Creating Engaging Content for Small Businesses with Amanda Zantal-Wiener

Summary

Small Business Quick WINS Episode Summary Episode Title: Creating Engaging Content for Small Businesses with Amanda Zantal-Wiener
Host: Jay Schwedelson
Guest: Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Head of Content at Thrive

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Introduction to Amanda Zantal-Wiener

In this episode of Small Business Quick WINS, host Jay Schwedelson welcomes Amanda Zantal-Wiener, an expert in content marketing with an impressive background. Amanda serves as the Head of Content at Thrive and has previously held significant roles at Search Engine Journal and HubSpot. Jay sets the stage by highlighting Amanda’s extensive experience in crafting engaging content and her passion for helping small businesses grow.

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Amanda’s Journey into Content Marketing

Amanda shares her path into the world of content marketing, emphasizing her innate storytelling abilities cultivated through theater and creative writing during her upbringing. She reflects on the challenges of turning a passion for storytelling into a profitable career, which led her to explore the emerging field of content marketing on the Internet.

Key Points:

• Storytelling Foundation: "I've always been a bit of a storyteller, whether that's through the written word, the spoken word."
• Transition to Content Marketing: Faced with limited opportunities in creative writing post-college, Amanda found her niche in content marketing by leveraging storytelling for brands.
• Diverse Writing Experience: Amanda has written about various topics, including indie rap and hip-hop, showcasing her versatility.

Quote:
"Understanding who these human beings are and why they love what they do and why they're doing what they're doing... that's what excited me so much."
— Amanda Zantal-Wiener [10:53]

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Creating Engaging Content for Small Businesses

Defining Content and Its Core Pillars: Amanda breaks down the concept of content, stressing its vast and often overwhelming nature for small business owners. She simplifies the approach by focusing on three core pillars:

1. Your Story: Understanding and communicating why your business exists.
2. How You Operate: Explaining the processes and methods that set your business apart.
3. Customer Assistance: Demonstrating how your offerings help your audience.

Quote:
"What is your story? Why do you do what you do, how do you do it, and how can you help people with doing it?"
— Amanda Zantal-Wiener [04:27]

Identifying Your Audience’s Online Presence: Amanda emphasizes the importance of knowing where your potential customers spend their time online. For example, an HVAC business should target platforms where homeowners are active, ensuring that the content reaches the right audience amidst the crowded digital space.

Practical Example:
An HVAC technician could create Instagram posts reminding customers to change their AC filters, providing easy tips and solutions to common problems.

Quote:
"Having some sort of resource where I maybe spend time online... is a really good example of what to me would make somebody worth following."
— Amanda Zantal-Wiener [06:13]

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Content Creation Without a Big Budget

Authenticity Over Slickness: Amanda reassures small business owners that content doesn’t need to be professionally produced to be effective. In fact, lo-fi content often resonates more with audiences and is favored by social media algorithms.

Key Insights:

• Algorithm Preferences: Platforms like Instagram prioritize mobile-first, authentic content over high-production-value materials. This shift became prominent during the pandemic when creators adapted to less formal production environments.
• Building Credibility: Authentic, relatable content helps establish trust with your audience, making your business appear more genuine and approachable.

Quote:
"You do not have to be slick. The robots that control what followers see... they are not prioritizing that hi-fi stuff because it's not exactly a mobile first consumer content consumption experience."
— Amanda Zantal-Wiener [08:18]

Storytelling and Authenticity: Amanda underscores the importance of being true to your brand’s voice and persona. Authentic content fosters a deeper connection with the audience, ensuring that the message is both genuine and impactful.

Quote:
"You're not trying to be something that you're not. That degree of authenticity is so important when you're creating content."
— Amanda Zantal-Wiener [09:17]

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Practical Tips for Small Business Content Marketing

1. Define Your Core Message:
Start by clearly outlining your business’s story, mission, and the unique value you offer to customers. This foundational understanding will guide all your content creation efforts.

2. Know Your Audience:
Research where your target customers spend their time online. Tailor your content to meet them where they are, whether it’s on social media platforms, blogs, or local community forums.

3. Embrace Lo-Fi Content:
Focus on authenticity rather than high production values. Utilize smartphone cameras and simple editing tools to create relatable and engaging content that appeals to your audience and aligns with platform algorithms.

4. Consistency is Key:
Regularly update your content to stay relevant and maintain engagement with your audience. Consistent posting helps in building a loyal customer base.

5. Leverage Local Connections:
Ensure your content is tailored to your local community. Highlight local events, use familiar locales in your visuals, and address region-specific needs to resonate more deeply with your audience.

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Amanda’s Personal Insights and Closing Thoughts

When asked about her dream job, Amanda shares her initial aspirations to become a sports writer, particularly focusing on college basketball. However, her passion for storytelling ultimately led her to the dynamic field of content marketing. She believes that understanding the "why" behind your business fuels authentic and effective content creation.

Quote:
"Why are you doing this? Why do you do what you do? Why did you start this business in the first place?"
— Amanda Zantal-Wiener [10:17]

Amanda emphasizes that authentic storytelling not only connects businesses with their audience but also enriches the content with genuine passion and purpose.

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Conclusion and Resources

Jay Schwedelson wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to connect with Amanda on LinkedIn and explore Thrive's extensive free content resources tailored for small business owners. He also hints at sharing Amanda’s favorite Spotify playlists to inspire and energize listeners.

Final Quote:
"Amanda, thank you for being here for Small Business Quick Wins."
— Jay Schwedelson [12:11]

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Key Takeaways:

• Focus on Authentic Storytelling: Your business’s story and mission are the backbone of effective content.
• Understand Your Audience’s Digital Habits: Tailor your content to the platforms where your customers are most active.
• Embrace Simplicity and Authenticity: High production values are not necessary; genuine, relatable content often performs better.
• Consistency and Local Relevance: Regular updates and local-focused content can significantly enhance engagement and trust.
• Leverage Available Resources: Utilize platforms like Thrive for comprehensive tools and insights to support your content marketing efforts.

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For more actionable tips and strategies to grow your small business, subscribe to Small Business Quick WINS and stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring top small business leaders.

Transcript

[Jay Schwedelson]

Foreign. Welcome to Small Business Quick Wins, presented by Thrive. This podcast is exclusively designed for small business leaders like you. Prepare to get invaluable insights from every episode, equipped with actionable tips made for immediate implementation in your business. Tune in as we teach our firsthand lessons from fellow small business owners and thought leaders. I'm your host, Jay Schwedelson. Over the last 25 years, I've grown multiple small businesses that have generated over $300 million in revenue. Along the way, I've learned pitfalls to avoid and Quick Wins that can transform your business immediately. I'm excited to share it all. So if you're ready to win on Main street, let's dig into this episode. We are back for Small Business Quick Wins, and we have an amazing guest today. I'm so excited about this. So who's here? We have Amanda, Zantal Weiner. Now, why is this so exciting? It's so exciting because we're going to be talking about content, how to create content that's not terrible. That's going to be engaging. And Amanda does this a lot. So she's the head of content at Thrive, which is an incredible platform for small business owners. It's. It's used by thousands of small businesses all over the country. It's wild. It does so much stuff. But Amanda also, okay, she led content at Search Engine Journal, which is a content machine. She was one of the deputy editors at HubSpot. With all the content they put out, she gets content. So we're going to dig into that today. Amanda, welcome to the show.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Hey, Jay. Good morning.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Good to see you.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Good to see you, too.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Thank you. So before we get into content, I want to know, how did Amanda become Amanda? Because you've been on this content train for a while, and I want to hear the story.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Well, it was a cold winter day in Washington, D.C. january 20th. No, I'll fast forward a little bit because that's more years ago now than I'd like to admit. No, I think at the end of the day, Jay, I could boil it down to the fact that I've always been a bit of a storyteller, whether that's through the written word, the spoken word. You know, I did a lot of theater growing up. I loved creative writing growing up. And surprise, when you graduate from college, it turns out it's not so easy to make a career out of that and actually get a paycheck doing out of that. And then one day someone came along and created this whole idea of content marketing on this old thing called the Internet. And, you know, through a variety of different contracts and gigs, I eventually found, you know, I went to get my MBA and eventually found my niche in, you know, telling stories for brands, just figuring out what their story is and amplifying it through all these amazing tools that we have these days to get those stories in front of the people who want to hear, read, see them, et cetera. And I've told stories about all kinds of different things and people. I had a bit of a stint doing some food writing. My favorite food. Fun fact about myself is that I did a lot of writing about the indie rap and indie hip hop scene. Still a huge love of mine. And, you know, now I get to tell stories that help small business owners succeed and grow. So that is how I suppose I became the Amanda who's sitting in front of you today.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Wow. Well, the next guest on the show is actually Wu Tang Clan, and I don't think that we announced that, but. Yeah, yeah, I know. Isn't that wild?

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Can I come. Can I talk about content marketing with them?

[Jay Schwedelson]

Yeah, 100%. You know, it's, you know, what's interesting is that when we talk about content marketing and you've had, you have this incredible background, what people think is, oh, that's what I need in order to create great content. But let's say someone that's listening, they own, you know, an H vac company or a little real estate company. How do they, how do they, they, they create content without spending a zillion dollars? Is there something that they can be doing that will be compelling, that you don't need to have all the experience that you have in order to create it.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Yeah, absolutely. So I think the, the idea of content has gotten to the point where if you're just, you know, getting started with it and you're, you're thinking, as you said, how the heck do I make this interesting? It's a good place to start, is by taking a step back and looking at, okay, well, what, what is content? It's become so, so enormous and very overwhelming to a lot of people. Understandably. I mean, I do it every day and I still get overwhelmed, which is why I have a great team of people to tell me, no, Amanda, we're doing this today. Not that, but most small business owners don't have that. So I will, at risk of sounding like my needle is stuck, I will kind of go back to two core things. Well, three core things, if you'll allow me, is, number one, what is your story? Why do you do what you do, how do you do it, and how can you help people with doing it? So those are sort of the three key pillars of figuring out how to make content. That's interesting. And the other thing is to figure out where is the people who you're hoping are going to become your customers, where are they spending their time online? Because there are a lot of places to spend time online these days, and it's very crowded. Every single one of those spaces is crowded. So, okay, you used the H Vac person as an example. To me, it's very funny trying to think about making H Vac. We might laugh about it, make H Vac interesting and exciting, but at the end of the day, it's kind of like that second core tenet that I talked about is how is it going to help people? You know, I'm one of those pathetic people who still needs somebody to come remind, remind her to change her AC filter.

[Jay Schwedelson]

In fact, same me too.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

I mean, I live, we live in Florida, Jay. So it's just, it's very important certain times of the year to change your, your AC filter. And so, you know, having some sort of resource where I maybe spend time online, which I'm an Instagram girl, you know, and, and being able to follow someone who says, hey, first of all, have you remembered to change your AC filter? It's August. Well, now October in Florida, but let's say it's August just for the sake of argument. And here's an easy way to do it, here's an easy way to remember. And also if you're lazy, here's an easy way to make sure you don't have to change your AC filter as often and to keep it running smoothly. So, you know, that to me is how we are using that small example of the H Vac technician. But that to me is a really good example of what to me would make somebody worth following, especially if it's somebody in my area. So you also want to know where these folks are offline. You know, if there's an AC guy in South Carolina, that's great. I'm so glad he knows what he's doing or she knows what she's doing, but that's also not going to help me. So you also have to know where your audience is locally. So I think that those are. That's just a really good place to start is what do you know, who are you trying to reach and how can you help them?

[Jay Schwedelson]

I love that. Those three things are awesome. And you know, the other thing I would add Is, and I've learned this throughout my career, is that don't assume people just know everything and try to leverage the fact that they actually don't. Right. So if we're talking about the H vac person, take your iPhone, point at yourself and say, hey, I'm going out today. I'm going to see these customers. They have these three problems, by the way. If you do this one thing every year, you actually won't ever have to call us because you won't have this problem. And then all of a sudden, you're building up credibility. You're not just trying to grab people's money. And. And is it. Is it accurate to say content doesn't need to be slick, that you could just be lo fi kind of this basic stuff, or are we in a world that if it's not kind of slick, that you're going to seem like you're not the real deal?

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Yeah. So you do not have to be slick. And that's actually for a number of reasons, Some technical, some not quite as so some quantifiable, some qualifiable. Let's get into the quantifiable because everybody loves numbers. Numbers make things real. We have gotten to the point where a lot of these social media algorithms, you know, using Instagram as an example, they are not going to. At least last I heard, they don't prioritize that hi Fi stuff. If something looks like it was professionally shot in a studio and you had a whole production crew behind it, they're not really prioritizing that right now because it's not exactly a mobile first consumer content consumption experience. They like something that's shot on a phone. They like something that looks lo fi. I think a lot of that started during the pandemic, actually, when we were all stuck at home and we didn't have professional camera crews. I mean, you know, I know that that was. I was still at HubSpot, and we certainly leaned into that quite a bit. And so that's the quantifiable thing of it is that the robots that control what followers see and what the audience sees on social media, like the lo fi stuff. So that's the. That's the quantifiable part of it. The qualifiable part of it is that it really makes you look real. And again, you're gonna get sick of me saying this, but that's where the story element, the storytelling element goes into it, because it's just like you're not trying to be something that you're not. And I think that that degree of authenticity is so important when you're creating content. It's so tempting to see trends and feel like you have to do every trend and everything that every influencer says you have to do in order to be successful on social media or with your content. But at the end of the day, you just have to be yourself and understand what yourself and, you know, your professional capacity. Let's say it's a real estate agent, you're a roofer, you're a dog groomer. You know, that's who you are, and that's what you can bring to the table. And you'd be surprised by how much you can bring to the table.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Totally. I mean, I would watch videos of people doing dog grooming, teaching how they doing it, or any of that stuff, because I have no idea what's going on. All right, before we wrap up here, I have a totally random question for you. Was your dream job. Of course it was to be head of content at Thrive, obviously. But, I mean, clearly. But beyond that, was it to like, like, be the editor of the Source or Vibe magazine? Was that, like, your goal when you were all into this indie rap stuff? Was that the jam at the time?

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

No. I know, I know. That's such a surprise. Although I will. I will say I've been all over the place, Jay.

[Jay Schwedelson]

We'll.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

We'll have a drink and talk about it sometime. But, you know, when I graduated from college, I thought I was going to be a sports writer, actually, and I wrote my undergrad thesis about college basketball. But that's a story for another time. But, you know, I will say, when I was writing about rap music, what I was enjoying the most was just being able to do that. You know, being able to understand who these human beings are and why they love what they do and why they're doing what they're doing and how what they're doing bring so much joy and magic and such memorable experiences, whether it's a concert or whether it's listening to a track. That was what excited me so much. And, you know, just to bring it all full circle when we're talking about creating great content, I think that that's something to remember, too, is why are you doing this? Why do you do what you do? Why did you start this business in the first place? And I think that you're going to find stuff, you know, the material that's not just the most authentic, but also probably what's going to connect you the most to the people who you're trying to reach. So for whatever my little story is worth, you know, I hope it. I hope it helps somebody else out there who's getting started.

[Jay Schwedelson]

I love that. I love all of this. All right, listen everybody. We're going to put Amanda's LinkedIn in the show notes. Please go and connect with her. She loves being connected and also Thrive and where she runs all the content. They put out so much great free content for small business owners and for people in the small business world. You want to check them out at thrive t h R-Y-V.com we'll put that in the show notes and I'm going to try to get Amanda to give us like her Spotify music list because I listen to the cheesiest garbage alive and I feel like she probably has access to cool songs. So we're going to put Amanda's favorite Spotify playlist in the show notes and we're going to make it just blow up. So Amanda, thank you for being here for Small Business Quick wins.

[Amanda Zantal-Wiener]

Thank you for having me, Jay. This has been fun.

[Jay Schwedelson]

Alright, see you soon. Well, that was fun and great news. We got way more where that came from. Subscribe. Make sure you get the latest episodes each week for more actionable tips from today's top small business leaders. And hook us up with a five star review if you've got at least one new idea you may consider using. Lastly, if you want to ensure you never miss a message from your customers Again, check out drive.com wins to get your free account with Command center today.