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Author: bbittner

Hustleburg Episode 30 – Answering Your Questions About Ideal Engagement

In this Q&A episode of the Hustleburg podcast, Brett answers listener questions in a “how-to” to have ideal engagement on any social media platform. This three-week learning series is available to you here. 

Week 1 – Fixing Your Feed to Serve You

Stop posting content on this platform. On the first day of Week 1, go through your connections, friends, pages, accounts, groups, and hashtags to UNFOLLOW/UNFRIEND/DISCONNECT all the users of the platform that don’t add value for you. Explore the connections from those that do add value to you.

Indicate an interest in the creators that show up in the “new” content you see by simply tapping or clicking “like” on the posts that give you even the slightest bit of value.

Simply “like” them. 

Week 2 – React with Context and Comment with Gratitude

Instead of simply “liking” posts from the creators you receive value from, choose to react with context, where applicable, or comment with gratitude. Add the practice of reacting with context on the platforms that offer the option. For the social media outlets that simply have a “like” or “favorite” option (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube), continue to like or favorite the post. Then, take a moment to offer a brief comment or reply that offers the creator context around WHY you appreciated it.

Week 3 – Adding Valuable Comments

This is the time to actively participate in the conversation that is social media. Their valuable content starts a conversation, and you are responsible to offer relevant, contextual, and valuable comments in response. Also, re-share that valuable content with your community, using what you would have commented as your commentary for the re-share.

We wanted to completely overhaul how you interact on social media.

  • In Week 1, we focused on overhauling your feed to serve you valuable content that you can engage with. This set up the platform to work for you, instead of continuing to serve the same stuff that wasn’t helpful.
  • In Week 2, we continued training that algorithm and added the contextual reactions and gratitude. By focusing on context, you not only prepare for better interactions, but you also consider how it fits into your content strategy and which platform would be best to showcase it.
  • Finally, in Week 3, we started sharing others’ valuable content that fit into “The Five,” so that you include it in your content creation and engagement going forward.

Get Engagement Training in Your Inbox Now

If you’re not satisfied with the social media results you’re getting, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers a this training via email.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

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If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Three Weeks to Ideal Engagement on Any Social Media Platform – Week One

Are you ready to increase the engagement of your brand or business online? Or are you ready to start a new outlet for it? This is a single-platform engagement plan, so don’t worry about other platforms yet.

Why Only One Platform?

We start this reboot or the kickoff for your engagement implementation on a single platform for two reasons:

  • Changing your mindset and starting new activity on one platform will take a concerted effort to use the platform differently. At first, the learning, but more so the implementation, curve will be steep. We are changing behavior here, and it won’t be easy at first.
  • It will take a lot more effort to participate in the conversation that is social media than you’ve done before. You will have to find time, efficiency, and dedication to get it done on a single platform. Can you imagine if you started all this extra work on the five platforms where you have a presence at once?

Week One – Fixing Your Feed

First things first.

Stop posting content on this platform. That sounds crazy right now, but it will make sense.

Doing things as you had always done them wasn’t working for you, so ceasing that content creation and posting will improve your listening and context while we are overhauling how you engage on social media. You were not adding value to enough people to keep it up, so, for the re-boot, no new content created or posted. Period.

To begin, we have to fix the feed that the platform presents to you by shocking the algorithm. Much like we outlined when we sought to change the content before you on a platform because it wasn’t what you wanted to see or stressed you out, we need to fix the feed of the platform.

Out With the Useless, In With the Valuable

On the first day of Week 1, go through your connections, friends, pages, accounts, groups, and hashtags to UNFOLLOW/UNFRIEND/DISCONNECT all the users of the platform that don’t add value for you. You should also consider if the value they add for you is within “The Five,” the five areas of focus for your content creation. By getting rid of the creators that don’t add value for your experience in the areas where you need to focus, you will let them crowd out the content you need to see and fall back into doing things the way you’ve always done them.

Now that you’ve pruned all the useless and valueless from your feed, explore the connections from those that do add value to you. Take time to look at their content, join relevant groups, or add certain hashtags to the content you consume that will add value to you, specifically in the five areas of focus you have. Doing this will give you an immediate win in controlling what content is served to you. Every platform programs their algorithm to give you more of what you just indicated that you wanted to see. They want you to see that newly-added content, because you will act like a child with their newest toy, ignoring all the ones you have to focus on the fresh one that you now have.

This process to tailor the sources of content you’re served will take a while, but get it done on the first day of this endeavor. This drastic change in how you connect with the platform will get rid of the dead weight and add new and valuable creators, telling Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or LinkedIn that you need to see THIS content that is now relevant to you.

The rest of the first week gets way easier for you, and you should invest the time of the remaining six days to help the platform really understand you by completing a solitary action repeatedly.

“Like” Posts

Indicate an interest in the creators that show up in the “new” content you see by simply tapping or clicking “like” on the posts that give you even the slightest bit of value.

Simply “like” them. Don’t leave any comments, reply to them, or even react. Just a simple “Thumbs up” for Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube and a heart for Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to let the platform know what kind of content you value. Perform this activity with an emphasis on valuable content in “The Five.” Instead of focusing on seeking out new connections, take the time to consume A LOT of content and force the algorithm to understand the “new you.”

Let’s Start Week 2, Shall We?

Hustleburg Episode 29 – Interview with Banyan Bookkeeping’s Sara Evans

“I Realized I Could Start My Own Business Helping Small Businesses”

Always a helper, Banyan Bookkeeping‘s Sara Evans found herself needing a refreshed sense of purpose after an 18-year career in social work. After intense scrutiny, she started her own bookkeeping services business, helping other small businesses focus on what they specialize in, instead of something they want nothing to do with. While it may be tedious work, Sara’s focus is to help your business by letting you get back to the part of the business that you love. 

You may remember Sara from a bonus episode back in April, featuring the audio of the St. Pete: OPEN for Business chats. In this expanded conversation, she shares her affinity for working with “the trades,” and helping them get to the important work of plumbing or HVAC repair, rather than spending hours scouring Quickbooks. 

Banyan Bookkeeping Services, LLC

Get Back to the Part of the Business You Love:

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If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Hear Your Question, Answered, on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 28 – Answering Your Business Website Questions With A Fearless Venture’s Brian & Teresa Ott

In this Q&A episode, Brett discusses your website questions with Brian and Teresa Ott, owners of A Fearless Venture.

Rather than risk missing something important Brett enlisted the help of friends who know the business website world inside and out to discuss the first steps and major considerations as you begin building your business website.

A Fearless Venture

Worry-Free WordPress:

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If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Hear Your Question, Answered, on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 27 – Interview with Green Book Tampa Bay’s Joshua Bean and Hillary Van Dyke

“Intentionality of Where You’re Spending Your Money”

With no larger spotlight on issues important to the black community in history, Joshua Bean and Hillary Van Dyke have seen unprecedented growth and attention for their socialpreneurial venture, Green Book Tampa Bay. As a resource of African-American cultural sites, black artists, and black-owned businesses in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, Green Book Tampa Bay works to assure the economic vitality of the black community. Their hope is that the Green Book of Tampa Bay serves as a mobile travel guide, becoming the first stop for any service that you need.

In our conversation, Joshua and Hillary share with Brett the importance of their “passion project,” their passion for achieving equity for all black people in Tampa Bay, and where they look to take this endeavor.

Green Book Tampa Bay

Be Intentional:

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Subscribe, Rate, Review

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Hear Your Question, Answered, on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 26 – Answering your Twitter Questions 2nd of 2

In this Q&A episode of the Hustleburg podcast, Brett answers listener questions about Twitter in the second of two parts. This is the eighth episode of a platform-specific series on the Q&A episodes about the varying social media platforms. Episode 12 and Episode 14 made up a two-part series on Facebook, Episode 16 and Episode 18 served as the two-part series on Instagram, Episode 20 and Episode 22 answered your questions about LinkedIn, and Episode 24 was the first episode focused on Twitter. 

Is Twitter Considered a More “Casual” Platform?

Because of the demo and psychographics of Twitter and the formerly exceptionally short 140 character limit, the language and tone on Twitter tend to be more casual than other platforms. The character limitation led to many innovations in the brevity game, like URL shorteners, graphic memes, and the best of them all, “Hemingwayism,” which made us better writers by forcing the exile of unnecessary words. These efforts to condense thoughts through abbreviation, image sharing, and omitting the unnecessary come across as more casual conversation on the surface. That’s a feature, not a bug.

How Do I Best Use Twitter Within the Character Limit?

The casualness of the platform, some of the lingo, and how the character limit, which changed to 280 characters in 2017, have shaped the conversations on Twitter. Adding value to the communities you create and participate in is the best way to use Twitter. For new listeners, visit The Five for an in-depth look at the five focus areas of content. You should also be looking to add value in those five areas in the content OTHERS create. 

What is the Best Way To Grow Organically on Twitter?

Find and follow relevant players in your industry and the five areas of focus and build relationships. The accounts you follow should be those who will add value to YOUR experience on the platform. Hashtags have value for their ability to direct conversations about a particular topic. Your use of them should be to add your voice to the conversation. 

How Do I Best Utilize Hashtags on Twitter?

Yes. You should absolutely use hashtags, though the reason and methods for using them probably aren’t what you think. The best and highest use of hashtags is to locate where you are able to add value for other users. You’re collaborating with others in your five focus areas to strengthen their communities as a member as well. 

What Are Your Thoughts on an “Auto DM”?

Don’t do it.

Start Marketing Your Business Online With These Three Easy Steps

If you’re just getting started marketing your business online, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers a FREE Getting Started Guide.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

Website
Hustleburg Listener Community
Facebook
Instagram
Brett’s LinkedIn

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 25 – Interview with Cycle Brewing’s Doug Dozark

“You Could Go Any Direction You Wanted. There’s Not One Way to Start a Brewery. There’s Not One Style of Beer. ”

Known for barrel-aged beers, Doug Dozark with Cycle Brewing has been on the craft beer scene for over ten years. Starting in Gulfport at Peg’s Cantina and Brew Pub, Cycle Brewing now operates a taproom on Central Avenue downtown with a warehouse just south. You’ve probably seen their beers on tap around town and on shelves at liquor, grocery, and convenience stores. You can even order online for pickup at the Central Avenue taproom here.

In this interview, Doug Dozark shares with Brett about the last decade of craft brewing, how important reputation is to Cycle Brewing, and the legal landscape of the beverage industry.

Craft Brewing

Find your favorite brew:

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Subscribe, Rate, Review

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Hear Your Question, Answered, on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 24 – Answering Your Twitter Questions 1st of 2

In this Q&A episode of the Hustleburg podcast, Brett answers listener questions about Twitter in the first of two parts. This is the seventh episode of a platform-specific series on the Q&A episodes about the varying social media platforms. Episode 12 and Episode 14 made up a two-part series on Facebook, Episode 16 and Episode 18 served as the two-part series on Instagram, Episode 20 and Episode 22 answered your questions about LinkedIn. 

What Can Twitter do for My Business?

You have an opportunity to reach people where they are. As of the first quarter of this year, they shared a user base of 166 million daily active users. Twitter has different demo and psychographics for its users, generally skewing younger than both Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as the average American. Twitter is also unique in that it offers a direct connection to a person or a brand, creates a huge opportunity for your business to create deep connections on the platform. Twitter is also uniquely more viral than other platforms for non-private accounts due to the ability of users to have their thoughts echoed via other users, promoting that content beyond the initial user’s audience on the platform.

What Are Some Tips for Staying Above the Fray on Twitter?

Twitter is a pretty politically active medium, so there can be an assumption that users of the platform will be somewhat active or vocal on political and social issues. It is actually pretty easy for brands to stay above the fray. Have a listen for these tips.

How Do I Get Something “Trending”?

Often, “trending topics” are filled with hot takes about breaking news. Only talking about what you see trending isn’t a recipe for sustained success on Twitter, but when the content you create does intersect with what’s trending however, you should capitalize on it. That means the conversation has come to you and what you’re an expert in. It’s your time to shine.

Where Would You Rank Twitter in Terms of Importance for a Business to Have?

As with so many things, it depends. If you find that your ideal customer is there already, it’s something your content will add value to many on, or you already have a feel for the platform from your personal use, it might be more important than Instagram or LinkedIn. 

I Don’t Get the Lingo. Please Help.

Don’t worry… It’s not that confusing. Learn about tweets, @, #, mentions, DMs, FF, RT, retweets, and more.

Start Marketing Your Business Online With These Three Easy Steps

If you’re just getting started marketing your business online, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers a FREE Getting Started Guide.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

Website
Hustleburg Listener Community
Facebook
Instagram
Brett’s LinkedIn

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 23 – Interview with Dr. Jenna Elwart & Associates’ Jenna Elwart

“I’m Looking at the Whole Person and How it All Interconnects”

Taking a holistic approach to treating the entirety of a patient drives the therapeutic aspects of the practice for Dr. Jenna Elwart & Associates, PLLC. With a mission to provide quality care to all people, Dr. Elwart’s practice works to help you live your life as you create it to be.

In this interview, Jenna Elwart shares with Brett how she built her practice, the importance of networking among those in the mental health field, and how little business education is received by many in the professional services.

Compassionate Psychological Services

Dr. Jenna Elwart & Associates, PLLC

Take steps toward empowerment, health, growth, contentment, healing, and more:

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Call – (727) 495-6302

Subscribe, Rate, Review

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Hear Your Question, Answered, on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here. 

Hustleburg Episode 22 – Answering Your LinkedIn Questions 2nd of 2

In this Q&A episode of the Hustleburg podcast, Brett answers listener questions about LinkedIn in the second of two parts. This is the sixth episode of a platform-specific series on the Q&A episodes about the varying social media platforms. Episode 12 and Episode 14 made up a two-part series on Facebook, Episode 16 and Episode 18 served as the two-part series on Instagram, and two weeks ago, Episode 20 began the series on LinkedIn. 

What’s Up With the “Auto DM” After Connecting?

There is a disease where individuals send a direct message immediately after connecting to ask the recipient to buy something, sign up for something, or click something. Often, you have no prior relationship with this person, and they have begun all interactions with you with an ask. This is NOT marketing.

Can You Highlight a Product or Service Independent of a Company Page?

LinkedIn actually has a feature for Company pages to create a “Showcase” page for just this purpose. Companies can create up to 10 of these Showcase pages to highlight a particular product or service and only focus on it. 

How Do You Best Showcase Your Written Content?

LinkedIn is desperate for a variety of content. Part of that content mix that they value is longer-form written content for the professional audience they serve, and they built a blog-like option for professionals to share that longer-form written content.

What is the Value of LinkedIn Learning?

LinkedIn Learning is a tool for users to build visible skills on the platform to add to their profiles, as well as their skill sets. Teachers within this tool come from LinkedIn itself, sharing valuable knowledge from their industry. It’s literally the ultimate way to establish yourself as an expert in what it is that you do. 

Is LinkedIn Premium Worth It?

LinkedIn Premium segments into 4 tiers, Career, Business, Sales, and Hiring, and the pricing and features adjust accordingly. It includes LinkedIn Learning, and if you’ve not used the free trial yet, I suggest that you save it until you’re ready to experience Premium’s full functionality.

What’s the Best Way to Connect with People Outside Your Network?

LinkedIn has made connecting with people outside your network easier than it was in the past. If you’re interested in connecting with someone on the platform, I suggest “Following” their personal profile and the Company page if they use one and engaging with the content they create. Add value to the conversations they start.

How Do I Best Utilize Hashtags on LinkedIn?

Hashtags help direct users to find the right conversations. The BEST way to utilize hashtags on LinkedIn or any platform is just what we’ve talked about before. Following relevant ones to participate in the conversation that is social media by tailoring your feed to what you want to see.

Start Marketing Your Business Online With These Three Easy Steps

If you’re just getting started marketing your business online, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers a FREE Getting Started Guide.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

Website
Hustleburg Listener Community
Facebook
Instagram
Brett’s LinkedIn

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here.