Latest / Be Locally Loved / 024-Building Trust, Visibility, and Local Connections with Liz Hamm

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024-Building Trust, Visibility, and Local Connections with Liz Hamm · Be Locally Loved

• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Introducing them to new families who are ready to form long lasting and local relationships.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: To grow your business by reaching newcomers at reachnewcomers.com.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: If you own a local business, chances are you've asked yourself some version of this question.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Where should I actually be spending my marketing time and money right now?
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: You might think about social media, Google, SEO, digital ads, print, networking, email, events, AI, referrals, community involvement.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: There are more options than ever.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: And the truth is they do not all do the same job.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I want to have today's conversation with my friend, Liz Ham.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Liz is a longtime marketing strategist and community connector who works with local business owners every day to help them understand their options, cut through the noise, and make smart marketing decisions.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: She believes information is power and that before you spend another dollar or another hour on marketing, you should understand what each tool is actually designed to do and use them in the right sequence.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: So today we're back to marketing 101.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're talking about what local business owners misunderstand most.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: We're talking about where they might be wasting time or money, we're talking about how AI is changing the landscape, and how to decide which marketing strategies are actually worth the effort for your business.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: So if you or if marketing has ever made you feel overwhelmed, confused, or unsure what to do next, this episode is for you.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Liz.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me, Laura.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to continue our almost daily conversations in this format.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: So there's so much to cover.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: So excited to have you on the show.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Full disclosure, you are my coach.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: So we talk often and we share many things in common, including a heart to serve the communities that we live in and love, and the a love for the local business owner helping local businesses succeed.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start by going back to the beginning in your career.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how did you get into marketing and then how did you pivot to be an entrepreneur?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: Gosh, I didn't know we're going to go back that far.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's a few years.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: So let me let me see.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh in college, I worked for the sports information department at Baylor University.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: And in that capacity, I put out the media guides and the data for the local newspapers and people following the sports leagues, and I helped set up the interviews between the players and the media.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I would say without a doubt, that was kind of, you know, an excellent 101 into sports marketing and universities, how they operated, how they got information out.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I was just a sponge.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: I was absorbing that at that stage.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't in school for marketing, I was in school for speech communications and English.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: And anyway, it kind of developed over time.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: I ended up heading out to Los Angeles, where I worked in the marketing department for an international investment banking firm and was able to put their products and services in many different languages and in many different formats depending on what we were trying to communicate.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: And at the same time, I was in a role as the managing director of the LA Tri-Salon Club.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: And in that capacity, I put on a lot of sporting events and it was a hobby.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: And as a hobby, of course, our as a passion.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: And so I used everything I knew and brought it to the LA Tri-Club.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: And we had just a lot of fun with our sponsors and bringing in pro-athletes and providing education.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: And so I had a chance really to work on many different sides of marketing and communications and branding.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: And every project brings new information and marketing is always changing over the many decades.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so I'm always learning and trying to sponge up what is working today, what is working in this market and why.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then how can different businesses, depending on what their area of service or offering is, come in and be effective in their specific market for their goals.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's kind of the wizardry behind marketing, which is not a one size fits all category for anyone that I know.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: So that kind of sums it all up.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: It is a moving target, also.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like it is changing.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to dive into that today, too, with AI.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like marketing is changing.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's very different than it was back then.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: And it's actually very different day to day right now, right?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: So how did you pivot?
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: So you're in the B Local family with me.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: We're both franchise donors for the N2 company for a media arm of that brand called Be Local.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So how did you get attracted to the B Local opportunity?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: So I've been doing magazines with the N2 Company, of which Be Local is one of our brands for more than 13 years now.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I fell in love with the Be Local brand specifically because, once again, tailored to the market that I'm in, I was looking around, seeing the fast growth and seeing what the market capacity was.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it felt like the right product for my geography.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that it's important, you know, when we're making these assessments about starting a new business, to look around and see what the appetite is like, and then, you know, to use that to inform your choices.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so be local makes a lot of sense for the market that I'm in, which is Richmond, Texas, which is a Houston suburb.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a fast growing area that had once been more rural, and now it's fat so fast growing that be local was just fit like a glove.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: What was it about Richmond that made Be Local fit?
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: What is it about that Be Local product line that you think is able to help and serve Richmond right now?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well, where Houston is such a large area with people coming from out of the state, out of the country.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Many cultures are here.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people coming into the market are unfamiliar with Texas, you know, never mind Richmond in this little pocket.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so it was an opportunity to kind of build kind of a framework work around the community to welcome people coming into it.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: And once again, as a fast growing area, Fort Bencomie, which is the county that I'm in, is one of the fastest growing in the state.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I I believe in the country as well.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so it it just it kind of fit like a glove right on top of what we were doing here.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I came into the market.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: I was doing some other products within my marketing service repertoire, called Stroll, and then we have Greets as well in this market, as well as a product called Real Producers.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I saw the opportunity to jump on welcoming the new movers in this fast growing part of Fort Bend County, and I just couldn't miss out on that.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: It was a good fit, the timing was right, and uh, and so here I am.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: Many six almost six years later for B Local.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Six years, six years later for B Local.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, how has being a B Local area director um allowed you to be the mom that you want to be and the community leader that you want to be?
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's a whole other bag of tricks.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's be honest.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if I'm ever always winning at momming, but I certainly um am competing.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: And so I love working for myself.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's something that once you've done it, even though I will say it's a labor of love and it's a 24-7 undertaking, it's really hard to walk away from being your own boss and being the master of your own future.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's what I'm giving that opportunity with this be local franchise to make my own schedule and kind of dictate terms on how I work.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I love it with a passion and I think it's worth all the sweat equity that goes into it.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: My kids, I think, enjoy having me around.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so I love driving them here and there.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: And also when you're in a be local, it really is a reflection of the community that you live in, meaning everything you're doing with your family and your community, your neighbors, the activities that your family's involved in, the places you choose to eat, the services that are being provided to your own home are once again part of that same fabric.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: So it doesn't even really feel like it's different from what I do as a mom in the community because what do moms do is we connect each other to resources.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: We help our teammates' kids find resources, you know, on in so really it's all very interwoven.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, who are who is the the local person?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's the person running the PTO, it's the person volunteering in a local charity organization.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like these things are all kind of the same person.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so it just fits right into that.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: Marketing, I believe, is everything.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: It is not one and so people think that there is a magic bullet.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: That's a misunderstanding of how marketing works.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, marketing is awareness, marketing is you know, word of mouth is so important, you know, to people that know you're there.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: Is there word of mouth about the business?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's getting involved in the local schools and choosing to give back to the community that you live in is a really smart marketing move for businesses.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: And so as a mom, you know, we're kind of doing all of these things all of the time by choice.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so it feels like a just another part of the family.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if I'm making sense, but that's how I think about it.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, you you're really a dot connector, you're a community connector, you're a community leader.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: What other roles do you play in your community besides the local, be local area director?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: What else are you doing in your community?
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm personally very involved in the local chamber of commerce that's really sitting right on top of where I primarily operate.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: I host their monthly networking for the local businesses.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: So, in that capacity, I welcome businesses into that networking every month, and I'm able to help make connections between new businesses who are coming to check out the local chamber of commerce.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: I also choose to sponsor some local events and support some local charities.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm very vocal about the things that are right in our community, which is really the role of the local is pointing out local favorites and highlighting ways that new movers can move within the community that so that this feels like their community sooner rather than later.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, my local the schools, the sports teams, you know, I'm very involved with uh the coaches and the other families that are involved with our family as well and the schools that we're involved in.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just kind of very layered.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that's such a great fit for be local, right?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's our job is to kind of connect people to all the great people, places, and things in our communities.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: And as a mom and a community connector and a community leader, you're already plugged into so much of that that you get to bring a forward, authentic view of your community and what you love about your community.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Help me understand you have become someone that a business owner goes to when they need help marketing because you've branded yourself as the as who you are, a marketing consultant, a marketing leader, a marketing thought leader, someone who can guide someone through their marketing journey.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: You're not just trying to sell an ad and be local and you've built that reputation.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: So when a business owner comes to you and says, My marketing's not working, or I don't know where to start, like what process do you take them through?
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: That's a great question.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I would say there's a slight variation depending on, you know, what their category is, and that's where we start.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Who who are they?
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: How long have they been operating?
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: What's working for them, what's not working as well.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: And then we start to kind of unwind what is true in the market with around that surrounds their experience because it's very quick and easy to often say something's not working, but if you don't understand the purpose of the different types of marketing, then that's a quick assumption to make that's not really true.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so we kind of unwind what's true and what they're feeling, because there's feelings involved in it too, and there's frustration and there's, you know, things don't feel like they're going in the right direction.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: So we try to unwind all of that.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then what I like to identify with them is very specific and it's the where is the low-hanging fruit where they can take actions and start to kind of see things come together with more of a strategy instead of just randomly throwing stuff out and not really being able to truly follow up on there's so many marketing options.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: Once again, there's no one right recipe.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: So we talk about, for example, you know, are they putting their faith behind their logo?
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like, do people know who they are?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: Are they only see the brand?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: They don't really see the people behind it.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: What is their brand story?
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: What is their, what makes them different in the category that they sit in?
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: Are they choosing to be involved with the community through schools and sports leagues?
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: These are ways they can help build goodwill within the community, brand awareness that should maybe precede large ad buys, for example.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I believe.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then another thing that is an easy oversight for many businesses is keeping their digital presence up to date and accurate.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: Oftentimes they might build a website and then fail to keep it updated, or launch a social media channel and not really post consistently.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: These things can be killers in the digital age.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: So we like to look, or I like to sit with them and look at the big picture and take a look at their digital presence, take a look at their community partnership and where their heart is and what makes them different, and then kind of build here's where to start foundationally, and from there, here's a few things to consider next based on their location, their budget, and their overarching goals.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think a takeaway from what you just said is that you're talking about how they can give, how they can serve, how they can connect, how can they show up.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I think so many business owners forget that marketing is a system.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Marketing is a lot of moving parts, a lot of nerving pieces, and they're often looking for what can I get?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: And they're wanting that quick, it's almost like a weight loss pill.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: You want to take that weight loss pill and lose 100 pounds.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's just not how weight loss works.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that's not how marketing works either.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: You can't do one thing, one shiny object that you might have learned about at the chamber luncheon and then think that's gonna fix all your marketing.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I love that you're kind of starting with who are you?
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: What's your brand story?
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what do you believe?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: What do you value?
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: How are you serving and how are you giving back?
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: So, for that new business donor, you've kind of helped us understand the best place to start.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: Once they've checked all those boxes related to their brand story and their digital marketing and their community connections, then where do you go?
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's my favorite.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: So let's say, for example, we'll do a little like imagine this.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: So imagine that you are any category business, like a restaurant, pest control, doesn't matter.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: And you are in the Chamber of Commerce and you're sponsoring a local swim team or soccer league.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you've uh partnered with me local.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's that makes sense as well.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: Now let's ask this question.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Are you getting everything out of that relationship that you put into play that you can?
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's one of the critical questions when you're unwinding what a business owner is doing, because oftentimes they'll pull a trigger and join something and not really fully realize all the value that comes with that partnership.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: So I'll give you an example, and it's this is because AI is so important, right?
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: AI is constantly scrubbing our digital world.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: If you're in a paid relationship with an entity or a sponsorship relationship with an entity, then why wouldn't you also use that as content for your social media and put and highlight that awesome collaboration and relationship on your URL?
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: Why wouldn't you put it in the blog that you've been trying, struggling for content on?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: And the why.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: Now, the reason this has become important and more helpful in this AI digital world is that, and let's go back to my comment, everything is everything.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: If you're seen in more places, then that eye in the sky is seeing you in all those more places.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it's maybe giving you a little bit more priority ranking when someone is asking it for advice and feedback.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're already engaged in relationships on any of these fronts, make sure that you're understanding all the value that comes in that relationship and you're fully executing on it.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: Now, what happens oftentimes that it's easy to say that chamber membership or that networking membership isn't working, or I sponsored that school event and it didn't do anything.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I would and then I engage in conversation with the what does that mean didn't do anything?
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: First of all, what were your aims with that?
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, do you think that it is possible that someone just wasn't in the buying cycle for what you were offering at that moment?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, but now do you do you agree that you were seeing?
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you have to really unwind what is what is it that these different mediums actually do for the business and how do they work together?
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: And then how can we make sure we're getting the most out of them?
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: And so nine out of 10 times, they have not fully executed the value of something they've already engaged with.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: And then that's like, you know, that's low-hanging fruit because they've already engaged, they have the partnership, they need to see it fully through, and then they need to continue executing whatever might be next.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and that could be as easy as calling up the chamber, meeting with a director of membership and saying, How can I better leverage this partnership?
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: Or calling up your B local area director and saying, How can I better leverage this partnership?
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: To your point, a lot of times people will sign up to sponsor something or sign up to do something, but not really realize that they've got to have a role in the process.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like a partnership has two sides to it.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just like I'm a member, I paid my dues, now I'm gonna get a bunch of you know new customers.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Well, there's usually a role that you need to play, whether it's in a be local partnership, which would be like having a good looking website, keeping your social media active, part, you know, serving the community, participating, showing up.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Same thing with your chamber membership.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: You need to show up at those events and you need to network and you need to be the face behind your logo to your point.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: So it sounds like at least looking for the people that are getting started with their business and trying to get their marketing rolling to look at what they're already doing and how to get more out of that.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Look for the low-hanging fruit.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: Is that what I'm hearing?
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: There's always more from usually existing effort.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_01: So you want to make sure you're maximizing existing effort, you're getting everything you should be getting from those partnerships.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then you want to look for what's next to add to the overall strategy.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, an analogy in our business, and I and I often use it, is the one of making a casserole.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: You know, every time you make the casserole, you're slightly shifting around the ingredients.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you're adding an ingredient and experimenting with that.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: And you what you're trying to do, or all businesses are trying to do, is make a delicious dish that people want to share and talk about with their friends and come back and eat more of, and they can't say no because it's so delicious.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, like you're every time you go to the kitchen and you're making it again, you are always shifting around, improving, getting smarter, informing, like maybe you're getting healthier and you're kind of shifting that around.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: So you're always working on it, and it it's always more than one ingredient.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so those are the things to think about.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: And another thing, Laura, that you know, we kind of touched on in this conversation already is putting your face behind your logo and coming out to events.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, let's be realistic.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: Some people buy businesses and then they want to be absentee owners.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: So oftentimes I'll be in a coaching session with a business owner who doesn't want to physically be present or be really a community partner themselves.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's not the brand that they want, but they have a manager, so they need training for that person.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so they make decisions over here, and then they have someone else acting on their behalf in the community.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: So sometimes you you have these some a myriad of different like ways that people are running things, and you have to meet them where they sit.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so, what I always say is it is worth the conversation.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Have the coffee, meet with the marketing person, derive what you can from their perspectives about your market and your category and what you see working, what you know.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: That is amazing information that will go back to inform how you're making the casserole in your kitchen and when the next ingredient needs to come in.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: And information is power.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you just need to know what your options are.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I love the analogy that you used of the casserole.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Not only can you play with the recipe, but like you said, you can play with the quality of the ingredients or the source of those ingredients that could change the way the casserole turns out.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great analogy for marketing because marketing is so many pieces that work together.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: And they are the business owner is looking for like, what am I getting?
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: But if we can't help them understand that one of the things you're getting is a first impression or a trusted connection, or a, I don't know, a goodwill like experience, something that makes people feel good about your brand, like all of those are things you.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're getting that they don't go straight to the cash register because to your point, it can take more than one impression.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: We've heard five, seven, twelve, up to twenty impressions before someone is actually going to give you money and do business with you.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to be all of these different places and make sure that you're being seen, right?
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: You said being sometimes your job is to just be seen in a way that fosters goodwill.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: You're seen as a trusted local resource and not a solicitor.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_01: Being seen and felt in the community, you know, you want that to have a have a positive relationship.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: And one thing you just, oh, we're talking about is what's tangible and what's measurable.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: So of course, many people are built to measure, measure, measure.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: And where's the ROI?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: And so that can be really frustrating place for someone to sit when they're just looking for the data to inform all of their decisions because some of these things are less tangible.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: And that does not mean they don't have value.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's really important to see that big picture.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: If it's so important to measure, you know, then you're gonna spend a lot of time buying digital advis because you spent 500 bucks, you got this many clicks, this many converted.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that did or didn't, you know, meet your needs, and you're gonna shift around and do more ad buy or you're gonna not do that anymore because it didn't work.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: But then you're not really taking into account timing and the buying cycle and whether or not your brand is known and trusted in the community.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what you talk about so much, which I love is the idea of being locally loved, a locally loved brand.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that carries a lot of weight, and especially with the soccer moms and some of these people making those decisions in their household.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: How many times have you yourself or someone you know made a decision to go with this vendor versus that vendor because of a relationship or because of a reputation in the community?
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: I know I have I've spent more money working with vendors because I knew them and trusted them.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: And what about dentists?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I know people that drive across town out of the way to go to a dentist that they know and trust.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so that is a very powerful opportunity for businesses because it's something you can build over time.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: You can control your reputation if you choose to take the bull by the horns and get involved in the community.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: And so I just encourage people to step out from behind their logo.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then that is just such a powerful opportunity.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: I just wrote down reputation and relationship, and I put a star by it because I don't think that business owners realize how important those two things are in affecting that maybe it is a Google Pay-per-Click ad and they're trying to do all of this like conversion and they're measuring a very short, you know, distance between an interaction and a transaction, but they're not looking at what went into play for the brand, for the messaging, for the relationship, for the reputation, because all of that is gonna affect that click.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: And if they're actually gonna, you know, take an action or give you some money after that click.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: You're making me think of something which is gonna be controversial, but I feel like I should mention it, and that is the Google reviews.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: So let's kind of sit on this for one second because some I see some trends, and I'm gonna mention them here.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_01: I see a trend of inauthentic reviews, and then I see a trend of, you know, a negative review.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: And how does that absolutely cripple sometimes a business?
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: And so what can we do about that?
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_01: Is we can get out from behind the computer and put ourselves in the community.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: That is undeniable.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_01: But when someone can desk jockey with their keyboard and harm your business, or you have bots outside of market filling your Google reviews so that there is a there's it just doesn't make sense.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know you've seen them.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: You go to look at that business and you see 600 reviews for a business that's been open less than a year.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: And you've been in it 10 times and you've seen, you know, crickets inside the business when you're visiting yourself.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: So these two things are happening at the same time and they're gonna continue to happen.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the way to combat this is to be present in your business and to be present in your community, to be seen and be undeniable.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: And you can control how you come across in your community mostly.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: But you can't help if someone is gonna be a desk jockey and and be evil with reviews, and you can't help if a business owner is gonna go buy them from the cloud.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_01: So watch out for these things.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: Things can get nefarious now with AI and with digital.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: I like what you said about being undeniable in your community, and you do that through local partnerships.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: So let's lean into local partnerships.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: So you can show up yourself, like I would say it's time versus money.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can show up yourself, shake hands, kiss babies, network your butt off, like show up at all the after hours, all the morning coffees, all the lunch and learns.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're doing that, you're not in your business, running your business, or making the money with your clients.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: So you're gonna have to have some sort of balance between time and money.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you've got enough client base, now you can have a percentage of that revenue go toward a marketing budget where you can partner with a local influencer that can help build your brand in the community, help people feel like you're out and about in the community, even though you personally are not physically showing up and shaking hands at every event.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: So let's lean into local partnerships.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: How do you see that helping a local business?
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think that that's one of, if not the most valuable opportunities for most businesses.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: And what I put into that category is how critically important it is to our local community that the schools thrive, that the children have their uniforms for their games, that the ball fields have are well maintained and have the structures that they need.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: And that's all small local businesses mostly showing up for these communities.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: And so that is such a powerful opportunity to have a banner on a ball field, to be inside of a program, to sponsor a young scholastic athlete, or to just a young honor society kid.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter, you know, what segment of the population we're talking about.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: We're all very affected by our future is really our kiddos.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: And that is something we can all agree to invest in, right?
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_01: So no matter what the interests are of the business, you can find an excellent organization to support.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: And the other piece of that is the charities that are out there clothing the children, feeding the children, taking care of the unwanted pets.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: There's so many opportunities to get involved and help the community bridge the gap between the needs and you know, just making sure needs are being met in your own community.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: These things also build goodwill.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: People see it, they are paying attention, they see who's sponsoring the local 5K, they go to the health fair that's being offered by the community organizers, they go to the, you know, the Motown event on Main Street.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there are these every one of these events is affecting hundreds of people and maybe thousands of people, and there's a trickle-down effect choosing to be involved in your community in these ways.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_01: And then if you can't physically be present, that's okay because there's so many people who can you can partner with and do this.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: So there's ways to be effective, even if you don't have the sweat equity time to do put your boots on the ground.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're not sure where to start, or you're a new business in town and who also came from out of town, then that's when conversations with some of the chamber members and some of the local marketing people can help shine a light on what the options are, and maybe you can find your heart that way.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: These things are very effective and I believe truly foundational.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_01: And from there you get more sophisticated.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: From there you level up.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: And when you have a partnership, you're not quiet about it.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's part of your marketing strategy.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_01: You're talking about it on social media, and guess what that does?
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_01: That highlights the good work of the organization that you're choosing to support.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that's marketing for them.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_01: That's where collaborations come into play.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, use people from the local market that helps build the authenticity of what you're doing.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: And there's so many choices.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love starting with aligning your values with someone or something, whether it's a charity, a local ambassador, a local influencer.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: Align your values and then take that partnership, like you said, make it public, make it social, and you're going to leverage the goodwill that that charity has in the community, that that local influencer has in that community, that media partner has in the community, because those people have potentially been in the community for years.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: You might be brand new on the scene, but if you can get them to endorse you in some way, partner with you, you know, vouch for you.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: I had a landscaper once come up to me and he said, brand new to Georgetown.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: I need help getting my first customer.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what I said to him?
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: I said, here's what I want you to do.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want you to think about what am I gonna get?
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to think about what are you gonna give.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to take this list ahead from my local list of charities.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: I said, I want you to take this list of charities that's called charities we love, and I want you to pick one.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then I want you to call them up and I want you to say, I'd like to come over and do some free landscaping work, you know, around your business so that I can, you know, help elevate the way that people see it when they drive by or walk by.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: And then I want you to talk about that in your social media.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: I want them to talk about that on their social media.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's how you take your first step forward is to have that givers gain mentality and not this like, I'm gonna sit back and wait for whatever I'm doing to bring me a customer.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like get in action and start serving.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_01: I couldn't agree with you more.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: You absolutely correct.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: And and it's those conversations come from coffee of the conversation.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: This is what we bring to the table, in my opinion.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: This is the most value that we have, is our knowledge of the area, our we're just like we can't help ourselves.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_01: We're constantly brainstorming.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I know that you operate kind of like I do in this way, and that is I can't help but put myself in their shoes.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I say to them frequently, you know, whomever I'm speaking with, if I was you, this is how I'd start and this is what I would do next, and this is what I would do next year.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: And and then oftentimes they say, Well, there's so much here.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: And I say, Well, let's talk every quarter, you know, like I'm I'm not going anywhere, you know, and I know it's more than someone can execute on immediately, but I want to be the one they come to when they're ready to do more, and I want to be able to be a solution provider.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I always say, if I can't solve that problem for you, I know someone who can.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: And so maintaining these conversations is excellent.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_01: I know, you know, I pretty much everyone who markets in the area.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: I their different areas of expertise.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_01: And and if I'm not the right gal for their solution, then I'm like, I know someone who is, I can send you over there.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know, so much good comes from that.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: And then also rehearls.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so when you're out there, you're authentically giving good advice.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_01: You're not just trying to sell something.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: People know, you know, people know that if you're just being salesy.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_01: And by the way, I don't nobody, I don't I don't want to behave that way in the community.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's not that's not who I am.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like I've earned my stripes over the many decades I've been in marketing so that hopefully it's authentic that I just really, you know, want to shine a light on what is available and for people to proceed with what feels right for them on the timing and the budget and the whole night.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: And they all, you know, thankfully I've I've managed to stay afloat.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: I think people come around, they are calling me when they're ready, and it's such a gift.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate and love all my clients so much.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_01: I can't tell you how exciting it is when your existing client calls you and they want to do that check-in and they want to sit down and do another brainstorming session because marketing moves so fast and the market as it continues to grow also moves so quickly.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so sometimes things that worked yesterday do not work right now.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: And we are always having to come back to the table and reassess.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_01: And it those conversations are really rewarding because I know they're listening, taking notes, and we're we're both working really hard to find the right group of ingredients for their recipe.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that's just really rewarding.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think we both share this desire to be seen in our community as a marketing expert first.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like come to us, ask us, we will help you, we will guide you.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_00: It has nothing to do with be local.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: Do we own be local?
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we do because we love it, we believe in it, but we're gonna be the first to tell you that you're not ready for be local.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: So let's pivot and talk about that.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_00: When you sit with somebody that says, hey, I think maybe I'm ready for be local.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_00: As the publisher of Be Local Richmond, what are you looking for?
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: Who's a good fit for you?
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: Who is not a good fit for you?
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_01: I'm looking for a business that's already getting some word of mouth that is established, that often depending on the appropriateness, if they have social media, they're actually filling, they're routinely posting something there.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: They know who their brand is and they're communicating it effectively.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_01: They need help with that, I can help them with that.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_01: But before they come into be local, they need to know who they are and be consistent with their messaging in the market.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_01: We also take a look at their URL and make sure it's working correctly, if it's up to date.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_01: And if they need help with that, once again, I can help.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: But that should come before be local because here's the issue.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_01: If you do buy into a branding campaign and you're saying, hey, give me a call, I'm your guy or your gal, or I'm your service, or I'm your facility, and then someone calls in and their systems aren't working or their message is inconsistent or they don't know who they are, their pricing isn't, you know, clear, then they need help getting those things correct.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: So when someone looks at them, they're ready to earn that client for life.
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_01: Because what what what is a real backfire is if they have someone give them a chance, but they're not ready for that incoming call, or they don't have their stuff dialed in and that person has a bad experience or gets inconsistent you know, so that we kind of kick around and make sure all that is ready.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then are they ready to do a branding campaign?
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I ask them have they already joined the chamber?
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: Have they thought about the local schools or sports sports leagues or charities?
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: Is there any area of opportunity there that is a one-time buy-in that could be rewarding for their business and help kind of build that foundation?
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then on that foundation, we add be local because guess what be local is?
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: Be local is helping them be in front of their next new client who's someone who doesn't know about.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a whole other segment of the population that's kind of over here.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: They have to know who they are before they can go introduce themselves to new people.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I have made the mistake of selling someone into be local too early, you know, um, when maybe some of those things weren't really uh ready and in place.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: And that could be frustrating on both sides of it, you know, because sometimes you meet someone who sells you on them and they say, I have great word of mouth, I've got all this stuff dialed up, you know, I'm doing all these things over here.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, you don't you give people what they ask for, then you know, you want to move forward, we can do it.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_01: But here's some things to think about.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_01: And then sometimes that can be just a frustrating experience.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I have to blame myself if that's happened from time to time because you know, I didn't see the signals or didn't pick up on it in time.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's definitely happened in the 35 years I've been telling me I've made that mistake.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, what comes with experience is experience.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm uh I'm getting better at seeing some of those red flags and knowing to hold off myself as enthusiastic as I get, you know, saying maybe the timing isn't right for this.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: But here, you know, when you get this lined up, let's visit again in three, six months and see if the timing is better.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and I know why you're so protective of your be local client base, because we know that we are the voice for those brands and that family of brands reflects on each other.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_00: So if we bring someone in that's maybe a not a good business, not going to do good business, it will reflect on the entire family of brands, right?
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I definitely get and appreciate that you're very careful about who you bring in and you know you have the courage to say, sounds like we're not a good fit right now.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to work on these three things over the next six months and let's revisit.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like that to me is doing good business, and I appreciate that about you.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you do let somebody come into the Be Local family.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_00: What do they expect?
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_00: What happens next and what should they expect?
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: Well, depending on how they're set up on their side, because oftentimes these businesses are small and so they don't have like a marketing team of their own, and they re rely on us to kind of help guide their hand on their visuals and how to introduce them to the community.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: So what we like to do is to talk to them about what their message is, how they'd like to introduce themselves to someone coming into the community.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_01: If they don't know, then we will make some suggestions based on their existing branding and what we see.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_01: And then we will come to terms on how to introduce them visually, and then we will introduce them on social media.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_01: We'll begin some collaborations there, inviting them to local events like the networking that I host with the chamber, you know, because they can anyone can come to those and rub shoulders.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_01: And so then that's an excellent place to spend some time as well.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: And then that monthly reminder that we're here, would they like to have sit down and reassess?
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: Would they like to talk about their campaign and their next goals so that they know that we're ready to engage as they're ready to add to their list of things.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_01: I just had a meeting this week actually with a gal who is trying to be more effective on the behalf of their offices for their professional service.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_01: And she was looking at, should we change the ad?
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what should what is the next thing we need to do?
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what we did is we unwound everything and then we realized that they weren't getting the max value out of some of their partnerships.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't fully executing.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_01: And so I said, I don't think there's anything wrong with the ad, like the visuals.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_01: We can look at changing them up, but but let's do this first.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_01: Let's take care of getting your full presence from these other partnerships.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_01: And let's and by the way, you haven't accepted the collaboration I just had with you on social media.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_01: So, like, here's the button to do that.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, sometimes you have to just unwind it, make it really simple, and then get back to the basics, and then you can relaunch yourself.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: Oftentimes, I also have to re-educate because even in the course of this conversation, we've said a lot.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_01: And anybody listening for the first time is gonna maybe have a couple takeaways that they're like, oh, that was worth a listen.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: I I got a couple cool things from that.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_01: But then there's a lot more there.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_01: And so in every conversation with every client I've ever had ever, um, they're like, Well, they're trying to record what I'm saying, they're taking notes, and I'm like, don't even don't worry about that.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like, take the few nuggets that are hitting you today, and then let's get back together in a minute.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_01: Because, you know, you can't, like I said, you can't fire on all these cylinders all the time.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_01: And so, and and don't try to, because then that's just a what do they say?
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, just make you frustrated.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: So staying in touch monthly, attending networking, visiting with the team, raising your hand when you have an event or something coming up, being proactive with your partner, as you mentioned, like engaging fully in that partnership.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I and the main thing is just not to be shy because if you don't know how something works, ask because we want you to know how it works.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, I don't mind if I need to explain it 10 times.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_01: And you can ask any of my clients.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: Some of them are like, I still don't get that.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, let me let me explain again.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like, let's get together and I'll show you.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I love podcasting because we get to have these really juicy conversations and we don't have to worry about taking notes or trying to remember because it lives now forever and you can listen again.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so I I I know people are probably taking lots of notes right now, and I'm so grateful for this conversation.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to dive into another project that you've started recently.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_00: I love how you see a problem or a pain in the market, and you're like, I don't know how to fix that.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_00: Why don't you tell me about Let's Go Local?
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_00: What was the what was the thing you saw in your community where the pain was, and how did you create the solution?
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I want people to see Be Local as a resource.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_01: And something we didn't have that I wanted, a little bell and a whistle that I wanted to add that I saw a need for was a community calendar and a place to share updates or big milestones profiles on awards, for example, press release from a business.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a woman and one of my clients actually designed a stamp.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_01: And where can we talk about things like this?
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_01: US stamp.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, so these are these are pla these are things that do not live in the pages of be local in the same way that it is a guide to the area, but it is evergreen.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's intended to be a consistent place for people who are unfamiliar with the area to come and as a resource guide and to see what are the restaurants in the area, what are local favorites and recommendations.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_01: This is the pages of be local, and there's the dog we knew was gonna mark.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I I just felt like I needed a place to react more quickly and put out information, for example, local events.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm partnered with the city, I'm partnered with the Chamber of Commerce, I'm partnered with many businesses who host events such as the Fort Vend Museum here in our area, and they have events happening every week at their facility.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_01: And does the community at large have an easy one stop shop place to go to get that information on what's happening?
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: Or to celebrate something like one of our community members just designed a US stand.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and so I uh built what's a URL called Let's Go Locals with an S.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_01: And right now it's in my territory and it's soon to launch in a couple of other territories.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a place where community members can add their events, what's happening in their community that's open to the community and put in the pertinent information, whether it's a farmer's market, a pecan festival, a fall festival, a trunk or treat for school.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's a place where schools can get their information out about what's happening on in their facility grounds, what their fundraisers are, what the local charity fundraisers and gay lists are.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_01: And then there's a PR area where a local charity can ask for sponsors, can highlight, hey, here's the theme for our upcoming annual banquet, and so to get the news out.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_01: So once again, going back to AI, being present in more places, talking about these things that are so important, it is going to be seen more.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_01: And so we didn't have something like that here.
• 45:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so I built it with a buddy and uh offered it to the city and they've integrated it into their URL.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_01: And it's now a place the community can add their events, and we can add events that we see happening and with our partners, now partners can add events, and it's a resource that lives online that's current.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_01: And it's uh it's something that if something needed to be added for this weekend, I could get on there in a minute and add it.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_01: So we're not waiting for we don't need to change the scope of the evergreen community guide.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_01: We can use this as a partner to to our magazine, and it's uh a compliment.
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_00: I love that so much.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_00: We might have to bring that to Georgetown.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: We have a social media post that goes out every Thursday at noon called This Weekend in Georgetown.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_00: And my staff takes like two weeks to canvas the web and try to collect what's going on in this particular three or four day period every week.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_00: It is our biggest content.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_00: So the demand for knowing what's going on is huge.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not all centralized in Facebook.
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like we're scraping the chamber, we're scraping all of our charities, we're scraping all of our city partners, the tourism bureau, we're scraping, we're scraping Facebook, we're scraping anybody that's out there saying, come to my event, and then we're trying to rank them in order of impact.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like what events are going to give the biggest impact?
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is it a citywide festival?
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna promote the dentist having popsicle day for their clients and it's a public event, come by and see the dentist.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm not gonna promote that.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_00: But it sounds like in Let's Go Local, maybe they could promote that themselves.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_00: Is that right?
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_01: They can.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that's the beauty of it because we're not we're not making any assessments of what's happening.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_01: We're just telling people, here's what's happening.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_01: And people are telling each other, here's what's happening, come check us out.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_01: And everyone wants to make their own decisions.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_01: Some things are paid, some things are complimentary to the community.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, and honestly, like that's part of the problem with the charities and the small businesses is they don't have a big megaphone.
• 47:11
  SPEAKER_01: And we were spending a lot of time on social media trying to repackage what's happening in the area.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: But social media and is so noisy that if someone was trying to have a quick route to what if what should I do this weekend?
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_01: I got the kids after all, or whatever's going on.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: My in-laws are in town, I need to entertain them.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_01: What's happening in the area?
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we've all seen these types of posts in moms groups on social media, and there's so much noise in there, it's hard to kind of boil it down and find what you need.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I thought maybe this could be a solution.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so we launched it in June and it's it's been well adopted and it's growing, you know, every day.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_01: But I think that also people often they're afraid to interact with something new because they think there's gonna be a C or there's gonna be someone chasing them.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_01: And that's that's been a little bit of a a learning curve with me in the community telling people, hey, I built this so that you can use this because people want to know what's going on with your business or your charity.
• 48:06
  SPEAKER_01: Please put out your own press releases, package, you know, and I'll help you curate, but I I can't do it for the whole area.
• 48:14
  SPEAKER_01: I need also everyone to please use this free resource.
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_01: So that's been um an education curve that I've been leaning against since June.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_01: And it so far so good.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_01: But I but it's definitely being embraced by the community as a new resource.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I had written down earlier, you said the word undeniable.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like I it's clear to me that you are building a media force, a media presence in your community that is undeniable between the be local brand.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, let's recap for people that maybe aren't as familiar with be local.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_00: Be local is going to give you an impression in a printed guide.
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna give you an impression on a website, a preferred partner page with your logo and a hot link back to your website.
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna give you an impression on a mobile phone through our extended reach program, it's gonna give you an impression through a trusted local connection with your publisher talking about you in a networking event, and it's gonna give you an impression on social.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_00: So one partnership with your local be local area director can give you six impressions.
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_00: So if it is true that it takes 20 impressions for someone to know, like, and trust you, you're getting six just from be local.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a really nice one-stop shop.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_01: If you've got the foundation for it, it makes a lot of sense as the next best thing because every business doesn't matter how well established, doesn't matter how long they've been around, every business suffers attrition when people move out of the marketplace, no longer need or want their services for a variety of reasons.
• 49:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so every business is interested in who's coming into the market because that's their next best client.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_01: So that's always an excellent target demographic.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_01: And this medium in our program is just so beautifully packaged to hit that audience and then some.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_01: And that and then some is what we've been talking about for however many minutes.
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's the most exciting part because it can it takes on a mirror to the community that it's in.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what are the needs of that community?
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's what we're here for, to see those and to kind of take what we bring to the table and to make it work in that community.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_01: And and that's the fun part.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what we are talking about almost daily.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_01: Together and with our community.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and one of the things I'd love for you to talk about, Liz, is the impact that you have seen your efforts make on your community, be local specifically, the community connections you've made, the events you've run, the social media you post, the let's go locals community calendar that you've created.
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like, tell me some stories of the people that you have impacted and how that is, you know, raising the tide that lifts all boats in Richmond.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I I know that I have quite a few clients who've been with me since I moved here, since I started here.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_01: And they just say, you know, the conversations with you, having you as the eyes and ears in the community that I can have coffee with and kind of boil that down since I'm not doing that.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_01: That alone has been, you know, just worth every effort of, you know, having this as a line item in my marketing budget because that brings all the value.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_01: And then everything else just feels like gravy.
• 51:21
  SPEAKER_01: So I get that kind of comment from time to time.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_01: And then just having more professionals taking a look at the creative or having the extended, because I I often say, and this is how I behave, is that I'm an extension of your business in the community.
• 51:38
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not like if someone is asking for a referral, I will provide them with a lot of information about options in the community because I'm aware of a lot that's going on in the community.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not like I just say, well, this is the one and only choice because they're advertising to me.
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_01: That is not how it really works in the real world.
• 51:56
  SPEAKER_01: I say, here's a couple of different options and here's why you might like this one and that one and this one and that one.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_01: And um, I'll tell you actually a great story of a non-traditional category of e-local, but I think it illustrates what e local is more than really anything else.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that is I have a realtor who advertises in my v local.
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_01: And most of the time, that is a that doesn't seem to fit.
• 52:18
  SPEAKER_01: That seems like a square into a circle hole.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like that doesn't work.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_01: Why is there a realtor in your book?
• 52:24
  SPEAKER_01: And not not every realtor would make sense to go into a v-local, but in this case, it's a well-established realtor who isn't necessarily looking for someone receiving v local today who just closed on their home to give her a call to sell their home.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_01: That's not exactly how she's looking at this relationship.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_01: She's instead looking at it as an opportunity to brand herself in front of the community at large as the local expert.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_01: And so she wants to be a resource for someone when their timing is right, and she wants to be a known kind of household name.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_01: And so, how can she get into every home in the community, especially the quickly growing community, especially a community where someone just closed on a home and has an existing relationship?
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_01: How can she make sure that she's seen as a well-established, longtime partner to this community to be local?
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_01: And so she's been with me since I started in the space.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_01: And she says to me, you know, Liz, I was at such and such coffee shop.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_01: I was at such and such meeting, and someone said, I recognize you.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think I've seen you in that magazine because we distribute strategically around town in car dealership lobbies, coffee shop, you know, not just new movers, we go straight into their mailbox, but we are also a strategic distribution.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so our partners are being seen in all of these places, and that's what you want.
• 53:40
  SPEAKER_01: You want someone to already kind of have that familiarity with someone.
• 53:44
  SPEAKER_01: And if they have questions, feel comfortable.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_01: You've already been in their home.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_01: So anyway, she was like, You're just part of my foundational marketing because I want to be the gorilla in that area as best I can.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_01: I want to be the known resource.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so I have quite a few businesses who feel that way and know that someone moving into the area is is always a potential opportunity for their business.
• 54:06
  SPEAKER_01: And so they just kind of want to stay there.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they don't know where to go, what to do, who to trust.
• 54:12
  SPEAKER_00: So that's your moment, right?
• 54:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it it's nice when as a business owner, you're not the only one talking about yourself.
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_01: You want someone else to talk about you.
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so be local can do that um for our partners.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_01: We're here to highlight them and so they're not the only one who's talking about themselves on social media.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_01: We're talking about them on social media, and we're talking about them in the pages of our magazine, and we're talking about them when we're networking in person in the community.
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so making connections, introducing people that could complement each other or do collaborations together.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's another one of my very fun tricks is going, oh, I hey Susie Q, you need to know Johnny, Johnny over here.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like you guys would make a great collaboration.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then just helping them see that opportunity.
• 55:03
  SPEAKER_01: And once again, people sometimes can feel shy.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like they don't want to raise their hand and be like, oh, use me over here.
• 55:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so I kind of facilitate that opportunity so people can see each other and see the opportunities of working together better.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_00: I hope as people are listening to our show that they're seeing and understanding that a be local area director is not a salesperson of a print ad.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_00: A be local area director is someone who loves their community, someone who shows up to serve, someone who connects other people, someone who leads, someone who gives back.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that that's that's special.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that about you.
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that the the business owners that are listening, if they will go look and see if there's a be local in their area, you can go to belocalpub.com and see if there's a be local in your area.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_00: Go talk to that be local area director and see how they can help you build your brand and your community and connect with people.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_00: Liz, before we wrap, is there any final thoughts that you'd like to share?
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I will also share, we are a nationwide company.
• 56:01
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're looking for one of our resources and you're not sure what all is available in your neck of the woods, any of us, any of our the franchise owners with N2 Company can help plug you into the local resources in your area and guide you in that process.
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_01: So if someone's listening, they're not sure where to start, but they feel like they know you, Lara, from this podcast, or they feel like they know one of your guests, or they just think they jive with that personality that was just displayed, then absolutely reach out.
• 56:28
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, our information is in the ether and uh we thrive on making connections and helping people kind of come bring their marketing to the next level.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so don't be shy to inquire with one of us.
• 56:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's never a trouble.
• 56:42
  SPEAKER_01: Whether you're in our market or out of our market, we um welcome the call.
• 56:46
  SPEAKER_01: So don't be shy.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Liz, this has been such a great conversation.
• 56:50
  SPEAKER_00: And to everyone listening, um, I think one of the big takeaways from today is to remember that good marketing starts with an understanding that it's a system.
• 56:59
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of options, and it's your job to understand how to put first things first for your own business.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_00: You do not have to do everything.
• 57:07
  SPEAKER_00: You just need to make thoughtful choices about where your time, energy, and dollars are going.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_00: And we can help you with that as marketing consultants.
• 57:15
  SPEAKER_00: Remember what Liz said.
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_00: She said information is power.
• 57:18
  SPEAKER_00: And the more you understand your marketing, the more equipped you are to build your disability, earn trust, and become that business that people choose when they are ready to buy.
• 57:27
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Liz, and thanks for listening to The Locally Loved by Far.
• 57:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining us for The Locally Loved.
• 57:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, give us a review, and share it with someone who cares about building thriving communities as much as we do.
• 57:42
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, love where you live.