BBP 121: Why Your Brand Needs a Personal Touch with Ashley Mason

Shownotes:

In this episode of the Blogger Breakthrough Summit podcast, host Liz Stapleton sits down with Ashley Mason to explore the evolving landscape of brand engagement and social media marketing. They delve into the importance of humanizing brands through personal storytelling and the powerful connection this fosters with audiences. Ashley shares practical tips for creating engaging video content, emphasizing the significance of concise messaging and the use of captions to reach viewers effectively.

The Shift in Branding

There has been a significant shift in how businesses interact with their audience. Gone are the days when brands had to maintain a strictly business-like presence. Today, audiences resonate more with brands that showcase their human side.

The power of personal content, for example, sharing your experience of posting about the books you reads. These posts generate the highest engagement, proving that sharing your interests and passions can foster closer relationships with your audience.

Getting Started with Video Content

If you’re wanting to get started with creating more video content consider what content can be transformed into video format. Preparation is key, as Ashley suggests creating a list of talking points instead of writing a full script. This method will help you maintain authenticity and prevents the video from feeling scripted.

Shorter videos also tend to perform better due to the fleeting attention spans of today’s audience. A sweet spot is one to two minutes for video length.

Finally, try using tools like Descript for video editing and ensuring that captions are added to the videos, as many viewers watch with the sound off. This ensures they can fully engage with your video.

Bottom Line

Show your human side, get creative with video content, and remember the importance of captions.

Tools and Resources Mentioned

• Descript

Related Content

• BBP 043 How to Attract Your Perfect Audience with Caroline Vencil and Tracy Lynn
• BBP 033 How to Finally Get Engagement on Your Social Media Posts with Jerry Potter from Five Minute Social

Transcript

[00:00:00].17] – Liz Stapleton

Hey there, fantastic bloggers.

[00:00:09].14] – Liz Stapleton

Welcome back to another episode of the Blogger Breakthrough Summit podcast. I’m your host, Liz Stapleton, and today we’ve got a sizzling hot topic that’s going to revolutionize the way you think about your brand and social media presence. Grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let’s dive in to learn from Ashley Mason.

[00:00:24].01] – Ashley Mason

I think for a long time, there was this stigma, ultimately, or this preconceived notion that business had to be strictly business, and you couldn’t have any personal integration into that. But things have totally shifted, and now people really resonate with and interact with brands that are more humanized. And so being able to incorporate more of that content into your overall presence can do a lot. I mean, an example of how that happens for me is that every time I read a book, and I’m a very big reader, every time I read a book, I post an Instagram story of the book that I’m currently reading. And that content gets the most engagement out of anything else that I post, whether it’s about social media or what have you. It’s like people just love to see your interests and see your passions and know who you are as a human. And that’s what helps to build those close relationships that can convert down the line.

[00:01:17].17] – Liz Stapleton

Well, now I have to ask, what book are you reading?

[00:01:19].16] – Ashley Mason

So I am currently finishing up Rouge, I think it’s called. I’m a very big thriller reader, so I tend to gravitate towards that. Nice.

[00:01:30].07] – Liz Stapleton

Nice. Okay, back to social media and marketing and value-driven, well-rounded strategies. So video is where it’s at. I have not mastered video, especially for reels and stuff like that. Do you have any tips on how to get started with that? Any tools that make it simpler? I mean, I’m a millennial. Don’t blame everything on me. And Instagram is a struggle. I feel like kids definitely can figure out Instagram better than I And by kids, I mean my eight year old nephew, probably could. So any advice there or tips or tools, things to get going in that way for social media?

[00:02:11].14] – Ashley Mason

Yeah. So I would say to think about what Content you’re planning can be video. So for me, I do a lot of brain dumps for both myself and my clients, where I’ll just think of a bunch of different post topics, and then I’ll go through those topics and I’ll identify which ones could be good video content. So first, you have to get into the habit of making to do videos in the first place. But it really all comes down to the preparation. I think if you’re not used to recording videos or not comfortable with recording videos, having a list of talking points is key because a lot of times when people start hitting the record button, they’re just like, they just don’t know what to say. So I would say having a list of talking points is crucial. But I would also say to not necessarily write up a script because it is very obvious when someone is reading word for word. And so if you can come up with a few bullet points just to keep yourself on track, that’s awesome. I also say that with video, aim towards having a shorter length compared to longer.

[00:03:10].17] – Ashley Mason

I mean, attention spans are so short nowadays that you want to make things concise. And so it, of course, depends on the content, which that will determine the length. But I say really anywhere from maybe one to two minutes is the sweet spot, just to make sure that you’re captivating your audience and ensuring that they’re watching the whole thing. I would also say to use a tool like Descript, which I love. It’s great for video editing, and it’s also great for transcription and captions. Captions are a must because so many people watch videos with the sound off, because videos often play with the sound off. And so you want to make sure that people who are watching your video who may not have their volume on are still being able to understand the content and read along with you, and you’re not losing out on opportunities that way.

[00:03:59].12] – Liz Stapleton

Well, there you have it. Show your human side, get creative with video, and don’t forget those captions. Thanks for all the fabulous tips, Ashley. Okay, that’s a wrap for today. Keep those ideas flowing, stay connected with your audience, and remember, you’ve got this. Until next time, be sure to connect and learn more about our incredible speakers by checking out the show notes. Happy blogging.