B!Social with Mary Somervell
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A case study on daring to show up on video
The challenge:
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"Growing older doesn't mean you have to retreat and do less. You can be bolder and grow older."
Meet Mary, a self-published author. At the age of 71, she decided to show up and show her book to the world by using the social media platforms... and video!
"Well, it all started when I decided to write a book about Going AWOL - Inspiration and Insights from Adventurous Women On the Loose. I spent maybe eight months producing the book, and then I reached a point where I knew that I needed to promote it. I needed to step out from the blogs that I had been writing and do something which epitomizes what the book is about. |
So it's stepping outside your comfort zone, doing something which stretches you. I knew that I needed some help. So that's why I came to call on Bea.
I think that women of a certain age sometimes feel that we should just withdraw. We are afraid of putting ourselves out there. We might make fool of ourselves. We might be too show offy. But because I've written this book, I thought, why not? We need to put ourselves out there."
I think that women of a certain age sometimes feel that we should just withdraw. We are afraid of putting ourselves out there. We might make fool of ourselves. We might be too show offy. But because I've written this book, I thought, why not? We need to put ourselves out there."
Check out Mary's full story and watch the video interview, or continue reading:
The solution:
"I knew that producing a video was going to help get my message across so people know what the book's about. Not everybody is going to read a Facebook post, but a video they're going to really notice.
Social media is where we can extend ourselves. It's a wonderful way of connecting with people.
Working with Bea already, we've done some work in social media, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles. So I knew that she was the right person to work with to produce a video because I wanted to reach more people and get the message across."
"I knew that producing a video was going to help get my message across so people know what the book's about. Not everybody is going to read a Facebook post, but a video they're going to really notice.
Social media is where we can extend ourselves. It's a wonderful way of connecting with people.
Working with Bea already, we've done some work in social media, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles. So I knew that she was the right person to work with to produce a video because I wanted to reach more people and get the message across."
The obstacle:
"Just because you are older, doesn't mean that you are a bit past it. Social media marketing is not just for younger people. We can step up at any age to do whatever we want and lead our fuller life. And that's part of what I wanted to share in the video."
The outcome:
"I think that you build confidence over time. You've got to experiment and try different things. See what works for you. For me, writing blogs actually gave me the confidence to reach the point where I thought I can write a book. I'm getting good feedback on the blogs that I'm posting. People are connecting with them.
The more of yourself that you share, the more you get back, which is really interesting. The video has done that, too. It's shown me a different side of myself which was a bit of an eye opener. This is actually how you look. This is how you sound. Things that you don't really often get to see."
Mary's experience seeing herself on the video:
"Well, mixed, that's how I felt. I like the way that you (Bea) produced two versions, one was a vanilla type version and the other one was asking more in depth questions, which really got to the heart of things. And then I was able to open up and show the real me.
If videos are done well, the real self emerges. You show another side of yourself, which gives people a more holistic view of who you are, what you stand for. And it's reinforcing.
So that's a gift that you have that you know how to bring out the real person, the authentic person that I was probably too self-conscious to do on my own. For that, I'm very grateful.
What we produced wasn't using expensive equipment. It was done with a phone, like this interview here. For me that's more natural than when you're thinking too much about the technique and what it's going to look like. Whereas with this, it feels like it's flowing and it's much more natural."
The more of yourself that you share, the more you get back, which is really interesting. The video has done that, too. It's shown me a different side of myself which was a bit of an eye opener. This is actually how you look. This is how you sound. Things that you don't really often get to see."
Mary's experience seeing herself on the video:
"Well, mixed, that's how I felt. I like the way that you (Bea) produced two versions, one was a vanilla type version and the other one was asking more in depth questions, which really got to the heart of things. And then I was able to open up and show the real me.
If videos are done well, the real self emerges. You show another side of yourself, which gives people a more holistic view of who you are, what you stand for. And it's reinforcing.
So that's a gift that you have that you know how to bring out the real person, the authentic person that I was probably too self-conscious to do on my own. For that, I'm very grateful.
What we produced wasn't using expensive equipment. It was done with a phone, like this interview here. For me that's more natural than when you're thinking too much about the technique and what it's going to look like. Whereas with this, it feels like it's flowing and it's much more natural."
Mary's Top Tip:
"Don't try and do it alone. Even with writing a book, I went out and found a book coach, somebody who I could talk to once a month about what I was doing, the challenges I was facing. So in terms of, you know, social media, I would reach out sooner.
Talk to Bea sooner and you'll go further, faster. Yeah. That's my tip.
And looking back that would've been one of the lessons in business for me. There were times when I didn't reach out and I didn't ask for help. I limited the potential for what I was able to achieve because I didn't reach out and get the help that I needed. In these times, especially, we need it more than ever."
Things Mary loved about this service:
"Your professionalism. It's the quality of your work, that attention to detail, but more than anything, it's actually the way you relate to the individual. You are able to see where each person is on the journey and there's no judgment involved. It's more that you connect with the person and you see what their need is and respond to that in a very individual way.
So it's tailored service. That's what I love.
In terms of the video, it definitely has enabled me to reach potential readers of my book. Is this somebody who I feel comfortable working with? Is this somebody whose book I might be interested in reading? It's very much showing another side of you. So that people have a better idea, whether you are someone they want to engage with. Video, we know, gets a lot more attention these days because it's immediate. As long as it's good quality, I think that it actually does add a lot of value."
Talk to Bea sooner and you'll go further, faster. Yeah. That's my tip.
And looking back that would've been one of the lessons in business for me. There were times when I didn't reach out and I didn't ask for help. I limited the potential for what I was able to achieve because I didn't reach out and get the help that I needed. In these times, especially, we need it more than ever."
Things Mary loved about this service:
"Your professionalism. It's the quality of your work, that attention to detail, but more than anything, it's actually the way you relate to the individual. You are able to see where each person is on the journey and there's no judgment involved. It's more that you connect with the person and you see what their need is and respond to that in a very individual way.
So it's tailored service. That's what I love.
In terms of the video, it definitely has enabled me to reach potential readers of my book. Is this somebody who I feel comfortable working with? Is this somebody whose book I might be interested in reading? It's very much showing another side of you. So that people have a better idea, whether you are someone they want to engage with. Video, we know, gets a lot more attention these days because it's immediate. As long as it's good quality, I think that it actually does add a lot of value."
Curious about Mary's original "book intro" video? B!Inspired by her adventures, check this:
