{"id":33957,"date":"2020-08-04T14:31:13","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T11:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/?p=33957"},"modified":"2022-02-17T15:47:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T13:47:46","slug":"bridget-willard-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/bridget-willard-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridget Willard Interview – “Social media is only successful when you show up and care about other people”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello everyone, welcome to the July edition of our Pirate Interviews series. In this edition, we’re gonna talk about WordPress and social media with Bridget Willard, our guest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before getting to know Bridget, don’t forget to check our previous interview with Marieke van de Rakt<\/a>, the CEO of Yoast. We discussed entrepreneurship, SEO, and WordPress. Also, make sure to browse through our full collection of interviews<\/a> to discover more inspiring people. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Bridget<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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But let’s get back to today’s superstar, Bridget Willard. I first interacted with her when she contributed to our community roundup<\/a> about WordCamp Europe. She is very friendly and she’s the kind of person who always makes time to answer your messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is a social media marketer and being sociable is indeed one of her biggest strengths. She was happy to join us for this interview and her excitement led to her replying to our questions in only one day, which gives her the title of the fastest respondent ever (beating Marieke<\/a> by a hair).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Apart from promoting WordPress products and brands on social media, Bridget likes to learn new languages and change her hairstyle. That’s why she will probably look different every time you’ll see her speaking at WordCamps, co-hosting The Smart Marketing Show<\/a>, or changing avatars on Twitter<\/a>, her favorite network (read on to find out why). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s hear it from Bridget! <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t

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\n\t\t \t\tBridget Willard (@YouTooCanBeGuru) #interviewed at @Themeisle - on #WordPress and #socialmedia<\/a>\n\t\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t \t
\n\t\t \tClick To Tweet \n\t\t \t\t<\/span>\n\t\t \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bridget Willard Interview – “Social media is only successful when you show up and care about other people”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When and how did you start working with WordPress? Is there an interesting story here?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I started using WordPress.com to blog when I heard about it from Leo Laporte on the MacBreak Weekly podcast in 2007. That was the same year that I started using Twitter. Both combined changed my life. Before I knew about blogging, I was publishing my essays in html on separate pages using Front Page. WordPress is a life-changer for writers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What’s your technique for staying productive throughout the day?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honestly? Fear. I\u2019m a single woman who is self-employed. If I don\u2019t do the work to gain and keep clients, I\u2019m in trouble. It\u2019s really that simple. And there is no way that I could get a job that would pay me enough. So, I create my own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d like to say it would be nice to pick up and live in a foreign country or even Vermont and significantly lower my cost of living. I may still do it. But right now we\u2019re in the middle of a pandemic that feels like it will never end.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How do you define “being successful”?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Being admired or even loved is nice but it doesn\u2019t pay the bills. I\u2019m a pragmatic person. So to me, being successful means having a stable client base and reasonable goals for revenue growth. Mine is 10%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will say that I hit 97% of my revenue goal my first year in business and I have been able to keep my clients. One year, I worked part time at a travel agent in order to make ends meet. It was humbling but I felt that I deserved it. If I don\u2019t try to make my business successful, why would my clients trust my marketing advice?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Any new languages in progress? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve been studying German ever since WCEU was in Berlin. I didn\u2019t get to go, but I continue to learn. It\u2019s good for your brain. One day, I\u2019d like to see my friends in Germany. It seems that I have many.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What do you wish more people knew about WordPress?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I wish people knew that WordPress is not simple; rather, it\u2019s complex. It\u2019s something that is powerful and can be a huge part of your business marketing. But it is not a set it and forget it thing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Who’s doing things that are just cutting-edge and incredible in the WordPress space right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Big Orange Heart just released their live events platform, which is even more relevant right now. Of course the team at WPfeedback are doing amazing things. I enjoyed their virtual conference. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Describe the WordPress community in one word.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Complicated.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What’s the one thing you’d like to change about WordPress?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WordPress needs governance. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What are your recommendations for a WordPress novice?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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You\u2019re not going to be able to build your own website after one Meetup or WordCamp. If you want to learn WordPress<\/a>, start by doing. Use a sandbox like DesktopServer. Stay simple. Choose a free theme. Publish. Get it done. Don\u2019t worry about making the best thing. Do something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What do you think is the most efficient way to market a WordPress product at this moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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WordPress products are best marketed using a content marketing approach. This includes blog posts and building relationships on Twitter. This is how I have helped many products grow their brand awareness. We overly rely upon Meetups and WordCamps, which are important, but they are a short-term awareness. Content marketing is forever.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tell us a bit about the role you had in the Make WordPress Marketing Team.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Make WordPress Marketing Team landed in my lap after Sara Rosso went on Sabbatical. At WCEU Paris in 2017, I began recruiting and appointing Team Reps among the people who showed interest. I pivoted the tasks by asking the volunteers what they wanted to see and how they could best use their time and skill sets to contribute. I then changed our mission to be the in house marketing and copywriting team for other Make WordPress teams. I\u2019m very proud of my two plus years in that role — especially since many of my recruits and the systems we built are still in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wrote about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What makes a successful social media presence?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Social media is only successful when you show up and care about other people. I have a saying, \u201cinvest in people and they will invest in you.\u201d People like to automate because they can. Then they say social media doesn\u2019t work. But you wouldn\u2019t be the guest at a party who only talked about himself and expect to be invited back. Unless, of course, it was your party or you had some kind of leverage for blackmail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So many people use social media to get. It\u2019s narcissistic at best. It doesn\u2019t work. Not in the long term. And most of us are in business for the long term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How can you get started and gain visibility on social media?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bridget Willard:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The easiest way to start on social media is to start. You gain visibility by listening in on conversations and commenting. This is how you gain respect and start relationships. Then you have to maintain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You wouldn\u2019t plant a tree and never water it. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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