The Social Takeoff Podcast with Kelli Hayes Smith

From Panic Posting to Strategic Planning : A travel advisor's guide

Kelli Hayes Smith discusses the challenges of content creation and posting on social media, emphasizing the importance of intention, clarity, and purpose in marketing strategies for travel advisors. She highlights the pitfalls of posting without substance, the impact of industry jargon, and the need for a structured content plan and calendar.TakeawaysPosting without clarity leads to frustration and burnout.Consistency and intention are more important than quantity in content creation.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Social Takeoff Podcast05:24 The Importance of Substance in Content11:09 The Use of Acronyms in Content17:01 Avoiding Panic Posting

Client Content vs. Trend Content (And Why It Matters)

Trends aren’t bad.Views aren’t bad.Engagement isn’t bad.But hollow views are useless.In this episode, I’m breaking down why so many travel advisors feel like their content is “working” — but their business isn’t moving. We talk about the difference between being liked and being hired, why instant gratification keeps you stuck, and the four questions every post should answer before you hit publish.This is not an episode about trends vs. no trends.It’s about turning attention into traction — without losing yourself, your voice, or your confidence along the way.If you’ve ever:Chased views that didn’t turn into clientsFelt discouraged by likes not leading to bookingsWondered why your content feels hollow even when it performsThis one’s for you.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeThe 4 questions every piece of content should answerWhy being “liked” and being “hired” are not the same thingHow validation-driven content keeps you stuckWhy followers don’t equal growth (and never really did)What client content actually looks like in practiceHow to show your value without “proving” yourselfWhy perspective beats facts every timeTaylor Swift Moment 🎶Lyric: “I can change everything about me to fit in”Song: Mirrorball — folklore(And why we’re done doing that.)Links & Resources👉 Get your free Wanderlust Campus account:https://wanderlust-ceo.com👉 Follow me on Instagram for daily marketing insight:https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith✨ If this episode resonated, please leave a quick review — it helps this show reach more advisors who need to hear it.Podcast Chapters00:00 – Real life, real marketing (and why views aren’t the enemy)01:10 – When trends become useless02:05 – The 4 questions every post should answer03:20 – Why instant gratification keeps us stuck04:45 – Do you want to be liked… or hired?06:50 – Showcasing value without proving worth08:55 – The follower myth (and why it’s outdated)10:40 – What client content actually looks like13:00 – Storytelling, decision-making & real examples15:45 – Why validation-driven content feels hollow18:10 – Confidence vs. performance20:25 – How to shift your mindset before you post22:45 – Mirrorball, people-pleasing & showing up as you24:20 – Final thoughts + what to do next

Why Likes and Followers Don’t Build Travel Businesses

Episode SummaryA lot of travel advisors think their marketing isn’t working — when really, their expectations are off.In this episode of Social Takeoff, we reset how social media actually fits into your business, why checklist marketing is holding you back, and what it really takes to build trust, community, and momentum online.This conversation is about letting go of pressure, unrealistic metrics, and comparison — and replacing them with clarity, perspective, and intention.If you’ve been posting, following the rules, and still feeling frustrated… this episode is for you.In This Episode, We Talk About:Why “posting more” doesn’t equal bookingsThe unrealistic expectations most advisors place on social mediaWhy likes, views, and followers don’t measure successHow checklist marketing creates burnout and false failureThe real role social media plays as a gap closer in your businessWhy perspective builds trust more than facts ever willHow your language (even one word) can shrink or strengthen your valueWhy community changes businesses — and virality doesn’tA healthier way to look at metrics without letting them control youHomework from This Episode:You’re allowed one data day per month.That’s it.One day to review metrics as data, not validation — and then you get back to building with clarity and confidence.Links & Resources➡️ Get your free Wanderlust Campus account: https://wanderlust-ceo.com➡️ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith🎧 New full episodes of Social Takeoff drop every Tuesday🧼 Bonus Friday episodes: The SoapboxSong: You’re On Your Own, KidLyric: “Everything you lose is a step you take.”Let go of pressure. Let go of comparison. Let go of checklist marketing.Clarity comes next.

Why Likes, Views, and Trends Are Lying to Travel Advisors

Most travel advisors aren’t “bad at marketing.”They’re letting platforms decide whether their marketing is working.In this final Reset Episode, we’re talking about what happens when you let algorithms, trends, and engagement metrics dictate your confidence, your content, and your strategy — and why that approach quietly steals momentum from your business.We’ll talk about:Why likes, views, and comments are not real KPIsHow reacting to trends and algorithm chatter pulls you off-centerThe difference between content that’s “good for Instagram” and content that’s good for your businessWhy proactive marketing creates clarity, confidence, and compounding growthHow to identify the conversations and lanes you actually want to leadAnd I’ll leave you with one clear action to reset how you approach content moving forward — without chasing trends, burning out, or second-guessing yourself.✨ This episode is part of the Reset Series, all tied to the Taylor Swift song This Is Me Trying — because showing up, recalibrating, and choosing clarity counts.Resources & LinksCreate your free Wanderlust Campus account: https://wanderlust-ceo.comFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith🎧 New full episodes drop Tuesdays.🔥 Bonus mini-episodes (The Soapbox) drop Fridays.

Marketing Feels Heavy? A Reset Episode for Travel Advisors Starting Over

Welcome to Social Takeoff — and welcome to the reset.This episode is the first of a three-part reset series dropping on New Year’s Day, created for travel advisors who feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or discouraged by marketing.If marketing felt heavy last year…If you tried to learn all the things…If you showed up even when it was hard…This episode is for you.In this reset, we talk about why marketing feels so overwhelming, why trying harder isn’t the answer, and why the problem usually isn’t motivation or effort — it’s clarity and direction.This episode is about:Releasing the pressure to do everythingLetting go of perfection as the starting pointUnderstanding why progress matters more than polishGiving yourself permission to reset without guiltSeeing yourself and your voice as part of your marketingThis is not about throwing last year away.It’s about realigning, refocusing, and rebuilding intentionally.You showed up. That counts.Now let’s move forward with clarity.👉 Get your free Wanderlust Campus account:https://wanderlust-ceo.com👉 Follow me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith