299 - Turning Customers Into Community with Amy Upchurch, Founder + CEO of Pink Stork

So, you’re looking to scale your agency. Where should you start?  According to our guest Tess, it’s project management. How long does it take to do a task? What’s the end goal? What are the touchpoints? For a lot of people, you gotta answer these questions before you can even think about scaling.  Plus, we learn about buying back our time or figuring out a better way to manage your team’s time. What parts can you automate so you can make your team work smarter and not harder? And, we’re hearing a lot of talk about agencies charging clients per hour for work—and it doesn’t work like that. Tess explains why per product pricing and charging a flat rate for your services is the key to scaling your agency.  If you’re an agency founder or an agency bestie, this is the episode for you.  Follow Tess: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-voecks-0178a270/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Move over, Spotify Wrapped. Our marketing guys have their 2024 marketing trends review ready to go—plus which trends are going to continue in 2025.  Jay reveals he’s actually stressed out about YouTube Shorts. YouTube’s push for short-form content doesn’t fit Jay’s podcast episodes. It’s going to be an uphill battle for longer form content and those looking to get their channels launched.  Daniel also thinks short-form content is still having its moment, especially series-based content in both B2B and B2C worlds.  Plus, are email templates REALLY dying? What about third party data? Are you Team Tall Socks or Team No Show Socks? Jay and Daniel reveal their allegiances.  Find out if you agree or disagree in this short bathroom break. 🚾 Follow Jay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/ Podcast: Do This, Not That Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Think influencer marketing is dying? Think again—it’s just getting started.  There are huge benefits to involving influencers with your brands: they can be a trusted voice. And as our guest Brittany Garth-Freeman mentions, customers are more likely to trust influencers than companies themselves. How can you properly vet someone to work with you? Does their audience align with your ICP? Plus, we’re talking about trends. There’s more than just the Alix Earles of the world—don’t skip over micro-influencers. (We’re definitely going to see more of them in 2025.) There’s also the Founder influencer profile, and they can offer quality content and promotion, too.  We also answer the age-old question: How should you repurpose content for multiple platforms? (Hint: you need to be tailoring it for each one.) If you’re an influencer marketing bestie, or you’re looking to dive into the world of influencer marketing in 2025, this is the episode for YOU.  Follow Brittany: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-garth-freeman-a20b15126/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Starting a brand isn’t easy. Do you need a co-founder? Who’s your target audience? What software and tools do you need to even start? We’ve got marketer and brand expert Arielle Spiegel to answer all of it.  The key? Understanding. Understanding yourself, what you can do, who your product is meant for, etc. is a great starting point. And for many people starting a brand, defining your place in the world is also important.  Plus, branding is just more than coming up with a solution for consumers: your mission, vision, and values drive your “why” everyday—they’re not just on your “about” page on your website. How can you create something that’s authentic and resonates with your audience? If you’re an entrepreneur, marketing maven, or a brand bestie, this is the episode for YOU.  Follow Arielle: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariellespiegel/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

2024 is wrapping up and our resident psychics—I mean marketers—give us their 2025 predictions.  Daniel’s take? Edutainment is through the ROOF next year. And we’re gonna see a whole lot of it on LinkedIn.  Jay predicts podcasting is still on the rise, especially in niche media. With 51% of adults listening to podcasts, there are still more people to capture and 2025 is the year to do it.  Plus, is there a direct correlation between playing pickleball and the amount of pickles you eat?  Find out if you agree or disagree with Jay and Daniel in this short bathroom break. 🚾 Follow Jay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/ Podcast: Do This, Not That Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Amy Upchurch, the Founder + CEO of Pink Stork, turned customers into raving fans and a great community—but it didn’t happen overnight.  Empathy and putting yourself in your customers’ shoes? That’s the key.  Me and Amy talk about how connecting with your customers and knowing who they are and what they want is invaluable. People are willing to share their story, and they want to hear yours, too. How do you interview them correctly without overstepping? How does narrowing your focus help you get responses? Plus, don’t count Facebook and word of mouth out of the marketing question. For many parents and older consumers, Facebook and friends are THE way to hear about new products and gain their trust. How can you leverage this type of connection? If you’re a mom, a grandma, a cool aunt, or a marketer looking to better connect with your audience, this is the episode for you.  Wix Studio is the web ultimate platform for creative, fast-paced teams at agencies and enterprises—with smart design tools, flexible dev capabilities, full-stack business solutions, multi-site management, advanced AI and fully managed infrastructure. Visit wixstudio.com to learn more. Follow Amy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-upchurch-491550a7/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

What do you do when you have personalization goals, a ton of first party data, and technical hurdles?  Carina Pedersen, Senior Lifecycle Marketing at IPSY, may have a solution: start investing in building up personal marketing campaigns. The way trends are looking, consumers want relevant messaging and it’s up to us to tailor it. What can we do given the data we have? Plus, we talk about marketing automation platforms and how to leverage them. What’s the structure going to be? How do you make sure it’s going to be successful when you launch it? Like this episode? Visit iterable.com/tmm for additional videos and resources we've prescribed to help relieve your pain points. Follow Carina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinampedersen/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

What are both B2B and B2C companies realizing?  Even though many people are getting back together in-person, it’s still important to build community through online events.  This week’s guest is Kristen Koenig, an expert event and engagement marketer who lives, eats, and breathes online events. Ever since COVID threw a wrench into everyone’s plans, there have been a ton of challenges—including whether the live events and online events should display the same content. (Hint: you need to optimize your content based on your delivery method.) How do you keep people engaged and make meaningful connections if they’re not in the room with you? Plus, we talk about authenticity. There’s literally nothing worse than a marketer who isn’t genuine. So, how do you show your personality and make your event fun? If you’re an event marketer, webinar junkie, or looking to up your marketing game, this is the episode for YOU.  Wix Studio is the web ultimate platform for creative, fast-paced teams at agencies and enterprises—with smart design tools, flexible dev capabilities, full-stack business solutions, multi-site management, advanced AI and fully managed infrastructure. Visit wixstudio.com to learn more. Follow Kristen: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristennkoenig/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Look at your email signature. Does it have a CTA? Chances are, it doesn’t. And that’s PRIME real estate you’re missing out on.  Daniel and Jay discuss Spotify Wrapped (why was Cyndi Lauper on Jay’s top artists for years?) and the sheer amount of people who see your email signature. From other employees to clients who engage with you the most, you gotta make sure your signature is optimized. It’s a brand touch point you probably don’t even think about. Plus, Daniel reveals his fourth most listened-to song is “Linger” by The Cranberries. Weird or valid? Who’s to say.  This episode of Bathroom Break is super short ‘n sweet—just like that Sabrina Carpenter album you’ve been listening to all year.  Follow Jay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/ Podcast: Do This, Not That Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

We all know YouTube: we used to watch silly cat videos on it, then it turned into a real content viewing (and making) machine.  But it’s almost 2025—and many marketers still aren’t using YouTube to their full potential. That’s where Ryan comes in with his research findings. Did you know long form content is still far more dominant on YouTube? How do you even get started on YouTube these days when it seems like TikTok and Reels are ruling the roost? Plus, Ryan talks about working with clients on their YouTube strategy and “packaging” which includes thumbnails. Why does packaging matter? What happens when you forget the correct packaging? If you’re a social media marketer, former YouTube nerd, or just someone looking for more info on video strategy, this is for you.  Wix Studio is the web ultimate platform for creative, fast-paced teams at agencies and enterprises—with smart design tools, flexible dev capabilities, full-stack business solutions, multi-site management, advanced AI and fully managed infrastructure. Visit wixstudio.com to learn more. Follow Ryan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhashemi/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com