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In this episode, Sonja Crystal Williams, host of 10 Minute Marketing shares the purpose behind the relaunch of our podcast.

Sonja discusses launching the podcast out of a desire to really help entrepreneurs. Episodes in this podcast will includes interviews with business owners from all over the world from different walks of life, different experiences, and totally different types of businesses.

Sonja also shares details about some of her upcoming episodes that will feature live coaching calls that help marketers and entrepreneurs explore how they can improve their online market efforts, where they hit plateaus, and where they have opportunities to improve their online brand or visibility. 

Each episode of this podcast is meant to be short and sweet with episodes around 10-20 minutes. We hope you enjoy this podcast and get a ton out of it to grow your business.

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In this episode, Sonja unravels the world of metrics like ad relevance and cost per click that play a crucial role in assessing your Facebook ad campaign's success. She also underlines the importance of not merely guessing, but setting up proper conversion tracking. Moreover, Sonja will guide you on setting up your Facebook Pixel for more accurate tracking. We also stress the significance of consistently growing your audience and tailoring ads that generate leads and heighten your brand awareness. So plug in, it’s time to discover if your Facebook ads are an actual investment or major expense for your business.

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At some point in your business, especially if you run an online store or brick-and-mortar business, you're likely to get positive reviews. However, with the positive reviews can come negative reviews and it's important to know how to react as a business. In this episode, Sonja and Kylie address the do's and don'ts when you get bad reviews or negative comments on your social media posts.

While marketing and social media can heavily influence the growth of your business, nothing replaces word-of-mouth marketing. We always like to think about reviews as a hybrid of both. It's something that lives online; but it is, in a sense, word-of-mouth marketing, because it's an opportunity for people to share their thoughts and their opinion with others.

According to recent statistics, 80% of people trust peer recommendations. If your business has reviews and you sell your products through your website or on Amazon, consumers are going to pay attention to the reviews that other people are writing about your product. Service-based businesses aren’t excluded in this either -- the same thing can happen. There are a ton of services out there like Trustpilot and Yotpo that will handle service-based reviews.

Monitoring reviews is a huge must. So, here is a short checklist that can help you handle bad reviews or comments. 

Handling Bad Reviews Checklist

#1: Take negative reviews seriously.

#2: Respond right away.

#3: Take the conversation offline.

#4: Request reviews be removed if they violate terms.

#5: Encourage customer reviews regularly.

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Hashtags are great and can truly help your content get categorized when it comes to posting on social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. 

In this episode, Sonja breaks down a few key steps required to get your brand visibility.

1. Research hashtags (8:54). Figure out which ones are trending, which ones are popular, and which ones are overused. 
2. Build out your own hashtag hitlist (9:46). Come up with a list of 25 to 30 hashtags that you want to use, that are relevant to your business product or service, that are searchable by your consumer or your audience. Not just the hashtags you think are good and associated, but ones your consumer would use, do research related to, or even have an interest in following.
3. Rotate your hashtags (10:24). Don't use the same ones over and over again. Social networks like Instagram do not like it when you use the same hashtags over and over again. 

Be sure to incorporate these tips into your social media and online marketing strategy and tag us or DM us in your upcoming posts to tell us how it worked out!

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In this episode of 10 Minute Marketing, Sonja breaks down exactly what you need to ensure you get on a regular posting schedule for your social media content, blog posts, or related content that gets shared and distributed online. She starts out by sharing one key factor, the need to create a Content Calendar and from there she gives a variety of ideas on how brands can begin to generate ideas for building consistent content.

Be sure to tune in to this episode for strategic insights on how to consistently create content for your brand!

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In this episode, Sonja and Kylie discuss key factors that can help business owners get comfortable with becoming the face of your brand.

So many business owners or high-level executives are shy about sharing their story and talking about themselves. There’s a saying in sales: people do business with who they know, like and trust. And, more than likely, it's not just your business or the company that you work for that's really driving people to become customers and clients -- it's you! You're who they know, like and trust! So, the more you can do that in a way that touches the masses, in an authentic and transparent way, the easier it will be to connect with people and really help you become the face of your brand.

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How are you perceived on social media channels? Not your personal voice. But your voice as a brand and business. Establishing a tone and voice is so important regarding how you talk about your business on social media and other digital marketing channels. This is important whether your brand is just starting out, going through a rebrand, or you are a solo marketer joining a brand’s digital marketing team.

In this episode, Sonja and Kylie discuss how you can present your brand to the world online. Not only saying, "This is us, here we are," but also how you're engaging with your audience and with people who want to know more about you and what your brand is about. 

Sonja gives some specific tips and thoughts about how you can begin to humanize your brand and how it comes across to people.

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In this episode, Sonja and Marika talk about the best tools that entrepreneurs can use to build their own website or tools to consider even if you're hiring a web designer.

Business owners often ask us: If I have a new business and I want to get a website rebuilt that I already have, and I have another website that I’m trying to build what are my best options for both? 

Whether you're building your own website or hiring a designer, we address the pros and cons of the following website building tools: Wix, WordPress, Squarespace and Shopify.

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In this episode of 10 Minute Marketing, Sonja is joined by entrepreneur and community leader SJ McMillan, founder of MelanList. MelanList is a community dedicated to helping align Black business owners, Black community, and promoting global Black consumerism.

Looking at how people spend their money, how businesses are being chosen by consumers, and how a business uplifts its community, SJ has built a network committed to partnering with, promoting, and authenticating Black-owned brands. This not only sows support within the community, but creates an easy path for consumers to buy with intention - and not just when it's trendy to do so.

They further discuss how SJ goes about marketing MelanList itself, but how MelanList increases visibility for the businesses in its community. They bring up networking through nervousness, making connections across industries, building strategic partnerships, incentivizing their audiences, and word-of-mouth as powerful tactics to heighten awareness around brands.

From blossoming an idea into a business to her future goals, you don't want to miss SJ's insights on community-based business and marketing.

About SJ McMillan
SJ McMillan is a visionary founder bringing business and community in stronger alignment. With a passion for stoking growth and considerate guidance, she infuses self-care and expanded perspectives into the fabric of her influence. Under her leadership, MelanList has partnered with new and thriving companies verifying their commitment to the community and supporting their success. SJ's commitment to collaboration and representation has fostered a culture of discovery and excellence. Beyond her professional achievements, she embraces philanthropy and cultural introspection. Wielding financial activism, community service, and other actionable solutions to resolve social issues, SJ's bold vision and unwavering determination empower MelanList to help reshape global Black consumerism.

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