Ask the Expert: Leveraging Social Media For Your Podcast with Ilona Seddik

Speaker: 00:00:03

Amplifyou : This is Amplifyou the podcast about you discovering your message and broadcasting to the world. If you're a coach, author or speaker, you'll want to tune in. If you're looking for the best return on your time investment, to get your message out to the world in a bigger way, we're giving you full access behind the scenes look of how we're running our podcasts, how our clients have found success, and what you can do to launch your podcasts today. The world needs your message. I'm Michelle Abraham, the host join my family as we unleash your unique genius and find the connections you need to launch your venture today. Join us and let's get amplified.

Michelle Abraham: 00:00:44

Hello, hello Amplifyou family Michelle Abraham here your host. Today. I'm very excited. I'm gonna bring you and ask the expert. Illona Seddik is here with us today. And she is going to dive away into social media. It's that mysterious thing that we all know that we need to do and should do. And that's how we're going to help our podcast grow. But it's the one thing that confuses the heck out of most of us. And we get very caught up in social media and what to do and how to do it, and probably spend way too much time doing it and not getting the results that we want. So she's gonna set a straight today. That before we tell you a little bit more about Ilona, let me just say hi, how are you doing today? Oh,

Illona Seddik: 00:01:24

Hi, Michelle. So nice to see you and to be here. Thank you for having me.

Michelle Abraham: 00:01:29

You are so welcome was so good to have you here. And let me tell you a little bit more. Let me tell our audience a little bit more about you. So Alana Sinek is a content marketing coach, she helps coaches and service based businesses scale their profitable businesses on social media to increase the brand's visibility and attract clients and social media by posting daily, their daily life. So she's gonna make it easy for us. I am so excited about this. She started as a corporate lawyer after 10 years, she quit to follow her passion being a new mom of two under two, she got a BA in teaching Russian Language and Literature and then moved to the US and wrote her first book about her experiences as a domestic violence survivor. His book became a best selling author, bestseller thanks to her marketing strategy. And from there, she started to help other women reach out into the world. So you have such an inspiring story. And you and I share the passion for helping others get their voice out there in the world. And their stories are needed. So welcome. And I was so excited to dive into it. And so I remember you telling me about your story about how you've had like, stumbled across this social media thing. And so take us back there like what was? What was it about social media that made you go this clicks for you? Because for most people it doesn't like this is like something they struggle with a lot. But for you, you just found it easy, and then became a passion. And now you're a full time business?

Illona Seddik: 00:02:52

Yeah, absolutely, I'd love to share it. Because there are so many myths around social media. Like you said, we all know what it is. But we do not know exactly what it is. Because it's our daily routine already. If I asked you to remember your morning, at some point in your morning, perfectly, not right when you wake up, you will scroll through your feed on Facebook, on Instagram on any other social media. So it's part of our life. And my passion always was, I'd love to connect with people, I love to have this ongoing communication, the feeling that I am part of something bigger than me part of the community part of there some common interests that we share altogether. So this is for me was my passion. And first I tried through books, like it was very logical for me. I'm a full physiologist and PhD in law. So I have experienced as a scientist, I mean research and I love writing. And I thought, okay, writing is the means to connect, people will read my book, and they reach out to me and we start from there. But it appears that it's not their thing, because not every person that will read your book will reach out to you. And it's rather complicated if it's you have this very simple tool as social media. And especially in my case I am I just moved to America, I didn't have any publishing houses knocking on my door and begging me to publish my book. It was only me and I thought, okay, if it's just me with no budget, no connections, very poor English. So it's got to be some way to be out there. And for me it was social media. And from there I found this passion that okay through books like And I connect with people from time to time, but on the daily basis to be the part of something bigger than me, again, part of the community, this is my religion, this is I always starts to talk about and help service providers podcasters yours, this service providers because you provide the service, the space and the time for the person to share their stories to be heard to be seen. And through the stories, other people will have this feeling as well. So if I'm was through something, and they hear this person talk about this, so I'm here to this is the the future Yugi plays a huge role in our society. That is why podcasts is so popular, there is why. So, again, it's service. So you have this very, very simple tool, how to be out there on the daily basis, almost doing nothing. Because I know podcast is almost as a book, because you cannot be you're not able to provide daily podcast interview, it's from time to time according to your schedule, of course. But the point is that the audience needs you on a daily basis. They need your voice, they need your wisdom, they need your viewpoint of view how you see this world, how you actually find the York heroes, your person that you interviewed. This is very, very magical. Behind the Scenes moment, we all want to know this, and I receive a direction now. This is like, okay, it's kinda routine thing. Okay, how I find someone to interview it's, it's not that interesting. It's very simple. Okay, you have some some things that you use to find your your hero heroes your story and hear the story. But for most of the people who hear us now, it's a mystery. It's something to unpack. It's something it's interesting. And when you let us do these behind the scenes, we become part of something, something magical. This is the person now this is the interview, like, wow, this is the transformation. It's it's all in your hands. Michelle. So it's very, very interesting for me to see these routers,

Michelle Abraham: 00:07:36

Do you think for podcasters that there is a like a way that that would be like a really good formula for like showcasing the the guests that you're having in your podcasts like, you know, do you post a little bit of a snippet before the show then lead people to the show? And then maybe something from after the show? Or is there some sort of some something that you would suggest to help engage the listeners more in this story?

Illona Seddik: 00:08:04

Absolutely. And first of all, I will start not from the guests, not from the show, not from the story. I will start from you as the podcaster. I will start from your values. Why you are doing this? Why you start your morning you find your guests, do you have this routine daily? Are you searching for people? Are you searching for stories? Why? Why it's so important for you personally, because you spend the most precious resources you will ever have in your life, your time you invest your time in this wild, let us know through how you show this process, what it means to you. How you start it. Remind us all the time, you can say to me Sure. Okay, but But I told already why I've started this podcast and maybe now people will procure that as now they will know the story. Some of do the some of them will not. But you need always remind the story to us. Because you have we always will have a new followers, new listeners. And it's always the right time and dry place to share your story. I know you're interested in our stories as your guests, but never ever forget that you were the main figure here. You are the host. So we all should know about you first. And then as you mentioned very correctly, we should know about the guest ahead ahead of the interview. So it's something to think about. Everybody's talking about now Barbie movie marketing campaign. I mean, if you have 100 millions of dollars of course you will have amazing marketing campaign like no jokes, but if you do not have this means then main thing that helps them to thrive to get this while effect, because they have a way way heard one year ahead, half a year ahead. So they started very, very early this Boss Boss, making marketing, this is very, very effective in your case in in cuts, impact and podcast injuries, it's very important because I need to anticipate, to wait to be triggered to be maybe have a bit spoiler what is what isn't it the her next what is coming, it's like series in the very, very best way. We all know, Netflix we some of us will find likes one series, some other selects another one. But you do love some serious. So you always wait, wait for the next one to come. Because you know the story in general, like you know, the main characters you are in love with them, you get used to them, and you want more and more and more. It's very normal for the human brain to braid this more stories from the familiar that to give us this defense of something will come something interesting will come into my picture will come into my life, these very interesting story that will maybe we'll trust from one life. And I could see my actions through the lenses of other person, other human beings and I can make another decision in my life. And it's all very accessible to me. It's just in my ears. And like that's it. That is why boss marketing, get this excitement. And while it's all happened, you share them, let's say nuggets of your what will come to the your audience if they are if they already hear this interview, ask them to share something that they were sad about. They were happy about hearing this interview, not something that they can remember some something connected with their emotions. Because when we hear this podcast interviews, we pray for emotions over emotional connections. It's not it's it's not about the information itself. I mean, I can Google these things very easily. Right? I don't need to listen to one hour to have some insights. But I do want to share this story. I want to hear emotions, I want to be awakened through these emotions. So get with them in sheepish communication with them. What was the saddest moment? What was the one moment in this interview? What was very exciting for you, or disappointing for you in this story? Let them share this emotions, though.

Michelle Abraham: 00:13:01

Yeah, we always like encourage our podcasters and their guests to like, share openly share stories and be vulnerable. But you know, I think sometimes we don't think about then extending that into social media because you know, the podcasts or the podcast is their platform that's easy for them to do it on there. The thinking about taking that same concept, and doing it on social media and sharing those stories and sharing your takeaways from the podcast too. I think that's a great idea. It's a really good strategy. So when you first came to Canada, you started posting about your daily life on social media. And that's kind of what Lou what inspired you to start falling in love with social media. Is that right?

Illona Seddik: 00:13:45

I moved to the United States. Now I'm bullied.

Michelle Abraham: 00:13:47

I say sir, because

Illona Seddik: 00:13:50

I know. I know. As soon as I moved, I started to write my book. And then I remembered that I was so naive. I thought that Okay, it's good book. It's really my story. Boring from my heart. It's it's good. I mean, I know this it's good. Yeah, but it appeared that it it's not enough. You need marketing, the make this happen, this connection with the reader happen. And I started really sure why why I'm doing this. Why this book is so important for me personally. Why it's about I shared my story, of course, openly that there yes that this tragedy happened to me. I was a victim of domestic violence. Now I'm survivor but at some point of my life, I was a victim. So I shared my story. I shoot through the story of a woman who suffers suffered from domestic violence. They came to me and we formed a community. And from there I started to talk about main characters. The what this set of the story why me Choosing exactly another World Fantasy to reveal my story, how it helps to solve the problem of domestic violence, because that was my aim. And it's all through my normal life. And a side of this, I will I talk to other stories about how I moved to the United States. Why? I mean, shocking content. When I in the store, this is like, I did not have cheese this time used to have the very simple daily moments, but it's actually our life. And first, it was the first thing that I clearly remember about the United States it, I was living in Arlington, it's under close to the Pentagon, I could see the Pentagon through my windows. And then it was apartment building, third floor, and I saw one girl, just crossing the street. And she was, she was so free, she was so hard to say it inspiring for me, I don't know why. But all that see about how she moves, how she talks, how she dressed up, it's it was so new for me. It's like now the universe, absolutely another universe, another planet, and like landing on the moon. And if this is what what was my content at that time, of course, I shared about my book. But do not forget about the main aim of social media. That is I always tell them to be social with social media and to actually share your life that they are at the extent that you are comfortable with because it's not your website. If you give me the information about your product, about your podcast, it's the information about your podcast, I do not need these on social media. When I click on the icon of Instagram or Facebook, I do not anticipate to learn more about five tips of mindsets have been growing, financial mindset growing quickly, and whatever. I want to connect with my friends, I want to know more about what is happening in, in my work in my community. Nobody knew about my interest. Some article, someone said something, this is what I'm craving for something fun, something interesting, something valuable for me, what is valuable from, for me valuable. But when you're when you connect with me, you awake, my emotions, and my curiosity, and my instinct to craving for more. This is my value. It's not about these tips. It's not about something very educational specific. It's about connections. It's about to be social in social media. If I want just information, I Googled, I look through your website, don't worry, I will find the information. Absolutely 100%. But they will not ever ever find these social connections.

Michelle Abraham: 00:18:30

Yeah, I think that's a really good point. Because, you know, I think we forget the whole purpose of the social media and content is to be social, because some of us are using it for business and, you know, letting people in like socially like as things that you would share with friends, I think that's so important to remember, do you find that there's a particular platform like for the particular, you know, for podcasters in particular, who are wanting to share their experiences, you find that LinkedIn is better than Instagram or Facebook is better than then Instagram for podcast specific content.

Illona Seddik: 00:19:09

I would choose that platform, according to the audience that you are serving. And according to the topic that you you are in if it's very workspace office, space, topic and finance and law, something maybe corporate culture, for sure you need LinkedIn for the purposes. But if you want connection through stories of Intrapreneurs through stories of moms of toddlers that sharing these two awesome and sad moments, through your podcast, you are inspiring women to do something. For sure Instagram, for sure. Tick tock. You need these platforms, and in most of the cases their best combination is when You're on all platforms. It's not that hard. Because now I see your reaction that okay, I need a team of 1015 people to do this job. Thank you for the advice in honor. But thank you. I'm good. It's not that hard. Really. It's not the artist specially and artificial intelligence, do not forget that we have it already. So it's very, very, really not that complicated. Yeah.

Michelle Abraham: 00:20:30

We have all this content already. That just needs to be Yeah, it's created in a different way from the social.

Illona Seddik: 00:20:35

Yeah, you remember sent this it and it's can be even, you can make this an automatical way. So you don't need copy, paste? I mean, that is why I always for the short form video format, because it's you can be all over the place on Facebook, on Instagram, on tick tock on YouTube shorts, is the right format to be everywhere, because the text is kind of limited nowadays, because it's not that interesting, as video form. And the next question, normally, I would hear that, okay, I'm a podcaster. I'm not the dancing type, or I ended up getting tied up or whatever. But you have a very powerful tool in your hands, you have a story is powerful stories of people, that shares their deepest moments sometimes, or their lives, thanks to your space and time that you can connect with them in that way to make them comfortable to share this moment. So use these audio as, as the sound for your real as the, the visuals you can use yourself, for example, you did not record the podcast, I mean, video format, you do not have it, you just have the audio, okay, use this audio, but showing yourself working or delivering or connecting with the other guests. But do not show that picture without the guest is just you. It can be anything you do in your daily routine, or maybe something that connected to the story. And people will hear this very tender or sad moments. And it's very, very powerful, especially on Instagram, because it's the type of content that content did reach out the most number of people. It's the inspirational content. And usually intrapreneurs, or coaches or service providers use this audio, use your reel as the audio to they have visuals and it becomes trending. Because in this type of moments, we all been through this moment so we can share the our stories thanks to your audio, for example. And for me, it doesn't matter that it's it was told by some other guy or woman it doesn't matter because it's part of my story too. So I can relate to this I can share with my community that I've been through something. Thanks to your bravery and Premiere few guests. Go.

Michelle Abraham: 00:23:10

Do you have favorite tools that you're using right now that are good? There's so many tools that have come out since AI has been popular? Do you have favorite social media posting tools favorite repurposing tools?

Illona Seddik: 00:23:22

Absolutely, I'm absolutely for a very simple decisions budget, super friendly, because that is why I love Instagram for this. It's editing tools. It's really everything that you need is better. If you do not have everything that you need is there you can use, shop or cut. It's very, very budget friendly applications to use for editing tutorials. If you want to repurpose your IDs, there is an artificial intelligence translate application called repurpose. It's actually repurpose your audio for example, if you're a podcaster. Do the other social media formats, even other platforms? It's absolutely without your any any of your involvement. Again, very, very budget friendly.

Michelle Abraham: 00:24:14

And that was the repurpose that I Oh right.

Illona Seddik: 00:24:17

Yeah, I'll like that when I mean very, very simple. Again, if you're, some of us likes to be more aesthetic friendly to have very beautiful in their stance, feet. You can use Instagram layout, free application that you can see how it will look on your feet in your feet. So it's absolutely free application from so you can use it Canva I like for carousels again, budget friendly, even free. They have absolutely free not trial. Free with all these tools with all these designs. Of course maybe They're not so many. But as for me, I am not a designer technically, for me, it's even easier when they have limited, very variety of all that they can use. So it's even better for me. Again, it's not a trial. It's absolutely free design application. You can create the stories, posts, fun LinkedIn for Instagram, or Forge, Facebook, all the social media that accept that these type of text posts, for example, or Pinterest. Canva for Pinterest, it's like they made for each other. He has, it's beautiful, it will make it beautiful and show this beauty in another beautiful binder. So if you're if you're really want to pray for this beauty, maybe your design and maybe your architect in your podcast, it's connected, of course with this topic. So it's the right place to to use it to start using

Michelle Abraham: 00:25:59

When you're thinking about your content and planning it out. Or you're thinking about starting it in a particular format so that you can get the most use out of it repurposing wise, like, do you know that when you like do you do like all your all your reels and everything separate from your YouTube shorts? Or do you do them all in one go and then repurpose them all in a different way?

Illona Seddik: 00:26:23

Well, me, I use reels, I use short form video reels. This is my first source. Because if you're solopreneurs, if you're just because there are without 1015 people behind you, it's the very good way to grow on any social media, choose one, choose one and focus laser focus on this social media and serve the audience. They're your audience there. And for me, it's Instagram and I use Rails again, the question what I should use Rails? It depends, of course, their reach is magnificent. It's breathtaking across all platforms. But if you hate rails, I mean, you cannot even think about this and but you like connect with your audience with text. It's better to create carousel it's better to create single text posts. Because all this energy that we'll put inside of our content, people feel it. People will feel it 100% If you You squeezed yourself and trying to make something that you hate, yeah, you will not get any result. I mean, I'm sorry. It worked Oh, in this way.

Michelle Abraham: 00:27:41

Yeah. And I think with real estate, like real estate is probably the most repurpose civil format because you can take the reels even transcribe them to text posts, you could also take them in de Chase or you could take them and do so now. You could do stories on Facebook with them you could do like you could do you could do tick tock videos with them because it's all the same format right where it's like if you starting with like the long form like the like the podcast episode or whatever, you have to be really specific when you're creating that that you create segments in a way that it's a repurposed double in that format in those shorts. So I think that's I see for most people that the extra stuff that you get from the podcast is great but for people who are just starting out with the reels it's just find a real time a time limit on them though right like it's is it minute.

Illona Seddik: 00:28:35

Nowadays, it's 90 seconds. It is actually everything is real. Now, even if you create a life for example on Instagram, it will be considered as a real but we have long for real and short from real and short form real if you talked about as you said I repurpose it exactly as you said that you did short interest video pins do not forget they start to welcome all the short form video as well. It's not only about beautiful pictures isn't more effective across all platforms. You're welcome length, you have stories something thing we have ability to post this short video as a post on link in and it absolutely accessible to you. And when you create these snippets of your long audio, again, choose the moments that awakes in motion of your audience at the maximum style thing that your guests share the wisdom something that they get very, very hard to wait. They find out this very, very harsh way. So share it and again visuals as you want. If you have direct video, it's perfect. If you do not have no worries. You have plenty of the content Under brand new everything is content. Don't forget to show you remember this this type of thing.

Michelle Abraham: 00:30:08

But don't forget, don't forget that it's been that's my whole life is great and we take a boat everywhere like we have lots of great fillable content, he's always forget to fill out

Illona Seddik: 00:30:26

A tip for you don't forget to do this, get the habit to switch on camera on your phone and forget it like to put it on the way that they it sounds you but forget, forget about the camera existing and with time you will have okay, you will have 123 minutes of the content when you doing something. It's very, very interesting moments when you're not in the camera. I mean, this is me this is very important thing and another thing but you are doing something you are in the process of preparing you that you have very natural mimic gestures, posture and it's very bright moment to connect with the audience because they see you as you are. And this is the men interesting again, I'm here to have the sneak peek feel like yeah, I'm here for these. I'm sorry, not sorry, but I'm here for this. I'm here for your stories. I mean, it's great that you are doing something very important to the world. But what about your morning coffee? Do you drink coffee or not? I mean, let's find out.

Michelle Abraham: 00:31:38

That's me. I like it. All right. And before we let you go tool, favorite tool for for scheduling and the purpose? We Perfect. Okay, so to reschedule it, okay, perfect. Okay. And then you said that I was thinking that was for something else. So that's perfect. Okay. Repurpose was a good one. I like it. Awesome. Well, this has been great. Tim, thank you so much for sharing with us. I like your perspective on it just to be natural film in your everyday life. You know, make make it doesn't have to be those all those tips that are so important, right could just be your opinions, or, Hey, I noticed this today, or, Hey, here's this beautiful woman walking across the street, how inspiring. So I love that. So gives us a little bit more permission to think outside of the box of other types of content with the with the real intention of connection with our content to make it a lot easier to think of, you know, people who stress like I need to need to put the three tips up today or whatever. But you know, if you film what you're having for breakfast, that's fine to you.

Illona Seddik: 00:32:43

Yeah, and share these tips. I had all these visuals you have in breakfast, share these tips. For sure you you have very important things to share. Do it but do not put as you said, not put so much pressure on yourself. It's just the piece of content. It's not the end of the world. I mean, we have all time and all possibility to do this. It's it's just the real, it's another real that you will have another chance to appear perfectly and another one I mean it's it's not all or nothing moment. It's just the content. It's ongoing process. Don't put so much pressure on yourself.

Michelle Abraham: 00:33:26

Love it. Love it. A lot of thank you so much for being here with us today. Can you share with our listeners today? Where else can they find you? Where can we check out your inspiring stories and Instagram posts?

Illona Seddik: 00:33:40

Exactly on this it's just my name plain and simple, the long aesthetic in one life. And you will find and of course you as I promised. You will find me on youtube shorts on Pinterest video pins on tick tock on LinkedIn for sure you find me as well. Because I'm all

Michelle Abraham: 00:34:01

awesome and last quick question which platform do you get the most clients from? Instagram? Instagram. All right, there you go, guys. That is the million dollar question. You guys listening know podcasters it should be pot your answer should be podcast. Now we need to talk I love it. Alright, well thanks a lot for being here with us today and amplify your family go out and check out a llama aesthetic on Instagram and see what she's up to and model Model and Model and reach out to her if you have any questions. Thanks a lot.

Illona Seddik: 00:34:39

Thank you so much. Thank you for having me, bye.

Unknown: 00:34:46

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