Bridget Willard | SaaS Marketing Agency

Author: Bridget Willard

  • A Tour of WordPress’ Gutenberg (2018) at Women Who WP

    At Women Who WP’s Orange County Meetup 1-17-18, I gave a tour — a basic overview — of the features of Gutenberg and published a post live at GutenBridget.com.

    Last year at WordCamp Europe, Gutenberg was announced as an editor replacement. In the final phase, it will be much more than that but as of now, it will be an editor replacement in WordPress 5.0.

    It’s 2018, it’s time for WordPress to change it’s editor experience.
    Instead of metaboxes, there will be blocks.

    [bctt tweet=”Gutenberg changes how you interact with WordPress. Try it. Study. Test it for yourself. ” username=”youtoocanbeguru”]

    Here is the video of the Live Stream from Facebook.

    Bridget Willard gives a tour of Gutenberg.

    Gutenberg Tour by Bridget Elizabeth Willard.

    Slides http://bit.ly/2BaUMYX

    Posted by Women Who WP on Wednesday, January 17, 2018

    What is Gutenberg?

    Gutenberg, eventually will change how you interact with WordPress. In it’s first inclusion into Core, will be a new editor experience.

    “Gutenberg has three planned stages. The first, aimed for inclusion in WordPress 5.0, focuses on the post editing experience and the implementation of blocks. This initial phase focuses on a content-first approach. The use of blocks, as detailed above, allows you to focus on how your content will look without the distraction of other configuration options. This ultimately will help all users present their content in a way that is engaging, direct, and visual.
    These foundational elements will pave the way for stages two and three, planned for the next year, to go beyond the post into page templates and ultimately, full site customization.” Gutenberg Team

    Blocks Replace Meta Boxes

    Instead of meta boxes, you interact with your content in blocks. Content includes video, images, headings, quotes, and, of course, text.

    Highlights:

    • The plus sign allows you to add more boxes. Sometimes you have to hover to see it.
    • Plugins make their own types of blocks.
    • Themes control how a block looks. This is an opportunity for theme developers.
    • Blocks are determined in the code with CSS Commenting so you know what’s in block.
    • Even though paragraphs are in different blocks, each paragraph is output with paragraph tags and shouldn’t interfere with SEO implications.

    Contextual Formatting

    This means every block has its own control. Every plugin can create settings for their blocks. You may not see settings in the sidebar anymore. They may be in the settings.

    “Gutenberg tries to identify all of these types of content properties so we can control it. It’s all based on blocks and block context.” Morten Rand-Hendriksen

    Resources

    Here are my slides

  • Say “Yes” To Yourself: Why I Started My Business

    What does it mean to say “yes” to yourself? Saying “yes” to yourself is about taking a risk — regardless of your fear — and going forward. If you fail, it won’t be because you didn’t try. This is why I started my business.

    I’m sure I heard it somewhere but I’ve found myself advising my friends this year,

    “If you don’t apply to speak, you say ‘no’ to yourself.”

    The inverse is “say ‘yes’ to yourself.” This is my 2018 statement.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd1LTVMFRtB/?taken-by=bridgetmwillard

    Why the Business?

    When my services at my dream job were no longer needed, I found myself at a crossroads. Do I look for another job? Do I take on clients? It wasn’t an easy choice, yet I knew I had to make a decision.

    My late husband wanted me to start my business in 2009. All of my social media friends for the last ten or so years have always encouraged me to go into business.

    I had the support of my friends and family:

    My sister-in-law believes in me. My grandma believes in me. My mom believes in me. My long-term friends believe in me. Julie Brigham tells me to say “I am awesome. I love me.”

    Still, I was afraid. I knew social media. It was running a business which scared me.

    Then I realized I have all of the skills I need to run a business. Accounting, job costing, customer service, teaching, marketing, reporting, counseling, sales, and proposal writing have all been learned on my awkward career path. My broken road wasn’t broken — it was training.

    I had the knowledge, the skills, and the support I needed. I was still worried only now, I knew I could and should make the leap. I knew I would succeed.

    New Logo: A Dragon

    With a new direction comes a new logo. My previous tagline was “Giving Unsolicited Advice Since 2011” which is true. Sometimes I’d joke and say that “I do things the hard way so you don’t have to.” But when I decided to start this business I thought more about my clients and how I can help them.

    I was chatting with my friend Jason Lemieux of Postmatic about how I approach social media marketing. He said, “Oh. You’re the Jane Goodall of Twitter.” Yes. I study them and I work hard to be them.

    So when I was in Seattle with Justine Pretorious, I bounced off my new tagline and she said, “Yeah. That’s you.”

    “Your voice. Your power. Your Brand.”

    I asked Cheryl and Sherrie LaPrade, of Rosie the Wapuu fame, to take my tattoo and make it into my logo using it for color cues. (Wait, tattoo? Read the next section).

    I love what they did. It’s so me.

    • ocmarketingguy That’s really awesome Bridget – I love that you incorporated your new ink! #badass #branding 😎👍🏼
    • meg.delagrange Ohhhh it gives me chills, you are moving forward powerful Queen!
    • mhanes Amazingly well done, communicates you perfectly 🙂

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BdTAzG5lJgw/?taken-by=bridgetmwillard

    A Dragon and a Flower

    So, what’s up with your new logo? It came from my tattoo.

    Fear has always been my nemesis. It’s had too much of a hold on my life for too long — in every single area. I cannot allow it.

    In November, I did it. I decided upon a dragon because they are fierce and powerful. I wanted it on my right hip to remind myself that I have my own power. The flowers speak of my femininity. I can be a strong woman who is fierce and powerful and soft and pretty. These are not flaws or mutually-exclusive attributes. It’s me — I’m a whole person who is powerful.

    My power is my voice. Your power is your voice. Let’s amplify them together.

    “Your voice. Your power. Your Brand.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BbYOx_TF1QW/?taken-by=bridgetmwillard

     

     

    Brooke Lark

  • Outsourcing Social Media: It’s About Time

    If you don’t have time for social media, outsourcing it is a good solution. But there are caveats. You have to do it wisely.

    Time. Time is money. We’ve heard it all of our lives. In business we also talk about sweat equity. It’s a real thing. Yes, if you don’t have money, you may have time. But at some point you will have to evaluate how you spend your time.

    I wrote extensively about why outsourcing is financially advantageous here. In this post, I’d like to discuss some common misconceptions or thoughts I hear about social.

    “My team would be good at social media if they weren’t busy.”

    There are a few things wrong with this statement.

    Firstly, it presumes that social media is a low-level skill that anyone can learn. In many ways, it can be learned. But more about that later.

    Secondly, social media isn’t a team sport. Not to say you don’t work with a team, but committees are where social posts go to die — or never have a chance at life at all.

    Thirdly, I absolutely believe that your team could be excellent at some parts of social media. In fact, my preference is to teach social media, rather than do it for you. Why? Because no one knows your business like you.

    Great. So now we’ve decided you could be good.

    What now?

    Either you get training for them to do it or you outsource it to an agency like mine.

    If you train your team to do social media, you will be taking them away from their primary duty. Does it make sense for a CEO or Manager to tweet? From a time and cost standpoint, no.

    “Social Media is something everyone feels like they can chime in on.”

    Yeah. No. So much no. A seven-layer bean dip of no. That’s the snark version.

    Seriously, viewing social media as a low-level skill is dismissive at best. It’s not data entry or factory line work. Even those jobs require skills that not everyone can excel at.

    When you don’t view a skill as an area of expertise, you don’t respect it as a profession. Sure, everyone has an iPhone, that’s not a qualifier.

    Social media isn’t just about posting. It’s about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of posting. It’s about timing. It’s about reading the audience. It’s about discernment. It’s about silence sometimes. It’s closer to comedy in many ways.

    [bctt tweet=”Social media is about timing. It’s about reading the audience. It’s about discernment. It’s about silence. It’s closer to comedy in many ways.” username=”BridgetMWillard“]

    Social media requires basic understanding of psychology, tech, marketing, and copyrighting. It’s not for everyone.

    “Social Media is a waste of time. It doesn’t work anyway.”

    This one. I forget about this one all of the time. I could give example after example of how this isn’t true.

    Here are some examples right off the top of my head.

    1. Amy Donohue donated her kidney because of a tweet. That was in 2011.
    2. Because of a video I created for Riggins Construction, they got a net profit of work from a single client in 2015 that paid for my salary for half a year.
    3. In September of 2015, one of our Thought House Franchise Development clients got four (yes, four) first-click leads from Twitter.

    And this doesn’t include the people you meet (human ROI) or the knowledge that you learn from consuming content.

    Social Media works if you work it.

    Relationships are always valuable to business; especially if your business model relies upon referrals.

    Being social in any venue, online or off, pays off if you are a kind, generous person. Your brand has an opportunity to present itself online as that person. Why wouldn’t you take that opportunity?

    If you don’t have time to do it, outsource it. It’s that simple.

  • Beware of the Bubble, Not the Niche

    Here’s the bottom line, friends. Bubbles are bad, niches are not. You’re free to stop reading now. 🙂

    When I say “Beware of the Bubble, Not the Niche,” I refer to the term people throw around about any industry. For example, I hear the phrase “the WordPress Bubble” thrown around a lot – like this article written by my very good friend, Kevin Hoffman.

    The truth is that any industry has a risk of a bubble, not just WordPress. I saw it often in the sixteen years I was in construction.

    [bctt tweet=”In business, a niche is a good thing; a bubble is not.” username=”BridgetMWillard“]

    Any business needs a focus. That’s a niche. A bubble is what happens when you only talk to people in your industry. Inside baseball is great, but if that’s all your input you won’t really know your audience — or the market.

    What’s a Niche?

    A niche is a focus. If everyone is your customer, no one is your customer. Find a focus, or three, and stick with it. For example, I specialize in business-to-business relationship marketing. That rules out retail. But the industries I specialize within that B2B world are franchising, tech, and construction.

    [bctt tweet=”If your business doesn’t have a niche, find it. Everyone is not a customer persona.” username=”BridgetMWillard“]

    What’s a Bubble?

    A bubble is a risk of any industry. It’s what happens when we only talk to people in our industry. Sometimes I refer to this as inside baseball. It’s good and serves a purpose. I can be one of the biggest offenders. I love inside baseball. I love talking about the ins and outs of our industry.

    [bctt tweet=”Inside baseball is great, but if that’s the only opinions you hear, you won’t really know your audience — or the market.” username=”BridgetMWillard“]

    How do you break out of the bubble?

    The first step to overcoming any problem is acknowledging that it exists. Do an audit of your inputs. Are they all in your industry?

    • Who is your mentor?
    • What do you read?
    • What do you listen to?
    • What are your hobbies?
    • Who do you meet?

    Then find out some of your interests that you can explore. Start watching some documentaries, read nonfiction, get a different podcast.

    All good ideas come from cross-pollination. Innovation thrives upon open thinking.

    Keep your mind open to trends outside of your industry and you’ll have the vision to take your business where it needs to go.

    “The great driver of innovation… has been the historic increase in connection.” Steven B Johnson

    Markus Spiske

  • Protect Your Brand. It’s Not a Joke.

    Humor. It’s tricky in person — with your intonation, delivery, and body language. It’s even more precarious when it’s written. Your brand isn’t a joke, don’t treat it like one.

    It’s tempting to react to political news from your brand on Twitter. Unless your brand is Saturday Night Live, don’t do it. You’ll be fueling trolls and undermining your brand. It’s your brand. Protect it.

    KFC and Nuclear Buttons

    I rarely call people out. In this case, I’m doing it. Firstly, I grew up at the end of the cold war and don’t find nuclear jokes funny. Secondly, the situation in North Korea is serious. Thirdly, regardless of the behavior of the current President (who frankly embarrasses me), your brand should be above that.

    Tweet:

    Sure, at the time of this screenshot (in my tweet below), 6 hours in, KFC got 606 comments, 24,000 impressions and 49,000 likes. It’s a mistake.

    The fact that KFC is calling itself KFC instead of Kentucky Fried Chicken shows that they have a history of branding issues. They had to fight fried food, are they really going to alienate the demographic that mostly enjoys it? Seriously. I’m a Republican. I get it. Let’s be serious.

    In fact, I’d argue that the cheap laugh and blog posts that will be written on Mashable, Tech Crunch, and BuzzFeed might be worth it for a day for attention. But will it help sales? I doubt it.

    [bctt tweet=”Your brand isn’t a joke. Don’t treat it like one. Use restraint with current trends.” username=”BridgetMWillard“]

    The Danger of Trending Hashtags

    The same advice goes for Trending Hashtags. Lazy social media managers try to jump on a trend. If you don’t totally understand why the trend is happening, you have another “Why I Stayed” scandal.

    [bctt tweet=”Don’t fall for easy. If you don’t understand the hashtag, do not use it. It’s that simple.” username=”BridgetMWillard“]

    People make mistakes because of inexperience and a lack of discretion. They don’t think things out strategically and see how it will affect their brand. This is why you should never hire a cheap Social Media Manager.

    It’s Your Responsibility to Protect Your Brand

    Your brand is your reputation. It’s all you have sometimes when funds are light. It’s your job to protect it and assemble a team of people who have the same vision.

    Levi Saunders