communicating your business.
• Costs will depend on how much wont needs to be done. We are not a vendor. You don’t come to Reformation to buy something off the shelf. We work with our clients to determine what is best for them in becoming successful overall… one stop shop from brand development to consumer research to graphic design, webdesign, whatever is needed for them to become successful in the marketplace. So contact us, we’ll talk with you, see where you are at, see what you need, determine how we might be able to work together in helping you, and go from there.
• Every client is different, but I will tell you that we work within your budget and we discuss that with you up front. No matter what the budget is, we work within those parameters and if you don’t have enough budget to make an impact in the marketplace, we will tell you that as well.

 

I also saw a few that were answered by the host from Score during the webinar that I thought you may want to answer directly as well:

 

• If you are starting a new business, is it better to have a website or be on Facebook?

o (someone answered, and I don’t know if it was a moderator or a fellow participant, that  a website establishes credibility  and  a facebook presence creates more leads and client engagement)

•  While those statements are true, they are not mutually exclusive.
• Both establish credibility and both can create leads and client engagement if done correctly.
•  To answer the questions, I would say it’s better to have a website FIRST. That’s the minimum. That is your real estate, your home on the internet. Then your facebook page is used to interact with your customers in a more social, more casual manner as people.
•  Because of time constraints, I didn’t go through my house analogy in this webinar but you need to consider your website as your home in the digital realm… and social media is like your back porch of that home. It’s where people get social after meeting you, after working with you, and it’s a place where your fields can invite new people to meet you… but they are going to look at your house first… that’s your website.

 

• How do you claim a custom URL?

o (someone answered-you can check the availability of the desired URL by contacting your web hosting company or just do DOMAIN NAME search on google)

• That’s true, but not what I was talking about when I mentioned having a custom URL. I was referring to a custom FACEBOOK URL not a domain name for your website. In order to apply for a custom domain name, you have to have a certain number of “fans” connected to your page and then name has to be available. It’s really quite simple if you meet those criteria. Just google or youtube vanity url on facebook to find directions or if you reach out to me directly, I can walk you through it.

 

And now a few comments that were provided that I’ll give you the opportunity to react to on air here!

 

Brad Sovelen says:

I've had a number of workshops on using FB Business pages, this session was the only one who gave a blueprint/roadmap and why certain things are important. I think it would be good to have a bit more time for Q&A. I still have a couple questions which I didn't get to formulate and enter before the session ended. I think a follow-up session could delve into the "How To" set up a FB Business page would be great. Same presenter as Zachary tends to explain the "why"  of doing something. I’d also like to see a session on ‘Starting a retail business’. I am looking into starting a retail storefront selling liquidation items and have some experience, but would like more help. How to choose a location. How to get demographics of specific areas. What it takes to read, evaluate and sign in a lease.

 

- Ok, lots of things there:

• First thank you for your positive comments. I do try to always explain the why … that is what helps understanding and truly brings value to you as a business owner.
• Setting up a more advanced, hands on How-to class through SCORE is something I would be open to. Keep requesting me. I love teaching through SCORE.
• Regarding “starting a retail business” – that could be a class yes, but until you are able to get to the class, Straight Shot has a series that we started just before the COVID pandemic happened called “Start Up.” We had to take a break from it, but I hope to start it up again at the end of the month. But go check out the first episode that we released in that series called “Building the foundation” – I hope it will bring some value to you. A lot of what you are asking is something I know the SBDC can help you with, the next episode in this series includes an interview with a consultant from the SBDC. So check it out as well, about two weeks from this release of this episode.

 

Anna Stephens says things she found most valuable: The details about the FB levels and how to access the features of FB business. The details on Funnel Marketing and the stages are very involved. To be effective more understanding and development of those topics would be beneficial- perhaps make that a separate class? She’d like an additional work shop on Funnel Marketing and how to use it with FB and also web page development.

• I’m glad those details brought you value.
• Regarding the grittier detail – I get that feedback quite a bit and I’m definitely open to an advanced class. But from SCORE’s perspective, they are looking to provide workshops that provide value to a large number of people with an overview that isn’t bogged in details that are specific to certain people or certain businesses. What people are often looking for is one-on-one consultation or company specific workshops. And while SCORE does provided general business mentorship relationships, a lot of what people are asking for is best provided by a consultant or agency.

 

Michelle Lewis says she enjoyed learning about how to be Engaging on  fb. She’d like more explaining on how to use content calendar for posting to social media. She’d like a workshop specifically on Content calendars.

 

Deborah Price says she  enjoyed learning the ins and outs of fb advertising, specifically.

 

Gala Andrews says that the pictures helped explain the details well. She thinks Score should continue with this format. She said it was very appreciated. She’d like to see a workshop on How to do Instagram

 

Jake Heikkinen says Zachary has deep practical and real knowledge of marketing, not only fancy words learned from some consultants. Very practical and went enough into the details to learn something practical. (Devil is in the details!) This was one of the best classes I have participated from Score. Thank you!

 

Lisa Graham says it was a great workshop, very informative

 

And now ones that are not so positive:

- Nancy Cramer says she left earlier, IMHO this was marketed incorrectly. I thought I was attending a workshop on how to market on fb not a lesson on the history of marketing

o As I mentioned in the agenda, I always start with an overview of how we got to where we are so that people can fully understand the why behind what I am about to discuss. If you had just hung out a little longer ...

 

- Tracey Brathwaite says she wanted more indepth content and explanation of topic. Felt it was a sell of his company and book

o The other thing I usually start with is my background and why I have any right to teach the class at all. And that usually includes a review of my background and who I am and what I do. Just a few minutes upfront to establish credibility. Sorry if you felt "sold to" - it certainly wasn't my intention. By I wouldn't sit for a class from someone that didn't have the credibility to be standing up there. Maybe that's just me. I like to be upfront.

 

You know we didn’t have to include those comments today…

o Hey, I don’t mind. Transparency is important. Everything I do is for a reason but not everyone is going to agree with me. If enough of my audience tells me something I provide has no value or doesn’t come across as intended, I can change it. But at the same time, I know I may not be for everyone.

 

Well Teresa Berger says it was great. Lots of info but it was given very fast. Would like to go down into settings a bit more, a deeper dive in the pages

• Another vote for the advanced class.
• It is a lot of information. I try to fit as much as I can within the time frame I’m allotted.

 

Allean Brown says the outline breakout was very helpful in known what the focus would be

 

April Brass says that it was great information about a very important marketing tool and social media tool. She is now convinced that she has to use social media and know more about how to use it now.

 

Carolyn Ramsey  says it was all great. Can the videos be made available to go back and review?

Shaun Kelly says she found value in hearing about fb algorithms. She too would like more actionable instructions on how to select target audience or place an ad.

 

Let’s take a break to hear from our sponsors and then when we come back – we have some giveaways.

 

<SPONSORS>

 

Ok, now…. We promised to give away some copies of Married To Marketing, Zachary’s new book that is just being released now. So let’s make some announcements as to who one the drawings:

- Stoven LLC will be receiving a signed copy of the book in paperback.

- Kelly Trim from FranNet Atlanta will be receiving a signed copy as well.

- Marie Carson, you will be receiving a copy of the eBook version in your email.

- Noe Gonzales with “Walk with Yah”, you will also.

 

Anyone else interested in a copy of Married To Marketing, it is available at Amazon.com or if you’d like a limited edition, numbered, signed copy like Stoven and FranNet, you can go to bzacharybennett.com/m2m.

 

But for this episode, I want to give away one more copy. But this is going to be like a game… go to Straight Shot’s facebook page, find the Married To Marketing post on our wall and share it with hashtag #iminlovewithmybusiness. We’ll select a winner, contact you on facebook and send you a book! Matter of fact, if we get enough people sharing the post, I’ll also send you a StraightShot mug.

 

Now, Zachary - - I know today wasn’t a case study or topical lesson but do you have a Straight Shot for today’s episode?

 

First, I’m glad the webinar brought you value. To get more tips and valuable information, follow me on social media, subscribe to straight shot here, like us on your social media so that the platforms want to keep us around.

 

If you want to see more, tell SCORE or your local chamber or networking group, or any association that you are in that you would like to have me speak at their event. Then have them go to bzacharybennett.com to reach out to me and we’ll make it happen. I love getting out in front of you guys.

 

As far as the content goes, I’m glad you see the value of social media and facebook… do it… but do it right.

 

Keep working with SCORE, it’s a great organization. I plan to interview some one from SCORE in an upcoming episode, the pandemic kinda put that on hold for a minute.

 

But we do have an interview with someone from their brother organization the SBDC that will be airing as our next episode. So be sure to subscribe and look out for that. Another great organization.

 

So guys – we love you – stay safe – stay healthy - keep working towards success

We’ll see you next time

bye