Brand Rescue: Marketing & PR Guidance for Small Businesses

Can you imagine an Instagram account turning into a full-blown, cash producing business? To Do in Destin started as just a fun passion project for videographer and photographer, Cali Hlavac. Just a few short years later, this account has blossomed into a revenue stream, and has also put Cali on the map as one of the top influencers in Northwest Florida tourism. From starting off with reposting to cultivating a brand of her own, Cali shares her unique story of how it all came to be - and how she’s still evolving the business today!  Cali Hlavac is the founder of To Do In Destin, an Instagram account and website dedicated to featuring all the ways to eat, drink, relax and play around Destin, Florida. Follow her on IG for jaw dropping photos of Destin’s sugar white sand beaches, mouthwatering food pics and fun activities on sea and land.

Are you getting ready to host a big event for your business? Event sponsorship takes time and dedicated research, but it can change the trajectory of your event promotion and reach. Today, Whitney Lee shares step by step instructions on how her agency builds event sponsorship packages for her clients that can be easily applied to the next big event for your business.

Is Pinterest dying? ….are you kidding me? Pinterest isn’t your typical social media outlet - it requires a special strategy. Tune into today's episode of Sociallee Relevant with Stephanie Riel of Riel Deal Marketing to hear how Pinterest can be a valuable tool for B2B and B2C brands that are interested in tapping into a new market in this episode. Get ready for the long game!

Are you a freelancer or agency owner that is ready to take the next step for your business? Finding new clients is a vital step to grow your company and the key to sealing the deal with new clients comes from a customized proposal and one very special tip.  Tune into episode 20 of the Sociallee Relevant podcast to learn how Whitney Lee converts potential clients to loyal customers.

Grab a pen and paper because this week, Whitney Lee and Jess Bargenquast are breaking down how you can alter your business strategy using search engine optimization (SEO) for beginners.  SEO is the single most important thing that you can do to drive traffic to your website and convert internet surfers to customers, and it's not as hard as you might think! Tune in to episode 19 of the Sociallee Relevant podcast to learn more about how you can boost your bottom line using SEO using Whitney Lee and Jess Bargenquast's approachable methods. Jess Bargenquast is the founder of Lady Changemakers, a directory and marketplace for woman-owned businesses to gain exposure and sales. This easy and affordable platform connects conscious consumers to over 700 woman-owned businesses that can provide almost any product or service that they're looking for. This platform is just like Amazon, but for exclusively women-owned businesses!

In today's episode, Whitney Lee shares her journey from leaving her cushy corporate job to becoming a solopreneur and now, an agency owner.  If you're trapped in a job without inspiration or creativity, or if you're looking for more freedom in your career, this episode is definitely for you. It may seem out of reach, but hearing Whitney's story might make you realize that you are meant to be more than a freelancer and that there are other options for you if you're feeling stuck. Tune in to hear how Whitney made her decision to leave her corporate job and get her advice and top tips for starting a freelance career.

Today's episode of Sociallee Relevant takes a deep dive into Facebook and instagram ads for the experienced marketer in paid social. From paid advertisements on Facebook to pixel events to creative strategy, these experts in paid social media talk you through the tips and tricks to understand paid products on social media. Join Whitney Lee and Dorothy Hollabaugh for a discussion on best practices and their top tips and tricks for your paid marketing efforts. Dorothy Hollabaugh joins Sociallee Relevant from Needless Eye Media. Needles Eye Media is a full-service digital advertising agency with insider knowledge, laser-like focus, and a borderline unhealthy obsession with data. They specialize in scaling profits with precision online advertising.

If you’re looking for a job in public relations, you may be interested in what it takes to be successful in the industry. Tune in to today's episode to learn Whitney Lee's number one skill that you need to hone in order to be the best PR professional that you can be. Make sure to listen to the end for a bonus tip!

Let’s talk about one of the most overlooked social media channels, LinkedIn! LinkedIn isn’t just for job seekers, it’s one of the best channels to drive leads, grow your audience, and expand your personal brand. And the best part is, decision makers are on LinkedIn, they aren’t floating around on Facebook and Instagram. There's so many ways to continue to promote your business and yourself using this not so new social media platform. Listen in for Whitney Lee’s complete breakdown of how you can boost your bottom line on LinkedIn.

Are you ready to start digging into the marketing and public relations efforts for your business? That’s great! It might be time for you to start looking for a marketing or PR agency that can help you boost your bottom line. During your search, make sure you’re keeping an eye out for these three red flags in a marketing or PR agency. An agency that promises results If an agency is making big promises about results, it may be a good idea to walk away. An agency should be able to promise deliverables, not a result. There are too many factors in our world that make promising a result not feasible for an agency. An agency that won’t show you their clients An agency should be proud of the clients that they are working with. An agency that is transparent about their clients and the work that they are doing is an agency that is worth working with. Always be sure to check out other clients to see if the agency is the right fit for you. An agency that has cookie-cutter packages. Marketing strategy for every business is different. An amateur agency might be pushing a package that might not meet all of the unique needs of your brand. It’s important to find an agency that will listen to your marketing successes, failures, and goals to create a holistic plan that will make a difference for your business.