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What sets this podcast apart? We believe in the power of meaningful marketing—a holistic approach that prioritises authenticity, connection, and purpose, whilst still turning a profit.
Chantal Gerardy is an International Award Winning Marketing Strategist who empowers purpose-led businesses to revolutionise their online marketing approach and create a brand that resonates deeply with their online audience. If you're tired of cookie-cutter marketing advice, and seek strategies that truly make a difference, this podcast is for you.
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Hi, this is Chantel Girardi and this is another episode of the meaningful marketing podcast. Today I'm joined by the lovely Marta and we have just recently got off a cruise. We went on a three night. Uh, comedy crews, um, and I've, I've. Found the cruise and got involved in the cruise and all because of Marta, because inside her Facebook group that she has, which is called, yeah, the girls 40 plus, she said, come on, who wants to go on a cruise?
It's gone a cruise. And I put my hand up cause I'm a yes girl. And I said, yes, I do. So a bunch of random girls got together, um, from the group, we jumped on a cruise and we had the most amazing time ever. Thanks to Marta facilitating that. And whilst we were there, we had this chat around. the Facebook group and the management that goes into the Facebook group because whenever I talk to business owners about, you know, using Facebook groups as a lead generation tool, I always say to them that, um, always say to them that there's a lot of work that goes into it.
Like it's, you know, people go, I'll just get set up a Facebook group and then I'll generate leads and I'll live happily ever after. And I'm like, yeah, that's great. There's a lot of strategy that goes into it. There's a lot of management that goes into it. And I thought, what a wonderful way to get Marta on here today to talk to us about some of the things that happen in the running of an actual Facebook group.
So thank you so much for joining us. Tell us a little bit about how you got involved with the other girls 40 plus. I, hi everyone. My name is Martha Mock. I am so excited to be here on Chantel's podcast today. So about eight months ago, I acquired this group called Yeah, the Girl 40 Plus Australia. When I got in, they were, we got about 4, 000 people at that time, but we have about 900 men in there.
So it took me about six hours just to get rid of those men going by going for every single detail there. I'm so grateful for the founder, which is hope. Um, that she actually gave me the authority and also the ownership of the group because within the first month of joining the group, I realized how fast a group can grow and the attractiveness of having a safe space for women over 40 to come.
So I said, okay, I'm going to turn into an educational platform. No matter if they're rich or poor, they can come here to get expert advice, not just from their next door neighbor, but from someone who actually know what they're talking about with the expertise and experience that is involved. So that's how, yeah, the Girl 40 plus community was formed.
Because when you're running a Facebook group, a lot of people, like you said, they think that, Oh, I just opened a Facebook group and that's it. But if you don't plan ahead and to make it as a business, Business is not going to benefit you. So like, are you registering as a business name? Are you actually wanting it as a company?
What kind of structure are you actually putting into it to make sure that engagement and the quality is there? Because people. I don't want it to be just another place for people to come and ban and talk about, like, you know, the hardness of it, because that's draining anything that's negativity. It drains people away.
It's lovely to support, but if you see 10 posts like that every single day, it will drain you down. So what I ensure to do is to ensure that we inject possibility positivity as soon as that we can. And by having all the different interviews we want as well, it also helped to do that. Yeah, excellent.
That's awesome. So I think firstly, it's around having a really good name that effectively communicates the purpose of the group, you know, who this is for and the overall purpose so that you, when people are searching online, they can find it quite easily and come into the group. And then the second part is, you know, having that strategy.
That's what you're talking about, that overall plan, the guideline of how you actually, um, going to manage it and what the outcome of that group's going to be so that then you can start to model that within the group so that, and it requires management. ongoing management, right? Um, how many do you have in the group right now?
We have from 4, 008 months ago. We're on 27, 400 people. We do check every single profile ourself. Uh, I 2am in the morning for the first time. First, probably three months. And then after that, I just could not do it. I have to have more people coming to help me. So at the moment we have about 20 moderators to come and actually help us to just approve people as well as ensuring the group is a safe and supportive environment.
One of the big rules that I have in the group is, Hey, we're a woman over 40. We are mature people. We do not allow any judgment and we do. We always uphold the respect in our group. Yeah, and that's a tough one, right? Because you've got so many different types of personalities inside the group. So many different women going through so many different things and you want to be able to create a supportive environment for them.
So, so do you allow people to post anonymously inside Facebook groups? I often see a lot of people go, you know, why do administrators allow anonymous or they shouldn't allow anonymous, you know? So I'm curious to know, do you allow anonymous posts? I do, because sometimes as a woman, we have insecurity, okay, we are worried about other people's judgment.
And we, we don't know what will happen when we post something on social media. It could be something as, even for me, myself, I post a photo of me working on a makeup job. Then all of a sudden I got attacked for no reason. So it does happen. So for that sake, I allow the anonymous me. Just to ensure that they have a safe space to do that and being able to be the mean I can actually conduct them Privately to make sure that they are actually being looked after So that's some of the things that I do in private explaining that hey This is Martha.
I'm the good captain. I just want you to know that you are being supported. If you got anything, feel free to reach out to us. I can actually point you to the right direction because of all the experts that we interview in our space. So the next question is, is that, you know, Facebook group is owned by Facebook.
So at any point, Facebook can turn around and they can go, Hey, we're shutting, shutting down this account and you no longer have it. And then you've lost your 20 something. that group. So do you have everyone's contact details and email addresses so that you're actually able to, um, still support that group, um, if the group was to go down?
I hear you. That was one of my biggest fear when I actually opened up this Facebook group. into it and how it went and putting so much effort into it. So there's two things that we put in place. First thing is we ensure that we have people's, um, email address, of course, by like by choice, and we don't actually use email spam them at all.
So we wanted to make sure that we keep that database in place. A second place that we're doing it is that we have our own, uh, community platform on us on another system. So that way, We can actually provide this membership area at the moment is still free, but later on for next year, that's when I planning to actually put more contents in it and make it a membership area that is paid for or on subscription.
That way I can ensure the right amount of people are in both groups that one day we never know what would happen is completely out of our control is not my group there. Um, it is possible that it can just go gone like that. this. So it is important for us to have that backup system. What do we have? Like we have Facebook, we have podcast, we have all of that.
Those are the connection that you need to keep for your business. Because yes, those one are leads. Those one are goal. Yeah, excellent. Now the other one that comes up all the time is, um, Is that a promotional post or is that not a promotional post? Because we all know that people can go in and they can be a little bit cheeky.
Um, and when you're not supposed to self promote, they'll go in and do it. So how do you define the line between self promotion and non promotion? Like what are your feelings around this? I understand as a business owner, we do need to promote our business. So we have specifically business Monday that we allow all businesses to come in my platform.
I have no problem with network marketing MLM or affiliate because I believe he's a woman. Doing something for themselves rather than sitting at home in front of a, uh, like a couch watching TV show, they're doing something for themselves. So because of that, I support them. It's never the company is never the product is the person's ethics into doing stuff.
So our group is to help people to have that ethics in running their business, to help them to see what it is. So for people who go across the line, like the borderline or over business Monday, most of the time we're not dumb. We can see what you're doing. So we will actually send you a reply and say it had been removed and save that post for business Monday.
Um, because if you're asking for advice and things like that, that's a different story and you can. Certainly post your comments, your product or your surface on the comment. But when you're thinking something out, doing it like in a way that is too borderline, um, there's no point on doing that because put it this way.
If you don't respect my space. Why do I need to give you the same respect? Everything in this world is an exchange of energy and power so we can support each other by showing respect. So post it on Monday. Talk to me about it. If you actually don't know, like I have people asking me yesterday was, um, what are you?
Okay. They, they asking me, is it okay to post this sort of content? I'm like, yep, no problem. I do support mental health, a hundred percent. So those sort of things is that where we can make that connection. The judgment of being lenient, but they are posters that has been removed. Like with people coming into my group, purely pitching people on their group.
And I'm like, so do you want me to come into your house, weigh your fridge and just get out and say, thank you very much. If you don't like me doing that, why you're doing it to my, my community, my home, like, it's just not fair. So when you are more responsible in having the right ethics and professionalism in running your own business, that's how other people will jump on and support you.
I even often when business Monday come up, I keep telling people, please don't put your link onto the post because the reach on social media is very low when you're taking them out of a platform. And I keep telling them and they don't listen to it. That's fine. And sometimes I see some of them, I see the engagement on a 27, 000 people.
They have 48, which so I screenshot and send it back to the lady that who were promoting and say, Hey, don't put that open another pose because that will give you a lot more rich. And within seconds you can see them, which actually 10 times more. And people like that appreciate what we do because we're not here.
We're here. To squash you, we're here to support you and we want to help you. This is a women's group. It is a safe space for everyone to come on and to get something out of it. Either it is business, your relationship, your career trouble. It is a space for that. Oh, that's excellent. And the thing is, is that not everybody is quite as nice as you, because one of the strategies that, that I teach is that when you go to join a Facebook group, you go and you stalk the Facebook group.
So you have a look at the name, you look at the audience, look at the engagement, you look at how many posts are in there, um, before, you know, making a decision to go and join that community. Um, I also recommend adding it to a spreadsheet as well. And if they have specific days, like. then you put that on your spreadsheet so that you can go back and you know that you can promote on that day, right?
Because else you lose track. Um, but the other thing that I teach is to go in and actually have a look at the administrators and go into the administrators and, you know, even introduce yourself and let them know who you are. But the thing is, they're not all as nice as you. So, um, and you know, at the end of the day, it's, Um, there's a lot of administrators that are Hitlers.
They are Hitlers. They are there to self promote themselves. They're not really there to support. They're really just there to pitch and to self promote. Um, and, and really, you know, that's, it's their prerogative. If that's what they want to do, like, that's what they can do, right? So, I always encourage people to go and stalk the, um, stalk the administrators as well.
And, I mean, you're absolutely amazing that you take the time to actually answer people and speak to them. Um, I remember when I got my camper van. Uh, which is the Toyota Hiace. Um, I, I found this group online called Toyota Hi, Campervan uh, group and I tried to uh, tried to join the group and they kept saying I couldn't join the group.
They kept saying do you have a campervan? I went yes I do. Um, and they kept not letting me in. And I was like, I really need to get in because I'm trying to renovate it. I don't know what, um, you know, what design I should do. I don't know, you know, where I should put my fridge, what fridge I should buy, the lighting, like all this stuff.
I had all these questions. It was my first van and they wouldn't let me in. So I went in and there were five different administrators and I went to every single of one of the administrators and I, I did a copy paste and I introduced myself and I said, I'm trying to join this group. Can you let me know why you're not letting me in?
And four of them came back and said to me, um, oh, it's because we stalked you. Like we went onto your profile and we see that you're a marketer. And I went, can't I be a marketer and have a camper van? It's like, you know, it was insane. And the fifth, the fifth, um, the fifth was a lady and she went in and she goes, do you have a camper van?
And I went, yes, I do. And she goes, yeah, but you haven't. Uh, like I, I went down like five times and I couldn't see your camper van. And I said, I've just bought it. Like we're only just ripping out the seats at the moment, so I've got no pictures of it up yet, but I do have one. She goes, Oh, look, just send me a picture and I'll let you through.
But you know, that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't, if And I went through five, didn't get through with the four, but the first one she was understanding and she went, okay, I get it. You know, show me a picture of the van. You standing next to the van. We'll let you in. So I'm now in that group, but it was a bit of a process.
Oh, I hear you. I was on a wedding group, like a bridal group. And because I, what we are planning our wedding next year and it was like, Oh, I would love to see like overseas wedding because I wanted to actually have it. In Queenstown, I wanted to see how it is. And then I like, you know, ask some question and things like that.
I will have people attacking me and say, she's a makeup artist. She's here for business. I'm like, uh, can you be in a, a bride when you're a makeup artist? So I'm not allowed to get married because I'm a, I'm a makeup artist. I'm like, I don't understand what's going on. And the admin actually come back to me and say, Oh, like you're being a bit like, you know, you're in a sensitive area.
So I'll put on post approval for you. And I'm like, that's just judgment. That's just pure judgment. So I'm not allowed. I'm a woman, as long as I'm not a man going into a bridal group, that should be accepted, isn't it? Like, I don't understand. Not even self promoting anywhere. You asking questions to support your wedding accommodation.
Like you wanted to ask, like about all of this, having a Queenstown wedding. That's what it is. I don't live in Queenstown. So I'm like, Oh yeah, I totally get it. And I think a lot of people, when they wanting a Facebook group, they don't God, so much that is, it's only for me only allow me in there. Only my promotion and my thing.
And that's why you see the engagement is very low because it's not for a community. And I did hear from people that I interview and they said, wow, your group is very different. You allow everyone there. And when are you going to promote yourself? My phone? I'm like, ah, yeah. Okay. When everyone else is actually getting supported because I've been into their position.
I've been into that space that where I get no support, I get constantly hunted down. And it's like that. If I say anything about my business, I will have people coming into haunt me. And I'm like. Didn't take wait a minute didn't hear somewhere that said woman support woman Where's that coming from like it's not showing in here in any way shape or form So that's why when I got the group I said, you know what everyone is allowed it Because I want them to feel safe Like there's so many people out there that are not supporting each other and they tear each other down Um, I was recently on an award that we both are on We've both been nominated and I actually said, you know what eight months into wanting this group I earned a doctorate degree in female psychology and metaphors So there you go.
That's how I learned everything to actually keep it calm and the truth is Every one of us just want to be validated. Yeah, every one of just us So why not first accept ourself, accept the people around us, then spread that. And this is why I created this community that I put my own ego and own pride down of me being able to fix every single problem.
I don't have the patience. Let me tell you that right now. I do not have that patient. I like people who are at the middle high rather than very low, so I don't have the patient. Doesn't mean that they're not worth helping. It's just that I don't have the patience to go through that trauma therapy session.
So I give my trauma therapist and the people who deal with trauma to look after them. Isn't that the better way? Instead of just trying to fight everything for ourselves. A hundred percent Like for you, Chantel, like you're so good in what you're doing. So what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna refer everyone that who wants to understand about VA and business and marketing to you.
I'm not an expert in that area. Go and give it to the expert. And that's how you build relationship in business. It's not about pairing each other down and being jealous of how much money they're making. Yeah. It's just about, Hey, how can I help you? And in turn, believe it, people are kind inside. We don't burn.
Like when we are a child, we don't burn. Born with this, um, thinking that everyone is going to attack me and take everything away from me. That is coming from personal trauma that you go for in life. So remember that we are here to support each other and they will be nice people like Chantelle or me here to support you.
Yeah, that's awesome. Now you mentioned, um, you know, turning on, uh, post a review. So can you just talk about some of the features that Facebook groups have, some of the automated features that. Perhaps you use in your group or you're aware of in your group that are current right now in Facebook groups to support the administration of a group.
I love the aminesis, I have to say, because a lot of the times that, um, there will be some keywords. For example, I don't allow people smashing other people's business, especially I found network marketing or affiliate. So I take the word MLML. Uh, as soon as that people actually say that sort of thing, they normally don't have a good things to say.
So when you don't have a good things to say, don't say it at all. So admin assist will take that keywords out like scam and things like that. That that those are keywords is out. Another feature it will does is when you are approving people, um, it will actually, We require them to answer three questions and, uh, accepting our group room before they will be, um, reveal because it will save us a lot of time.
On average, we get about 300 to 1, 050, 1, 500 people are applying for our group. So we need to have that bar in there. So for people just, uh, click happy, which I done it before to click happy without answering the question and meet and assist. We'll take them out within an hour. So I teach my moderator to actually check the Uh, the approval from the oldest to the newest.
That way it just makes it a lot faster. And another feature that it will do is it will block any of the, uh, pages or group that who wants to join your group. This is something that I set up in there. Um, I allow personal people to come and get support. You're more than welcome to post your stuff there on business Monday.
Um, I support you on that as long as you are giving. I feel responsible as a community leader to ensure that what people are getting into is a safe space as well. Of course I can't protect everything, but at least I try my best into ensuring that this is, this is looking good. Okay. So that's what I do in that.
So that's what the amenities has been helping us in approval in making sure the post is actually organized in that way. Uh, comments can be deleted. Um, Facebook do go funny sometimes sometimes that they will have a certain People on, maybe they have some posts being removed, uh, or having comments or warning them, uh, they will put the, their posts immediately into spam.
So our administrator, we need to go and approve them. And sometimes when I see that happen, I do let the offer know and say that, Hey, we didn't take, take you off. Facebook did that. So go and actually talk to Facebook and say, why I'm in the naughty corner that every single group that I go into don't allow me to post.
Yeah, I look, that can often happen if they copy pasting into multiple platforms. So that'll trigger Facebook. Um, uh, and, and when I say this, it's currently what's happening on the day that we're recording, which is Friday, the 30th of September, 2024. So, um, you know, it changes all the time. So sometimes when I, when I talk about feature features of a specific channel, I'll always because I'll go, that's how it is right now because often it can change.
Um, yeah, so thank you so much for that. That's, look, that's absolutely amazing. You've given us such good guidelines with regards to all of that. I 100 percent agree with you around, um, people. People do business with people. Um, so a lot of people go, Oh, you know, I don't want my personal profile attached to, to what I do on Facebook.
And I'm like, if you have a business, I like you to join the group. I like to have the relationship with you. And when I have the relationship with you, then I'll do business with you. And that's how the no like and trust starts. So although I do have strategies for people who don't want to do that, you are literally cutting off an arm when it comes to your marketing.
Um, so thank you, Martha, so much for joining us today. So for those of you, uh, Uh, if you just want to, once again, just tell us the name of the group, um, and just share with us what, what, uh, special link that you have for us to put in the comments today. So our group is called Yeah, the Girl 40 Plus Australia and also worldwide.
We have two different groups there to fit. Every single woman over 40 around the world. So we love for you to actually join it and support us. And for those of you who wants to understand a little bit more about setting up a business, understanding Facebook group and understand how to get high engagement for your group.
At the moment, our daily statistic is that we have about 1700 Uh, polls a for every 28 days. So we have a very large number of engagement going. So feel free to actually contact me in the link that Chantel is actually provided. Let's just meet and chat. I'm not selling you anything. You are not selling me anything, but let me know how can I support you?
Oh, that's absolutely amazing. Thank you so much. And, um, if you've enjoyed today's episode, make sure that you like it, rate it, comment, whatever platform you're on, you know what to do. Um, thank you again for joining us and, um, I look forward to chatting again. Thanks for listening in. Meaningful Marketing is all about you making your marketing meaningful.
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