Does social media marketing make you smile or make you stress? If you're stressing, you're definitely not alone and thankfully, there's hope! Annie Franceschi shares how she makes social media work for her, the value of telling your story, why word of mouth referrals are gold, and why it's important to include some fun in your strategy! In this podcast episode, we share: How Disney helped Annie learn how to navigate Corporate America Annie's experience of leaving the film industry to starting her own business What Annie wished she knew at the beginning of her social media journey What Annie's marketing looks like now and what strategy works best for her How Annie integrates social media in her work and uses it to amplify her marketing Annie's book 'Permission to Try' and her creative book launch approach The power of "the easy YES" and saying thank you Annie's "Tactic Tornado" theory and how to focus on your "Reasons to Believe" Memorable Quotes: "We all know what positioning is, we just don't realize it. And simply put, it's always about how you tell the story." "I realized the work I was doing was fun and sexy and cool, but it wasn't changing lives." "That's what 'Permission to Try' is all about...giving yourself permission to take that leap of faith when you don't know if the net's going to be there to catch you." "I felt extremely lost until I realized I didn't have to be all things to all people and I shouldn't be on every platform." "The number 1 way I get business probably won't surprise you and it's the best way, is word of mouth and client referral." Meet Annie Franceschi Annie Franceschi is a small business branding expert, bestselling author, and motivational business speaker based in Durham, North Carolina. She's spent the past 10+ years of her career in storytelling: first as a Disney storyteller in brand management, and now, running her own small business branding agency, Greatest Story Creative®. In branding 90+ businesses, advising hundreds of entrepreneurs, and speaking to thousands, she's come to believe that your life is your greatest story. Connect with Annie: http://instagram.com/annie.franceschi http://facebook.com/greateststorycreative http://linkedin.com/in/anniefranceschi http://anniefranceschi.com/ Links Mentioned: https://collaboration-catalyst.mn.co/ This Episode Is Made Possible By: Social Report: The world's most complete social media management platform and my social media management tool of choice. Savvy Social School: Everything you need to increase visibility, growth, and engagement on social media