Marketing From X 2 Z: Digital marketing strategy and tips to help you grow your small business

Event Marketing: How to Promote an Event and Get People to Actually Show Up

Hosting an event — but worried no one will show up? In this episode of Marketing from X to Z, Liz Bachman (Wildflower Social Media) and Mike Albuquerque (Bear Double) break down the fundamentals of event marketing and how to promote an event effectively so people actually attend. Many businesses assume that if they create an event and post about it online, people will automatically show up. In reality, successful events require a clear strategy that focuses on discoverability, value, and consistent promotion. Liz and Mike discuss why events often struggle with attendance, how to position your event so people understand the value, and the specific platforms and marketing tactics that help drive event registrations and real attendance. If you're planning a networking event, workshop, seminar, or community gathering, this episode will help you understand how to market an event, fill the room, and create a stronger impact for your business or organization. IN THIS EPISODE 1. Why it’s so difficult to get people to attend events 2. The biggest mistake businesses make when marketing an event 3. Why the “What’s in it for them?” message matters more than the event itself 4. The real risks of poorly attended events for your brand 5. What assets you should prepare before promoting your event 6. Why Eventbrite can improve event discoverability 7. When to create Facebook events, LinkedIn events, and website pages 8. How Meta advertising can drive event registrations 9. Using speaker promotion and social media collaboration 10. How email marketing increases event attendance 11. Leveraging local publications, event calendars, and community listings KEY TAKEAWAY Successful event marketing isn’t about announcing your event. It’s about clearly communicating why someone should give you their time and using the right combination of platforms—like Eventbrite, social media, email marketing, and advertising—to help people discover and commit to attending. If you’re trying to grow your business, build community, or generate leads through events, this episode will help you create a stronger event marketing strategy. Subscribe to Marketing from X to Z for more conversations about digital marketing, strategy, and growing your business through smarter marketing.

TikTok Got Sold — What It Actually Means for Your Business

Episode Summary TikTok has officially been sold, and the short-form video landscape is shifting. In this episode, Liz and Mike walk through what the sale means for everyday users, content creators, and small business owners — covering everything from algorithm changes to data privacy concerns and what platforms you should have on your radar. Key Takeaways 1. TikTok's algorithm is being retrained on American user data, which will cause a period of instability — Expect glitches before things stabilize. 2. The new privacy policy grants TikTok broad rights to collect sensitive user data (including age, gender, health, religion, and immigration status) and to use content — even unpublished drafts — for their own purposes. Read it and decide your comfort level. 3. The Twitter/X sale offers a cautionary tale: rapid ownership changes, mass layoffs, a shift to pay-to-play discoverability, and a toxic atmosphere that drove millions of users off the platform. 4. Diversify now if TikTok is your only platform. At minimum, start reposting content to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels to build a presence elsewhere. 5. Smaller platforms like Upscrolled (growing fast) and Skylight Social (decentralized) are worth keeping an eye on for early-mover advantage. 6. SEO on TikTok is going to matter more than ever as the algorithm relearns its audience — make it easy for the platform to know what your content is about. 7. People won't stop consuming short-form content. The question is just where they'll do it. Platforms Mentioned 1. TikTok / TikTok US 2. YouTube Shorts 3. Instagram Reels / Facebook Reels 4. Threads 5. X (formerly Twitter) 6. Bluesky 7. Mastodon 8. Upscrolled 9. Skylight Social Connect with Us 1. Liz Bachmann: Wildflower Social Media 2. Mike Albuquerque: Bear Double

Our Favorite Marketing Strategies from 2025

In this episode of Marketing From X to Z, Mike and Liz reflect on the marketing strategies and tactics that actually worked in 2025 — and why they mattered. From scalable website builds to serialized social content, email newsletters, paid ads, and hyper-local SEO, this conversation focuses on practical approaches that delivered real results for small businesses. Rather than chasing every new trend, this episode breaks down how intentional structure, clear perspective, and smart reuse of content helped drive growth across multiple channels. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE Lower-barrier website strategies 1. How entry-level, stackable websites helped small businesses establish a professional digital presence without waiting until everything was “perfect.” Serialized social media content 1. Why short, intentional content series (instead of one-off posts) improved engagement and helped guide audiences through a narrative. Using your website beyond conversion 1. How websites can support sales teams and operations through private pages, asset libraries, and non-indexed content built specifically for the sales process. Email newsletters that actually drive conversations 1. How value-focused newsletters led to re-engagement, replies, and new opportunities—without sounding salesy. Building content to be repurposed from the start 1. Why creating long-form content with reuse in mind made it easier to generate blogs, emails, social posts, and training materials from a single source. Meta advertising experiments that paid off 1. A look at instant-form lead ads, paid lead magnets, and how reducing friction improved conversion and follow-up opportunities. Hyper-local marketing and SEO 1. How focusing on specific neighborhoods and localized perspectives helped businesses stand out in crowded industries. The importance of perspective in marketing 1. Why clearly stating what you believe, how you work, and what you won’t compromise on became a key differentiator—especially in competitive markets. KEY TAKEAWAY You don’t need to do everything to market effectively—but you do need clarity. The strategies that worked best in 2025 were rooted in strong perspective, intentional structure, and making marketing assets work harder across channels. If you’re deciding where to focus next, start by identifying what makes your approach different—and build from there.

Instagram 2026 for Small Business Owners: Trial Reels, Searchable Captions, Real Results

Instagram keeps changing, but the fundamentals are clearer than ever: make content people want, not posts the algorithm might tolerate. Liz (social strategy) and Mike (branding/web) unpack what’s new and what lasts—trial reels, longer watch times, smarter keyworded captions, fewer hashtags, DM-first engagement, and why “comfort creators” are winning over mega-polished feeds. You’ll learn 1. Why quality beats low-effort trend-chasing (and how AI “slop” is pushing audiences toward real, useful content). 2. Trial reels 101: reaching non-followers on purpose and crafting “if you’re new, here’s what we do” hooks. 3. Followers: social proof and feature unlocks still matter, but engagement and watch time drive reach. 4. Search over hashtags: write keyworded, contextual captions; expect a 5-hashtag ceiling; optimize name/bio fields. 5. Zero-click reality: when to keep people on-platform and when to convert—with ManyChat-style DMs, link stickers, and smart follow-ups. 6. Length and retention: why 60–180s reels can outperform short clips when they hold attention. 7. Community tools: DMs, broadcast channels, and subscriptions for deeper connection. Quick wins 1. Record one trial reel that introduces who you help, the result you deliver, and a soft next step. (check to make sure you have access to this feature) 2. Rewrite one caption with natural keywords your customer would actually search; add up to five precise hashtags. 3. Turn a top-performing reel into a carousel (and vice versa) to see which format drives longer attention. 4. Add one DM automation flow with proper opt-ins (comment keyword → resource → light nurture). 5. Audit your profile: update name and bio for search, swap in seasonally current photos, and pin three evergreen posts. Key takeaway Stop chasing every tweak. Tell better stories that serve your audience, use trial reels to meet new people, write captions for search, and build relationships in DMs. Do that consistently, and the algorithm shifts become minor adjustments—not total resets.

Marketing for Business Associations: Grow Events, Members, and Real Value

Business associations, chambers, and networking groups aren’t just “another small business.” Their marketing lives at the intersection of events, membership, and community value. Mike (branding/web) and Liz (social strategy) break down what actually drives growth: clear goals (events vs. membership), friction-free information, repeatable systems, and simple campaigns that turn event interest into long-term members. You’ll learn 1. How association marketing differs in practice (committees/boards, volunteers, layered goals) even when strategy looks like B2B. 2. When to prioritize event attendance vs. membership—and how they fuel each other. 3. How to reduce friction: usable event calendars, clear agendas/FAQs/dress code, current photos, and seasonally appropriate visuals. 4. Why your membership value must be visible beyond a $5 event discount (resources, certifications, directories, perks). 5. How to make directories and resource libraries useful (searchable, media-rich profiles, simple contact options). 6. Email that works: monthly “what’s on” + weekly reminders, basic segmentation (e.g., by city), and consistent cadence. 7. Paid ads for events: low-spend campaigns, instant forms to build the list, and nurture flows that convert to membership. Quick wins 1. Publish a one-glance events page and enable subscribe/reminder options. 2. Add an event FAQ (agenda, who it’s for, what to bring, dress code) and upload 5 recent photos. 3. Send a monthly roundup and a weekly “this week” email; segment by city if possible. 4. List your top three membership perks on the homepage and in every event promo. 5. Run a small event ad with an instant form, then follow up with a short nurture sequence. Key takeaway Pick the primary goal (events, membership, or both), remove friction everywhere, and build systems that compound: clear info → fuller rooms → stronger proof → easier membership growth. Consistency beats heroics