Transcript

[00:00:00] Jeff Sieh: Hello folks. Welcome to Social Media News Live.

[00:00:02] I’m Jeff Sieh and you’re not.

[00:00:05] Jim Fuhs: And I’m Jim Fuhs. And this is a show that’s gonna keep you up to date on what’s happening on the world of social media and more .

[00:00:12] Jeff Sieh: And have you ever wondered why some small businesses and brands have a hard time expanding and scaling up? Well, it’s a common problem that many entrepreneurs face when they’re trying to grow their business.

[00:00:22] They may have like limited resources, which really makes it difficult to invest in technology and infrastructure. Plus they need to expand, and it can be really tough to maintain consistency and messaging as customer care as they try to reach more people. So it’s a challenging feat. But we’re here today to discuss some strategies and insights that can help small businesses overcome these hurdles and scale successfully.

[00:00:46] So sit back and relax, and let’s dive into this topic together because I’ve got Jessika Phillips and Jim Fuhs here to talk all about scaling your brand. Jessika, how are you doing today?

[00:00:57] Jessika Phillips: I am doing amazing. [00:01:00] I love, this is my favorite topic.

[00:01:02] Jeff Sieh: And you’re like the queen of this. So if you don’t know who Jessika is, I wanna introduce you because she is known as the queen of relationship marketing.

[00:01:10] She is on a mission. To redefine corporate America and create something she wanted to be a part of. She founded now Marketing Group in 2010 with only a laptop and a vision to give people with heart and upper hand. Now marketing group was recognized as an ink. Best Places to Work in 2022 is a Forbes recognized agency partner, partnered with Facebook, Google, and certified inbound partner with HubSpot.

[00:01:35] Now marketing group works with more than a hundred clients across the United States and beyond choosing to serve, not sell, Jessika lives by a personal mission of helping inspire people to love more, give more, and be more through authentic relating and proving, doing what’s right, not what’s easy, can turn a vision to a profitable agency that produces results.

[00:01:56] And she really does. Her conference in Lima is all [00:02:00] about this. So, Jessika, I am so stoked that you are on the show today.

[00:02:04] Jessika Phillips: And I’m thankful that you had me here today. So, so let’s do it.

[00:02:07] Jeff Sieh: Something else that I’m stoked about is our partner Ecamm there. What makes this show with amazing people like Jessika and Jim possible.

[00:02:14] So if you have a Mac, this, Ecamm is a no-brainer. You need this, it helps you stream live. It lets you make a podcast when we’re done with this. Everything’s on separate tracks. The audio, the visual, the video, it’s so nice to repurposing, which I’m a big fan of. So, if you haven’t heard or you haven’t tried Ecamm before, make sure you go to socialmedianewslive.com/ecamm.

[00:02:34] They just released version four. It is amazing. So many things you can do with it. So check them out, socialmedianewslive.com/ecamm . All right, Jessika and Jim, see it. It rhymes. It’s perfect. It’s gonna be a great show. . So I wanna talk about, because you talk about this care approach, C.A.R.E.

[00:02:56] So how did you come up with that and kind of explain that [00:03:00] kind of as your philosophy.

[00:03:02] Jessika Phillips: Sure. Yeah. So care has always been at the heart of what the vision and my purpose as you read at the beginning, like really truly helping people love more, give more, be more in everything that they do through authentic relating.

[00:03:14] Because I believe relationships will always be more powerful than marketing. We all know as business owners and even working in any business, that word of mouth is the best generator of business. And people are only going to share a recommendation or a referral for brands that they truly care about. So brands need to show up with care and they can outcare the competition in order to scale their business.

[00:03:41] And today with technology and everything else that’s out there, you know, the next solution answer you know, is right at our fingertips with just a simple Google search. So without carrying the competition I was like, okay, if cares at our core, how can we break down? Care [00:04:00] into something that’s fundamental, that’s easy to understand and helps brands truly unpack what that means and how you can use this in a fundamental way to scale your business.

[00:04:12] So, care is an acronym stands for how do we Capture Attention. So we do get eyeballs on us. So we do show up in those results. So we do know, you know, who we’re trying to build a rapport with and for how can we articulate our message with clarity and conviction so people do understand what it is that we do and do wanna refer us on how do we build relationships for repeat referral business?

[00:04:37] Because it’s one thing to get a customer one time, but to keep them again and again, growing with you and continuously, you know, having that sustainable, long-term profitable growth is another thing. And e is all about exceptional experiences, because experience is a verb. It’s how we’re making people feel.

[00:04:55] So how can we incorporate that into what we do? So care is [00:05:00] the marketing approach to what we do at being a relationship marketing agency. But it’s a lot more than that because it truly encompasses how do we get brands to think deeper about marketing. That it’s not just a bullhorn approach, that it’s really about becoming a magnet instead.

[00:05:18] And how can we attract people to us to get them to stick with us for long term. So that’s the approach. That’s what care stands for. And there’s many elements within it that we work with our clients and help also just to show up and, and teach along the way. So any small business, no matter what niche of a niche of a business that you are, can truly use these principles to to grow their.

[00:05:42] Mm, that’s great. See, that’s, that’s why I love Jessika so much. And like, I mean, it really does her, her, her whole philosophy flows through this and, you know, it sounds, oh, she made an acronym. That’s kind of cool. But just seeing her, how she does it. And her clients it really does make her stand [00:06:00] out. So I think, you know, this is a great way if you’re wanting to stand out and you’re like, ah, what, you know, really dive into what we’re gonna talk about today and also ask your questions, because I really want you guys to really think about this because there’s a lot of noise out there.

[00:06:13] And how you set yourself apart is by doing what Jessika is gonna share today. So make sure to ask this question.

[00:06:19] Jeff Sieh: So, Jim, did you have a question for Jessika? I

[00:06:21] Jim Fuhs: Well, not, not a question yet, but more of a comment. I, I think it kind of goes back to what she just talked about and described.

[00:06:28] I mean, that is a hundred percent genuine, Jessika. I mean, I went to Social Media Week, Lima before Covid, and then unfortunately Covid caused some problems and haven’t missed it since, and won’t, you know, have ever planned to miss it again, because she takes that approach into the conference, it’s, it’s amazing.

[00:06:50] You know, she could probably, I don’t know if it could be replicated in other places because, unless Jessika was involved, because she really pays attention to so many little things that. . A [00:07:00] lot of us would never think of it. I just, I just, I had to say that.

[00:07:02] Jeff Sieh: Yeah. I, I totally agree. And it’s, it’s, it’s, yeah, it’s, you have to be there to experience it.

[00:07:07] And if you haven’t, we’ll make sure to plug it at the end so you guys can find out all about the conference that’s coming up later this year. But I wanna do a shout out really quickly to some of our friends talking about people who care. We already talked to Gary Stockton, who is amazing, but Sabrina is here watching from Facebook.

[00:07:24] Hey. Hi. It’s me, Sabrina. Sabrina’s. She is awesome. I’m so glad that she popped in today. And our friend Barbara Tomlin says, wow, three of my favorite people in the house today. Thank you, Barbara. You’re one of our favorite people too. And then Scott Ayres says, JJ and Jay. Yes. There we go. So Scott Ayers pointing out the obvious, but I appreciate you stopping by.

[00:07:44] Yeah. We were chatting. The show. So I appreciate Scott stopping by and Sabrina says, hi girls. I love Jessika. So your fans are here with us as well. Yeah. So as we go back into this, you know, talking about how to outcare the competition. [00:08:00] So, let’s talk about some practical tips. So can technology and automation, especially since you know, ChatGPT is all in the news and everybody’s talking about the pros and the cons.

[00:08:10] So how can this technology and automation help you out carry your competition, like at scale? Like how can you use those tools to like enhance your customer experience? Save some time, but not maybe, you know, sound like a robot, I guess.

[00:08:25] Jessika Phillips: Yeah, and I wanna hit on a couple things actually that you guys even mentioned before that, and then we’ll talk about the technology.

[00:08:31] Sure. So you’re talking about the conference and you’re like, you just have to be there to experience it is what Jeff said. And you were talking about the event, but what you were really talking about is how you were made to feel when you were there, right? Like at the event. And Jeff, you so kindly said.

[00:08:47] And, and so did you, Jim, about like, I don’t know if it could be replicated unless Jessika was there. Well, what you are meaning is that. Each experience is unique, right? To the person or the [00:09:00] people, the group that is putting it on. So nobody can do what you do. Because it’s not about what we do, it’s about how we do it.

[00:09:06] And that’s the one thing to understand, I feel as a brand, that it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s not about what you’re doing, what you’re selling, what product, you know, our service that you’re getting people to buy from you. It’s about how we do it and how we’re showing up. , it’s not about necessarily even ChatGPT T or the technology.

[00:09:26] If we first start about, okay, how do we wanna show up? How do we wanna make people feel? That has to be at the core before you get into some of this technology and tools. . , because if you just keep adding on tools to solve problems, it’s not gonna work. It’s just gonna be part of the noise. Right?

[00:09:43] Right. But I do feel that technology can help us to show up in authentic way smarter, faster, and, and truly deep in relationships when done right. The key point is first starting from who are we looking to [00:10:00] serve? Who are we looking to have amongst us to help serve others? Because when I post the conference, for example, it’s not just me that’s offering this experience.

[00:10:08] My whole team believes in our core manifesto of what we’re there to do, who we’re there to serve, and who we want to bring along with our, with us, you know, as part of our community then we are just using tools like social media as a tool, right? It’s an avenue, it’s a connection point. It is a two-way dialogue should be in order to connect with, with our clients’, customers, and even just our cheerleaders or community as a whole.

[00:10:36] So, once you think about it in this regard, how am I going to use technology to help me deepen a relationship, solve a problem faster, you know, reduce friction in the process of someone working with us or cheering us on or referring us, or what are we for? What purpose are we looking to add this tool? in, that’s the questions you need to ask before you are adding in like a [00:11:00] ChatGPT

[00:11:00] So I’ll use that example first ChatGPT is amazing. Like I have typed in like, okay you know how to create this code for this snippet, right? Right. Like, it’ll give you an answer in a second, or if you’re looking to have it write something for you, but it’s not going to be in your specific voice, but you can use it to help you get to that voice a little bit faster.

[00:11:20] Or you can use social media as an avenue. Some of the biggest ones with using care and technology where they can go hand in hand are having one a, you know, a customer management tool. You know, a CRM in place to where you can. Keep notes on your customers. You can have reminders of when their anniversary date is with you, you know, what their biggest struggle is what their biggest pain point is, you know, capturing data along the way so everyone’s on the same page, so no matter who’s serving them, they all have that information right there.

[00:11:53] You can use technology in like what we offer at Now marketing Group is a client portal, so they have all their [00:12:00] information, one spot on what we’re working on with them, how to pay their invoice, the invoices that they’ve paid, keeping them up to date with what new news is, you know, up and coming, what they need to know.

[00:12:10] And so we’re using technology not as a replacement to something that we’re doing, but an enhancement of something that we’re doing. So I think it’s not a question of can technology help you? It’s, yeah. But is it adding to the noise and distance in the rapport that you’re building with your customer or client, or is it enhancing it to a way that’s helping you do something more effectively and going deeper in that relationship versus, you know, making your relationship wider.

[00:12:41] Jeff: That’s, those are great, great tips. Jim, do you have anything to add?

[00:12:44] Jim Fuhs: Yeah, I mean, I think, I mean, that’s definitely, that’s very deep, right? I mean, it’s like we see so many people like thinking like, oh, I just gotta throw content out there. I’m gonna use social media throughout content. But it really is about engaging and really understanding [00:13:00] people.

[00:13:00] And I think that you know, Jessika and, and her team do an amazing job of that. And I think part of that is because she’s created that culture, right? She’s created that culture and the brands that they work with. and yeah, I mean, you just see it. I mean, even you know, Jessika, I love the show that you and Mark have started to do that that’s pretty neat, right?

[00:13:19] And that’s, that’s letting us connect with you even more in a way that, you know, people maybe didn’t do, you know, because you’re just, you’re genuine. I mean, one more can I say? Right? Right.

[00:13:30] Jeff Sieh: I want to go into some like brass tacks on how to do this. I mean, you mentioned that having a crm, like I use a Agora Pulse, and one of the things I think a lot of brands when they’re trying to do this, and especially in this care model that you’re talking about, is being, to follow up with comments.

[00:13:46] Because Facebook is horrible at trying, getting notifications from, and if somebody, if you’re multi Streaming like I am, it’s, it’s hard to find out where things happen at. And having a system like what I use with the Agora Pulse, lets me do social listening where I can go and like, oh, [00:14:00] here’s a, here’s a comment that, you know, Jim made over here on Facebook.

[00:14:03] I need to make sure I respond to that. Or if I didn’t mention in the show, make sure I go and, and give him a resource or something like that. So how can we. Kind of use these automation and personalization because I know for a a fact a lot of small businesses and solopreneurs can get overwhelmed really quickly.

[00:14:22] So how do you deal with, especially since you’re running multiple accounts, how do you deal with not getting overwhelmed with tools and technology and trying to, you know, answer all these questions? How do you guys manage that.

[00:14:33] Jessika Phillips: Yeah, you’re absolutely right. And that’s what I’m trying to say. Especially as you talk about like brass tacks, okay.

[00:14:38] Like care sounds great and building relationships. All of us know we need it, but what does this really truly look like? Right? And if you were to ask yourself today, just pause for just a moment. First, you have to have. Clarity and conviction on what you’re truly there to do. And what I mean by that is what kind of experience are you trying to [00:15:00] create and what kind of goal are you trying to get to?

[00:15:03] So if you are in the business, let’s just say you sell, you’re a bakery, right? And you’re, and you’re selling baked goods and you’re trying to grow that, and you already have a million hats that you’re wearing, like, and all these tools are promising you, you know, to do, to help scale you and get more eyeballs.

[00:15:19] But is it just more eyeballs from everyone or is it the people that are going to then buy from you? You know, if you’re looking to just sell locally versus ship internationally, that’s two different things. So when I say pause for a second and get clarity first, it’s like, what are you truly there to do?

[00:15:35] It’s not about the tool or the product that you’re selling or the service that you’re selling. But what are you truly here to do? Like I said, my personal missions help people love more, give more, be more. So that can encompass a lot of different things. My goal is to help make relationships the forefront of business and marketing.

[00:15:52] So when I’m doing that, I wanna work with companies that truly understand that it’s a long [00:16:00] term you know, process. It’s not something that’s gonna be a quick campaign and grow their business. So getting to the core of that, you first have to start with the insight. What is your core mission? What are you trying to do?

[00:16:12] Next is, do you have the right people? If you have a team in place to help you handle your mission or that believe in your mission, and then who are you trying to serve? So who are those ideal clients? Like I said, if it’s somebody local that’s just in your area. Write it out, right?

[00:16:30] Specifically who you’re trying to have a conversation with next, what kinds of ways are they getting information? Who are they already trusting? What are they following? What do they care about? You know, what kinds of tone are they, would they be responsive to? And then from there, okay, now we know what channels to hang out on.

[00:16:48] Now we know the types of content potentially that we can, you know, show up with to help them solve a problem or reach a goal faster. And the medium that [00:17:00] we wanna communicate to them should be the medium that’s going to help articulate our personality the fastest, or help give them an idea of what it’s like to work with us the fastest.

[00:17:10] So for some people it’s video. For some it’s audio, for some it’s written. For some it’s visual content or storytelling, or blogging, whatever that looks like for you. , write it out and then decide on the tools, because you don’t wanna just add so many tools that, and, and, and also platforms that you’re not gonna be able to keep up with.

[00:17:30] So keep it realistic first. And it’s okay to start small. You know, I’m, we’re running a a free in-person training in Lima for small businesses right now called Lessons at the Lab. And a lot of these businesses, they can’t afford to hire a marketing company right now. And they were like, it was a sigh of relief and we’re like, okay, you can cancel some of the networks right now if you don’t have time to respond to people or you don’t have time to, you know, show up on TikTok.

[00:17:59] and you know, [00:18:00] you, you hate live video. You’re not gonna do it, whatever. Okay, let’s start with what you’re comfortable with, where your people are and what you can truly show up to meet your customers where they are, and your team, where they are, and your community where they are. So you can build this rapport that’s gonna work like a flywheel.

[00:18:19] In growing your business versus you thinking of it like a sales funnel, right? . , because there’s a difference. A sales funnel’s like, oh, we constantly have to be pushing these messages out on all these channels and I have to be, do more, more, more, more, more in order to keep dumping it in this funnel in order to get customers.

[00:18:35] But if you can get right in just activating where you’re already at with the people that you wanna serve, what happens is you grow this momentum where they help you grow your business too. And the tools are only there to support the technique that you already have in place. It’s not going to solve a problem that you know, you’re not able to already show up [00:19:00] for, if that makes sense.

[00:19:00] So I’m not gonna purchase a software that is gonna help me, you. Like you had mentioned Agora Pulse. It is great to, to feed in comments, and you be able to respond to them. But if you’re not already on these channels anyway, posting content, there’s nothing to respond to, right?

[00:19:17] You have to make sure that it matches up first. So I recommend one, planning that out. Writing out your flow, writing out what I mean by your flow is how somebody discovering you? Where are they hanging out? Who’s responsible for checking these networks? Realistically, how often can you show up on these channels?

[00:19:37] Writing it out first. Even a Google doc, a scratch paper, whiteboard, I don’t care. But then look at where can I add in a tool to help me save time and make this process smoother for ourself and for our clients first, and remove anything else that’s noise.

[00:19:54] Jeff Sieh: And a tool can also be like a va, like that could be a, a tool as well. It’s not [00:20:00] just a piece of software. Jim, do you have anything to add before I I go on?

[00:20:04] Jim Fuhs: Yeah. So Jessika, you hit on a couple things that I think are, are really critical. One, you talked about like content, and I would say that kind of goes into consistency. . . But the other thing is you brought up the word solving and, and Chris Stone, who I think might be watching, one of our favorite things that we like to do with livestream is we, we don’t call it live selling.

[00:20:24] It’s live solving. Yes. And so I think that would you say that the consistency doesn’t mean it has to be every day, it just has to be whatever consistency you choose so you don’t get overwhelmed. And I love the fact too that, you know, I, what I have seen and, and maybe you both see the same thing, is if you want to call it the, the the broadcaster, like you gotta be everywhere.

[00:20:48] But that’s not the case. And, and can you maybe tell us where you feel like maybe some of the businesses you work with have found maybe more success by not being too broad.

[00:20:58] Jessika Phillips: Absolutely. And [00:21:00] even less sometimes content on some of the channels. The goal is, and I know this sounds cliche too but quality over quantity, right?

[00:21:07] People say that a lot, but it truly is about the energy that you are putting into something. That’s what you’re going to get back. So when you’re showing up, and like you said, you don’t have to be everywhere, you don’t. It’s about where you’re showing up. You had mentioned the show that Mark and I do, that you’re, you’re enjoying watching right now, and there’s only been four of those and I’ve had so many mentions of that show already from the people that truly know me because when we show up, we’re talking about something that, that matters.

[00:21:38] You can feel the difference in it. Right? And we, we are only doing this like once every other week right now, but it’s about going deeper. and getting roots with people to make those relationships and that message stick. So this goes into the articulating your message with clarity and conviction. Not just pushing out noise, not just posting [00:22:00] to post, not just showing up to do something, to check it off of the list.

[00:22:03] People can feel the difference. All of us have been there where we’ve gotten, you know, we’re doing the scroll and right now people, you know, they’ll consume a lot of content, but when they find something that truly captures their attention, the C part of care, and then you understand and connect with that message, then you’re gonna go deeper.

[00:22:24] That’s why people have loved like TikTok and stories and some of those things that allow us to really get immersed into what this brand or person that we’re connecting with is truly standing for. And they will go through a ton of your content after that, if you can just get that initial connection point.

[00:22:41] So the goal is going deeper with the people that truly connect with your message. Then understand it because you’ve shown up with clarity and conviction, and you’ve truly put something out there that means something. That’s where the art part of relationships are going to start forming, and it’s not always people that are going to just buy from [00:23:00] you.

[00:23:00] That’s another thing to understand. You do have to have those networks that are In content, and when you’re showing up truly as you, those, that content that’s going to attract like a magnet. The other people that kind of believe what you believe, like all three of us, we’ve connected with each other.

[00:23:14] We’ve, you know, we support one another. We enjoy sharing each other’s content, showing up on each other’s shows or stages, what have you, because we are all in the same vein of doing what’s right and, helping brands out to help them grow as well. We’re not each other’s customer though, right? But we’re each others cheerleaders in part of a community that is still going to help grow because now you’re building, you’re bringing in your trusted, built-in audience that could potentially wanna, you know, work with me as well. Jim is doing the same and all of us are aligned in our approach. So that’s what magnifies that flywheel to help you keep growing out.

[00:23:52] So even if you’re not just pushing out a bunch of content, when you’re going deeper in something that’s truly going to then have this spark that’s [00:24:00] going to mean something, it’s gonna get shared and people are gonna come back and they’re gonna keep. Enjoying your, the content that you are putting out when you, when you show up.

[00:24:09] Jeff Sieh: Yeah. This is so, so if you’re just joining us, I want to go back a little bit to, because you’re like, what is this care thing? If you’re just like, what, you know, tell me this. So care is for it starts for capture attention. A is for articulate your message. R is for relationships. And that is why I love this show so much because I wanna stop right there with the the relationships.

[00:24:29] And I wanna bring in some stuff from our audience, which is what makes this, makes this show so amazing and special. Gary says caring. I don’t know how much you know until you, you care from Theodore Roosevelt and he goes, caring can be a secret weapon. And I totally agree, Gary. That is so true. And Sabrina goes, yes, it’s the long game, otherwise we run an ad. That’s really good, Sabrina. That’s very, very true. And this is, this is a great, a great example. So Barb was watching on Facebook, and she goes, Hey, listening from Facebook, new Social Media News Live YouTube channel [00:25:00] subscriber here. Jessika’s dropped some awesome knowledge bombs in this episode.

[00:25:03] So just because of the relationship, Barb went from Facebook where she was originally watching and moved over and subscribe to our channel on YouTube because she is awesome and likes our content. So that is a great example of relationship. And then Gary, like, once again, our community’s amazing goes Barb usa, boom.

[00:25:22] So giving her thanks for subscribing. So that is what is so cool about the relationship. And then the finally, the, the last part of the care kind of package is that exceptional experience. . . So you mentioned a little bit about that, and you don’t have to do this on every channel, but what are some really tactical ways, Jessika, that a brand can provide exceptional experience.

[00:25:45] Jessika Phillips: And this goes from in-person to online, wherever you’re doing it. This is just one example here, right? You’re providing an exceptional experience. You’re making. You are an opportunity for people to connect [00:26:00] and to go in deeper with the brand and to help them solve a problem faster.

[00:26:05] And, you know, to reach success faster. And just like we were talking about social media week, Lima, I can’t even tell you about how many times, and I love hearing these stories where people meet there, they connect because it’s all like-minded community there for a common purpose. They connect and then they start co-creating together.

[00:26:23] You know, we’ve had you know, a, a restaurant collab with a coffee shop that now they’re serving like their homemade brew. That’s the coffee inspired flavor, right? Things like that where people are co-creating. But the exceptional experience is how you’re making people feel along the way that matters.

[00:26:42] So if, you know people are struggling, so for, and our, I’ll use NOW marketing group as an example, I realized that we were causing some struggle with clients when we’re sending out like a Google doc to approve some content, right. And then they’re getting a link from us for an invoice to pay here and [00:27:00] you know, an onboarding questionnaire here.

[00:27:02] And it’s like, no, they need one hub that can help them and do all their tools in one spot and all the solutions that we’re providing for them in one spot. So it’s caring about where can we remove friction and how can we add in delight? How can we add in those secret moments that are going to be like, you know, like, Gary was saying care for the win care is that secret weapon.

[00:27:27] That’s it. Experience also goes from going above and beyond. So once you have your true business flow in place and those friction points removed and the ease of use added in, then it’s about where can we add delight and just show up a little bit more. Because if we just are doing what we’re promising to do, and what somebody’s paid for.

[00:27:48] That’s just a business transaction. That’s nothing exceptional. But if we can do so and say, maybe send a card and say thank you. Do a personalized video and, and respond to someone, send [00:28:00] an audio message instead of a text or an email. Any way that’s going to add in a deeper personalization to enhance the experience.

[00:28:07] Again, experience is a verb. It’s how we’re making people feel. If we can give them a moment to remember and to see and show that we truly do care because we’ve taken notice on them and they say that we’ve went the extra mile, that is what matters. Right? Like even Starbucks, like writing your name on the side of the cup or, you know, I mean, there’s tons of examples of, of brands that do exceptional experience featuring your customers on a channel.

[00:28:33] Like I said, sending a card, doing customized things. Right. That. That show you care.

[00:28:41] Jeff Sieh: So I wanna go to this really quickly because a good example, I know we’re kind of loving on now the conference in Lima, the Social Media Day Lima. But one of the things is, so talking about an experience that going above and beyond this is she gives us out to speakers who have [00:29:00] spoke on her stage of these bobbleheads and this, I mean, some people, I think the only reason they wanna go speak at Lima is because they get one of these at the end.

[00:29:08] But it’s something that’s very signature and we talked about exceptional experience. Not only is the conference great, but she treats her speaker and I’ve spoken in a lot of different conferences and places. And seriously, Jessika, you really do treat your speakers so, so nice and take care of them.

[00:29:25] It’s just amazing and, and people like I’ve told other conferences, like, you need to go look at what Jessika’s doing because it’s really, really cool. So anyway, that’s a great example. I don’t wanna, I mean, I know it sounds like it’s a commercial for Social Media Day Lima. Maybe it is, but it’s because it’s so amazing that’s why.

[00:29:41] Jessika Phillips: But you hit on something. It’s giving people something worthy of talking about. Nobody’s gonna just post and be like, I. exactly what I paid for whatever done. But it’s giving them that moment of pause and saying, wow. That was a little bit extra like special. Right. It was customized to [00:30:00] me.

[00:30:00] It gave me that pause. That’s what people will take a photo of and talk about. That’s what’s going to grow. Like I said, that word of mouth, that’s the key. That’s what people, you know, brands, if you wanna grow truly in an organic way, you wanna take that word of mouth and now grow it even more with world of mouth, where people are going to be willing to share it online.

[00:30:21] They’re giving you a review, they’re helping enhance your business. That’s the best way of growing your brand is just taking that moment to do something a little extra.

[00:30:31] Jeff Sieh: So another example, and I wanna talk about this because you wrote a blog post about it, but you also actually used it. And I remember, I think I spoke at a virtual conference before I was at Lima for you, and you sent out this thing from Sugar Wish .

[00:30:43] So I want you to use, talk about that for an example of this exceptional experience and why you use it. Because I just think it’s a, and I’ve used it since because it’s such an amazing thing to give to people. So talk about that a little bit.

[00:30:56] Jessika Phillips: Yeah. At the time, that was the first [00:31:00] digital kind of gift that you could send that would be super easy. Because there could be so many roadblocks in the way. One, let’s be honest, we all are small business owners are busy. You’re on the go. You have 10 million things to do. But care doesn’t have to take a lot of time. It’s about maximizing the time. So Sugar Wish is essentially what it is a digital, it used to only be a candy store invite.

[00:31:25] But it’s a digital invite to say it’s a email that comes in to whomever you wanna send it to. So all you have to know is somebody’s email or cell phone number now. And you send it to them. And what allows them to do is then go into this digital store to select, at the time it was just nostalgic candy, but now it’s grown from candy to snacks to wine.

[00:31:49] Yes. To flowers, to dog treats, all kinds of goodies. Right. And they get to have that experience, pick their favorite. That they want, and [00:32:00] then it’s sent back to them in a little box that’s customized that with your message on the inside and has a little bow on it. . . So it’s touching multiple senses.

[00:32:08] That’s the other core piece of this. If the more senses that you can touch, the better. So they’re one, they’re getting the visual right? They’re getting hold it, they’re getting to taste it or experience it and it’s something that they’re going to, you know, get excited about. And it last for a while.

[00:32:26] The other thing that we do is send out, send out cards which is customized cards to people, and we’ll put their photo on it or something that they’ll wanna keep around. Right. And not just our logo or something on the front, but it’s the picture of them. And I can’t tell you how many people have taken a picture of that or they still have it on their desk today.

[00:32:45] And they keep it around because it’s customized to them. And it doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. I mean, send out cards, it’s like two bucks and that includes you know, your stamp and everything and Sugar Wish it’s $20 sometimes a [00:33:00] little bit more, whatever you decide to do. It doesn’t have to be super expensive, but it’s super meaningful.

[00:33:05] Jeff Sieh: So that that’s a customizable thing.

[00:33:07] And I think that’s, it’s so funny that, you know, brands will want give you a pin with their logo on it, and you’re like, how about you put my logo on it? And I, and just real quick, I, I make in my wood shop, I make pins. Like you write pins, but they’re wooden craft pins. And I gave one years ago to Chris Brogan and he still talks about it.

[00:33:27] He’ll still ping me or take a picture of it. Another one, Scott DilMeyer, I give him one at Social Media Market World. He just recently took a picture of it and sent it goes, Hey, I’m still using the pin. So that kind of stuff I’m telling you.

[00:33:38] Jessika Phillips: Kim Garst got me a cup.

[00:33:39] There you go. Yeah.

[00:33:40] Iwas on Kim’s on her show. It’s out care the competition.

[00:33:43] Jeff Sieh: It was with my, so I use it now like almost every show I go on .

[00:33:48] And Gary even says that there is services that can program pins that that written cards.

[00:33:57] Jessika Phillips: You used make in your font. So it looks like, well, I didn’t [00:34:00] wanna use mine mine does look like a handwritten, it’s not mine though.

[00:34:08] Jeff Sieh: Let’s talk about this next section, which I’m sure that both of you guys have some stuff to talk about. It’s maintaining consistency and then like avoiding pitfalls because you’re always gonna make missteps as, as you’re growing, as you’re starting to scale, as you’re scaling your brand.

[00:34:24] So, how do you, you know, encourage your clients and how do you do it with now marketing group maintain that consistency and messaging and approach to customer care? So like, do you have a, you know, a lot of times we’ll have a design kit when we work with brands, like, use these fonts, use these colors, use this stuff.

[00:34:41] Do you have that same kind of thing with like customer care? Do you have, this is what we’re gonna do every time.

[00:34:47] Jessika Phillips: Yes. And I’m happy to provide the workbook that we use internally to your community. It’s [00:35:00] Bit.ly/CAREMore, so Bit.ly/CAREMore. And what we go through is that care process. We start every process again with not being in a super rush. Even though, trust me, if you pause and take the time to do it upfront, you will get to the end destination faster. It just seems like it’s. I’m gonna take a minute. at the beginning.

[00:35:21] Because you go through, we go through a discovery process with them. We go through a tone of voice discovery, so we’re understanding, you know, again, their manifesto, their personas or avatar, who they’re going after, their core competencies what they truly care about the best channels.

[00:35:37] Then to show up on the best way to show up and then creating, yeah, like that brand kit, you know, for the design, the look, the feel, how often all of that. And reverse engineer from where they’re trying to get back to how we’re going to get there. And then we set up after going through, like how are they gonna capture attention, what channels.

[00:35:59] How are they [00:36:00] gonna articulate their message? How are we gonna show up the messaging? Who are they trying to build relationships with? So we understand not only their, their clients, their current clients that they wanna connect with future clients and their team members. How are they gonna highlight them?

[00:36:14] Because that matters as well. Your teams are your biggest advocates as well and their community so others that they wanna align with. And we call them activators, so people that can help activate and enhance your message and that you can build a rapport with. Once we identify those things, then we get it set up in some tools that will help us.

[00:36:34] Then not only monitor what’s happening, like you mentioned, we’re a huge fan of a Agora Paul’s. We use that for every one of our clients to maintain consistency in the reporting. And then link in potentially with a CRM that a client has in place as well. And. Check in monthly on reports to make sure that we are reaching the mark and that we’re growing in the right areas [00:37:00] and that we’re ready to, you know, pivot if, if not, but we also give it time you know, because we’re looking at not just likes and follows and visits and that kind of thing, but conversation started sentiment that’s growing.

[00:37:13] You know, advocacy that’s growing, loyalty from team members sticking at the company, you know, and their clients sticking with them as well. So reduce churn.

[00:37:24] Jeff Sieh: That’s all great advice. Do you have anything Jim, you wanna add or questions?

[00:37:27] Jim Fuhs: Yeah, I mean, well, a couple things wanted to add and, and then also maybe a question to Jessika.

[00:37:31] So I think it’s important and, and I know our friend Judy Fox has brought this up like as an example on LinkedIn, right? It’s not like you need to try to engage and communicate with everybody, but to your point, pick a list. Like, these are the 15 people that I really want to get. More of a relationship with, and then maybe these are the other 10 I’d like to build a relationship with.

[00:37:55] Yeah. What I’ve run into with, with some folks that I’ve talked to, they’re like, well, I’m not [00:38:00] getting in. You know, it’s kind of like they have a, a LinkedIn or we’re like, well, nobody ever comments on my stuff. But then when you really look at them, they’re not commenting on other people’s things. And it’s like they don’t wanna take the time to engage, but they somehow think people should engage with them.

[00:38:16] How do you deal with that when you maybe have a new client that’s, that’s kind of had that habit?

[00:38:23] Jessika Phillips: Would say just that, like you’re gonna get back what you put out, right? So same thing as what you were just sharing. And I love Judy’s, you know, advice and I know you believe this as well, both of you.

[00:38:36] That you do have to show up and be willing to do the work. Community is not something for sale. It’s not something that you can buy or just fall into. You know, and we tell our clients that as well. Like even if you’re hiring us, like we have to put in the work so our time isn’t just spent like creating content for you and, and scheduling it out.

[00:38:56] But a big bulk of that time is engaging in the [00:39:00] conversations, monitoring conversations, listening actively, you know, participating and truly building a relationship and rapport, which means that you do have to take note of what people are talking about. You do have to comment back. Thoughtfully a like is not gonna just cut it, right?

[00:39:16] You have to build the relationship just like you would with anybody in, in, you know, your daily real life. Like, essentially that’s all it is. It’s like however you maintain like a friendship with someone is how you can maintain a business relationships. You’re staying in contact, you’re showing up, you know, and, and putting in the work and letting people know that they are cared for, and that you do truly have their best interest at heart and they will do the same back for you if you have the right match of people.

[00:39:45] And, and that’s truly what you have to do with like social media. It’s engaging. You do have to engage. Same thing with your video views. If nobody’s watching it. And staying till the end, that means because they’re not getting the value. of the video, right? You have to look at [00:40:00] what, what you’re doing and how are you, you know, maybe feature somebody else or change up your approach.

[00:40:07] But yeah, you have to take a peek at those things of what’s not working and, and why? Because if it’s just a sales pitch, nobody wants to hear that and nobody’s gonna pay attention to that, right?

[00:40:19] Jeff Sieh: I always thought is like communities, really hard to acquire, but it’s really easily spent and like wasted away.

[00:40:26] So it, it’s, it’s one of those things you always have to be on top of. This is a great question from our friend Sabrina. She had asked earlier, and I had missed it. She goes, what happens if your time client turns out to be grumpy? Because I know she is a social media manager as well.

[00:40:41] And we’ve all had those grumpy clients and she goes, what if they don’t want to engage? So what do you and I know Jessika, you’ve had this issue too, like how do you handle that as a manager?

[00:40:53] Jessika Phillips: It just depends. If it’s a moment of grumpiness or like getting to the root cause that’s why one, the [00:41:00] discovery process is so crucial at the very beginning.

[00:41:02] Just because somebody’s willing to hire you doesn’t mean you should take it on. Because then it could be more headache than it’s worth. So definitely taking the time to truly uncover before you bring somebody on to help that it’s somebody that. You can align with because you’re never gonna be able to please the wrong person, right?

[00:41:23] Like, if they’re not your jam, they’re not your jam. So if they’re a chronic, grumpy person that is not trusting what you’re suggesting to them that they’ve hired you to do, right, and they’re not showing that trust in you and giving you that freedom to do your best, and I would say I recommend terminating that relationship.

[00:41:44] Honestly. I know it sounds harsh because you’re getting money in, but refer them to somebody maybe that they could work with. Maybe they wanna do ads instead, and they want that fast sale. And they’re willing to just keep paying more and more and more in order to get it. Okay. If that’s your [00:42:00] approach, here it is.

[00:42:00] You know, you can only do so much. I would say you, you have to position, you know, where you’re able to help, who you’re able to help, and the then maintain that. Your, I hate to say self-respect, but self-respect and, and your principles in, in the process. Because the last thing you want is somebody that you’re, you know, you keep bending over backward for, and if a client’s not growing with you, they’re slowly dying with you anyway. And if you keep wasting this time and energy, and they’re the wrong person, and they’re only gonna end up not happy and not, you know, saying negative things instead of positive, then it’s better to sever the relationship before it gets to that point.

[00:42:44] Jim Fuhs: I mean, it can literally suck the life outta you, right.

[00:42:46] If you just trying to keep them happy all over money. And I think that’s a very important thing. Like you said, with discovery, it’s okay to say no people, right? For those in the back, it’s okay to say no. You don’t have to say yes to everything.

[00:42:59] Jeff Sieh: [00:43:00] One of the things so I don’t know who said this, its a Facebook user, but they says, never be able to please the wrong person and such good advice, Jessika Phillips.

[00:43:08] So, yeah, you’re hitting all the right spots there. And Sabrina goes, oh, Jessika is preaching! Hire grumpy social media company. That’s right. . So it’s really funny that people hire you for consulting and then you tell ’em, and then they argue with you. And I’m like, you don’t have to follow this if you don’t want to, but this, this is what you paid me for.

[00:43:25] Jessika Phillips: And that’s what you say back. I literally say that back. I was like, you hired me for a reason. I’m going to share with you what I believe will work for you. If this isn’t what you wanna do, like of course you wanna listen and of course understand the client, but that’s again based on that rapport that starts at the beginning of taking that time to truly understand them at the beginning.

[00:43:46] But yeah, be okay and be like, you know what? I think where you’re looking to go, like, here’s so and so that you can go with grumpy social. Or us or whatever, in your case, Sabrina.

[00:43:58] Jeff Sieh: Gary says you won’t be able [00:44:00] to make all seven dwarves happy. That’s very, very true. Gary thank you for that.

[00:44:06] So I wanted to kinda wrap up this section with this this question. So you talked about, you need to watch your, track your metrics that everybody talks about, your views and if the views aren’t there,changing up maybe what you’re doing. Do you have specific metrics that you use for this out carrying your competition, like what metrics you use and how to use those to inform your strategy?

[00:44:29] Jessika Phillips: Yeah, so the first one is just churn in general, right? Like if you’re building a good rapport with people and, and maybe at the very beginning when you have had the wrong clients on potentially or the wrong team with you, that churn may be higher. But I, I ideally you’re gonna look at churn. But if you are maintaining good rapport and relationships with people, they’re gonna stick with you. So look at churn, I look at engagement as far as actions taken, comments, shares and then of [00:45:00] course, at the end you’re gonna look at dollars output and input. But that could take some time to get there because again, this is a long end game and it’s not something that’s ever finished.

[00:45:12] Like relationship marketing is not a campaign. It’s not anything that’s going to end. It’s it’s the approach that you’re going to take to what you’re doing. So looking at engagement, looking at churn, looking at your client happiness and your sentiment and your team as well. So your team members too, if they’re doing what they love and everything’s working well, you’re working with the right people, you’re gonna have a good culture in place.

[00:45:37] And I know, Jeff, you had mentioned this at the very beginning. That matters. So do those check-ins with your team members and your clients to see the sentiment. Reviews is also a thing that we monitor as well. But those things are what matter.

[00:45:54] Jeff Sieh: That’s awesome. One last thing before we move on to the final section about consistency.[00:46:00]

[00:46:00] Consistency is really underrated. I think like one, that’s why we do this show every week. At the same time, we’ve had guests that are really big that wanna do it, and they say, we can’t do it that time. And I’m like, sorry, my audience shows up here. This is when it happens and I’m want to, I’m always wanting to make it for my audience.

[00:46:16] This is when they’re used to, I don’t wanna change that. The same thing is like most podcasts and like live video shows stop after seven episodes. If you’re consistent that’s almost half or more of the battle. So, like Jessika’s saying, make a plan. You can adjust it, but be consistent on what you’re doing.

[00:46:34] Be consistent on, checking in with your client. I talk about Ecamm and they are a sponsor of the show. You can find out more about them at socialmedianewslive.com/ecamm, but one of the things is, and I try to do, is I wanna be the best affiliate that I can. I check in with them like, Hey, what do you want me to do?

[00:46:54] Is there a new software coming out? What’s this? You always are reaching out and [00:47:00] you are the one who is reaching out for those deals or those relationships. And it’s always about giving. It’s not about taking. That’s why I love Jessika and Jim and that’s what they’re all about.

[00:47:11] And you tend to gather those people around you when you have those kind of feelings. So, this last section I want to talk about is how to communicate authentically, because I think you guys have got that kind of from Jessika already, but I wanna really dive in and Jim, I’d love your thoughts on this too.

[00:47:29] So let’s say you’re starting. You’re kind of new to this whole space. How do you, when you’re scaling your brand, not sound insincere. Because this is really in the news right now with this ChatGPT because for marketers, it’s a great tool, I think, like you were talking about earlier.

[00:47:47] I think it’s great to help you come up with thoughts, brainstorm, summarize things that are long. But a lot of people are seeing this as the easy button and there’s gonna be a lot of [00:48:00] kind of the same kind of content that’s gonna be coming out. So how do you scale but also continue to sound really sincere and be there for your brand or your customers.

[00:48:16] Jessika Phillips: You hit on a couple points there. One with ChatGPT, like it can help you come up with ideas, but nobody’s gonna sound like you, but you. So you have to add your tone of voice into that because that is what builds that rapport. That is what builds that relationship. And I think people want that and they need that and they can tell when you’re writing something or if it’s just sounds faker or phony.

[00:48:40] And like I always tell even my team that’s writing social media content for others, I’m like, just because you put an excellent exclamation point at the end of it does not make you exciting . Right. It doesn’t, you have to truly engage And I always say like, write [00:49:00] things out, like as if you were reading it out loud to the person across from you that you’re trying to say it to.

[00:49:04] Does it feel natural, like if you were to say it to someone. So I think the best way to show up authentically is just to do that. Don’t overthink it. Like I love using voice to text even though sometimes it gets jarbled, of course, but saying what I’m trying to write and, and type out first because we write a lot differently than we speak, but if we’re using social media, people are reading it in a more social way.

[00:49:32] And that’s okay as a brand to have that. You can go too far on the other end, which I don’t know if you wanna get into that, but like, where you don’t want to you know, just blast everything that’s happening, but you do wanna be authentic and show up in a way that allows people to build a better rapport with you.

[00:49:53] Jeff Sieh: I’d love to get you guys still in this ChatGPT vein but also because you both do live shows like [00:50:00] this one is a live show and we’re talking to each other, which I think speaks volumes. Is the best way at scale to let people see your authenticity. This is what I’m predicting, ChatGPT there’s gonna be all this stuff coming out.

[00:50:15] You’ll, I think people are gonna be like really struggling with trusting the written word. Like, is this really, I mean, Anne Hanley is always gonna be Anne Hanley. I’m always gonna read her newsletters. Right. But will people just like, oh, that’s just generated text now. But since you and, and Jim, I like your take on live selling.

[00:50:33] And then Jessika too is connecting and being authentic. Don’t you think live video is even gonna be more important in the future because of some of this stuff that’s going out that’s everybody’s gonna be looking the same and all this stuff. And the way you can connect with people is with live video.

[00:50:49] Jessika Phillips: It’s like, almost like stock photos. Oh, sorry. No, go, go first. I was gonna say, it’s kinda like stock photos. Like all of us got sick of it, right? Like everybody’s using the same like thumbs up on the company pages and platform. We’re [00:51:00] just like, that’s cheesy now. You wanna see those real moments and that’s why that’s gotten big. I think people want to see those real true human moments. That’s why live video versus commercial, right? Like things are moving toward just being more authentic. Yeah, and I’ll shut up Jim, let you add your thoughts.

[00:51:18] Jim Fuhs: I think live video is extremely important and I think part of that is one, people have to overcome the fear.

[00:51:25] I mean, I’ve been talking to some of the local businesses that I know and I, you know, I’ve even had some ideas like, maybe I should start a, a show in my area where I interview local businesses on a live stream because they need to get their message out and maybe that helps them overcome the fear.

[00:51:40] The one thing I am concerned about with AI, because we have heard about it, is like they are working to like, create these avatars that will look, it’ll look like Jeff Sieh is actually here on the show, but it’s not really Jeff Sieh. So I think that’s would be the concern, is that’s where maybe down the road people will they even trust video?

[00:51:59] But I, I do [00:52:00] agree with you that people are gonna start to think, you know, and, and it’s sad, right? People think like, oh, well I, I can just use ChatGPT now I don’t have to hire a copywriter. But they’re missing the point of it’s about being the real you, right? If you’re not the real you, if you’re not speaking in your voice, people can tell, right?

[00:52:16] Like, that doesn’t sound like Jessika, that doesn’t sound like. They, they must have just, you know, put it in a machine and spit it out.

[00:52:23] Jeff Sieh: So the one thing I will say though is because like live video and that I can go is like, I can go, Hey Gary, I think ChatGPT is awesome. It depends on how it’s used. And Gary

[00:52:34] is part of the conversation. I think I do not see that coming anytime soon with ai. I’ve seen those avatars. I mean the AI stuff with video right now and it’s stills pretty uncanny valley. Like, it’s weird, like you’re like, this guy is, that ain’t really him. But, you know, technology could happen, but I still don’t think that way we can interact with people in real time.

[00:52:55] Like, Sabrina’s here, Hey Sabrina, haven’t seen you for two weeks. Like, that’s gonna be [00:53:00] really hard for AI to engage with. So, that’s why I love it. That’s why I love this show. That’s why I love people like Jessika and Jim being on here and I could talk for another hour, but we are getting close to the end of the time.

[00:53:14] As you can tell, we’re big fans of Jessika here. We’re big fans of Social Media Week Lima. So Jessika, I will let you have these last final minutes to talk about all the stuff you’re doing now, marketing group, your conference, all that stuff. So take it away. Oh

[00:53:29] Jessika Phillips: Just a comment on the real quick first on the like deep fake kinda AI video stuff too.

[00:53:35] Yeah. I think you’re absolutely right. It’s adding in those human moments, like you just said, adding in the comment, mentioning someone, those things that you can’t that’s personalized. That is what matters the most. That’s where authenticity comes in. And we’re actually talking a lot about many of these things in technology in Social Media Week Lima, and how you can still make relationships, the forefront of business [00:54:00] and your marketing to grow organic sustainable results at Social Media Week Lima on 23, the theme is Emerge. So how do we emerge with this technology but do so in doing what’s right, not what’s easy. And we’re sociallima.com is where you can find out the deets on that if you’re interested.

[00:54:18] And you’ll be able to meet all of us in person and connect. It’s a two day event in Lima, Ohio. Not Lima, Peru, . But it’s an amazing group of people like Jeff and Jim and many, many others that you can see on the website there. That’s happening June and 22nd, 23rd and Sociallima.com. You can find out the deets there, but that’s one of the things we’re working on.

[00:54:40] We’re also really just working on how to help our clients show up in a way that is authentic and is maintaining the relationships in a very, very noisy space online, like you mentioned. So, if you wanna learn more about Now Marketing group, it’s now marketing group.com and [00:55:00] you can take a peek at the team nd what we do there.

[00:55:04] Jeff Sieh: Awesome. Now, where can people find out all things about the amazing Jim Fuhs? Jim?

[00:55:09] Jim Fuhs: Well, I really like connecting with people on LinkedIn. You just go to Jim Fuhs or you can go to my website and then if you wanna find out what me and Chris are doing with the deal casters, just go to dealcasters.shop.

[00:55:20] And of course, I still use the Bird app. I don’t know, some people don’t, but I’m out there all the time. But yeah, this has been a lot of fun today.

[00:55:29] Jeff Sieh: Well, Jim, thank you for filling in as co-host and Jessika for this great group. Thank you for our sponsors, Ecamm. Find out more about them at socialmedianewslive.com/ecamm and talk about a brand that does community right. And I, I really like the way they do it. They’re inside their Facebook groups, inside of Discord. They really do a great job training. If you have questions, they actually, like, I have calls with them and they say, how, how can we make this product better? And I actually tell ’em, and then like in future versions it happens, like this whole thing that I can download and have a separate file for Jessika and Jim and it’s [00:56:00] all separated.

[00:56:00] It’s amazing. That came from a conversation I had with them. So, really cool. Make sure you check them out at socialmedianewslive.com/ecamm. And with that, we thank you guys so much for being here. Thank you, Gary. For being here today. So many you know, you’re an awesome person. I thank you for Sabrina being here. Thank you, Barbara. Thank you for stopping by all of our folks here at Social Media News Live. We appreciate you guys. And with that, we’ll see you guys next time. Bye everybody.[00:57:00]