EP 04: How does a Nurtured Brand Audience lead to Conversion? – TOP 3 BRAND ADVICE W/ WAVE WYLD (+BONUS TIK TOK TIPS)

EP 04: How does a Nurtured Brand Audience lead to Conversion? – TOP 3 BRAND ADVICE W/ WAVE WYLD (+BONUS TIK TOK TIPS)

 

TRANSCRIPTION: 

First tip: 0:03:47.1

Second tip: 0:10:32.5

Third tip: 0:16:21.6

 

[0:00:00.0] Wave: The whole purpose of putting out content is to attract people, so you have to remember that after you attract people, then you need to nurture them. That is where that conversion is going to come in.

 

[0:00:15.5] Peggy: You’re listening to the Branding Gems podcast, a podcast that’s not just interviews and conversations. It’s to bring you guys the best of the best women in branding and business to answer this question: What are your top three valuable tips and lessons that you learned along the way? And then, we discuss it. To fuel your passion-filled lifestyle business, I promise to bring you the best of the best women in branding and business and together, we can grow and learn from the extracted advice that they provide. I’m Peggy Bree, and let’s get growing!

 

Hi, guys! Before we get started, I just wanted to remind you that if you haven’t already, please follow this podcast on Spotify and rate it on Apple. That would be greatly appreciated. Again, I really want to lift up more and more voices from different women around the world and to really support them in what they do, and I would appreciate your support in this podcast in doing so. So thank you so much and you’re in for a sweet treat! My goodness, this guest is amazing, so stay tuned.

 

Hey! Welcome back to another episode of Branding Gems. I’m so excited to be growing this all together with you because I cannot do this on my own. My hope is to share each other’s advice and to collect all these best advices together and see how far we can do this. Today, we have a very knowledgeable guest to share her advice to help you get better at what you do. Wave Wyld is a personal brand coach and TikTok marketing expert. She works with entrepreneurs to create a memorable personal brand so that they can feel confident and attract dream clients. Wave is passionate about organic social media marketing, entrepreneurship, and TikTok. She built a following of over 100 thousand in 6 months, and now she shares her knowledge with others so that they can grow their personal brand and monetize their accounts. Welcome to this podcast, Wave!

 

[0:02:31.2] Wave: Thank you so much for having me! I’m so excited to be here.

 

[0:02:35.8] Peggy: Yeah, it’s amazing to see how much you’ve grown since the last time we connected and talked, and that you found so much tips and tricks in this large scape of internet and TikTok world.

 

[0:02:48.8] Wave: Yes, I actually did do a bit of a quick pivot when COVID began because of the nature of my business before, which was photography, and it just made sense for me to get onto TikTok because I was already teaching organic social media strategy to my personal brand clients, and I just saw so much potential there to use it as a social media marketing tool, just like you would use Instagram or Facebook or Pinterest, or whatever it is.

 

[0:03:19.0] Peggy: Hmm. I love that you’re able to find this platform to better suit the way that you wanted to continue with your business and your brand, and that you were able to grow so much in it and thrive so much.

 

[0:03:33.3] Wave: Thank you. Yeah, I’ve totally become obsessed with it and yeah, it’s such a big part of my business now.

 

[0:03:41.0] Peggy: Yes, so let’s dive right in. What are your top three tips on branding and business? And let’s start with number one.

 

[0:03:47.1] Wave: Yeah, so number one is just a reminder that marketing is not just posting on social media. I did mention that I do teach organic social media strategy to my personal brand clients, so it’s easy for me to forget that marketing is more than just posting on social media, right? So remember that your marketing plan can include other things too, like speaking gigs, whether that is online summits or conferences or podcasts. Other things like PR and media exposure – that’s TV, radio, print – and then collaborations. I’m so, so big on collaborating with other people. And then, of course, you have things like paid ads and social media, as we’ve discussed. But I can just talk about collaborations a little bit more. I have a few tips there, but I like to think of it as an energy exchange, right? So you want to find people who share the same audience as you and build a relationship. And so, there are multiple ways that you can collaborate with people. We have seen a lot of the shouting each other out on Instagram, but there’s so much more than that. You can collaborate with doing giveaways. You can speak in other’s Facebook groups. You can promo each other in each other’s email list or even Clubhouse events. I’m all about Clubhouse now as well. It’s gotten really popular in the last few weeks, and it is so, so big for collaborations and networking. So there’s really endless ideas that you can come up with and get really creative with. So just overall remembering that, again, posting on social media is not always enough visibility for you or where you are in your business or your brand, so there are other ways to gain visibility too.

 

[0:05:34.6] Peggy: Mm-hmm. I love that, and I love that you’re all about organically building your audience in that way and that in doing so, you have a loyal audience for your brand and business. And actually, when it comes to all these speaking gigs and podcasting and collaborations and such, which one do you think has contributed the most to your brand’s visibility?

 

[0:06:03.1] Wave: I would say collaborations is definitely the one that’s most underused and people don’t think about. And maybe it’s because people are not over that, they feel like it’s competition or that mindset, but really, it is community over competition, right? That’s what we say – community over competition. There’s so much power to expand your audience through someone else’s network. And like I said, thinking of it as an energy exchange, so this is why, I recommend, if you are not on Clubhouse and you are a business owner and an entrepreneur, you should get on Clubhouse right now. It’s an amazing, amazing app for the possibilities of collaborating. There are many six-, seven-, eight-figure entrepreneurs on the app right now who are hosting rooms and giving value, so much value for free, and you can learn so much, and you have the opportunity to engage with these people one on one. As we know, Clubhouse, it’s all audio through chatrooms, and so while you’re in someone’s event or they’re speaking, you can raise your hand and you can request to speak to that person one on one and ask your question or whatever that may be, which gives you amazing potential and possibility to connect with someone and to start building that relationship.

 

[0:07:24.9] Peggy: Mm-hmm. That’s awesome. So do you have any collaborations and instances that have happened within Clubhouse that have helped with your brand’s visibility the most?

 

[0:07:37.5] Wave: So recently, I saw some other, what they’re called Clubhouses, who were hosting TikTok talks, like how to grow on TikTok sort of thing. So what I did was I just sent a DM to the person hosting that room, and now that person does have a much larger following than me. They are an entertainment account, they’re an entertainer, a public figure, and they have over a million followers, so it was a little bit intimidating to reach out to them, but I did and just said, “I would really be interested in speaking on your panel and participating. I’d love to offer some value and share my knowledge.” And so, yeah, I went to the event and raised my hand and they welcomed me in, invited me as a panel member, and I got to start building my relationship with this other large content creator. We can collaborate with each other, which I think is really, really important for me also to get recognized as a larger content creator too and be recognized by these other larger content creators.

 

[0:08:45.9] Peggy: Ooh, I love that! That’s exciting! So when it comes to reaching out to people without sounding so salesy and that you generally want to be in a relationship with them, what is your best approach in doing so?

 

[0:09:01.7] Wave: Be really clear on what your intentions are and you want to come from a place of serving and helping. It’s not about the opportunity to promote yourself, so I would say the tip is to share what you can bring to the table, what you can help with, and why that is a value.

 

[0:09:26.6] Peggy: Yeah, that’s so true. It’s really important that you’re not just taking from the other person but you’re also sharing each other’s values and what you guys can put out in the world together because that really is what collaborating is. It’s really to help each other grow in that way. There’s no competition in that. It’s to help each other grow, to see how far you guys can help each other grow. And that’s one for the realest relationships that it’s so important that people don’t forget about. I love that.

 

[0:09:57.2] Wave: Exactly, exactly. And you definitely want to align with people who have those similar values.

 

[0:10:03.7] Peggy: Oh, 100%! It’s true because the ones that align with the same values as you and are on the same page, you’ll end up seeing each other more in different spaces and platforms, and the community just grows and grows, and the relationships within it grow and grow, so it is so true.

 

[0:10:26.6] Wave: Exactly.

 

[0:10:27.5] Peggy: Okay. What is your second tip in branding and business?

 

[0:10:32.5] Wave: Mm-hmm. Tip number two is a personal brand tip. So when you are marketing in the online space, a part of building your personal brand is sharing your story, and that is so, so important, right? It’s what makes you you, it’s what helps you stand out from others in your area of expertise, but I think that the thing most people forget is that you want to share a story that relates to your ideal client’s pain points. So we all have many, many stories but we don’t need to tell all of them, especially if they don’t relate to your services or your offers. So for example, I spent four years backpacking around the world when I was in my 20’s, but I don’t actually talk about it a lot. Not a lot of people know that about me because it’s not a part of my core messages, and it doesn’t really have a lot to do with what my ideal client struggles with. Maybe I could get really creative and think about a certain situation or something, but really, your ideal client needs to feel understood by you. They need to know that you have overcome something related to what they need help with. When I work with clients, I try to keep these brand stories to three – three core stories or messages. One of them is usually an origin story, so that’s how they got where they are today. And then two others are related to what you offer and what you help with, and then all three of them should be related to your ideal audience, right? You want to be creating commonalities with your ideal client and you want to be relating to those pain points.

 

[0:12:08.7] Peggy: Mm-hmm. Feel free to share a pain point that your brand’s core value covers.

 

[0:12:14.9] Wave: Yeah, so I can share one in my previous business, which was personal brand photography. So a lot of the women I have photographed over the years don’t feel comfortable on camera. That’s a very common pain point. They don’t know what to do with their bodies. They feel very awkward. So I would talk about my journey, my struggles and challenges with low self-esteem when I was younger and how I became more confident on camera. That was my main story to help people realize that I can help them feel more comfortable in front of the camera, that it’s not that hard. I’m going to be there with them to make them feel amazing. It’s going to be a fun experience and that they’re just going to love every minute of it because I’m going to help them bring out their inner supermodels. And we all have one. It’s all in there deep down inside, but I will help you bring that on your photoshoot day.

 

[0:13:14.4] Peggy: Mm-hmm. I love that. I absolutely love that because even if it’s just a small vulnerability to your story, but it really is true to you and it really shows that you understand what that pain point really is, not just shouting a pain point in itself. But you really are connecting with the client and that you’re really sharing that type of bond and relationship, and that you’ll be able to help them with the service that you do, which was photography, so I absolutely love that.

 

[0:13:45.2] Wave: Exactly.

 

[0:13:46.9] Peggy: So when it comes to somebody who perhaps has so many different topics of interest, how would you fit that all into your brand and narrow it down in that way?

 

[0:14:02.4] Wave: Yeah, so as I mentioned, I try to keep the brand stories to three – three core stories or messages – and you would share these on a fairly regular basis so that you become known for that. So it is okay, once a while, to do like five fun facts about me and maybe talk about what your favorite book is or what TV Netflix show you’re obsessed with, something like that, but in general, you want to be really consistent with telling these three core stories so that it’s what you become known for. So an example I will give you from another entrepreneur that I noticed who did this was Jenna Kutcher. So she also was a photographer back in the day. It’s not something that she offers now, but she would consistently tell the story about how she got started as a photographer and how she felt impostor syndrome because she didn’t take any formal training and she bought this camera off of Craigslist for $300. And she told this story multiple times. I would see it in her Instagram feed, that type of thing, but she would tell it a little bit differently every time, so it’s not the exact same wording, right? Great marketers know how to say the same thing hundreds of different ways. And that’s how she would attract other female entrepreneurs, right? It’s that, “Just go out and do it!” Right? You can do it. Go for your dreams. Don’t let anything hold you back. That’s the overall message of her story, and that’s like, “Oh yeah, she’s that girl who bought a $300 camera on Craigslist. She did it. Look how amazing she is. I can do it too” kind of thing. So that’s what I mean by staying consistent with your three core stories.

 

[0:15:51.2] Peggy: I love that. I love that even as the brand or business evolves, that core story or message will never change because it’s authentic, it’s real, and that it has happened. So even if your brand is evolving, your business is evolving, you’re still always going to have that story because it was a truth, it was real, and it will only keep being that way and continuing because it’s a part of it, right? 

 

[0:16:16.9] Wave: Yeah, exactly.

 

[0:16:19.1] Peggy: So what would you say is your final tip?

 

[0:16:21.6] Wave: Yeah! So my final tip is to get good at creating content that converts, or hire someone to do it. But [laughter] usually, when we’re starting out our businesses, that’s not something we typically outsource, right? And so much of your marketing efforts is going to be what we call content marketing, putting out content on various platforms to attract an audience to us. And there are many different types of content, right? There’s infographics, videos, audio, podcasts, photos, articles, ebooks – it’s endless, the different types of content. So it’s really good to get good at creating content, like I said, that converts because I see people who put out so much content, but then I wonder, “Is it converting for them? Are they getting a return on that investment, spending all that time?” So I feel like going into business is kind of like being a content creator. We receive thousands, millions of messages a day, and content creation skills are not something that we learn in school, and I especially see this on TikTok. People have no idea how to make a piece of content that hooks viewers in and has a message, right? And the hook is becoming more crucial than ever. You have to grab attention in the first three seconds in your Instagram post, your TikTok, your blog, whatever it is. So you got to practice coming up with good hooks, and some of the basics that have helped me with content creation skills is learning copywriting, copywriting tips and skills. That is so huge because it’s words that generally do attract people. And then using tools, like we all know how great Canva is to save time. The other thing is that, the beauty is that everything can be done on our phones now. Your content doesn’t need to be super polished or overproduced anymore. I mean, if you want to be editing in Final Cut or Adobe Premiere, you can for sure if that’s your jam. But you can do things, you can just film and edit it on your phone too. So really learning also those basics of video editing, how to use those video editing apps and tools, tricks of video editing, and the basic rules of photography are going to help if you’re creating your own photos. So that will overall just really help to improve your content.

 

[0:18:51.5] Peggy: Mm-hmm. So specifically for TikTok, how does one use a hook in that content on this platform?

 

[0:18:58.6] Wave: Yeah. Well, specifically for TikTok, I say that there are four different hooks. You have text hooks, so that’s in copy. You have dynamic movement, so that is when the subject is moving in the first three seconds. Then you have camera movement, that’s when the camera is zooming in or zooming out on something in the first three seconds. You can use a verbal hook, so an example of a verbal hook is like a countdown, so if someone’s saying, “Three, two, one,” that is going to be like, “Whoa! What’s going on? Something’s going to happen.”

 

[0:19:34.9] Peggy: Yeah, I love that. It’s so interesting because even if you’re using photography to hook people in, it’s really that first initial, I would say, maybe 10 seconds that really draws people in, so it needs to be something that is captivating that first impression. So the rules that apply for TikTok, having that text hook, the dynamic movement, and camera movement, those are all such great tactics for capturing one’s first impression to go in. I love that.

 

[0:20:03.5] Wave: Mm-hmm. And before you post content, you want to answer a few questions like, “Does this piece of content add value? Is it in alignment with my brand? Does it help me stand out, or is it just repeating what everybody else is doing?”

 

[0:20:22.5] Peggy: Mm-hmm. So what is your biggest tip in standing out if it’s in similar niches, to what everyone else is doing?

 

[0:20:32.2] Wave: Well, that’s where you have to really, really find your own voice. And finding your own voice and what helps you stand out from everyone else. I also really want to say that short-form video content is super popular. Every social media app in 2020 incorporated into their apps, YouTube incorporated shorts, Instagram has reels, Twitter came up with Fleets. Short-form video is dominating. We know how popular TikTok is, so if that is not something that you are doing in your marketing, you got to start making short-form video content. It’s the future of marketing. It’s easy to consume. It can be entertaining and educational. It showcases your personality. It helps to immediately build trust, and it’s easy to hook people in, doing short-form video. So that can be one way that you stand out from other people, is still using short-form video, but the way that you can hook people.

 

[0:21:36.0] Peggy: Mm-hmm, exactly. It’s so true. So when it comes to converting people through these videos, through content, what is your top tip in doing that?

 

[0:21:45.1] Wave: The whole purpose of putting out content is to attract people, so you have to remember that after you attract people, then you need to nurture them. So that is where that conversion is going to come in. So nurturing them by engaging, inviting them, inviting them to wherever you can continue to nurture them. If you have a Facebook group or to sign up for your email newsletter by using your lead magnet, so to anywhere where you can continue to nurture and build that relationship. That is where I find more of that conversion takes place. I mean, I can think of specific examples where I’ve done that [laughter], but a big part of my TikTok is driving people to my Facebook group. So I have made TikToks about that, about teasing my lead magnet and what the benefits are of that lead magnet. And by doing that in a really fun and entertaining way and that I grabbed attention, I’ve been able to encourage people to sign up for my lead magnet and into my Facebook group, which I’ve grown to I think about 1,700 on my email list in 6 months and 1,600 in the Facebook group, which is an amazing community. And I love it in there, lots of great people.

 

[0:23:16.8] Peggy: I love that! So for community groups, especially for Facebook, how would one maintain it so that it becomes continual and ongoing with an appropriate value for the person to stay and be in?

 

[0:23:35.3] Wave: Yeah, when it comes to a Facebook group, yeah, you have to think about, “What is the value that they’re going to get from joining there?” And so yeah, you should specifically be thinking about those goals when you build your Facebook group. So for myself, it’s community, it’s like a support group because a lot of people on TikTok get overwhelmed or frustrated. There is a bit of a learning curve on TikTok, so I do offer a free course in there on how to use the platform, and so there is value there. And then I also go live in my Facebook group too for Q&As and account reviews, so lots and lots of value where I can continue to nurture and build those relationships.

 

[0:24:24.1] Peggy: Mmm. That’s so good! There are so many ways to nurture people once you track them in with these magnets, so to speak, so it’s so cool that there are so many different ways that one can really harvest that relationship with each other and provide value for that, and that’s so amazing.

 

[0:24:45.6] Wave: Mm-hmm.

 

[0:24:46.5] Peggy: So out of everything that you do, which is marketing and TikTok and such, what is the underlying passion for all of that?

 

[0:24:57.5] Wave: I would say it’s still organic social media marketing, but I am so big on TikTok because it has the most organic reach out of any other platform right now. There are, I will admit, some times when it feels like we’re losing it, but if you compare it to other platforms, nobody else can beat TikTok in its reach and the amount of exposure you can get, the amount of eyeballs you can get on your content, and how fast you can build a following. And it’s so powerful, I have seen it change lives.

 

[0:25:34.3] Peggy: Mm-hmm. It is such a powerful tool and platform. So actually, as a bonus for this episode, what is your advice for people who are new users looking to get into TikTok and for people who are just struggling with that growth and they don’t see any growth and they’re in this plateau of no growth?

 

[0:25:59.7] Wave: Yeah. For sure, the first thing you want to do when you get on TikTok is research. Not enough people do this research. Spend some time consuming content. Find and see if your competition is on TikTok. You can do this the same way as Instagram by searching hashtags, and then go study their content and learn how they’re creating content that is getting views and likes, how they’re growing their page. What I mean by that is pay attention to how long their videos are, what hashtags they’re using, what sounds they’re using, what things they’re saying that is communicating a message, what is working for them and what’s not working for them. Those are just a few of the things that you can pay attention to to help you learn how you can improve your own content. And then you want to brainstorm and think about, “Okay, so what can I share, how can I use that for inspiration?” You don’t want to copy anybody else’s content word for word, but use it as inspiration, and what can you share? How can you put your own unique spin on it? How can you add to it, improve it, make it better, make it more fun, more entertaining? Can you add a trending effect to it? Can you add more information to it? That type of thing, so spend the time doing that. It’s really, really worth it and going to improve the type of content that you put out so that you can grow, start to build a following there.

 

[0:27:30.3] Peggy: Mm-hmm, so true. It really is. I think they love new users the most, which I sometimes wonder if it’s because they want to attract new users to their platform, but who knows? That’s the beauty of TikTok. So for people who are stuck in that mindset of not knowing what to do next when they reach that plateau, what are some of the advice that you have for them so that they don’t feel so stuck?

 

[0:27:58.6] Wave: Okay, so if you have plateaued or you’re stuck, you need to do a deep dive into your analytics [laughter]. I know that people don’t always like to get into the numbers or do the math or that type of thing, but your analytics are going to tell you so, so much. What content is performing? Why is it performing? What content is not performing? Why? You can tell by looking at your watch time, by looking at the amount of engagement you could get, by looking at what time things are doing better. Was it a trending sound or effects that you were using that made it popular? Why did this video go viral or why not? And then, so that’s what’s going to give you information, and then you have to experiment. The app is just really built around content [laughter] and how people engage with it. So it really comes down to improving, finding a way to improve your content. Maybe you just need to switch things up a little bit. Those are things that are going to help get you unstuck.

 

[0:29:04.8] Peggy: Love that. I love that it’s always going to be about growth, that even when you have moments to pause, there are so, so many ways to grow from that. And in those moments to pause, to look back at what worked before and looking at those analytics will really help propel you to keep moving forward, and that’s such a good reminder.

 

[0:29:25.4] Wave: Mm-hmm.

 

[0:29:26.4] Peggy: Amazing! Thank you so much for being a guest. I’m really excited to have you here and you dropped such amazing tips that are so practical. And not only that, but instead of just saying “content”, you list out all the different types of content that one can do. I love how detailed and how breaking it down you are, so thank you!

 

[0:29:48.2] Wave: Yeah, thank you.

 

[0:29:49.7] Peggy: So what’s next for you? What is going on in your business?

 

[0:29:52.7] Wave: Mm-hmm. So I have some courses launching at the end of the month, so you can check out my website for that. It’s just www.wavewyld.com, so I am really, really focusing on building a brand on TikTok. I think that it is so key, it is so important because there is a lot of competition for attention there that you build a personal brand on your TikTok or your business brand, so that you can stand out because that is the secret. That really is the secret [laughter] to TikTok, so that is what that course focuses on. And then, we’ll be launching group coaching in the Spring. Yeah, so you can continue to just join me on TikTok or Instagram. My name, @wavewyld, and yeah, get into the Facebook group because we have a lot of fun in there. It’s a very active group. I’m in there a lot, answering questions. Like I said, there’s the free course and doing Q&As and account reviews. We have lots of contests as well.

 

[0:31:02.0] Peggy: Mm-hmm. Exciting! Everyone, definitely go check out Wave. She’s amazing. She really is so knowledgeable, even in the short time on this podcast. She just is a knowledgeable person, so wherever you find her on these other platforms, you know that you’re going to get as much knowledge as you got in this podcast, but more. So that’s exciting!

 

[0:31:23.9] Wave: Thank you.

 

[0:31:25.0] Peggy: And thank you so much for being on as a guest again, and your top three advice were amazing. And then we’ll sign off.

 

Last note: If you guys got anything out of this and any of the tips that were shared here, make sure to screenshot it and tag me @peggybree and @blankroomdesign. I’ll be sure to reshare you. And also tag Wave because she’s amazing, so tag her @wavewyld, and I appreciate you guys. Thank you again, and I’ll talk to you soon!

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• • INSTAGRAM/FACEBOOK: @blankroomdesign
    WEB: brandinggems.com
  • GUEST:  Wave Wyld
    Business: Web /  Instagram / TikTok / Clubhouse: WaveWyld
  • HOST: Peggy Bree
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