Kassaundra 0:00
Wondering what tracking and analyzing your Instagram data could do for your business? Today, Janice Cook and I are chatting all about how diving into her data has affected her biz. Janice is a TPT seller turned systems expert who helps make systems tidy so the work week is peaceful and productive. She's passionate about helping TPTers spend their time on the tasks they love, because she believes that's a key factor in the creation of high quality resources that make an impact for teachers and students. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two school aged daughters. She started her store in 2017, spent 12 years teaching in person, and then another three years teaching online. Her true passion is supporting other TPT sellers, and that's where she focuses her time.
Kassaundra 0:49
So teacher authors, go ahead and reheat that cup of coffee because I'm your host, Kassaundra Foster, and we're about to get schooled in socials.
Kassaundra 0:59
Welcome back to schooled in socials. I am so excited to have Janice Cook with me here today, and we are talking all about using Instagram data to create strategic content to market your business. How are you, Janice?
Janice Cook 1:14
I'm so excited to chat about data.
Kassaundra 1:17
Yeah. And so for my newer listeners who don't know you yet. Can you tell them a little bit about who you are and what you do?
Janice Cook 1:26
Absolutely I am Janice cook. I have my own TPT store, but I spend most of my day working with other teacher business owners, because running a teacher business is overwhelming. And I love to help them make a big impact with their customers, but without burning themselves out to a crisp. So I help them kind of bring their capacity back into focus and right size their hiring situation, and just clear up all the sticky things in their business that aren't working.
Kassaundra 1:55
Yes, and so I know personally that you are looking at data in a lot of people's businesses already, and you came to me a little while back and you wanted to dive in to your Instagram data, and so we started doing a quarterly data analysis together. But how did you know it was the right time for you to start diving into that data.
Janice Cook 2:21
Being a virtual support provider is wild, because I'm always trying to be up to date on best practices and learning more about the professional development of what data is out there and what decisions we can make from it. So it was definitely something I wanted to learn about for my business and for others, but I spend so much time inside the businesses of others that sometimes my business data doesn't get the attention that it needs. That's why the quarterly data service really was necessary for me. I also know as a service provider that sometimes people come to me for me doing the task, but many times people come to me just for that accountability. And it sounds so silly, but that's been a huge part of it is that I know you're going to be in my inbox quarterly, making me report back on my goals and say out loud what my goals are. And there are so many business owners that don't do that. We set shiny new goals at the beginning of the year, and then we close our little notebook and we never revisit them again. And often time, by the time you come a knock, knock, knocking on my inbox, I'm like, Oh, I don't know, let me go look, and you force me to go look at the results and revisit my goals. And honestly, even if we never opened the Instagram dashboard that alone would be worth what I pay for quarterly data, because so many blind spots are revealed when we have that quarterly check in. And it helps me not pump out content. Just to pump out content, I need that reminder, like, where are we trying to go? What are we trying to accomplish? It's so easy to just get on the hamster wheel of like I have to post today. Here is a post I think I can make, and you really help me bring it back to strategy, which is something I feel so strongly about, and a service I provide to clients all the time. But there's something that always makes your business come in last, and you help make sure my business doesn't come last.
Kassaundra 4:24
Yeah, I am totally guilty of writing down my shiny new goals and then closing the notebook. And so I can definitely see how having someone in your inbox asking you about those goals is helpful because it makes you reflect. So to give everyone a little bit of background, when I go in to do a quarterly data analysis, I'm not just going in and, like, grabbing numbers and telling you what's working and what's not working. I am really looking at, what are your goals? Where are you going? What do you want to be doing in business? And how can we help Instagram support that? Because, like, Janice said, you don't need to be on the hamster wheel of just like posting every day to post - let's get super strategic. Let's look at what's working that will help you move towards your goals, and let's make more of that so that it makes your life a little bit easier.
Janice Cook 5:14
Yeah, and there's so much good news in your reports. I think we all get in a funk with Instagram sometimes where we bang our head against the wall, and we say, is this working? Is this worth it? I just don't know, and the answer is always in our data. I just never remember how much juicy information our customers are leaving as breadcrumbs for us, and I don't think I truly knew how much was in there. I think there's certain analytics that are easy to see, like how many views we got on a reel, and I think a lot of the data inside Instagram is really hard to see, so we feel like it's not working because we're not getting that feedback that we need. But really, every time I open up the report, you see my account in a completely different way than I do, and it's so much easier to make content for the next round, because you're like, This is your goal. This is content your people like, you need to make two more of these and set them up that way. And I'm like, Well, I can do that, but I don't see the same thing inside Instagram that your expert brain does. And I don't want to make content and have it be a waste of time, but I'm happy to make content if it's going to be strategic and get us to our goals.
Kassaundra 6:27
I feel like it's always easier for someone to see how to get from point A to point B, like looking into your business than like you in the middle of it. Like we talk about this all the time, even within my own business, right? Sometimes I have trouble seeing how to get from point A to point B, and bringing in that other set of eyes can be so helpful to see it in a different way. And there definitely is a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to the Instagram dashboard. I wish they made the professional dashboard more user friendly, but unfortunately, they're not there yet, and so having someone like me who spends like all of her time in the dashboard, going in and really seeing what's there can definitely be helpful, like you said.
Janice Cook 7:18
So I tend to go in spurts with posting, where I post a lot for a couple of weeks, and then once that momentum is broken, I'm not in I always think about you when I'm on like, a little pause like that, because I've already committed to quarterly data. And if your time comes around to dive into my data, and there isn't any data in there, because I haven't been posting - you're still going to charge me dollar bills, and you should, because I'm holding a space on your schedule, but it helps give me that little nudge that I need to . . . like she can't give me data. If there's no content to analyze, you've got to get a post up today. And when I watch your quarterly report, I break things up into post its and so when you say you should have a post about this. I make a post it, and I check it on my wall. You should have a post about this, and I put it on my wall. And so the order that I get that content out in sometimes will depend on my energy level and creative inspiration. But at least then I have like a menu to shop from, instead of, like, the entire internet and every idea in the world. And then I have, like, a shopping list that I can see visual progress on. I'm like, oh, okay, I made one reel. It wasn't that bad. I could change my clothes and make three more. Okay, now I have three less post its on my wall. I feel like I, like, tangibly accomplished something.
Kassaundra 8:35
Right,
Janice Cook 8:35
We need those little dopamine hits as business owners.
Kassaundra 8:38
Yes, we do. The magic really comes when we bring the strategy together with the ideas, because then it feels manageable and it feels like you can actually get through it and do it.
Janice Cook 8:51
Yeah.
Kassaundra 8:52
So how has having that analysis supported your marketing efforts in your business on social media?
Janice Cook 9:01
Yeah, so it's just like they always say, if you actually know what your goal is, and you say it out loud, and you keep it top of mind and you track it, it certainly does help you get there a little faster. It's annoying that that's true, but it really has helped, and you've kept me really accountable to my business goals too. If I put out content and you can't bucket it into one of our shared goals, then that's like, that checks and balances system, like, why are you posting about that? I thought we were trying to accomplish this, and you'll always do it in a kind way. But I need that accountability, because I didn't do it to break the rules. I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't realize it. And so when we have to have that moment to check in and say, like, wait a second, what goal is this content trying to achieve in your big picture goals? Ooh, your content gets much more strategic. And I'm so grateful for that. And I didn't know how many types of data there were in there that we could learn from until I took your course, and that was what showed me like, Oh, if I want to accomplish a, I need to use B. And if I'm this far away from them actually taking this action, I might want to leverage this type of content. But if I'm further away from that ask, the strategy is different. And again, I think what we see when we open the app is really just reels views and followers, and there's so many clues in there that I just don't have eyeballs on.
Kassaundra:Right, going beyond just the numbers, like the numbers tell a story, and you have to unearth that story, and you have to tell that story, and that's what I try really hard to do in those quarterly data analysis reports, is tell the story of the data like, oh my gosh, a bunch of people shared that piece of content. What does that mean? Right? Well, that means that people are finding that content relatable and worthy to put in front of someone else. What does it mean that a ton of people saved this piece of content? Wow. That story is that your people are finding it really valuable, valuable enough to want it to take up space somewhere in their Instagram so they can come back to it later. Right? So if we are trying to do certain things in our business, we want people to be sharing. Maybe, if we're working on one type of goal, we want people to be saving. We want to be reaching more people in certain seasons of our business. And so really taking a look at those numbers and the story that they tell, the breadcrumbs right that you said our audience is leaving for us, and how can we get more of those actions that will help move us closer to our goals?
Janice Cook:Yeah, I think there's so much decision fatigue on social media. There's so many topics I'd be happy to share about and chat with people about, but I have to figure out, like, why are they following me? What do they want me to talk about? Because if I don't deliver what they're looking for, they have many choices for their attention on the app, and I'm happy to serve them in many ways, but I don't know what they want, and they're not going to tell us. That's not how marketing works, but they are telling us with the buttons they tap and the content they view, and you're able to dig, dig, dig and find that. And it's refreshing, because I don't want to make content if it's not what my people want, and I don't want to guess.
Kassaundra:Right. And it's amazing market research too, because if you can bring together what you want to be doing as a business owner and what your audience finds helpful, and you can find that middle of the Venn diagram within that data, and you can give them more things like that. It's a win-win. You're going to be serving your audience, and you're going to be serving you because you're going to be doing the things that you want to be doing in your business and working towards the goals that you want to be working towards.
Janice Cook:I'm so glad you mentioned market research, because this calendar year was all about market research in my business, whether I realized it or not. I did some work with Branda, who's an amazing copywriter in the space, and the market research she was able to pull out for my brand was so life changing for me. And she had the same access that I had, drives you nuts, right? She had the same testimonials on her desk, I did. She had the same words of customers that I, in theory, had access to, but she was able to curate it in a way that showed me, this is what problem people want you to solve. This is why they come to you. And I just didn't know. And your service has done the same for me in a different way. When that report comes up, you'll say, these are the commonalities in the content that's performing really well. It really looks like your people want to hear more of this from you, and it totally wasn't the direction I thought they wanted to hear from me. And that clarity, especially coming from two different amazing service providers this calendar year, was something that wasn't, maybe what I sought out for getting from this service, but it really helped me clarify my goals for next calendar year, because now I'm like, Oh, if that's what people want, I'm happy to make it. And now I know exactly what I'm called to do next year.
Kassaundra:Right. And that makes it so much easier to continue to put out content. And one of the things I really love about doing a quarterly data analysis for people is like getting everything I can out of a piece of content, like looking for those trends we're working towards x, y and z. These three posts were top performing. What is the same about them? What is similar about them. Not just like, hey, you got a lot of views here, and that's great. We want more views in this season, but also like, What were you talking about in that reel? What kind of caption did you write? Were they similar captions, similar topics, and just trying to nitpick and see all of those little pieces that we can build together to create another piece of content that's going to get results like that, or better, to push you towards your goal.
Janice Cook:Yeah, and repurposing is always a win. But if you say like this, reel performed really well, can you pull the text off the screen and from your caption and remix it into a carousel? Done. Oh, my goodness, that's so fast. Like, yes, thank you for giving me an easy win. I sure can. And we need quick wins in this season of life, for sure. But I can get a post up way faster because we're cutting the decision fatigue. And I also want to shout out the frequency of this service. I think that a quarter is exactly enough time that we stir up emotional junk about our business and about our goals and about social media, and because this is a recurring service where you're in my ear, like every quarter, you ask questions, and we build trust over time, and I get to tell you, I think my last quarterly update, I was frustrated about a couple of things. Like, I know you wanted me to make this type of content, but I couldn't, because I'm stuck.
Kassaundra:Yeah,
Janice Cook:And it's a safe space where I can say that, because I don't know where to get. PD, that's specific enough to that problem, for this audience, for this goal, for all the things I have in the mix, and you already know all of the background and who I am and my audience, so it gives me a safe space to share those bumps in the road, whereas if I didn't have you in my inbox every quarter, I would probably just give up and go do something else, right? I'd be like, Oh, it's not gonna work for me. Anyway, I tried it and it doesn't work, and I'll just go try something else. And we know that that's not how business works. We can't make one TPT product and hope to be a millionaire. We can't make one YouTube video and hope to strike it rich. Like all of these things are such a long game, and there's so much mindset ick that comes up along the way. I swear your email knocks in my inbox right before I spiral every time, and I'm so grateful to have that safe space like here are the five things you told me to do that I felt confident doing and I did. And then I might as well just tell you why number six didn't happen before you dive into my data. Because, oh, my goodness, data doesn't lie.
Kassaundra:No, it doesn't. But the thing too is I can, like, sit here and tell you, like, this is what you need to do. And I love having that check in before I dive in, because when I approached this last set of data, I approached it differently than I did before, because I said, Okay, Janice is really struggling with doing X, Y, and Z. We still need to do X, Y, and Z, but how can I make it easier for her? And I was able to give you suggestions on like, how to tweak what you were doing to get number six across the finish line right. And so it takes that data. It's not just me saying, Hey, go and do this, but like when I'm able to have that back and forth with people, it's much easier for me to tailor my recommendations to them, because there are so many different ways sometimes to get from point A to point B. Ensure the data says we should be doing this to get from point A to point B. But guess what? If you are never in a million years going to do it that way, it's still not helpful. So if you are able to have that conversation, and we kind of grow that trust over time in this package, then you can say, I'm not going to do that. Is there another way we can do that? And I can say, Sure, let me take a look at how else we could accomplish X, Y, and Z.
Janice Cook:And I've tried new things because I just, I just don't know what's out there. Like, I will say right away, if you're saying you need to make four of these, I'm never going to do that. And let's come up with a new plan before, like, another quarter goes by, and you're always in there with a teacher heart, right we are teachers who love working with other teachers, because I know that it's a safe space. And you're going to modify for my learning, and we're going to come up with another way up the mountain to get it done. I think that I also have learned a lot from this personalized like video that you send my way that's just about my business. I ask better questions now, and I'm curious about better things, because I understand it so much more, and I loved learning more about the data in your course, but I knew in the end of the course that I wasn't going in that dashboard, and you just have to know yourself. I know that now there's so much value in there that could help me, and I also know that if it's up to me to dive in every day to day, every quarter, whatever is the suggested timeline, then I'm not going to do it. My business is going to become last place. I'm going to take care of everyone but me and it's not going to happen. And so I was really grateful that you've had this opportunity that we could be humble and be like I know myself, I am not going to do this, but you have convinced me it is very important. Can you please do it for me? And I don't need you to make all my content. I don't need you to schedule it and post it for me. This is the level of assist that I need. I just need to know that I have a strategic plan that actually reflects what my people want from me.
Kassaundra:Right. That what you're doing is actually moving the needle in your business and cutting down on the decision fatigue so that you can take that next right step for sure.
Janice Cook:Oh, it's such a lifesaver.
Kassaundra:From looking at all the data that I have sent your way, what is one thing from your data that has surprised you?
Janice Cook:This data completely changed the direction I was going in for the new calendar year, because over and over again, you consistently saw one type of content that people really liked from me, and I just I didn't realize it. I think sometimes we're here to entertain people, and sometimes we're here to educate them and give tips, and sometimes we're here to give them encouragement and pep talks. And what we set out to do isn't always what people need. So I think that you've really encouraged me to try an equal amount of different types of content so that then the data can tell us. What is it that really makes people excited to see a new piece of content from me? Oh, it's this type of content. And actually, just before we got on this call, because I know that you like to see a tripod in the background when we're on this call, because it means that I'm listening like I saw my post its on the wall. And I was like, Wait a second, they like to see this background and this shot with this lighting, because they know that when I'm in that mode, they're getting this type of content, and we know that because we've done strategic experimentation. And so I'm like, Okay, well, that's fine. Before I hop on this call, I will go give them one more piece of that, because I have the clarity that that's what they actually want from me, right? And so we could make something really humorous, we could do a funny dance, we could do a 20 tip carousel that is just going to overwhelm people, and it's not what they wanted. But there's containers that people come from me to learn in, and there's containers people come to me just to get encouragement so they can keep going and take one more step. And there's types of content we can create that just start conversations and help remind people that you're a safe person they can have conversations with because running a business is hard.
Kassaundra:Sure is! I think it's so amazing that we can get so strategic by looking at the data and looking at your content. And you can know I am going to film this reel here in my office in this way, because this is how my audience knows me and resonates with me, and like, how amazing and powerful is that?
Janice Cook:Yeah, and I think social media is a game. I think all marketing is of giving the people what they want. And so if I'm not gonna look at the data without your support, then I might as well not make content at all. And that's not the choice we should make. We should just grow up and put on our big girl panties and look at the data, because it's there. And the same with our store, and the same with any offer we have in our suite. I had someone who comes to me, I do podcast management, and they were looking for just editing, and my base level package also involves data collection. And they were like, well, I don't need that. I just need editing. And I was like, No, everybody needs data. I'm sorry I don't offer any packages without data, because we're on this together. If I'm going to listen to your episodes and make them shiny for your audience, I want to know everything about them, and you need to also, because it does us no good to make 100 pieces of content that are the wrong ones that our people don't want. And I got to do such good thinking this year because of the clarity you provided in that data. I heard what you were saying my people wanted from me, and I had to think, well, is that even what I want to make? Is that even what I want to do, and how can I make this a win, win, how can I spend time giving them what they're asking me for, and also make sure it works for my goals. And it was the best journey to go on this year.
Kassaundra:Yeah,
Janice Cook:I heard it with some market research from Branda and some market research from you. And then you think, and you think, and all of a sudden you're like, Oh, get it. I know what I'm supposed to be doing. I will now go do that. And that's me through and through. I have to see the whole strategic spider web. You know this about me. And then as soon as I do, and I've had a chance to, like, air my grievances and overthink and question, once I'm convinced, and it's a green light, like, just get out of my way, I will just go get it done. But I have to go through that whole process, and I don't know that I would be able to do that looking at the data on my own.
Kassaundra:Yeah, sometimes you're just too in it to be able to pull back and see what you need to see, and maybe look at it from a little bit of a different angle. And I love what you were saying, because we have talked a lot about meeting people where they're at. So I think a lot of the struggles that I find and talk about with the people and when it comes to social media and other parts of their business, is that they want to be doing one thing. They are called to do one thing, and their audience is telling them they need something else, and that is such a sticky and hard place to be in, but I promise you, if you dig into the data and think about it, you can make what you want to do and what they're looking for. You can make those things coincide. You might just need to start at a different point than you expected to.
Janice Cook:And Instagram is such a good playground to test drive those things you know? Before you go make a course or start a whole big thing, what if you just test it out few pieces of that small content, try it on for size, see how it resonates, but also if you even enjoy it, and how it feels such a great place to test things and float them in a casual place. But yeah, if the data is coming back over and over again and you're hearing the same things over and over again, I'm surprised every time you bring up a report, what my top performing content is. It's never the content that took the longest to make. It's never the content was the hardest to make. And it's not content that I would have made more of unless you told me to. I just don't see the same things. You've brought so many blind spots up, and I can't argue with them. You find them in the data. You show your work, you tell me where it's coming from. So I'm like, well, okay, I guess that's what we're doing. And it's exciting, because I'm excited about the direction I'm going in next year. I'm happy to do it because I finally found, like, the intersection of the two little circles in the Venn diagram, where it's a win-win for everyone. And it was just such a fun journey to go on. And I'm 100% sure it's like, not where I would have ended the year if I didn't have this extra input and feedback, because while it was in my app the whole time, there's no way I would have noticed any of this.
Kassaundra:Yeah, and I think with the social media, specifically when it comes to marketing on social media, I think people struggle so often because it's hard to find clarity in where to go next. There are so many voices out there, so many shiny things for you to chase, so many trends you could jump on, the platform likes to change right? And all of that makes it really hard to see, like the path through the trees. And my big goal around my business is to show people that there is a way from point A to point B, and it doesn't have to be painful. We can do it in a way that works for you and works towards your goals. But I think we just get caught up and all of that noise out there, and it makes marketing on social media feel more difficult than it needs to be.
Janice Cook:Yeah. And I think you'll help us make our goals more clear too, to make sure there are things that we can measure. I think many of us out in online business land are like, well, I want to make more money. I want to sell more and that's not a goal, right? And so you'll say, like, when's the next time you're launching this? How's the growth of your list going? You ask all these questions, and I'm like, Oh, I don't know. Let's find out, because we just, we don't look unless someone reminds us we have to.
Kassaundra:Yeah.
Janice Cook:Can you share a little bit about what this service is like? Because I feel bad talking about something that might not be super clear to people who are listening.
Kassaundra:Quarterly data analysis. Once every three months, what I do is I hop in your inbox with a nice survey with a bunch of questions, asking you about your current goals, your past goals, what progress you felt you've made, what you've been doing on social media since I've last been into your data so I can get a full look at what you are working towards in your business, and how Instagram can help you move forward with those. And then what I do is I hop in to your professional dashboard, I gather up all the data that we're going to need to make those decisions, and I have a very user friendly spreadsheet that pops out a visual report, and so I get all the data in there, I take a look at the report, I analyze all the top performing posts for things that we are working. Working towards, and I give you a game plan for moving forward. So if you want to work towards x goal, here are the types of content you're going to want to be making in the next quarter in order to do that. And then the last thing I do is I look for gaps in the data, because data isn't perfect, because it relies on us to implement the plan with faith. And sometimes, like Janice was talking about - no shame in anyone's game, right? We get to a point where we're just not going to do number six, like Janice said, we did not do what I had recommended last quarter, and that's absolutely fine. So I take a look and see, like, what is the data not telling us that we could experiment with so that we have answers down the road? So for example, I take a look at how many of your posts are different media types. Like, did you only post static posts? Do we not have any data on how your audience would react to carousels or reels. Well, let's try to get some more of that in there. Or are you only talking about one of your content pillars? Okay, could another one of your content pillars resonate better with your audience and get you to your goal quicker?
Janice Cook:Or why?
Kassaundra:right?
Janice Cook:Like, why aren't you talking about that content pillar? Should we still have this content pillar at all?
Kassaundra:Yes, that is also and looking at like, what are you using for CTAs? If you are trying to do X, Y and Z, but you're only asking people to like your content, that's not going to get us there. So how can we create some more content that's going to get people to take the actions that we want? And so basically, you get a whole video of me breaking down that visual dashboard, all the trends that I'm noticing, any gaps in the data I notice, and how you can experiment in the next quarter to help fill those and give us more information as we move forward. And then you get the whole dashboard to look at yourself, so that you can watch that video, and you can get into the dashboard when you are ready to sit down and create your content.
Janice Cook:Yeah, and I think it's not necessarily the service I needed as, like, a complete beginner on social media, but I think it's such a good service for an intermediate social media person, for lack of a better like term. Because I think, like we have that checklist of we know what components and Instagram posts needs. We know it needs a hook, it needs a CTA, it needs a caption, it needs whatever. But you are able to say, like, when you put your hook here, you get results, but when you put it down here, which you do a lot, it does nothing. So stop doing that. And you're like, Oh, I didn't know, because I was just like, checking the box, and I knew I had to have a hook. And the same with CTAs. Like, I love that you used a variety of CTAs. Did you know that only these two CTAs actually get any traction for your audience? So could we stop using the other ones? I would love to stop using the other ones. I just didn't know. Because I know just enough to know what to include, but I don't see the data clearly enough to know what's working so I can do more about it. And that's been the big thing that I took out of quarterly data, is it's not a major strategy shift, it's small tweaks we could try in the next quarter, and they could actually make a big impact. And so just moving the words you're already using into a different place, changing around the order, changing up the length, just really manageable, bite sized things, because you live in reality in social media, you know how much time we have or don't have, to devote to this piece of the pie in our business. And I never feel like you give me a plan that's going to become like a new part time job. It's within the capacity of the real life, of what you know I can or cannot handle. There's never any shame, although sometimes you deliver your questions in such a kind way. I remember one time you said, like, have you archived a lot of content this quarter, I feel like there's a whole piece missing. And I was like, No, it's not missing. There was just there were things and there were reasons, and it got ugly, and then it got better, and it was okay. But you always ask in a really nice way, like, maybe there's a glitch. I'm not seeing these things from your homework. And I'm like, oh, life is hard.
Kassaundra:Yeah, I am not here to judge at all. Like we are human. There is so many moving parts in our lives and in our business, so I'm just always going to try to get curious about why things did or didn't happen, so that we can find a way to move forward. And I love that you mentioned this is kind of for someone who is in the like intermediate space with their Instagram marketing. Actually just had someone in my DMs, and I loved seeing what they said, they were saying. I have been consistently following a plan for the last three months, and I think it's time for me to look at my data. And I was like, yes, yes, it is. You have been putting content out into the world. You have been experimenting, you have been consistent with it, and now it is time to see what has your audience told you?
Janice Cook:That's such a good point, because if I haven't posted it all in the last 90 days, there's nothing you can do in the data, right? We have to, have to be posting before we turn this on.
Kassaundra:And I teach in the course to like, if you are someone who's not intermediate and you're just getting started here are all like the quote, unquote best practices for putting out content on social media to get you from point A to point B, so you can get started, and you can get that out there, and then you can see how your audience reacts to it. So we always kind of start with those best practices in mind, and we go from there, and then everyone's audience is different, and everyone's audience is going to react to things differently, resonate with things differently, and everyone's goals are different. And so once we have like those best practice kind of posts out there, and we see the reaction and we pair them with what you're working towards, that's when we can hone in and start making really strategic content for your business.
Janice Cook:And I think one of the coolest parts of running a business is taking all the advice and information soup that's out there and knowing your audience so well and your goals so clearly that you know which pieces to pull out and take action on. So just because your mastermind besties said like this is working really well for them on social media, it's not a guarantee that it's a home run for you, but you might say, Yeah, but I'm so dialed into my data that I know that type of content, it's not the vibe here, and that clarity is so amazing. So you can see the next shiny course that's on sale for Black Friday and the new new opportunity, and you're like, No, that's not for me, because I have a plan, and it's data driven, and I know that this is the plan for me. Yeah, I would be interested. Push back if you think I'm wrong. I personally took the course and then dove into quarterly data because I knew I wasn't going to do the dashboard dive, because I'm humble, but you could probably go straight to quarterly data without the course, because I learn all of the same things just through my own dashboard as an example in those quarterly reports.
Kassaundra:yes,
Janice Cook:Can people skip the course if they know that they're like me and they're like, I don't, I don't take courses. Well, I do. They're like, I'm not going to take this course. This isn't the learning style that's a match for me, but I know I need to dive deeper in my data. What do you think are the options there?
Kassaundra:I think that is a great point, because I built the course to be for those people who are the DIYers, those ones who are like, I'm going to get in, I'm going to learn everything I can, and I'm going to do it myself. And quarterly data was for those people who maybe thought they were there and went through the course and then said, I'm not going to jump into my data, or the people who immediately said, No, I am not going to teach this all to myself and do it myself. And so in that package, I take you along on that ride, and I explain why we're doing the things that we're doing so that you can get an understanding about how to make strategic content, and maybe sometime in the future, you don't need me to do a quarterly analysis, right? I have done enough analysis for you. You have learned what your audience resonates with. You have learned where to look for certain information to figure out where to go next. You know, my idea is kind of working myself out of a job, right? I want to give you everything you need to someday take that torch and continue creating strategic data without me.
Janice Cook:Yeah, if I graduate from this service one day, that would feel amazing, but it would mean that I was just so crystal clear on what this space wanted from me that our quarterly report is probably just going to sound the same, right? You delivered a, b and c, your audience reacted exactly the way we thought they would - do more of that. And I imagine after a couple of times through that circle, we'll both know that it's time to, like, fly out of the nest. And I look forward to getting there. I definitely feel like we get closer each and every time, but because it's a recurring service, you've been there with me in like the good days and the bad and the highs and the lows, and you've gotten to see my messaging and my offers and my launch calendar evolve over time. And I am so grateful for your ability to zig when I zag.
Kassaundra:Yeah. And I love to just be able to see people creating that content and be like, Oh yes, this is what I was talking about. I love this. This is so great, or what a great idea. Can't wait to see how like this style of content turns out. When we take a look at your data, it just it hypes me up to be able to, like, look at people's data.
Janice Cook:She's cheering you on on the gram anyways, but yeah, you put out a killer piece of content. She sees the stats racking up, and she's like, make that into a carousel. Don't wait 12 weeks, right?
Kassaundra:Yes, yes.
Janice Cook:That's so nice, too. The accountability piece of a service like this is just incredible. And you might not be ready for, like, a full blown social media manager or to add another, like, recurring team member, but gosh, having someone just check on you every couple of months to be like, how are we going with that goal that we said was important, and put dollar bills behind and you're like, yes. How are we doing with that? Because it's so easy to be on the hamster wheel and not stop, and Kassaundra also makes me stop and celebrate. Sometimes she'll be like, did you even realize that this accomplished your goal? Did you realize how many people are clicking this link? Did you realize how many people are traveling to your bio? Did you realize when we made this one change, how much more interaction we got in this way? And you're like, No, I did not realize it. I was so busy, like crushing tasks and to do list items. No, I did not stop and smell the roses. And it's so much easier to continue when someone does swoop in to make you stop and look at all of these really important details.
Kassaundra:That's one thing I try really hard to do, is when I see things that are working and have gone really well, I love to be able to pop in someone's DMs and let them know, or send them a quick email and being like, did you see this? Like we are making progress. Because when you're on that hamster wheel, sometimes it's just so hard to stop and see what is actually working and to celebrate those moments. And if you're going to keep going with your marketing, you have to celebrate those little wins along the way, because I believe most of marketing is like this, but social media is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. And I think that is a big mindset change from when a lot of us have come into social media to market our business, where a lot of the stories were like, I like, got 10k followers in two weeks, and I scaled to, you know, the five figure months in like three months, you know, like we have all of those stories, but really it is the consistency and the looking at the data and honing in on what our audience wants that is going to get us to a point where our marketing is really helping us reach our goals. And what an honor I feel to be some people's go-to person. I don't take that lightly, so I always try to bring you the most up to date, the most best practices, things that are going to get the needle moving in your business. So Janice, thank you so much for chatting with me today about data in your business and how you've been using it, if you are someone like Janice, who kind of raised your hand during this conversation and said, Hey, I should be looking at my data. I would love to look at my data. I don't have capacity to do it on my own. I do have that quarterly data analysis service. I'll leave the wait list for you in the show notes, so that you can go ahead and get your info in there. And if you're also someone who likes to get a little scrappy and learn how to do it yourself, that's what the course is for as well. So I'll leave that link down there too. So however you raised your hand today, you can get support for your social media marketing.
Janice Cook:I'm so glad that we were able to have this conversation today. This service has been such a game changer for me. Social media is a fun place to connect with other people in the DMs, but there's so much more possibility. And I think we're all guilty of just using the one or two different parts of the platform that we're comfy with, and there's probably missed opportunities out there on this free marketing tool, so we might as well make the most of them. Definitely, thanks for chatting today, Kassaundra.
Kassaundra:Thank you.
Kassaundra:All right. Cold coffee friends. Thanks so much for listening. If you're loving getting schooled in socials, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Also, I would love it if you left a review so that other teacher authors like you can start getting schooled in socials too. All right, I'll see you in the next episode.