#282 How Freelancers Build Long-Term Client Relationships as Strategic Marketing Partners with Liz Cruz

Liz Cruz: 00:00 It is still important to make yourself stand out. Like, if you actually want that job, how are you going to be the person that they undeniably are? Like, yes, right. They have a call with you.

They have a call through other people. Why are they picking you? L Emily Reagan: 00:14 Hey, there. I'm Emily Reagan, and you found the marketing freelancer.

This is the podcast for marketing freelancers and service providers who are already making an impact behind the scenes and want to take their skills, income and business to the next level. Here, we're all about embracing the unicorn title, a full stack marketer who can do it all, strategy, implementation, creativity and everything in between. We're the magic makers who know how to deliver real results for clients and are ready to rise a sought after marketing specialist. We're building a business we're proud of working with Dream clients with impact and charging rates that reflect our work's worth.

Unicorns, unite. Hey, welcome back to the show. I'm your host. Emily Reagan, a fellow marketing a freelancer.

Today, I have one of my very own work group members here, Liz Cruz. She's a social media manager and marketing strategist. She has a boutique agency, and she's been booking the clients like crazy inside our work group. And I had asked her to share how she's doing it.

What advice does she have, especially if you're a niche down into social media, but if you're doing social for yourself in your own business, this is also a good episode to listen to. So she specializes in content creation, social media strategy, and the marketing systems that help experts, especially health coaches, health and wellness and fitness coaches, turn their knowledge into visibility in these online platforms. I always find it insightful to learn how people did the work.

What red flags can you avoid as a service provider? What do you need to lean into and how can you skip ahead? Because we go through this evolution in our service based businesses. Sometimes we start off in the marketing mail room, and then we start leveling up and leveling up, and that's really about the community I've created with our digital marketers Work Group.

We're a multi specialty community. People are doing different lanes within the marketing department. Some even cross over into operations and online business management, because there is that gray area. And so we're always talking about boundaries, charging your work's worth, owning your expertise.

We're always talking about how to do the client management better, and how to command premium prices and do your own marketing so that you can book those clients. So we're going to cover it all in today's episode. Let's jump in. I am so excited to have one of our work group members here, a social media manager, a content strategist, a Liz Cruz.

We are going to talk about the work behind the scenes lessons you've learned. You and I have had multiple conversations in Voxer, and I'm like, Liz, we got to get you on the podcast sharing your experiences, so tell everyone hello and a little bit of where you came from and how you transitioned into this online space as a service provider. E Liz Cruz: 02:59 Yeah. Thank you so much Emily for having me.

I'm excited to be on the podcast today. So my name is Liz Cruz. I'm the owner of Cruz Social Co, and I'm a marketing strategist. I have been in marketing for over 10 years.

Got my degree in communications. Really thought one day I'm just going to be at a top notch agency, and I started with an internship at a marketing agency, then worked my way up, and then, unfortunately, was let go from that position, and it was the most devastating thing ever. I was like, What am I going to do next? And I transitioned into, actually healthcare.

I was working at a hospital, and then eventually in physical therapy, and I really just grew a liking to that industry, and then I ran into my own health issues. So after I had my son, I started having some weird health concerns, which made me realize I need to work remotely. And that was really what started the whole Freelancer journey and entrepreneurship, was I need something that works for me and my family, so I'm going to build a business that works that way. And honestly, I can't even remember when it was, but I somehow stumbled across you and your community, and I was like, No, I definitely need this.

I know this is going to help me, and I haven't looked back since. So honestly, joining the community is really what the foundation was of my business and building it and really building a clientele that I have today. So yeah, really excited. Just chat more about that.

And, you know, it's just, it just blows my mind, kind of where I've been and and where I came to now. So when I joined the community, think it was almost three years ago, and it's just crazy. What's happened since then? Emily Reagan: 04:41 I still remember when you were texting me the beginning of the fall, or maybe it was in July.

I haven't documented somewhere, and you're like, I just had my highest month ever. And I just thought, like, Damn, what is Liz doing? We got to figure this out. I want to know, did you have other people in your life freelancing?

Or, like, how did you get. That push or that call to do it for yourself. Did you have models? Did you see influencers online?

Like, What gave you that pull? Because it wasn't something a lot of us started out doing intentionally, like, Oh, I'm gonna own a business, but that's what we are. We're self employed business owners. So what was that example for you?

Or did that come from, like, a deep knowing inside? L E Liz Cruz: 05:20 Yeah, I felt like it's two things. One, obviously, seeing it online, like, be a VA, do this? Make your own hours, have your own life with your kids, right?

That was the biggest thing for me. It was like, I need something that works for me now that I have health concerns. However, I will say I feel like that push to entrepreneurship is always there. My husband has a business, and I always felt like I'm just not fit for this nine to five job life, like it's not for me.

I think a lot of like bad business in the past, and just the way that I seen businesses ran and how I was treated as an employee, I think there's just certain things that I ran into that just made me confirm this decision of freelance is what makes the most sense for me. I love the flexibility of it and just being able to know, like, I can make an income I'm in control. Like, it really is an empowering thing too, to realize, like, even in the face of adversity and like, dealing with the health concerns that I ran into, I was still able to pursue a business.

And, you know, I even pride myself in like, one of my clients is my longest client. Longest client is from your work group, and I've been working with her for almost two and a half years. So, I mean, it's just amazing to know that, you know, Emily Reagan: 06:30 Oh my gosh. Okay, so what are your services look like right now?

Like, talk about what type of work you do? Liz Cruz: 06:35 Yeah. So I offer complete done for you, social media, marketing management, so that ranges from doing your posts, but also like editing your content, scheduling on your behalf, engaging with your community. And then also, I have offered email and ads and blog writing to those who actually need it.

So it's kind of customizable to the client, primarily their social media marketing as a whole. I like to really own that for them, so they don't have to worry about it, but really helping with the strategy execution too. So not just saying, Oh yeah, I'm here to handle it for you, but giving them guidance on, like, what's actually converting what content they need to record, giving them a shot guide, you know, a guideline to kind of help my clients walk through, like, what is needed, what is working right now, and also showing them the reporting.

So reporting is a huge deal for me, but actually like looking at what's working and what's not so really just a complete done for you package for my clients, but I also offer one off, things like content creation if they just need that, or strategy sessions, like they're maybe a newer business, and they just need help with more of the foundation point of their business. L E L Emily Reagan: 07:45 Okay, I was gonna ask that, because clients can come in all different phases and knowledge of how social works.

So where are they falling in the spectrum? And do you advise, especially for another social media manager listening to this like, what type of clients work best and get best results? Liz Cruz: 08:02 Yeah, I will say when I started out, I was just starting out with, like, I'm just your content creator, and I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm so thankful you gave me a chance. You know, it's really hard when you're the beginning of your freelance journey.

You get those first clients, you're like, I don't have a portfolio yet. I'm building and learning who I am and who I like to work with. So definitely just finding your grounding. And also it's important to when you get on a call with these potential clients, that you understand what they need from the get go, so you can create something customizable for them.

I know that everyone says, This is my package, and this is who I am, and there's nothing I'm going to customize, but I just don't see how that's possible with every client or potential client I've had a conversation with, they all have specific needs, and you kind of have to be able to adjust to what they're asking for, as long as it's in your wheelhouse and you're able to execute on those services, right? Don't over promise and under deliver however, you know, just getting to know the client so you can know exactly what they need, and then say, Okay, this is what I can help with, and this is what I would advise for, you know, XYZ, if you need help in a different area, maybe they do need a someone who's an admin, VA, right?

And then maybe they do need someone who strictly does email, and it just depends on their needs, yeah, Emily Reagan: 09:17 Did you find a lot of clients early on just asking you to do more that was, like, outside the scope of social and how did you handle that? E L E Liz Cruz: 09:24 Yeah, so in the beginning, had trouble with boundaries. I will say, I think when you're starting out in your business, you're like, Yes, I can do everything. It's fine.

I'll figure it out as I go. And then you get there and you're like, What did I do? So I think it helped me to create strict boundaries of like, when I applied specifically for job ops in your community, I would say, Okay, if they're looking for this, this and this, I know that I can't do that, so I'm going to tell them, from the get go in my email outreach, that this is what I can cover for you. And odds are, sometimes they don't even know what they need.

And then they'll have that conversation with you and they realize, Oh. Okay, I can do without this, and I really need to focus on this, so I'm going to hire you for this. So I think just in those initial conversations and in their application, just understanding like, what is the primary need, and are they going to pay me for this need, right? Is social media and these marketing things a primary need that they have, or is it something else?

And then you kind of understand, like, no, they actually need someone to help with funnels and everything else. So it kind of helps you understand, like, how you can actually help the client. Emily Reagan: 10:30 Yeah, and it can be so tricky, because social can open up Pandora's box with, like, what's actually happening with your engagement, your DMs, your inbox, your funnels, your many chat, your ads, like all of that. So it is one of those services that I love for unicorns to start with when they're newer, and then a lot of people end up, I'm just going to say, like, not loving it, because I think there's a lot of pressure with social there's a lot of clients, and at least from my own experience, who don't have a clear strategy, don't necessarily have like the messaging on point or the offers on point.

So I'm curious when it comes to the results that you can get and the promises you can make, and how do you tell a client, social media isn't going to save your business, or is it? Liz Cruz: 11:15 Yeah, I think being so clear from the get go of what are your goals and hiring me, that is actually one of the questions I ask on my discovery calls, what is your goal in bringing me into your team? What does that look like when we work together? Right?

What do you expect in three to six months? And if they're telling me, I need to sign three clients in a month, I need to make X amount of sales, and this amount of time, I'm like, okay, hold on. Like, you know, I don't think that this is going to be a good partnership, because you already can see the false expectations. That they see in hiring someone.

So really, it's just about weeding out those different things. L E L Emily Reagan: 11:49 So what are the good goals? Like, what are things like a green flag? Like, yeah, we can.

This is reasonable. Liz Cruz: 11:54 So for me, a green flag with the client would definitely be them saying, This is my business foundation. Like they have their whole brand kit together. They have who they are.

They're not changing their messaging week to week. They're not confused on who they are. They're not in the middle of a redesign. They actually know I know what I'm hiring you for.

I actually don't have high hopes for social media in the sense that, I mean, I have clients who work with me. They're like, I know I need a presence. My clients come from LinkedIn, which I also do LinkedIn management. However, they know that most of their clients have come from LinkedIn, but they have to be on meta.

They have I want to have a presence on different platforms, because they have a podcast and they want to post their assets and everything else. So they know they need that presence, but they're like, I'm not expecting to generate leads from these platforms, and I think that's where confusion can happen, because these business owners are like, I'm just gonna have leads flood in, and they're gonna come from everywhere, and I'm gonna just make all this money. I have clients who gain a bunch of followers, and then they don't get leads right, or they have a webinar, and then no one signed up for their offer.

I think it goes back to like, understanding the disconnect of like, what is, what is the goal with social media? What is the goal in hiring this person? Is it for a presence? What analytics do I want to see?

Right? Am I looking at engagement? How are people engaging with my content? If no one is, we go back to the drawing board of like, what's working?

Is it your content itself, or is it something else? Emily Reagan: 13:21 Okay. How would you diagnose that like and how do you tell client, like their content sucks? E L E Liz Cruz: 13:26 Yeah, it's a really hard conversation to have, but it's just about telling them honestly.

And it depends on your relationship with them, but assuming you have a good one, you just tell them like, we're not humanizing your content enough, right? I have a B to B client, and it can be kind of stale, right? We're just showing the product. We're not really showing you what about your founder history.

So I think just bringing that out of them and kind of giving them that confidence, because sometimes they don't want to be on camera, or they don't want to share these different things about their life, but as you know, it's really just that unfiltered, you know, approach that really helps with social media. That's the biggest thing. If they're not feeling something, if someone does not feel connected to your brand in some way, they're not going to take an action, right? Whether it be to follow you, click your link, sign up for a consult, buy a product, whatever.

So really, just having that conversation about this is what is going to help. So when I actually do monthly reporting at the end of the month, I tell my clients, this is what is working. This is what is not working. This is what we need to focus on, because it really just lays it out for them.

Of like, the actual strategy goes back to goals and strategy. At the end of the day, what are we doing? Why are we doing it? And if it's not generating the results that we're both looking for, then we need to reevaluate that.

Emily Reagan: 14:41 Oh, my God, I would love to see that report. But if you could, kind of like, give us a visual on that, because I think that's just so good for transparency. Like, we tried this and it didn't work, and that's all we can do, is test, and we can't make any promises with any type of marketing we put out there, because we don't actually know. So, like, what does that like, physically look like?

Liz Cruz: 15:00 yeah Emily Reagan: 15:01 because I'm not the best at tracking every social post, but the ones that are, like my carousels, like I track all of those, the saves, like, Those ones are one of those assets that's important to me, but I'm curious what Liz does. L E L E Liz Cruz: 15:13 Yeah. So I love that we have so many analytical tools available to us. I love using third party tools.

I have a third party scheduler that I use, and they have aI features in it. So what I will do is I will pull the reports there, so it will actually analyze the data that it can it can access, and it will tell me reporting from there. So I actually will build out my reporting from those, and then I will take additional data. So like, I'll look at Instagram's monthly recap.

For example, my LinkedIn client, I'll look at her LinkedIn analytics because I cannot see that anywhere else. Actually, third parties won't really pull it because we go off of her personal profile, not her business page, yeah. So I will, I will pull from different areas. I mean, monthly reporting is a lot of consolidation of like, the information you really want to focus on and what they care about.

So for me, filtering, yeah, exactly, you know. And just really looking at what do they care about. So my clients are like, okay, what are my saves, what are my reposts? What are my shares or sends?

You know, how many people are commenting and looking at watch time, not views, but like, who's actually watching and when are they falling off things of that nature. But I like to consolidate all of that, so using third party tools, using AI to our benefit, and then creating those simple emails for me from my clients, they're so busy they don't want a full report, they just want an email that says, This is what is working. This is what isn't what we're going to work on. And then other clients like maybe they want to see a breakdown, and that's fine.

I can give them that, but I personally found they're not reading that reporting like that. I think that it's important, but I think that also sometimes these social media agencies and other people and outside voices tend to tell you, like, You got to have a 40 page report and you got to have all these things. And honestly, I think about myself, like, if I was at that level in my business or just really busy, I wouldn't really look at that at all. So really, just giving the client what they need, not more, not fluff, but just giving them exactly what they need so they can know what's working.

Emily Reagan: 17:09 Yeah, I know, like, month over month data is good for me too, because I also know, like, there's, like things can be seasonal, or it can depend if I'm launching, okay, are you going to tell us the scheduler you use? Are you keeping that mum? Liz Cruz: 17:22 Oh, no, I can say it. I just wanted me to.

I use, I use Rella. I love it. Emily Reagan: 17:28 I don't know that one. How do you spell it?

L E L E Liz Cruz: 17:30 Yeah, so R, E, L, L, A, it is a newer platform. It's actually built for social media management, and I love it so much because there are so many different platforms you can connect to. Honestly, my favorite thing is the Ella. That's the name of it, Ella, the AI, I love it.

I think that it's great. It helps me actually, like, write out everything. I'll put my content IDs in there, and actually, we'll map it out so I'll put it into the calendar itself, write your caption, put everything in there. So it's so easy to kind of automate and get things done so that you have less of the, you know, startup stuff that you gotta do.

I can write your whole caption from scratch, like, it gives you a foundation and, like, I love AI. However, there is some tailoring needed there, right? There is exactly going into but, yeah, overall, I think it's a great platform. In the past, I've used loomely.

I think that's also a wonderful scheduler. Metricool is also a great scheduler, also reporting tool. I use that a lot in the beginning of my business, so Emily Reagan: 18:29 I like how that one has competitor analysis too. You can see what's working for your competitors.

Does this other one have that? Liz Cruz: 18:35 It's actually not something I've looked into, so I'm not sure. I haven't really dived into that, but it's being updated all the time. I think actually when it came out, like last year, so it was a very newer tool, but so far, I've been really, really pleased with it as far as pricing structure and just the way that it operates, too, Emily Reagan: 18:53 Okay, I keep hearing too, that the way AI is and, like, Claude coding, that you could eventually, you know, make your own schedule, or, like, using yours.

But like, Who has time for that? Like, I love that the platforms are all over there, and like, they're working out the bugs. I've also used, I've used planly Later, all of those back in the day, and then Smarter Queue. I've used a lot, but I liked how you could set things on repeat.

So if you have a client who has a guest appearance and you want to, you know, recycle that every quarter it's easy to do that, kind of like the looping entail. And I like that too. So I love talking techie tools. So thank you.

Yes. Like, yeah, a huge shortcut there, too. So what do you see working on social right now? And I think about look at a lot of packages from our unicorns and other freelancers who book a book a strategy session with me, and it's usually reviewing packages and pricing.

And I find one of the mistakes people make is just to have these, like, General, unspecific social media packages, and they're like, three posts a week, and I'm like, Well, what kind of post? Because the carousel is different than a reel and video editing that could take you a lot. It could be a little. It could be a B roll.

Like, there's all these variables when it comes to social so you talked about customizing it, like, how do you get to that answer? And a, what's working, and then B, what the client needs? L E L E Liz Cruz: 20:10 Yeah, so to answer your first question about what's working, I really think it's just vulnerability. I know that can be hard for some people, but just being like, Yeah, I'm a mom, and my desk looks like crap, and I'm still gonna take a picture of it and show you like, this is my real life.

And also just being in your stories and showing like people want to see that inside look. So I personally think using your stories well, and then also carousels, like, I don't know what it is, but those just seem to be blowing up. And I find myself looking at more carousel posts than I do reels, which is so interesting, because we Yeah, video, heavy content, right? Especially for Instagram.

However, even on LinkedIn, like video is a huge thing now, and people want to see video. And even before, video on LinkedIn was not a thing at all. So now it's like, you know, a whole new world of all this different content. So when I have a client who comes to me and they are wanting, you know, 12 posts a month and etc, etc.

I like to say, like, this is going to be customized to you based on the assets available to us. Because I may have a client who's like, I'm never going to record a talking head video. You may get some B roll out of you be pulling teeth, and so it can be really hard to create that video content. So then we are creating carousels.

But I personally find carousels take more time depending on if you have, like, a template and you want to make it more like scrapbooky and add different things to it, it can be harder. Instead of, you know, we're more simplified with just text on screen with the picture. So it just depends on one the client wants too, yeah, Emily Reagan: 21:39 Do clients really come to you and say, I know I want 12 post a month? L E Liz Cruz: 21:44 No, so I am building that out for them.

So ideally, I just tell people, because they may come to me and they're like, I want to post every single day, and this is what I want to do, and blah, blah, blah, blah, and then getting to know them, I'm like, You're not even in a position financially, and also at the level in your business, to one handle that much content output to give me to edit. Yeah, it just doesn't make sense. So I tell them, basically, this is what you need. Because, yeah, sure, we can have these goals to to do these certain things we can work up to that point.

So I think just being realistic, of like, where we're at and what we can get to. So when someone comes to me, that's why I say it's customizable, because we're the foundation. We're creating content. I'm editing, I'm doing a competitor analysis.

I'm looking at their business as a whole, right? But then, if they're like, I want lead gen, I have an engaging community. Okay, we're going to add many chat on there. Okay, I want to have an email newsletter each month.

Okay, we're going to add that email in there too. In there too, and just making sure everything is accounted for based on what they've said that they need, and things may change over time. So when I sign a client, I do three month contracts, and I do that because I want them to understand results do not happen in 30 days, and honestly, they may not even happen in 90 days, right? Especially if, like, we have goals that are more long term.

So I do that so that we can understand the foundation of what we're building, and then things may change, right? So they want to add something on, or they want to adjust their package, and that's okay, because needs change over time. You know, your offers, your campaigns, whatever you're focusing on, and so I like to do that for my clients, but I love doing video editing. I think reels are fun.

And so for me, actually, a video takes me less time than a carousel. And so for me, I'm like, I don't mind doing videos. If people are like, I want all reels. I'm like, honestly, that's cool with me.

And so I don't really mind making it customizable based on what their current needs are. And again, that goes back to being of our conversation, like understanding the client, what they need if they have a bunch of video content. That's what we're going to do. We're not going to do what doesn't make sense for them and their brand, and at the end of the day, what's going to actually resonate with the people they're trying to reach?

L Emily Reagan: 23:54 Yeah, I'm glad you said that. So I'm in this sweet spot where I talk to A all of my business peers. I'm hearing from the communities who are hiring virtual assistants and all the like corners of the internet. And then, of course, our our service providers here, and there's like, two major things I hear with social media people, but I guess one is kind of overreaching, and it's the fact that people can be so structured with their packages and so rigid and not be flexible to meet the client where they are, and you can be at a place in your business where you're premium already, you're booked out, and you can, you can, like, cut out any client that you don't want to work with, and it's no big deal.

But a lot of us, we need to be flexible and meet the client there, and maybe, maybe it starts at a smaller package, or, you know, maybe they need to be able to add on more for a launch and not feel like they're getting nickeled and dimed. I mean, you want to pay for your work, so that's not what I mean, but like feeling like a partnership in it, and that you have their needs really like being met and considered, like the outcomes and being able to do that. And I think that's so, so hard for some of us when we're coming up with packages, because it's not actually set in stone, and I talk about packages, like monthly repeating deliverables here.

The other thing I hear is, like, probably the biggest complaint, and I know you're not gonna like, this is always a social media person. It's like, they don't sound like me, and then they take their reins back. And I hear a lot of people frustrated with who they hire and the type of content getting out there. And of course, I've never heard a bad thing about you.

So what could you say, or what advice would you give somebody to avoid that happening? Knowing full well, sometimes the client's just a dick. Sometimes they're a hot mess. They don't know what they want, strategy, all of that, like, is their fault, but what about the part that we can control?

E Liz Cruz: 25:38 Yeah, I appreciate you asking this question, because I've had clients on every single level of that, I've had the clients who are like, changing their brand voice every week, and then I have the client, the clients who have a custom GPT who like, This is who I how we sound, use this and use this to create content. So yeah, I think that that's why I tell clients, like, if we're going to work together, we need a few weeks to get to know each other. Like we need time to understand your brand.

Dive into who you are. Your brand voice is like the biggest thing to me that matters. Because even for me, now that I'm outsourcing things for my own business, I'm like, Oh my gosh, that does not sound like me. Let's tailor this.

Let's, let's understand who I am, so really just getting to know the client. If you're not, if you're not seeing eye to eye, get on a call, right? Get on a call. Take calls from that client.

Understand how they talk, like, take the transcript, understand them, look at their past content like, there's so many different areas you kind of have to evaluate, to gather that knowledge to then be able to create content, and it's so easy to blend in now with AI. And I cannot tell you how much I hate chatgpt language, like it angers me, because I'm like, I'm looking at, I looked at, like, five different coaches or something just came up on my timeline, and I'm like, Oh, my word.

You all just said the same thing, but you're five different types of coaches because you all just took this from chatgpt. You didn't even tailor it. You don't you don't know who you are. I guess at the end of the day, that just makes me understand you need to go back to the drawing board.

Understand your brand, because it's going to be going into 2026-2027 it's gonna be so easy to pick apart the people that you truly trust and those that you do not based on language and copywriting, like it matters so much. Like, I'm actually, like, in the process of bringing copywriter in, like, I love writing, but I want someone else to, like, come in and help me and be like, the powerhouse, because, like, copy and writing and language, like it is so important. And so yeah, just to go off of what you're saying.

Like, yeah, the brand voice is a huge deal. And if you're not seeing eye to eye, you really have to just say, what are we missing, right? What sounds like you, what doesn't? Let's compare.

So maybe I made a post and then my client edited it. Let's actually compare. What did she edit, right? What was the original that I did, and what did she rewrite?

So then we know what not to do, what to, you know, make sure we don't do for next time. Emily Reagan: 28:03 Yeah, do you think I'm kind of curious, because there's probably some people out there, and I'm not defending them that are, like, I'm just going to do the bare minimum, and I don't care if it sounds AI and I'm just going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Is that okay for social? Or should they just, should they be doing social in the first place, like, how devastating is that to a brand?

Because we all see it. I see some of the AI coaches with their customer service emails that are clearly chatbotted out that read like garbage and don't make me feel important. But How bad would it be for your brand to keep doing it this way? What do you think?

L E Liz Cruz: 28:36 Yeah, I actually had a conversation with my husband about this the other day. Yeah. He was like, honestly, if those people are making so much money, they probably don't care. And so I think that there's just, like, it's a slippery slope I feel because there are creators I love who I followed for a long time, and then all of a sudden they just had, like, this change in brand voice.

And I was like, oh, like, I got the ick. And I was like, they don't sound like they used to. They're not hitting me like their contents not hitting me like you used to. Used to speak to me like, really, you know, whatever.

And so I think there's two sides to it. I think that some people, they truly just don't care. They're at a point where they have so much value, so many followers, that they're like, I got it done. Done is better than better or whatever they want to I don't know.

But for me, I guess they're like, it's fine if I sound like a robot, um, and I think it's just people are so obsessed with AI and chat GPT, but your risk liability, I guess, is what I'm saying. Like, it gets really legal. Like, you know, there is, there's, um, the boutique lawyer. I love, I love her content Amber.

I follow her, and she has, you know, different templates and things to help you with your business. And it's just you see these different people, and they think, Oh, it's fine if I just copy someone's caption. And it's like you may not even realize you're copying their caption by using chatgpt, and this knowledge that it has, because it's pulling from so many areas, so. It, yeah, I think it's just, you have to be so careful.

And I think even more so now people like myself, service providers, it's going to be so important to hire the ones that are going to help elevate your brand, rather than just make you look like everyone else. And really, just, yeah, you have to understand, like, do you want to stand out? Like, what's, what's the goal here? And I think these bigger brands, like, I don't know, we're gonna see what's gonna happen with them, and I you'd hope that they keep their brand voice.

Emily Reagan: 30:27 Is there a way that you ask clients this on the Discovery call that gets them being like, I can envision the whole sales conversation too. But like, you know, you have to get the client on the call or the prospect to admit like they're in pain and they need help. So do you do any kind of this, like mental mental warfare, like, Oh, do you enjoy sounding like an AI robot? Or, like, get a client to admit on a call that this is important to their brand, because you don't want someone you have to convince like that client is not for you.

L E Liz Cruz: 30:57 Yeah. So my discovery call questions are pretty robust, I guess is the word. I ask a lot of questions, like, I'll try to kind of take control of that call and be like, Okay, we are agreeing that we are partnering in business. So you're going to ask your questions.

I'm going to ask mine, and I think that they actually appreciate that, rather than me just sitting there and listening to them. And yes, I'm listening to them, but no back and forth communication. So in that conversation, I will be typing and I'm listening to them. If there's anything that's redflag, I'm highlighting it.

I'm like, Oh, I don't know about this, but I'm getting to know them completely, right? I'm asking, What are your pain points right now? In your business, have you hired someone in the past, like myself? How did that go?

How was that experience? Right? What are you struggling with right now, you know, I ask them those questions because I want them to think, and I want them to admit, like, what is going on, so that I can better understand them. And then I know, okay, well, what they're complaining about is really not anything that I can help with.

And this seems to be something else, you know. And I've even had calls where I completely cut them off, and, you know, not in that rude way, but just saying, I think that I'm not going to be the best person for you, like your budget is this, and I'm way out of budget. Yeah, you know, I'm so just being honest with them from the get go. I think they actually appreciate that more.

And I pride myself on being able to close people, because I am an over communicator in the sense that we're going to get to know each other very well and understand each other, and what I send over to you is going to be very clear of like, what I'm going to be doing for you. So yeah, I think just really getting to know them and not being afraid to ask questions, like, nothing's off the table. Yes Emily Reagan: 32:37 Yeah, I kind of see two buckets of clients when it comes to social, maybe you see more, but there's definitely the client that has a hard time letting go.

You know, as so much of their marketing is jumbled up in their head. It's mixed up with their business strategy, their identity. Like, I feel like I see that a lot with social, and then I also see the client who is completely hands off, and they're like, just take it and run. And they can also give me a red flag, because I'm like, if you actually don't care, I don't know if I can get the results.

But like, what do you see with these type of clients? L E Liz Cruz: 33:07 Yeah, I definitely think there are two different buckets of clients, and I've had both, and I do have both, and it's kind of a give and take. You'll find the clients who are, like, anything you need, I'm going to get it to you, you know, and they get it done, and then you're able to execute, and then they love it, right? And that's, that's a perfect that's an ideal world.

And you have others who you're pulling teeth to get content from, and it's hard, but you do what you can with what you have to create their presence, right? And then you have the others who are editing everything, and don't even they hired you, but they didn't really want to hire you, so that they're like the idea of you. Yeah, they like the idea of a social media manager until they're inside that world. So I think again, with those discovery calls, like you kind of can sense.

I mean, sometimes people can be really good at not disclosing things, but as you get to know people, you kind of get used to who they are. And I just learned in business, some personality types just don't mesh, or you can understand someone's personality type, and it's not that they're a bad client or a red flag, it's just that they personally are dealing with things, or maybe this is hard for them right. Social media, they just don't get it right. Marketing is not their world or their expertise at all.

So I think it just takes educating. Because sometimes you'd be surprised, like, when you explain things to someone, then they're like, Oh, I didn't realize that it needed to be like that, or I didn't know I needed to record that way. So I think it just goes back to understand the client from the get go, but then educating them over time as you develop this partnership, so that they know, like, the expectations and what is needed on your end so that you can actually execute and do your job.

Emily Reagan: 34:45 Yeah, I'm probably the worst, because it's not that hard for me to just get a video and, like, plop it up there. And I I spend so much time in the car at soccer, soccer practices, and I'm like, that's when I can, like, quickly knock it out. So it comes natural to me, but I know a lot of clients, it doesn't, you know, and you need that clear like system for gathering content reveals and all of that. But it's so funny, because I think people so many times, and I'm talking to my peers, they all think they need to start with social, and they just have it in their head social first.

I'm like, it's not always the thing they need. It's not always the thing that's going to actually grow their business, especially early on, when they're on a limited budget, and so they have to kind of think about that. But I think somewhere it got in their heads that this is the thing I have to be doing. I don't, yeah, where that comes from?

L E Liz Cruz: 35:32 Yeah, I agree. That's why there's even clients who came to me, or I've had calls within their work group, and I'm like, actually, don't think you need this right now, like just being straight up with them, I think that you need to do this, and so then actually providing them resources or tools or other people, sometimes they don't know what they need, and they need to actually be told, like, this is the order of operation of like, what needs to be taken care of.

Like, do you have a website? How does your website optimize? Do you have a proper Lead Gen system in place? Do you have an offer that's selling.

Do you even have financials? Like, how is, how is everything you know like, that is so important before you even do social media? Like, Yeah, completely. Emily Reagan: 36:10 So where do your Packages start at?

Liz Cruz: 36:13 Yeah. So I start by packages around $1,500 a month, and that would be for more of a basic social media management package, right? So we're posting on your behalf. We're creating content, you know, we're still doing the analysis, we're doing reporting, but we're not doing engagement or many chat we're your lead gen things.

Maybe that's not email, right? This is more of I just want social media presence, and that's what I want you to focus on, and then from there, I like to increase. And honestly, this is more just justified based on my hourly rate, my bottom line, and the actual deliverables needed. And then, because I have contractors that help me now, and because I'm at that level where I cannot do everything myself, I have to bring in the fact that, yes, I do have to pay other people.

So I'm justifying that rate based on that too. From there, I'm just, I'm kind of like, break things out based on what you need. So like, I have a client right now who needs website updates and email, and then they also need their social presence, but it's like five times a week on four different platforms. So again, that is a case by case scenario where it's like, this is customizable, you know, but my bottom line is 1500 for, like, a basic social media management and then management and then it just goes up from there.

So about 3500 to 5000 just depending on what they're needing. Because, yeah, it really just goes back to what do they need done, and I want to make sure that it's justified based on what I'm paying myself for, the amount of output that's being done, and how I have to take care of my team and everything else too. L E L Emily Reagan: 37:41 Do you know how your clients track if it's working? Like, what part do you need from them to make sure all of this is working?

Because I was just thinking of, like, oh, all the different platforms somebody could be on. And it's really important, especially in 2026 that we focus on the platforms that actually, like, bring in paying clients, right? Like, I know that repurposing content is pretty easy, but like, how do you know it's working? Liz Cruz: 38:06 Yeah, I think it goes back to looking at reporting and analytics, but also just seeing.

Like, for example, if a client is a toy store, right, one of my clients is a toy store, and, like, kids party place. And if that is the type of client you are, you should be on Instagram, absolutely. And Instagram and Tiktok are probably their best platforms, also YouTube. So we post on YouTube and Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, and then in addition, we're posting on the owner's personal LinkedIn.

So there's a lot of different layers, right? So LinkedIn is looking for vendors and people she can connect with for business strategy things and Toy Association type of stuff. And then with the other content, it's okay, who are the people that are binging our content? Right?

They they want the new hot toy, they want the new plush, whatever it is. So they're sharing it on Instagram and looking at it there. And they want to see, I do a lot of top of funnel content, so we're posting relatable stuff, right? So trends, things that actually are working with that type of client.

So I like to do that evaluation, and that's why every month before the next month, I'm looking at what are the reels that are doing well in your industry, I'm going to send them. This is what I want you to create. Here's the example link. Here is the shot by shot list.

You need to take any instructions. I just give it to them, because then it's very easy. They can give it to someone on their team. They can execute it, get it back to me for editing.

But it really just creates a seamless process. And obviously that's an ideal world where someone is actually communicating and partnering, but those are types of clients that I love working with, because they know that it's a partnership to get this done. And so really just looking at again trends, what's working, and not trends in a way that we're chasing them, but just so that I know like this is going to help your visibility, this is going to get you followers, this is going to get more people in your world.

Those are the biggest things for me, you know, how is this going to convert for you? You know, if someone is more of a business to business type of client, then I would say they need to be on LinkedIn, or need to be on platforms that, you know, maybe I don't necessarily manage, but this is what I would recommend. Maybe it's, you know, you need to be on Yelp, or you need to be whatever, on these different things. You know, just that's part of the strategy.

Part of just saying to your client, like, this is what you need to be doing. And even though I may not be the one to execute it, I'm still going to help you with the strategy part to tell you. And you know, because I'm not going to put the wool over their eyes, but I want to be straight up with them and say, like, this is where you need to be, you know, present, yeah. Emily Reagan: 40:42 So you're so much more than a social media manager.

You're a marketing strategist or a content marketing strategist here. How does somebody make that jump? E L E Liz Cruz: 40:51 You mean, like, as a freelancer? Emily Reagan: 40:52 Yeah.

Like, yeah. You know, a lot of us start scheduling posts and maybe our clients writing. Like, I just think when I first started, oh, my god, girl, I started back in Facebook days where we posted four to six times a day. Oh, it was hell.

And then the client expects you to have, like, all its original ideas. And half the game was just repurposing things at work, because, you know, 10% see it. But I think about when you first start and you're just posting and scheduling, and you're not really in charge. And then you start to see patterns, and you start to become in charge.

You start to grow your confidence. You become a social media manager. Come up with the schedules like you. And then that big jump, that's a big jump to strategist level, yeah.

How do you do it? Liz Cruz: 41:36 I think that one just taking ownership of your clients accounts, really getting social proof, getting reviews, not being afraid to ask, like, Hey, how's your experience with me? You know, taking that and building your portfolio. So if you're someone starting out like, you know, don't think anything is like, oh, it's not a big deal.

No, take it. Take ownership of that. Be proud of yourself, you know, use it to your benefits. You can find the next client that you want to work with, and just continue to build from there.

So really, just building your portfolio, building your confidence, I think it also helps to not discredit things you've done in the past. Someone may think, Oh, well, I was just a teacher, or I was, you know, I just worked as a nurse, or whatever they did from their career. You can take those things that you learned and things you did there and absolutely apply them here. If you were a nurse and you, like, ran that whole shift and you told everyone what to do, become a fractional CMO, become the man whatever, like you can take that and run with it and still be the person who can have an authority figure.

I think that sometimes we just discredit like, what we've done, and we don't think it can apply to our freelance journey or building a business, but it absolutely can, and I think it just comes with time. Like, I would not have spoken like this when I was first started. I'd be like, Oh my god, I just need a client to say, yes, you know, and really scared to, like, show them your prices. Like, I think just being more confident over time allowed me to scale up, allowed me to realize, Wow, I can't charge that.

And now when I think about what I think about what I charge, I'm like, What was I doing? Like, you know, and I get it like I was starting, but I'm like, wow, it's just it's such a blessing to know, like, where I am now because I was, you know, taking a chance on myself. And I think that the clients that are growing with me and have been with me now for the long term, is kind of evidence of that. Even though there were bumps in the road, even though there were red flag clients I should have probably never worked with.

You know, it's all a learning experience, and it's, it's brought me to where I'm now, so. L E L Emily Reagan: 43:29 Yeah, and I think what happens is this beautiful thing is, when you gain experience, you start to see patterns. And I don't know, for me, I was very naive about it, and I'm not like, bossy in a rude way, but I'm like, Oh, this is working really well. What if we tried this?

What if we did more? And those little moments, and it wasn't necessarily like unsolicited advice that, like, that's annoying, but the clients were always like, oh, like, I'm glad you're noticing that. And I think those are those moments when I start flexing, like, the strategy, even in like, the smallest thing as, like, what type of content, and that just kind of builds your confidence over time. But I think the more clients you get, you see the patterns, you see the mistakes, and we get really, like, powerful because we're seeing what works in all these different accounts too.

So I think there's some kind of, like, natural confidence that comes that, yeah, we don't start off like that, like, I never could imagine advising clients on funnels and marketing strategy back when I was, like, in charge of just getting the weekly email out, you know. But that comes with time, and it's so cool to hear that I'm constantly saying, like, hey, we start here, but we grow up to be more if you own it right, if you see it and recognize and then start charging for it.

So I love that, because social media is just like a small you're already, like, doing more than social, because you're doing LinkedIn and YouTube all of that, but and blogging, like all of that content and email, so it's just like the little, little piece of the pie. Liz Cruz: 44:56 Yeah, I love what you just said there, though, like we see the things other people. Don't see. It's kind of like, we're just like, we see we just see it differently.

Yeah, and it's funny, because, like, when you talk to people who are not freelance, who's not in our world, then you have more of that realization of how, like, I do know my stuff, like, maybe I am pretty smart, you know, to my sister, and she's, this is not her world at all. And she's like, I really want to start working remote. And like, can you do? And she was like, Yeah, I'm not gonna do that.

Like, you know, it was just that realization of, like, it's a lot, you know. And I think again, goes back to discrediting, like, Don't discredit the knowledge you have and the expertise that you carry. Like, you don't realize it till you talk to someone who this isn't their world, and then you're like, wow. Like, yeah, this is a lot.

It's just I didn't realize it until you kind of have that conversation of this wasn't their world, so they're not used to it. And it just shows you the power of, you know, knowledge and the things that we were able to do. So yeah, it's just, it just amazes me. E L Emily Reagan: 45:53 Yeah, you just wake up one day and you're like, wow, I've like, learned a lot over time.

And, yeah, it doesn't all start that way. Okay, we are talking about agencies in April in the work group, so I'm excited that you're going to be a part of that, that we're going to have those conversations. It's a big part of scaling and making more money. And it's so funny because I just made a post today.

This podcast will come out in April, so it won't be that old, about 10k VAs don't exist and like, it's such like a, like an obnoxious thing that I hear other VA coaches talking about, but yet, you know you're you're making 10k months because you pulled out of the VA title like you're niched into marketing. You're owning strategy. You're doing more than one lane of marketing. So I want to talk quickly about how you book those clients.

But before I get to that juicy question, I really want some fast tips on your social media portfolio and showcasing that you can command these higher rates. Like, what have you learned along the way? A lot of people are building them, or they have these clients, or, you know, clients come and go, and it can be hard to show the work. So I'm curious if you've stumbled across anything that would like really help someone communicate their value and their skill?

Liz Cruz: 47:04 Yeah, I definitely think finding any basic template you need, you don't have to buy someone's huge course to find a template to just build a portfolio. So if you're starting out, just start with the basics. Right? Who you are, who you help, any results, if you have any, and if you do not create mock examples of things that you can create for clients, that is the biggest thing.

Like, I think about my own life, like I went to an arcade with my kids, and I was like, You know what? For fun and get this guy some visibility. I'm just gonna record content for him, and I record my kids and my husband, like playing the pinball machine and stuff. So I say all that to say, like, you can create reels and content and things to showcase your expertise.

Also test on yourself, right? Do a test with your own content, like, show what you have done that's working for yourself. Show your own analytics, you know, and if you're struggling with them, that's okay, but even just showing, like, what you're doing, the process of it, so who you are, who you help, your analytics, and then just a way to work with you, like, really making it simple, in my portfolio, I have a link at the end that just says, book a call. And that is exactly where, when I send an email outreach to these people in the work group when I apply, they click on my portfolio link, and right there they can book their call.

So if they like what they saw, they will decide to book and that is, Emily Reagan: 48:26 You send them your portfolio and said, like a straight book a call link E L E Liz Cruz: 48:30 Yep. So it's at the end of the email, but if they're going to look at my portfolio, which when I think about hiring someone, that's what I do, but it's going to be in the portfolio. So then they have no excuse to be like, back out and go here and get confused on where to book. Like, it's very easy for them, you know.

So I think the biggest thing for me is, is the analytics so, so over time, adding in the analytics that like, are really a highlight, you know, for you and your business. Like, if you have one client and it's just that client who's getting a lot of results, that's fine, but just use them as your social proof, right? And what you've done, like, I have a client who's, you know, blown up a lot, and it's like, from trial reels and other things. So if that's something you can use, use it.

So really, just kind of giving this founders. So my portfolio now, I kind of have, like, a founder story in the beginning of, like, who I am, and like who I work with now, and that has transitioned over time, and then it gets right into this is the type of services that I offer. I actually have my prices inside my portfolio, because I don't want no one to question. So if they still look with me, they're going to know how much I cost.

I love that. And then I give them some social proof, and then I make it really easy for them to work with me. And I also show them this is what it's going to look like if we work together. It's going to be an onboarding there's going to be time that I'm getting to know you, then we're going to create the content, then there's going to be editing, then we will execute, and then we'll analyze.

So I am straight up from the beginning of like, how it's going to look to work together. You know, I also go in and update that portfolio often so that it is current, so that it feels most on brand and to who I am right now. So, yeah, just really that portfolio is honestly the biggest thing, I think, for me, that has been the gateway, you know, to get good clients, because they get a look into your business without them getting to know you. L Emily Reagan: 50:15 Yeah, I'm probably secretly judging, like, are these designs modern?

Are they keeping up with social trends? So I love that idea of maybe quarterly reviewing it, especially for social, because it does change a lot, like what's trending, and then clients can have different styles, but you hit the nail on the head. And you know, I know we have people listeners on all spectrums listening to this podcast, but I am so tired the people like, I don't know how to start, or I don't know how to get the first client. You do the mock client, you do the conceptual client.

And I tell this story before, but I went in a fabric store in Northern Virginia, and it was Jenny buyer, and it was all this beautiful fabric back when I was selling. And I was like, I would love to do her social and I ended up so funny, because I ended up doing Pinterest for all these creative clients. But it kind of hit me. I was like, This is so pretty, and I enjoy it.

I'm like, I should have right there. And then social wasn't as big because I'm old, but I should have started, like, I already had a Facebook client, and it was like, just starting, I should have just, like, done the mock client, like portfolio for her, for her store, because I felt that. And so, like, there's no freaking excuse. But another thing, people are like, Oh, well, like, I don't have the social to match it.

And I'm like, clients don't care. They don't want someone who looks like they're going to just ditch their business. But you do not need to demonstrate design skills trends. You know how to pin post optimized profiles or whatever platform you're in.

So you can do all of that like your business is one of those examples that you know how to do the work. So if I see something like, really old, I'm going to be judgy, and I'm like, something really non specific. But we talked about, like, oh, you get 85 posts. I'm like, Well, what does that mean?

Like, really, like, long form stuff here? So yeah, Liz Cruz: 51:56 And I think for me, even too, like, I've had people like contractors, they'll send me their portfolio. And I was like, Yeah, I'm no, like, if it's generic, if it's I don't know, a bunch of camera graphics, if I don't see any variety. And, yeah, just like, Who are you like, if I don't see what I send in my portfolio, and someone wanting to approach me, I'm like, so yeah, I mean, you really just have to make it fit for you.

And also, I've gotten so many compliments on my branding. So a year and a half ago, I invested in branding, and I was like, these are my thoughts, and this is who I am and how I want people to feel when they like see me and the colors that represent me. And since I did that, I can't tell you how many people, when they do book a call, oh my gosh. I love your cozy branding, and they book a call, right?

So, like, it's just, it's, it says something about you when you can invest in that. And, you know, it doesn't have to be huge investment. Like, I bought my fonts. I had someone do a logo and a cute little, you know, emoticons and things.

And I didn't really take a lot, but I also invested in a website recently, which I didn't have before either. I went two years almost with no website, Emily Reagan: 53:07 No E L E Liz Cruz: 53:08 Just my portfolio, which is still what I send in an email. So yeah, I think just branding really does matter. I think that people try to get away from it, but I was like, I can't afford to not and so I was so happy that I did invest in that, and then it kind of helps you be like, Wow, this is who I am, and you become more empowered and more like ownership of who you are.

Emily Reagan: 53:30 Oh, I lived that when I first did my first real photo shoot with the blow up unicorn, it put me on the map. And I know it was the combination of the visual, but the confidence behind my business that it instilled in me. And then what's fun, and you know, this is in the work group, we're going through a big rebrand, and I've never paid this much for a designer before, and I start, you know, started and etched into it, and it feels really freaking good, and it's just gonna put everything next level in the copy, like everything, like dialing in, and we just go through these iterations of our business, but it doesn't start there, you know, it doesn't need to start there.

It's just, but I think that's interesting too. As a social media manager, the cozy branding is really smart, you know, and you do such a good job on social for yourself, but it's relatable, it's warm, like you're not too big for your britches, kind of like the vibe there. So I love that, and the the faceless branding, you know, you can't get away with that anymore. It's not 2019 anymore.

Liz Cruz: 54:30 No, yeah, I was gonna say that I had someone apply, I think, for a role. And I was like, there's no picture of them. Their portfolio was so basic and generic. I was like, I don't even know what your face looks like.

I can't even think about booking a call with you because I have no idea who you are. So, yeah, I think that you don't want to be generic. You want to stand out. Like, why the heck should someone book a call with you?

Why? Like, even in the work group? So people who are going to be in your work group or applying, thinking about it, how can you stand out in those applications too. Obviously, you know, we all collaborate, like the people in the group.

If there's someone else who can be a better fit, I'm not applying for that, right? Or if it's not the fit for me, but it is still important to make yourself stand out. Like, if you actually want that job, how are you going to be the person that they undeniably are? Like, yes, right?

They have a call with you. They have a call through other people. Why are they picking you? You know, how was your follow up process, right?

How? How was your communication? How did you interact on the call? Were you vibing?

Like? Did you actually enjoy this person? So there's so many different layers, I think. And sending an email in your portfolio is even just a fraction of, like, the whole thing in itself, L E L Emily Reagan: 55:40 Yeah, oh my gosh.

It's so insightful. You wouldn't believe we every now and then we get a work group application or people, like, barely fill it out, don't use proper grammar, and I'm like, No, I would never refer you. I would never refer. If I'm not going to refer you, I don't want your money and your application that outreach.

So okay, so we did a live stream in the fall. It was seven ways to land clients, and we had different work group members sharing. Members sharing how they book clients like different avenues, because we can't just depend on one one method and one way to prospect. So I would love for you to share just really quickly, what has been your secret to booking clients?

Because you you shared on there too, but you've talked about how you've gone in there, you've up sold clients that didn't think they needed or were expecting, like, a smaller social rate. You've made these 10k months like you've had such success getting clients, and you you have a much needed service, and you're well positioned for it. So what's your advice in this lane, especially for someone who's in that, you know, advanced beginner stage, where they're they've niched into social and now they're ready to book out.

Liz Cruz: 56:43 Yeah, I think really leaning into your sales skills, like, we think that sales is not what matters, but it is at the end of the day, you're selling yourself, one on who you are, but also on the client. Like, do I want to work with this person? So the biggest thing is one that email outreach is the first thing. I do not make that sound templatey.

I do not make that sound generic. I straight up tell them like, Hey, I actually think I'd be a great fit because XYZ my first thing. Or I'll add some emojis, add some personality. I don't know that's just me, but I'm talking to them as if I would talk to them like we already knew each other.

So really making yourself stand out, like, completely from everyone else. Like, I want to get that email and be like, Wow, this girl is interesting. I want to talk to her. So making yourself stand out from that initial email all the way until that call, and then when you get on that call, don't be someone different than you were in the email.

Actually be the same person and then ask those important questions. So have a good email outreach, have a good portfolio, have a good discovery call process, and then have a good onboarding process, because if they start working with you, and then they're like, oh my gosh, this is a mess. And now what I expected, you have to make sure you have all your systems in place too, so it's really just a whole cycle, right? So making sure everything and all of its parts work together, so that they know that you're the person to work with.

And also you can charge those premium rates, because they feel like it's a premium service, and they're like, Wow, she's not charging enough. Like, I have people I've worked with her. I'm like, that's all you want to charge me. Oh my gosh.

Like, so I think sometimes we don't think we can charge more. But I'm like, if you look at your processes and everything that you do and who you are and your expertise, odds are you can so just understanding, having all those things in place and really down pat is really the biggest thing. E L Emily Reagan: 58:33 Yeah, that's so beautiful, because it all comes together. It's not just one moment.

And it takes, it takes effort. It takes work. It takes, you know, really putting thought into your positioning and how you show up. So Liz Cruz: 58:46 Yeah, I was gonna add too.

Also what you said earlier about bringing up in conversation not to manipulate and get them to pay you more, but telling those things you're noticing, and they're like, Oh, well, would you do that for me? And then I'd be like, yeah, let me send over a quote of what that add on could be. So I think also, from the get go, when you have these conversations with someone, you know they're going to need services later in that initial proposal, I'm like, these are add ons for the future.

So when you can they come to you in three months and they need something, you know where to go, because you have a reference point and you knew they were going to need it in the first place. So then now you're already prepared to say, Yeah, let's just add that onto your package, and it just comes with that partnership and getting to know them. And you know, hey, now that they trust you, they've built that with you, they're going to inevitably want to give you more work seeing that it's actually benefiting them and bringing in ROI, Emily Reagan: 59:36 Yeah, they want someone in house to grow with them, and as they make more money.

So it's smart to have that, and sometimes I do that too, like phase one versus phase two. Like, we're not going to tackle all of that yet, but it's coming for you, and we'll talk about when you're ready. So yeah, good. I love that.

I love that. Okay, I like a quick little lightning round to wrap this up, but I'm just kind of curious. Like, what are your favorite trends on Instagram and what is your favorite platform? Liz Cruz: 59:59 Yeah, I love Instagram.

I've always loved Instagram ever since we posted Women Crush Wednesdays and man crush Mondays. That was me and my husband back in the day for dating. So I've always loved IG. And, yeah, I think the trends I love the most are, honestly, the hot takes, the ones that are like, I don't know, a little bit attitude, because maybe I just have an attitude.

So I love just kind of doing B roll like that, and the ones that are funny, like that's, that's my favorite stuff. E L E L Emily Reagan: 1:00:28 Is there anything you're getting sick of over there? Liz Cruz: 1:00:31 Honestly, it's the gimmicky marketing. It's when a wellness because I love working with wellness people, and that's somewhere I'm nicheing into now.

But I hate when they just post things for clickbait, and they're like, I don't know, you know, the stuff with the GLP is and all the other things, but also the marketing, where it's like, they changed their mind, right? They posted one reel and they said, don't eat meat, but then eat the salmon once a week, like that type of stuff. And then next week, they, like, completely did a whole other reel that made no sense and had no connection to that other one. I really feel like those are just to get people connected to them and get more followers, but at the end of the day, what's their foundation?

So I don't like marketing like that. Yeah Emily Reagan: 1:01:11 I'm trying to think, if I feel passionate about anything, but I think I'm getting, like, a little tired in general, kind of like my my life, we are starting the fourth quarter of school, but it's like, when I start to see the same old things, like, you just get like, I need pattern interrupts and I need humor over there. And I think the AI is getting me anytime. I don't know why this is like, irritates my soul, but it's when I see the word, stop doing this, stop doing that.

Like, okay, well, AI is writing that first of all, also like, I'm tired of, like, shaming people and like lecturing them. I don't really have a good answer what to do instead, Liz Cruz: 1:01:48 yeah Emily Reagan: 1:01:49 but I just, I like, I'm kind of getting sick of that kind of content. So it's just fun to, like, analyze and think about I like humor the most, or maybe when things are more just feel more personable. Like, like you said, I mean, that's what social was.

It was made to connect. So E L E L E Liz Cruz: 1:02:06 Yeah, one of the creators I love the most, and love to follow, is Shannon McKinstrie. I think that she is great. I think her hooks and just everything she creates.

I'm like, yes, it's like, you can see where it comes from, and it's so good. And it's like, that's what I love. I want to bring out personality. I want to like that needs to show so then when people are so generic in their copy, it's like they think it's not hurting their brand, but it is.

And so I agree with you, it's like, it's not this, it's really this. And these sentences that are so choppy and ugh. And I'm like, Yeah, stop it right now. Yeah, I get kind of, okay, I'm gonna say something really spicy.

Maybe we cut this out or not, but I was watching a reel the other day, and I think it was all about an energy she had, which was great. Like, I could see why people love her. I see why she has lots of followers, but her reel, like, nonsensical. And I'm like, You're just repeating the same bull crap as everyone else, but I can tell people are eating it up.

And I'm like, oh, everyone's just like, teaching a version of marketing like this is obviously someone in my industry. And I was like, how are people falling for this? I was like, have I just evolved too much? But whenever I have these moments where I'm like, kind of full of hate, I don't know, is it hate judgment?

I'm like, what about that? Is like, irking me and like, where do I need to lean out of it, and then this reel she was like, oh, all you need to do to sell your website is just sell the outcome and tell your client it's going to be next level. And like, Next Level isn't an outcome. Yeah, What does that mean?

It's so generic. Emily Reagan: 1:03:33 But everyone was like, you know, eating it up. Liz Cruz: 1:03:35 Oh yeah, you're so right. It's so insightful L E L Emily Reagan: 1:03:38 Yeah, oh my god, you're so smart.

I'm like, wow. Everyone's just like, seems like seems like, giving her lots of money. And I'm like, You know what? No, Emily, your people are fucking smarter than that.

Yeah. And I have to, like, think about, like, where is this pushing me to and it just helps me get clearer and clearer on my snarky content. Or, like, what do I want to say? I'm like, My people are marketers.

This is, like, old fucking news. Sometimes I have to do that with my clients. Okay? Like, this isn't working out for you.

Like, why does it repel you? And like, let's like, double down over here. So I don't know. Just had fun talking about that.

Okay, this is so insightful. I always love our Voxer conversations. I love you've been in the work group to share insight on how you plan your social media calendars. Like, you've been such a great work group member.

I'm so honored to have you here, sharing behind the scenes, and this is what the work group is like, right? We want to help each other. You're very niche in the type of clients you work with, and someone else you know can offer similar services and apply it to a different type of client. And I just love that about you, and I want to tell you that Thank you.

Thank you for sharing. Liz Cruz: 1:04:36 Thank you. Thank you so much. Emily Reagan: 1:04:38 Is there anything else you want somebody to know in this world?

Liz Cruz: 1:04:41 Yeah, be confident in the services you want to offer, and not be afraid to explore things and give yourself a chance and get used to asking tough questions and putting yourself out of your comfort zone. Because I think that's the biggest thing that I've learned, is like you're going to grow, right? You're going to have these shells of yourself that are going to come off, and you're just going to realize, like, I am just moving out to this next phase of my business, you know.

And there will be lulls. As a freelancer, we know that there's going to be times where, you know, things are maybe not like they used to, or maybe there's clients that fall off, and that's okay, so just understanding, like, there's going to be growth in your business, but at the end of the day, like, just be confident in what you offer and what you're doing and know that, yeah, this is what you're called to do. E L E L Emily Reagan: 1:05:26 Yes, I love that. Do you remember your very first social media post you did for a client?

Are you like shaking in your boots to hit publish? Liz Cruz: 1:05:34 Yeah. And I was also like, when I look back on it now, that was such garbage. So it's also like, I can't believe she paid me for that.

No, it was very templatey. It was very templatey. Yeah, when I think back on it, I'm like, man, I've come a long way. Emily Reagan: 1:05:50 Yeah, it feels good.

It feels good. Okay. And you also gave us a content planning organization, a spreadsheet, a Google sheet. So thank you.

There's no opt in. We'll just put it in the show notes so you guys can grab it, and this will help you make your content easy and help you get organized. Use it for your own business too. Like a lot of us need to be doing, like, the bare minimum with the algorithm and posting, we might not need to be on there every day.

So like, make it work. Play with it for yourself first. So okay, Thanks, Liz. We'll post your website and Instagram.

So if you have any other questions, connect with Liz and, you know, send her the ideal client her way too, because we are sister service providers helping each other out. So thank you. Liz Cruz: 1:06:26 Yes. Thank you so much, Emily.

E L E L Emily Reagan: 1:06:28 Hey, if you love that conversation, and that's what we're doing inside our digital marketers work group, it's a multi specialty community of vetted marketing specialists, from the creatives to the project managers to content strategists, from the assistant all the way to the manager. We've got all the people who do the execution inside of the marketing department who are very, very good at what they do. So free Facebook groups were fine when we first started back in 2016 but they're not anymore.

You've outgrown the noise. You've outgrown the newbies and the questions you stopped having three years ago. So our work group is where established service providers go when they're ready to be in a room that matches their level, where you need support in your business, where you need encouragement, where you know that referrals will come when you're networked with the right type of service provider. You don't need to be in the same room that your clients are.

You're not trying to scale some big, massive e learning company. You're not doing a one to many offer. You're actually doing the marketing work, even if you have a boutique agency, and you're also not a virtual assistant anymore, if that fits, you join Liz and I inside the marketers workgroup. Apply at marketersworkgroup.

com. You'll get listed in our directory. You'll get access to our community. You'll get access to resources, trainings and referrals when you show up in the right room, when you become known.

That's how referrals, the good clients, the premium clients come. I'll see you inside. Okay, Liz has a social media content spreadsheet for us to help you get organized, to help you plan ahead, which is always the pitfall of our clients and ourselves. So grab that in the show notes, go connect with her at the website, cruzsocial.

co or on Instagram @cruzsocialco. Hey, and with that note, I'm going to take a break with the podcast. Over the summer, I've been trying to heal this raspy voice, and I'm gonna take a little mini break here and see if I can figure out what's happening. So until then, you can find me on Instagram posting lots of selfies recently.

You can get inside our community with the work group, or we're still having happy hours, we're still having mixers, we're still having guest trainings, but I need to rest my voice over here on the public front. So get in the work group. You'll see me over there. Don't be a stranger.

Get on my email list, and we'll be back after a nice, long summer. Thanks for tuning in to the marketing freelancer. If you're ready to connect with other marketing freelancers, learn advanced strategies and take your business to the next level, check out our digital marketers workgroup. It's my exclusive membership where you'll find the support community and tools to land premium clients and grow your income.

Visit marketersworkgroup.com to learn more, or just use the link in the show notes. Apply today. Step into your power, own your expertise and command the rates your work deserves.

See you next time on the marketing freelancer unicorns unite. Forget the F bomb there. We'll leave it in. Well, just put explicit on this episode.