Brand Rescue: Marketing & PR Guidance for Small Businesses

Social media is ever evolving, so staying on top of trends is keys to maintaining an effective social media strategy. There may be social media tactics you're still using that worked in the past, but they're outdated now.  Arik Hanson is a social media consultant for mid and large size companies, and he is covering trends for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Don't worry, we aren't talking about the new dance craze that you need to jump on! These trends involve strategies to help businesses consistently show up in an effective way for their audience.

Working in PR may look like a glamorous job from the outside. However, the reality is that you have to be willing to get down and dirty to take on this job. There are many aspects of the job that are not glitz and glamor.    In episode 32, Whitney is debunking any myths you may have about working in PR and giving you FREE advice on getting started in the industry. She goes over some tasks you may have if you score a job in PR, what she looks for when hiring for a position, and more!    If you’re interested in working with Sociallee, visit besociallee.com/careers.

Podcasts are a powerful tool for business owners to generate multiple forms of content, and they can also present huge opportunities for businesses to expand their reach to their target audience through podcast interviews. Podcast interview features are emerging as a leading form of earned media, which means that podcast hosts are getting pitches from potential guests more often. So how do you stand out as a valuable podcast guest during your pitch? In episode 31 of Sociallee Relevant, Whitney Lee is chatting with Erik Jacobson, Founder of Lemonpie and Hatch, on how you can appeal to podcast hosts during your pitch and how you can deliver value that will make a powerful impact on listeners. As the Founder of Lemonpie, a podcast PR agency, Erik helps business leaders land interviews on podcasts that their target audience is already listening to, and through his company Hatch his team helps businesses create their own podcasts that are led by proven strategies.

As marketers try to appeal to millennial and Gen Z consumers, we have noticed a bandwagon strategy that causes some businesses to appear fake AF. Authenticity is more powerful than ever in marketing, and some businesses are truly missing the mark when they try to hop on this trending marketing strategy.  In a time where brands are afraid of cancel culture, many businesses feel the pressure to promote causes that they may not sincerely support. That's not to say that businesses cannot promote causes. In today's episode, Whitney is sharing her take on how to approach supporting causes through your business.

Affiliate programs are taking the marketing world by storm… and for good reason. Affiliate programs can be a powerful tool to leverage word-of-mouth recommendations while incentivizing loyal customers.  But, you need to be strategic in how you set up your affiliate program so that you attract the ideal affiliates that will remain actively engaged and help bring your business results.  In today’s episode Whitney Lee is talking with Kelsey Eyers, CEO of Rexxy, on how to set up and manage a profitable affiliate marketing program.  Tune in to episode 29 to learn more about this marketing strategy that may have a huge impact on your business.

When times are tough, marketing and public relations are often the first thing to be cut from a business. With a recession potentially looming, (according to the media - *eye roll*) many businesses are already looking for ways to save money.  If you’re a business on a budget or maybe you’re a freelancer trying to gain more clients, tune into today's episode of Sociallee Relevant to hear Whitney Lee's advice on how to continue to move your business forward, even with a limited budget.

If you think blogs are only written by influencers that want to share an online diary then you are totally WRONG.  What most people don't realize is that blogs are extremely valuable tools for businesses to have on their website, because they can greatly impact your Google ranking and increase your online reach. Tune in to today's episode of Sociallee Relevant to hear blogging genius and owner of Storyteller Agency, Laura Holloway, as she sits down with Whitney Lee to explain how blogging can impact your business. Laura is bringing awareness to how blogging strategy can help your business rank higher in Google results, how you should approach your blog topics, and how you can enhance your blog's results with links. Tune in to learn why you should invest in a blog for your website ASAP.

How do you measure if your PR efforts are successful? There can be a lot of gray-area in what PR results actually look like in your business and in this episode, Whitney Lee is diving back into PR by explaining a checklist of specific benefits and results you should be seeing if you or your agency’s campaigns and pitching are effective.

How do you get into big national media outlets like People Magazine, the Today Show, etc? Strategic public relations work could change the trajectory of your business, but so many people are left scratching their head about where to begin. Today, Whitney Lee is chatting with Des Dickerson of Uncommon Collective to share step by step actions to score national media coverage for your business.  Des Dickerson is the founder of Uncommon Collective, a Sacramento based PR agency that helps businesses outsource their brand management to help attract media and cultivate partnerships that make an impact. Uncommon Collective specializes in PR for fashion, beauty, and fitness brands that are ready to step-up their branding game. Des' clients have been featured in Cosmopolitan, PopSugar, Buzzfeed, InStyle, and more!

Influencers and affiliates are a new way to approach public relations, but which one is the best for your brand? And what’s the difference between the two? Tune in to today's episode of Sociallee Relevant to hear how you can utilize influencers and affiliates to boost your bottom line and reach new customers for your business.