How community can help build your business with Kristina Bartold | Ep. 57 Content Magic with Lindsay Smith

Jan 07, 2025
Lindsay Smith
How community can help build your business with Kristina Bartold | Ep. 57 Content Magic with Lindsay Smith
24:00
 

Welcome back to Content Magic!

We are kicking off the new year chatting with my friend Kristina Bartold. She is the co-founder of The Social Snippet and High Vibe Women events.

In this episode we are talking about the power of community through in-person events and building genuine connections, the importance of customer experience and why leading with value is more important than ever.

Kristina also shares some of the secrets to her quick business growth, her mission and values and where her and her business partner want to take things in the future.

You don't want to miss this one!

00:00 Creating effective, standout content crucial for entrepreneurs.
05:05 Canadian entrepreneurial club dislikes agency pitches; applied.
08:28 Juggling expenses, genuine communication, ethical sales approach.
11:47 Traveling and networking crucial for business growth.
13:32 Intentional networking and speaking boost growth.
17:26 Building connections supports business growth and reputation.
20:21 Team is busy, involved; building culture now.
22:52 Social Business Club membership, High Vibe Women event.

CONNECT WITH KRISTINA!
Instagram: kristina.bartold and thesocialsnippet
Website: thesocialsnippet.com
Freebie: IG profile optimization guide

Lindsay [00:00:00]:
So what made you guys decide to sort of create these in person events in Canada or in southern Ontario?

Kristina [00:00:08]:
So kind of what we've been talking about was like, going to the US all the time really grew our business, like, very fast. And it wasn't really about America. It was about, like meeting high level, like good people and having real conversations with them. And then it like really propelled our business, like quite quickly.

Content Expert [00:00:26]:
If you have an online business, you're creating content, and the way you create content is, is more important than ever. It's really noisy out there and learning to stand out is the only way. Hey, I'm Lindsay and I'm the host of the Content Magic podcast. All about being an entrepreneur and creating kick ass content to market yourself and your business. I have a not so secret superpower for copywriting, marketing and content, and I've helped hundreds of folks just like you show up with a ton of confidence in the online space. I've been doing this content thing for 20 years and I believe the real magic is a combo of intuition, creativity, and strategy. You can create content for your business without losing your mind. I promise.

Content Expert [00:01:12]:
So tune in every week for tangible content tips, inspiring guests, and some real spicy opinions. Probably mine. Ready to dive in? Let's go. Hi, everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. And I have another guest for you. Hi, Christina.

Christina Barthold [00:01:30]:
Hi. Hi. I'm so excited to be here.

Content Expert [00:01:32]:
Oh, good. I'm so happy you're here. So I'm going to get you to introduce yourself. So can you tell the people who you are, where you are, what you do and who you help?

Christina Barthold [00:01:40]:
Yeah. So I am Christina Barthold. I am the CEO of the Social Snippet. We're a social media and podcasting agency where we work with about 85 clients to help them build community online. And so, yeah, that's, that's really kind of the basis of what we do. I have another kind of project Maria and I work on, which is called High Vibe Women, where we bring together entrepreneurial events in Canada for women trying to, you know, bring a bunch of people together to grow their businesses. And I'm just based in Kitchener Waterloo in Ontario, outside of Toronto. And yeah, I'm just obsessed with all things community, whether that be in person online and how we can use those things to scale our business.

Content Expert [00:02:16]:
Love it. So I feel like the word community and that's come up a lot on this podcast. It's like, it's one of those words that we hear a ton in the online business space. Can you describe, like, what it means for you and your clients.

Christina Barthold [00:02:35]:
Yeah. So I think one of the things I definitely noticed as I got into the online space is that, like, there was so. There's so much smoke and mirrors. Right. Like, so many people are selling online, and, you know, there's people who are saying they're making seven figures a month, and you're like, how. What do you sell? Like, I have no idea. You know, and then you get caught kind of in that, like, compare, like, comparison loop and all of that. And what I really realized early on was the actual number one thing that people needed to be making any kind of sales was a warm audience.

Christina Barthold [00:03:03]:
They needed community. They needed people to sell to. And so that's why our. Our real approach has been about how to teach people how to build a community of people who know, like, and trust them, and they're excited to buy from them when the time comes so a community can be. You know, we've seen people who have, you know, 500 followers and do really, really well, and we've seen people who have 55,75,000 followers not do well and. Right. So it's really about who is kind of connecting with you. It's not about the follower number.

Christina Barthold [00:03:32]:
It's about, you know, how those people connect with you and your message and how ready they are to buy when it's time.

Content Expert [00:03:39]:
Yeah. And something I've been talking a lot about is nurture content. And I. The way I describe it is kind of like, you know, it's the bridge between when someone comes into your world and all of the stuff that you're doing in between and then before you're selling them something. And I think especially as women, we were kind of sold this idea of, like, oh, just start an online business and, you know, passive income and put a course out and you'll be a millionaire in 30 seconds.

Christina Barthold [00:04:09]:
Yeah.

Content Expert [00:04:10]:
And I think sometimes people forget. It takes time. And I. My belief is marketing is really just building relationships. And I think sometimes that is forgotten. And I feel like you are some. You are somebody who's very good at that, the relationship building. Like, you know, you and I have met in person.

Content Expert [00:04:32]:
Like, you have. You have that warm energy. And I. And I say the same thing about in ball, too. And I'm like, she, like, looks you in the eye and, like, asks you questions. Right. Like, you're the only person in the room. And I feel like you're also very good at that.

Christina Barthold [00:04:45]:
Oh, thank you. That means the world. And I actually think that that's kind of been, like, a bit of Our secret sauce has been the relationship piece of growing our business. We scaled our business quickly. Like, we've only been in business three and a half years. You know, we have 85 clients. And I, like, I'm. Look, you know, I'm really proud of what we've done, but a big part of that has been about relationships, and I don't even consider.

Christina Barthold [00:05:05]:
It's funny, there's this new club in Canada where, like, it's like an entrepreneurial club, and I applied to be a part of it, and we got on the phone and they're like, oh, we don't really like agencies. I was like, no problem. I was like, just. Just to tell you, I can't pitch myself if I try. Like, it's like someone could be sitting next to me and they could be like, here are all my social media problems. And I will literally give them, like, the full keys to the castle. I will tell them thing, and at the end, they'll be like, what are you doing? I'm like, oh, social media management. Like, you know, I'm not pitchy.

Christina Barthold [00:05:30]:
And I think it's because I've really led from this place of relationship and service of, like, you know, you don't need to pitch to people when you leave from that spot, because people are happy to buy from you and also they're happy to refer for you, which is actually sometimes even better. Like, you don't always need the sale from that person, but that person might know 10 people who could buy from you one day, and that is actually even more valuable than the original sale. So I think it's like, I really just lead from a good place and I lead from service. And it's been amazing kind of what's come from that.

Content Expert [00:05:59]:
Yeah. And I agree. And I think that's always been my approach as well. And, like, sometimes I'm like, is it because we're Canadian and we're just so nice?

Christina Barthold [00:06:06]:
I do think that's kind of part of it. Like, honestly, I think it's funny. I have obviously tons of American clients. Like, I love Americans. I'm like, I'm super, like, blessed to be in the States, like, all the time. And I laugh because I'm like, people are like, what's the difference between America and Canada? And I'm like, the main difference you will see is that we're, like, a little nicer. Like, you will see it almost immediately, and people will smile at you directly. And I'm always like, I'll be in New York, like, for, like, a business meeting or something.

Christina Barthold [00:06:32]:
And then I'll be, like, talking to someone. I'm like, did I hurt them? Like, are they upset? And they're like, no. Or, like, one of my clients sent me something. She bolded. Bolded something. And I called her, and I was like, why did you bold this? Like, I'm so sorry. Like, and she was like, oh, I just want you to know it was important. I'm like, oh, that's it.

Christina Barthold [00:06:48]:
We don't even have access to the bold feature here in Canada. They didn't even give us the access. We don't know how to use that. But it's funny. It's like, it's a cult, I guess, but it's. It's cute.

Content Expert [00:06:57]:
Yeah. Yeah. That's so interesting. And I think. Yeah. And it's so funny. Like, I remember the very first course that I launched. Right.

Content Expert [00:07:05]:
Like, it did well, but I did not know my butt for my face. And I legit, like, put it out into the world and was like, okay, here, everybody. I'm doing this thing. And then you kind of just expect everybody to just show up. And I think, right. And it's. And it's not that. And I see so many, like, in my local, like, entrepreneur group.

Content Expert [00:07:26]:
I see. So, like, the majority of the comments are like, oh, I started a business. I've been on Instagram for two weeks, and I haven't made any sales.

Christina Barthold [00:07:36]:
Yeah.

Content Expert [00:07:37]:
And I. And I think, because I feel like, right. There is a lot of smoke and mirrors. And I think we are sort of given this sort of, you know, dialogue of like, oh, just create it and put it out there. And I. And I. You know, and something you're also very good at is you're. You're always following up and you're always giving voice notes, and I'm like, oh, my God, how do I forget to do that? And you are so good at it.

Content Expert [00:08:10]:
And you don't do it in a silly way. You're just like, hey, just check it in. Like, I know you were interested in this thing. You're also very good at that.

Christina Barthold [00:08:17]:
Thank you. Yeah. I think it's just. Truthfully, like, I think it's just when you come at it from. From. I have no attachment to sales. Like, obviously, I need. I need money to live.

Christina Barthold [00:08:28]:
My dog, it has digestive issues and has very expensive food. So, like, it's all very complicated, but I need money to live. But it's. I think it's like when you go after people, especially your followers, and you're like, hey, hey, Are you free? Like, even the voice note thing, like, when I voice know people, it's majorly out of convenience for me. Like, I'm like, hey, I'm thinking about you. Like, here's. But I live in the energy of, like, I will never sell something to somebody that I don't think would be a good fit. And I have met with so many people where even in seasons where I've been, like, I kind of need a sale.

Christina Barthold [00:08:58]:
Like, this would be. This would be nice if I made a sale. And I'm like, oh, I don't think you're a good fit for us. And I'm just gonna be honest about why. And here's why. I don't think you're far long enough in business. And, like, your revenue doesn't seem high enough to be paying a retainer. And I'm nervous about that for you.

Christina Barthold [00:09:12]:
And here's why. And like, and I'm very honest. Like, I think that that comes back, you know, karmically, I think. But one of the things I was going to say, Lindsay, is that something I noticed that a lot of people do is they. It's that whole, like, create and they will come. Right? Like, exactly what you said. You launch a course and you're like, I think everybody needs this course, and I'm going to build the perfect course, and people are going to love it. And what we do not do enough of as business owners, including myself, is market research.

Christina Barthold [00:09:38]:
Like, really just talking to people and like, being like, hey, what do you need? What would you pay for that? Like, what would be helpful to you? And we actually, we used to run this awesome course. This course was like, the best. And it was called Instagram for Impact. People would transform in this course and we could not sell it. Like, it would be like, we would make one or two sales for every and we would be like, busting our butts to, like, sell. And we realized that people at that level did not have that kind of budget, so they weren't going to pay for in $1,000 course on how to use Instagram. And so. And we didn't have enough transformation to show them, so we turned our course into a membership.

Christina Barthold [00:10:15]:
We loved the live coaching. We let people use the course as they wish, and we do two calls a month. People love the membership. Love the membership. It's a perfect price point. We've made more money on the membership than we have on the courses. And. But it was.

Christina Barthold [00:10:28]:
It was just a wrong formatting. And had we asked people, they actually really wanted the community, they wanted more access to me and Maria. Like, they didn't actually want the course. And so really asking, you know, really asking your audience, ask your super fans, like, what are you liking, what aren't you liking? And what's going to make a big difference for you? That really does help in the sales process.

Content Expert [00:10:45]:
Yes, I agree. And I. I also talk a lot about market research, and I think it's, you know, I know before we were recording, we were talking about masterminds and stuff. And so one of the best parts of being in a community like that is that usually your peers. Well, sometimes your peers are your target market anyway. So you get like a built in, you know, you get. You get to ask them questions. And I think something, you know, that that's also missed is like, is that deep dive into your.

Content Expert [00:11:15]:
Your client and what they actually need and, and validating those offers. Because, like, you said, right, like, like, I know, I know you're also creative. And like, I have like 97 ideas a day, and I'm like, oh, that would be a cool course. Oh, I'm gonna make that evergreen. But again, I'm like, is that something that I just want to create because I want to create it, or is it. Is there a need for it? And I think I agree there is, like, that missing. Missing piece. It feels like you're always traveling.

Content Expert [00:11:45]:
Is this true?

Christina Barthold [00:11:47]:
I do a lot of traveling, I would say. And that's been, like, such a key in growing our business has been, like, kind of going to events and, like, meeting people. I mean, I'm in a season where that's going to slow down, but, yeah, I think, yeah, that's been a big piece of our event, but, like, also making sure that, like, there is a point where you can overdo that. I've done it, and I know other peers have too. You need to do events, in my opinion, in a way that are sustainable, where you can follow up with people. Because I think that that is the kind of the secret sauce. Like, I've done events back to back. I've gone, oh, I'm flying from Calgary to Phoenix to Memphis and then back.

Content Expert [00:12:28]:
Like.

Christina Barthold [00:12:28]:
And then it's like, you. You never speak to any of those people ever again because you just don't even have the capacity. So it's better, in my opinion, to just do a few events a year and make that a priority and really nurture those relationships, build friendships from them rather than. Yeah, like, hustling around the United States to meet people.

Content Expert [00:12:46]:
Yeah. And some, I think, was Something you said, actually, it was like, you know, events and. And masterminds or whatever it is in person or online. I think it was you that said, you know, you have to. You have to go to these events or the. Or these whatever with the. With an intention. Right.

Content Expert [00:13:06]:
If it's your intention to, like, learn new skills, is it your intention to connect with more people? Is your attention to, you know, whatever? Like, I think it was you that said that. And I. And it's. It's definitely changed the way I've looked at sort of networking events or, like, either in person or even the, you know, the mastermind that I'm in. It's definitely shifted some things for me. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that?

Christina Barthold [00:13:32]:
Yeah. And thanks for that because I do think there. There has to be intention in what you're doing. Like, for us really, like, we see big ROI on events where, like, it really. From a referral perspective, like, I love to build relationships with people, build referral networks with people. Like, I don't even need those people to hire me as more about, like, how do we build connections and get our name out there? And this year actually has been really great because it's been filled with speaking. Like, I've been doing a lot of speaking, which has been really helpful for, like, some of that. Some of that growth, which is amazing.

Christina Barthold [00:13:59]:
But what I would say is that I find a lot of people go to events and then they're disappointed. Like, they come and. You know, I had an experience recently where someone came to one of our events and I was like, oh, I can tell you didn't enjoy it. Like, I could. I can appreciate. I can just tell. And the vibe I got really, from them was that they actually don't thrive in big rooms. And.

Christina Barthold [00:14:19]:
And I'm like, so then you shouldn't go to those types of events. Right? Like, and I'm actually the exact same. Is that there's a threshold for me on number of people, like, where I feel like a little bean. And then I'm like, not really that into it. And I can feel my. And I'm overly critical. And I'm like, in this season, right, like, where I'm like, oh. Like, I'm like, I feel like I'm not connecting with people.

Christina Barthold [00:14:37]:
I like, I'm feeling kind of awkward and I feel like, you know, and that number for me is over 100. Even though we do high five women. I love high five women. And I'm like, so in it. But people will see me high Five women. I'm like hiding. Like, I'm like, I'll be behind the stage and I'm. Because I'm just like, I'm so nervous with like, big numbers.

Christina Barthold [00:14:53]:
But I love a room under 50 where I feel like I can build really meaningful one on one relationships with people. And that feels like, really good for me. So it's, I think, finding those events. And if you're like, sometimes it's also okay to just go to an event for the speakers. You just want to learn from the speakers. You just want knowledge. You actually don't care if you don't meet anybody else. I know clickfunnels, like, they do these awesome events.

Christina Barthold [00:15:13]:
People love them. People aren't really in it to network, they're in it to learn about clickfunnels. Like, and that's like, really important. So I think it's really about finding like, what makes the most sense for you and really leaning into that.

Content Expert [00:15:23]:
Yeah, I agree. And I, you know, I think I, I. It's funny, like, people think I'm extroverted. I'm like, yeah, I can put it on. But then I need to like, be alone and like, nobody talk to me. Yeah. For like a day. So, yeah, I definitely relate to that.

Content Expert [00:15:41]:
So what made you guys decide to sort of create these in person events in Canada or in southern Ontario?

Christina Barthold [00:15:50]:
Yeah, so kind of what we've been talking about was like, going to the US all the time really grew our business, like, very fast. And it wasn't really about America. It was about, like meeting high level, like good people and having real conversations with them. And then it like really propelled our business, like, quite quickly. So Maria and I really, like, loved that. We were like, wow, this is so cool. Like, you know, we go to Arizona, we meet a bunch of people, it always turns into some work. We make these awesome connections, we build these awesome friendships, and then through our agency, we work with a lot of women.

Christina Barthold [00:16:20]:
And a lot of women were like, I'm so lonely. Like entrepreneurship. So lonely. I don't have any friends. Like, it's so cool. You have all these entrepreneurial friends. Like, I have entrepreneurial friends who I talk to. Like, there's like two or three that I talk to every single day.

Christina Barthold [00:16:31]:
Like, you know, that know me better than probably some in person friends. Um, and so I was like, oh, like, I really want to create that for other people. So it started with just little dinners where we would do, you know, 10, 12, 30 people. And we still do those dinners. I think you've been like, you know, where we bring a bunch of people together and. And then we started the larger events because we were like, there's actually, like, more of a need for education and also ways for. We can amplify these women. Like, all these women have these amazing stories and these amazing businesses that they've built.

Christina Barthold [00:16:58]:
How do we actually, like, give them some stage time? So that has been kind of what has kind of been. Our driver has been really just helping women grow their network. Like, we always joke. We're like, on our first rent, we made $9, and we didn't include our own gas. So that was an L for sure. But it was really just about that connection and about the relationship and that made all the difference.

Content Expert [00:17:17]:
Yeah, yeah. And it was like, you know, one. I liked that there were snacks too.

Christina Barthold [00:17:25]:
Yeah.

Content Expert [00:17:26]:
I ate, like, five cookies and felt sick. But I agree, like, I think the best part of that event was just being able to connect with other people. And something you also said about, like, you know, community and growing your business, I think so much of it is what people are saying about you when you're not in the room. Right? Like, you know, like, if somebody says, you know, like, I had someone on the podcast who is like a specialist in SEO. So now if I see anybody talk about SEO, I'm like, oh, yeah, Brittany. Oh, yeah, Brittany. Oh, yeah, Brittany. So it's easy to recommend somebody when you know exactly what they do.

Content Expert [00:18:05]:
Which again, comes back to clarity. Right. Like, being super clear in what you do and, you know, like, who you help. And I think that's also a thing that is sometimes missing. I know when I work with clients, you know, with copywriting clients, even with content clients, like, sometimes the hardest part is to be very clear on what they do and who they help. Yeah.

Christina Barthold [00:18:29]:
And, like, not over complicating it. That's actually the part that I find the most challenging is people will be like, I'm like, SEO whiz that builds WIX websites on the side. And then I'm like, also, like, teaching, like, zoom. And it's like, no, enough of this. Like, just, like, people need to know what you do. That's why even for me, like, I'm not a social media manager. Like, I don't do social media management personally, but I run an awesome team that does that and more. And, you know, we even have had trouble selling the podcast management stuff because for so long we've just been social.

Christina Barthold [00:19:04]:
And then so sometimes my clients will be like, do you know anyone that'll help me launch a podcast? I'M like, yeah, yeah, us, me, you know, so it's just funny where I think there's. There's just a lot of opportunity there and, like, I think really just honing in on that one liner or that one, like, you know, service that you really want to be, like, known for, I think is huge.

Content Expert [00:19:22]:
Yeah, yeah. And I think, yes. What do you want to be known for? Right? Like, I think that's a big question and sometimes it's very tricky to answer that. Yeah, yeah. How do you have 85 clients?

Christina Barthold [00:19:38]:
Like, how do we manage them? Or how do we get.

Content Expert [00:19:40]:
Yeah, how do you manage them?

Christina Barthold [00:19:42]:
Well, we have an awesome team. We have awesome social media managers. We came up with a great system really early on, which was like, we. And we sought mentorship from somebody else who had owned an agency who taught us a lot. But basically Maria and I used to work with all the clients when we had 10. And we very quickly were like, this will. We will never survive this. Like, this is never going to work.

Christina Barthold [00:20:00]:
And so then we hired someone to, like, make graphics for us while we did all the other work. And then we were like, no, that's not it. And then eventually we were like, we're going to hire some social media managers. So we have, like, probably 10 social media managers. We have a bunch of people who do engagement. We have some writers for podcasts, show notes, and then we have like a launch team for our podcast and a management team and then an editor. And so all those people kind of work with us. Most of them are 20 hours plus a week.

Christina Barthold [00:20:21]:
So it's pretty, like, people are pretty, like, intensively involved in our team, which is awesome. And we're trying to, like, you know, now we're in the point where we're like, how do we build team culture? Like, what does that look like? Like, you know, it's like a bit of a different season than we were in before. But yeah, no, it's busy, busy, busy. But it's also, like, really great. And I don't think our clients would know that there was 85 clients. Like, they feel very, like, I think, taken care of. And like, I always hear from them like, oh, I feel like it's like I, like, have this person full time to myself and I'm like, you don't. This person has five other clients.

Christina Barthold [00:20:52]:
So it's really great. But yeah, we scaled really quickly, so I have no idea where and when this one, I have no idea. Like, people are like, do you want 500 clients? I'm like, I don't think so, but I don't know.

Content Expert [00:21:04]:
Yeah, yeah, that's fair. And I think that speaks to, like, client experience. Right. And I think that's another thing people forget. It's just like, just treat your clients like real people. And, like, you know, like somebody said to me once, just treat your clients like to have a sign on their head that says, make me feel important. And I was like, well, that makes sense, right? Go the extra mile. Like I send my clients.

Content Expert [00:21:30]:
I mean, now there's a strike in Canada on Canada Post, but, like, I love to send my clients, like, little treats in the mail. That's like, one of my favorite things to do because nobody gets fun mail.

Christina Barthold [00:21:42]:
When you're a grownup.

Content Expert [00:21:43]:
You just get bills and it's so lame.

Christina Barthold [00:21:45]:
Yeah, we do the same thing. Like, lots of, like, yeah, lots of stuff. We try. And yeah, like, ways to just, like, honor them and, like, be grateful for, you know, their investment with us and love to send them notes. I'd love to send them notes when I see that they've done something successful or, you know, we really also include encourage our social media managers to tell us, like, hey, someone had a win. Like, you know, they reached their first 10,000 followers or they, like, had a real go semi viral or whatever, and that's going like, hey, this is so exciting. Like, I think us noticing those things makes a big difference too. So, yeah, I definitely agree.

Christina Barthold [00:22:15]:
It's a client experience. You won't be able to. It's easier to sell to an existing client than it is to gain a new one. So I think it's like, really leaning into that makes such a big difference.

Content Expert [00:22:25]:
Agreed. Christina, thanks for talking with us.

Christina Barthold [00:22:28]:
Of course.

Content Expert [00:22:29]:
Where can people find you? What are you working on? How can people connect with you?

Christina Barthold [00:22:35]:
Yeah. So, Lindsay, thank you so much for having me. So happy to be here. And any friend of Lindsay's is a friend of mine, so feel free to connect. I'd love to hear what resonated, but, yeah, you can come over to Instagram. That's where I'm based. You can find me at Christina Barthold. I'm spelling my name with a K and would love to hear kind of what resonated.

Christina Barthold [00:22:52]:
And then, yeah, a few things going on right now. We have our membership, the SocialBusinessClub CA, where we teach people how to do their own social. And then we've also got our event, High Vibe Women, March 21st, 22nd, in Guelph, Ontario. Tickets are still on sale. And yeah, we're so excited about it. And so it's gonna be two amazing days of incredible speakers. We're starting to announce those next week, so by the time this is out, you probably can go to the page and see them. But, yeah, incredible speakers, amazing kind of networking, and lots of snacks.

Content Expert [00:23:24]:
Oh, yes. We love the snacks.

Christina Barthold [00:23:27]:
Love it.

Content Expert [00:23:28]:
All right, well, thanks, friend. I appreciate you coming on here. And that's it for us today, friends, and we'll see you next time. Toodaloo, everybody. Thank you so much for listening. If you loved what you heard, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review or share this episode on social media. And don't forget to tag me on Instagram @lindsaysmithcreative. And if you do all three, I'll be your best friend forever and invite you to all my birthday parties.

Content Expert [00:23:55]:
That's it for today, and I'll see you next time.