Amanda Bond, “Bond” as she is known, is an expert when it comes to Facebook ads. With a fiery, authentic spirit she guides her clients so they can get the most of this marketing tool. Always an entrepreneur at heart, she started her career as a social media manager and has taken on such positions as the VP of marketing for The Toronto Yoga Conference and Show.
Bond chose to take the wealth of knowledge she gained in her over 12 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing to focus on ad marketing creating her business The Ad Strategist.
Bond’s down-to-earth manner simplifies the sometimes overwhelming task of marketing yourself on Facebook. In this episode she breaks down the elements of creating an ad and shares such wisdom as: money doesn’t necessarily mean more results, the difference between your personal and business Facebook page (it’s an important distinction), and the recommended percentage of sales based posts to non-sales based posts that focus on your message.
[5:20] "] Amanda’s journey
[7:10] Connection to Toronto Yoga Show
[8:40] What to do before spending anything on Facebook ads
[11:45] Sharing yourself vs. selling yourself- sharing what you do, what journey you’re on, who you are
[12:50] What percentage of posts should have a call to action (sales) and what percentage should be about sharing your message? How telling stories about your clients and directing your services to a specific client can bring more sales
[17:20] Difference between personal Facebook profile and yoga business page? What you can include on each page without signalling to Facebook you are selling yourself on your personal page.
[19:20] How do you get people to like your Facebook page? Consistency and refinement of your message as you go will attract loyal followers.
[21:05] Bond’s first Facebook ad expenditure
[21:40] Keep in mind we are not our businesses, that we don’t become that product or service.
[23:15] First step when we are ready to advertise on Facebook and why boosting is not THE answer and referring to the Facebook marketing platform “Facebook Blueprint”
[25:00] 3 Cs Framework that Amanda and her team use
- CONNECT – how do you get people to know, like, and trust your brand
- CONVERT – asking for a micro-commitment (subscribe to email list example, newsletter,subscribe to podcast, etc.) – enters them into sales process, they give up something of value- like time, their email which allows you to see them more often, they will see you in a storytelling capacity and it will enable you to guide them toward a purchase
- CLOSE – “close the sale” – where they become a customer by purchasing a service or product
[27:35] Overcoming the objections that our customers have when they buy from you
[28:20] What are the benefits your audience will miss out on if you are not selling your product or service?
[32:20] Meet your audience at the beginner level
[33:35] What stories are powerful to share the benefits of yoga e.g. transformation stories, encourage them to be a curious beginner, don’t have to be perfect
[34:35] Being vulnerable and relatable – show up as yourself, encourages them to be human because you present yourself that way, put yourself out there consistently not constantly, “a messy journey of consistent action”
[36:05] Facebook live is scary! Remember that you have a piece of knowledge, a nugget of wisdom to share with others, being fearful prevents you from sharing knowledge with those who would benefit
[37:50] What Amanda would do with Facebook if she was a full-time yoga teacher:
- Journal publicly about life, journey, as messy as it is
- Look to improve what I know about the tech side and business side (even a few minutes every day)
- Create connection with those you admire, reach out to them, “be a sponge” to discover your own voice
[39:30] How to work with Amanda- changing gears to work with those getting started in their businesses that don’t necessarily have a big ad budget
Links
Bond’s Website: The Ad Strategist
The Toronto Yoga Conference and Show
The Connected Yoga Teacher Facebook Group
The Connected Yoga Teacher YouTube channel
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