Social media isn’t just a task. It’s a system. In this conversation, Mike (Gen X, branding/web) and Liz (Gen Z, social strategist) break down how small businesses can use social without letting it run their lives: what to ignore, what to focus on, and how to build a workflow that actually sticks.

You’ll learn

• Social ≠ personal: Your feed isn’t a journal; day-in-the-life works only when it serves a clear goal.
• Trends aren’t strategy: Virality is an outlier; preparedness + opportunity beats chasing gimmicks.
• The 4-day workflow: Plan → prep assets/briefs → produce/review → schedule to cut context switching.
• Pick platforms on purpose: Go where your audience behaves like buyers—and only where you’ll show up.
• Personal vs. company brand: Be human without making it a diary; build with your long-term plan in mind.
• From “billboard” to value: Stop posting only promos; use process, case studies, and before/after stories.
• Short-form that works: Beginning–middle–end with useful VO; use licensed audio (no ripping trends).
• Organic → paid: Let organic winners inform Meta ads to lower costs and increase relevance.
• Metrics that matter: Tie KPIs to goals—awareness (reach/impressions), consideration (interactions), interest (profile visits/link clicks).
• Community > spikes: Consistency and repetition (those 7–12 “touches”) create steady results.

Quick wins you can do this week

• Audit your bio: Who you help, how, where you are, and how to contact—clean, clear, and current.
• Block the month: Put four dates on the calendar—plan, prep, produce/review, schedule.
• Repurpose a winner: Take your best recent post and remake it as a clip, carousel, or text overlay.
• Focus your effort: Choose one primary channel; claim handles elsewhere and pause the rest.
• Set success metrics: Pick 1–2 KPIs that match your goal and review them weekly.

Branding isn’t your logo—it’s the gut feeling people have about your business. In this conversation, Mike (Gen X, branding/web guy) and Liz (Gen Z, social strategist) dig into what brand really means for small businesses and how to make yours memorable without a Fortune 500 budget.

• Brand ≠ logo: Voice, values, experience, and how you communicate are the brand; visuals support it.
• Experiential branding in the wild: Why Red Bull and Liquid Death resonate—and what small businesses can borrow.
• Local proof: How places like Marietta Coffee Co. lean into space and vibe to attract the right people.
• Make it stick: The role of repetition and consistency (those 7–12 “brand hits”).
• Stand out vs. fit in: When to choose industry norms and when to intentionally disrupt (colors, tone, presence).
• Refresh or rebrand?: Signs you need a visual tune-up vs. a ground-up reset.
• Test, don’t guess: Getting feedback from ideal customers (and weighting input wisely).
• Storytelling that converts: Show life before and after your brand—the simple “status quo → transformation” arc.

• Commit to consistency: Pick a primary + secondary color palette and apply it everywhere (site, socials, slides, signage).
• Tighten your introduction: Craft a repeatable 1-line pitch/tagline you actually use at networking events.
• Audit your touchpoints: Invoices, emails, proposals—do they reflect your voice (casual vs. formal, playful vs. polished)?
• Logo toolkit check: Ensure you’re using related logo variations (horizontal/stacked/mono), not unrelated marks.

We dive into the patterns that trip up small business owners—and how to avoid them. From launching multiple ventures at once to picking the wrong marketing partner, we unpack why these mistakes happen, how to spot them early, and what to do instead. We draw the line between personal brand and company brand, warn against chasing “viral” at any cost, and share the unglamorous truth: systems and runway matter as much as logos and likes.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Why “many passions” can confuse one audience—and how to pick one plate to spin first

• Personal brand vs. company brand (without muddying your message)

• Ask for help sooner: legal structure, taxes, ops—then branding/social

• Choosing the right-fit marketing partner

• Brand safety on social: views ≠ the right attention

• Websites aren’t invitations—you still need distribution

• Systems + CRM + automated invoicing = time back

• Runway basics: buffers and “worry dates” that prevent panic decisions

• Audits and the “Why Test”: if you can’t explain why you posted it, rethink it

ACTION STEPS

1. Audit your last 5 posts—write the why for each.
2. Interview 2–3 providers (web/branding/social) for fit, not prestige.
3. Choose one offering to push to momentum before adding another.
4. Calculate a simple runway and set a “worry date.”

Have a question or a mistake we should cover? Send it in — we may feature it in a future episode. If this helped, follow/subscribe and share with a fellow business owner.

Welcome to the very first episode of Marketing from X 2 Z! 🎙️ Hosts Mike Albuquerque (Bear Double Design Studio) and Liz Bachmann (Wildflower Social Media) kick things off by sharing their journeys from corporate life to entrepreneurship—and why they launched this podcast for small business owners.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How our backgrounds shaped our approach to marketing.
• Why market research matters for finding the right fit.
• Practical ways to build a brand and social presence from scratch.
• Common marketing pitfalls (and how to avoid them).
• Real client stories and lessons you can apply today.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your strategy, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you cut through the noise and grow your business.