ICYMI, Our Republican Legacy — a national effort to restore core conservative principles and responsible governance to the GOP — has named Phoenix Rising Consulting owner/chief strategist Katie LaPotin as its South Carolina chair. Katie joins ORL’s growing leadership team of former elected officials, veterans, and civic leaders working to build a more responsible, solutions-focused Republican Party.

In naming Katie to its leadership team, ORL founder and former U.S. Senator John Danforth said in a press release that:

“Katie brings a strategic mind and deep commitment to principled conservative leadership. She represents the kind of thoughtful, forward-looking Republican voice our party needs. I’m proud to welcome her as our State Chair in South Carolina.”

You can learn more about Our Republican Legacy by visiting www.ourrepublicanlegacy.com.

Ever put a ton of effort into a new product or marketing campaign, only to hear... crickets? Or maybe your brand just isn't hitting the mark with people the way you hoped? Yeah, that's super frustrating, and usually, the missing piece is something pretty basic: market research.

Think of market research as your brand's super-powered cheat sheet – but way more reliable than just guessing. It's all about digging up and understanding info about who you're trying to reach, what your competitors are up to, and what the overall market vibe is. Instead of making huge decisions based on a "hunch," market research gives you the solid facts you need to make smart, winning moves.

Here's why skipping market research is like trying to find your way in a dark room with your eyes closed, and why it's absolutely crucial for perfectly positioning your brand or kicking off your next big campaign:

1. Get to Know Your Audience (Like, REALLY Get Them)

You might think you know your customers, but market research helps you actually know them. It goes way beyond just age and location to uncover:

• What bugs them? What problems are they trying to fix? What drives them crazy?

• What do they dream about? What are their hopes and goals? What makes them want to buy something?

• How do they act? Where do they hang out online? What shows or articles do they check out? How do they decide what to buy?

• What do they think? How do they see your brand right now? And what about your rivals?

Why this matters: When you truly get your audience, you can craft your brand's message, design product features, and create campaign themes that really hit home. It's the difference between yelling into an empty room and having a conversation that truly clicks.

2. Find Your Spot in the Crowd (Your "Sweet Spot")

The market is packed, right? Without research, you might be trying to sell snow to an Eskimo, or even worse, selling the exact same snow as everyone else without anything special. Market research helps you:

• Spot Openings: Are there things people need that no one else is offering yet?

• Check Out the Competition: Who are they? What are they good at, and where do they fall short? How do they talk about themselves? What are their prices like?

• Discover Your Niche: Where can your brand truly shine? What makes you different and better than the rest?

Why this matters: How your brand is "positioned" isn't just about what you say you are; it's about how your ideal customers see you compared to everyone else. Research helps you carve out a unique space that attracts the right people and makes your brand unforgettable.

3. Launch Campaigns That Actually WORK (No More Flops!)

A new campaign means putting in time, money, and effort. Market research seriously boosts your chances of success by helping you:

• Test Your Message: Before you go all-in, you can try out different slogans, pictures, and calls to action with small groups of your audience to see what gets the best reaction.

• Pick the Right Places: Where will your target audience actually see and pay attention to your campaign? Research tells you where to spend your ad money wisely.

• Set Real Goals: Based on what the market wants and what your competitors are doing, you can set goals for sales, leads, or brand awareness that you can actually hit.

• Know What People Might Say: Understanding potential customer worries lets you answer them in your campaign messages before they even ask.

Why this matters: Market research turns launching a campaign from a risky gamble into a smart, planned move. It cuts down on the chances of things going wrong and makes it way more likely you'll get a good return on your investment. You're not just throwing stuff at the wall; you're serving up a delicious meal perfectly cooked for your audience's taste.

4. Save Your Cash and Avoid Big Blunders

Guessing games are expensive. Launching a product nobody wants, or blowing a ton of money on ads that don't bring in customers, can really hurt your business. Market research, even though it costs a bit upfront, actually saves you money in the long run by:

• Stopping Bad Products: Knowing what the market actually wants before you even create it.

• Making Your Ads Smarter: Putting your budget into the ads and places that work best.

• Less Rework: Getting things right (or at least close to it) the first time around.

Why this matters: It's way cheaper to do your homework early than to try and fix a broken strategy later.

In today's fast-moving market, just going with your gut feeling is a recipe for missing out. Market research isn't some fancy extra; it's a must-have for any brand that truly wants to understand its customers, stand out from the crowd, and launch campaigns that get real results. So, before your next big move, take a moment and ask yourself: "What do the numbers say?"

Interested in learning more? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how market research can be used to optimize your existing marketing and communications strategies.

Are you looking for smart ways to get your awesome products or services in front of more people, without just throwing money at traditional ads? What if I told you there's a cool way to really boost your customer base and open up brand new income streams, all while only paying when you actually get results?

Well, get ready for affiliate marketing. It's not just for the huge companies or mega-influencers anymore. This strategy is a total game-changer for businesses of all shapes and sizes, and here's the lowdown on why you should totally check it out:

1. It's Like Having a Super Sales Team on Commission

Imagine having a whole crew of passionate folks out there, raving about your stuff and sending people directly to your website. That's basically what affiliates are! These are bloggers, YouTubers, social media stars, and niche website owners who genuinely dig what you offer. They promote your products to their already engaged audience, and here's the best part: you only pay them a commission when they actually make a sale or get someone to take a specific action (like signing up for your newsletter).

What this means for you: No more wasted ad dollars. You're literally paying for results, not just hoping people see your ads. It's a sweet deal – they earn money for their recommendations, and you get new customers. Win-win!

2. Reach Audiences You Never Knew Existed

One of the coolest things about affiliate marketing is how it can introduce you to whole new groups of customers. Every affiliate has their own unique audience, often with super specific interests.

• Got a cool new fitness gadget? Partner up with a fitness blogger or a personal trainer.

• Selling handmade jewelry? Team up with a fashion influencer or a craft enthusiast.

Suddenly, your message is landing with people who are already interested in exactly what you're selling, but who might never have found you through your usual marketing. This targeted approach means more likely sales and a much more efficient way to grow.

3. Build Trust Through Real Recommendations

Let's be honest: most of us are a little wary of ads these days. But when someone we trust, or a voice we respect online, recommends something, it just hits different. Affiliates build a real connection with their audience, and when they vouch for your brand, it's like a powerful word-of-mouth endorsement, but on a much bigger scale. This "social proof" can really boost confidence in your brand and make people more likely to buy.

4. Scale Your Business (Without the Headaches)

Dreaming of growing fast? Affiliate marketing is super flexible. You can start small with a few awesome partners and, as your program takes off, easily add more affiliates without suddenly needing a huge marketing team or budget. The behind-the-scenes stuff, like tracking and payments, is often handled by affiliate networks or software, making it pretty smooth to manage your growing crew of promoters. It's like having a growth button you can press!

5. Unlock New Ways to Make Money

It's not just about direct sales, either. Affiliate marketing can open up other cool ways to bring in cash. Think about getting ongoing commissions for subscription services, or even generating leads for your pricier products. Plus, since a lot of affiliate content (like blog posts and review videos) sticks around on the internet, those unique links can keep sending traffic and sales your way for a long time – giving you a more steady flow of income.

So, if you're looking for a smart, effective, and less risky way to grow your customer base and add some extra cash streams, affiliate marketing is definitely something you should be checking out. It's all about leveraging trust, expanding your reach, and making sure your marketing dollars are working hard for you.

Ready to try affiliate marketing for yourself? Sign up today for our FREE marketing audit to learn more about your current marketing strategy and how affiliate marketing might benefit it.

In today's crazy-fast world, your organization's message probably feels like it's constantly fighting for attention. From endless social media feeds to overflowing inboxes, the noise is louder than ever. That's why it's not enough to just have a communications and marketing strategy – you need to make sure it's still doing its job, connecting with the right people, and actually working. And that's exactly where a comprehensive annual communications and marketing review comes in.

Think of it like an annual check-up for your organization's voice. Just like you'd get your own health checked to catch any little issues early, a yearly review lets you see how strong your communication efforts are, figure out what could be better, and make sure you're still on the right path to hitting your goals.

What Exactly is This "Comprehensive Review" Thing?

It's more than just a quick peek at your social media numbers. A truly comprehensive review dives deep into every corner of how you communicate and market. This includes:

• Who are you talking to? Have your target audiences changed? Are you still reaching them where they hang out?

• Is your message actually landing? Is your main message still making sense and connecting with people? Are there any old, confusing messages that need a refresh?

• Which channels are rocking it? What communication methods are getting you the best results? Are you throwing too much money at stuff that's not working, or missing out on new ways to connect?

• Content check! What content is doing great? What needs an update, a new spin, or to just be retired?

• Is your brand consistent? Does your brand voice, look, and message feel the same no matter where people see it?

• Does your team have what it takes? Does your team have the tools and skills to actually pull off your strategy?

• What are the other guys doing? What are your competitors doing well, and how can you stand out?

• Are you getting your money's worth? Are all your efforts actually leading to results that match what your organization is trying to achieve?

Why is This Annual Check-Up Such a Big Deal?

Skipping your yearly review can lead to a bunch of headaches, costing you time, money, and missed chances. Here are some big reasons why it's a must-do:

• Stay Fresh and Flexible: The world of communication and marketing is always changing, with new tech, trends, and how people behave. An annual review helps you stay on top of things and adapt, instead of getting left behind.

• Smart Spending: By knowing what's working and what's not, you can put your budget and team's energy into the stuff that makes the biggest difference, getting more bang for your buck.

• Clearer, More Powerful Messages: A fresh look can show you where your message is fuzzy, watered down, or just getting lost in the noise. This lets you sharpen it up for a bigger impact.

• Spot New Opportunities: A review can uncover new platforms, audiences you haven't reached yet, or cool new strategies you might have missed.

• Keep Your Brand Strong: Being consistent is key to having a solid brand. A review makes sure your brand identity stays strong and makes an impact everywhere.

• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: It's a chance for your team to look back at what went well and what was tough, set new goals, and figure out how to grow professionally.

• Show Your Value: By regularly checking in on your efforts, you can clearly show higher-ups and stakeholders how much your communications and marketing work really helps the organization.

Don't let your communications and marketing efforts just wander around. Get your comprehensive annual review on the calendar today and make sure your organization's voice is as strong, clear, and impactful as it can possibly be.

Interested in learning more? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing and communications efforts are holding up and what changes might be necessary for optimum future success!

Sponsored content has become a powerful tool for businesses and nonprofits to reach their target audience more authentically and engagingly. By partnering with content creators or publishers, these organizations can create high-quality content that aligns with their marketing goals and puts them in front of their core customers/members.

So what exactly is sponsored content? Well, sponsored content is a form of paid advertising where brands collaborate with content creators or publishers to produce content that promotes their products or services. This content is typically integrated seamlessly into the creator's or publisher's existing content, making it less intrusive and more likely to be consumed by the target audience. Some common examples you’ve likely seen include ad reads in podcasts, promoted posts in monthly newsletters, and tagged content on social media.

Why should my organization consider implementing a sponsored content program? In addition to the financial benefits, there are many benefits to incorporating sponsored content efforts into your overall marketing campaigns. Sponsored content can often be more authentic than traditional advertising, especially when the content itself is created by influencers or publishers who already boast a strong brand reputation with your target audience. It can also help introduce your organization to a wider audience of prospects — thus expanding your overall market reach. Plus, the more you can increase your brand awareness and recognition, the better your overall brand reputation and digital domain authority will become — helping you mitigate the impacts of bad reviews or articles.

What types of sponsored content should I consider? There are many different types of sponsored content opportunities for businesses and organizations to consider, thus you can’t go wrong no matter what you choose! Common types include:

• Branded Content: This involves creating original content, such as articles, videos, or infographics, that promotes a brand's products or services.

• Native Advertising: This type of content is designed to blend seamlessly with the publisher's editorial content, making it less intrusive and more likely to be consumed by the audience.

• Influencer Marketing: By partnering with influential individuals, brands can leverage their social media following to promote their products or services.

How can I successfully use sponsored content to boost my bottom line? As with any marketing campaign, following these tried-and-true tips will help you launch your sponsored content campaign and see extra revenue in no time.

• Have a clearly defined target audience for your content.

• Stick to working with content creators/publishers whose audience aligns with your values and target market.

• Establish specific goals for each of your sponsored content campaigns, whether it be increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or acquiring new members.

• Make sure to track your key metrics (website traffic, engagement/conversion rates, revenue, etc.) to evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts and adjust as necessary.

• MOST IMPORTANT — Be transparent with your audience and disclose any sponsored content so you can continue to be seen as a trusted & credible brand.

By following these tips and leveraging the power of sponsored content, your organization will be able to effectively reach its target audience, build brand awareness, and drive conversions in no time!

Interested in learning more? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing strategy fares and how Phoenix Rising Consulting can best help you boost your efforts via sponsored content opportunities.

Giving Tuesday, the global generosity movement, is a powerful opportunity for nonprofits and businesses alike to connect with their communities and drive significant impact.

Annually held on the first Tuesday of December (for 2024, that means December 3rd), the key to having a successful Giving Tuesday for your organization is to strategically plan & execute your marketing and fundraising campaigns ahead of time. Here are six tips for maximizing your Giving Tuesday efforts this year:

1. Set Clear Goals

Why are you participating in Giving Tuesday (other than jumping on the bandwagon)?Is it to raise money for your nonprofit, grow your brand awareness, or something else? Before anything else is tackled, make sure you know who are you trying to reach through these efforts (new donors? supporters? volunteers?) and how much money you’d like to ultimately raise for your organization as part of the Giving Tuesday campaign efforts.

2. Create a Compelling Story

The medium is just as important as the message when it comes to your Giving Tuesday campaign. Does your campaign connect with your customers on an emotional level, using a narrative that resonates with your audience and highlights the importance of their donations? What about using powerful graphics & videos to showcase your work and inspire others to donate to your cause?

Once you’ve settled on your goals, spend some time creating a compelling story for your campaign efforts so everything can blend together seamlessly on December 3rd.

3. Leverage Your Social Media & Email Marketing Efforts

Because of the viral nature of #GivingTuesday, you’ll want to make sure you’re including social media & email marketing efforts in whatever campaign you end up launching.

With social, post early & often. Because this will be a top trending topic on December 3rd, don’t forget to tag [@]GivingTuesday or use #GivingTuesday in all of your social media posts — especially those on Instagram and Twitter/X.

You may also want to consider sending out at least one email blast related to Giving Tuesday on December 3rd. List segmentation is key here — as you’ll want to create different versions of your message for volunteers, supporters, and current donors.

Feel free to mix up the content you distribute as well. Some suggestions include:

• An URGENT appeal as to why they should consider donating to your cause.

• Hourly countdowns/updates (think: thermometer) of how much you’ve raised and how close you are to hitting your goal.

• Engaging stories about your work and how this money can further support those efforts.

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses of your efforts (videos, podcasts etc.)

• Relevant contests, challenges & polls to encourage participation and generate excitement for your cause.

Need graphics? GivingTuesday.org provides lots of great images, GIFs and other visual assets that you can add to your social media, email marketing & other campaign efforts.

4. Get Influencers Involved

Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity for you to get some of your more prominent supporters/donors involved in the cause. Don’t forget to incorporate these individuals/organizations in your promotional collateral, as well as have them distribute your message through their individual networks as well! Just make sure you choose influencers who closely align with your mission and values so the potential donor believes the partnership is authentic.

5. Throw In an Incentive (or Two!)

Be creative with your donation pleas. Don’t be afraid to offer your corporate donors the opportunity to offer matching gifts to double the impact of your Giving Tuesday donations. You may also want to consider offering special perks like an exclusive reward or recognition for different tiers of donors as well.

6. Thank Yous and Followups

Every donor — no matter how big or small — should receive a personalized thank you for their contributions. It’s also a great way to help foster loyalty and future support for your organization. These thank yous can be public, private (or both).

You may also want to share updates on how the donations are being used from time to time so people can feel good about where their money is going; this can be done by continuing to engage with your donors through newsletters, event invitations, and personalized communications throughout the year.

By following these strategies, you’ll be able to effectively harness the power of #GivingTuesday to achieve your marketing and fundraising goals. Best of luck!

Need help getting your #GivingTuesday marketing efforts coordinated? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing strategy fares and how Phoenix Rising Consulting can best help you optimize it!

One of the most important tools a small business or organization can invest in is a customer relationship management (CRM) software program.

What is a CRM program, you might ask? Well, CRM software is a jack-of-all-trades program that can help you organize and manage your interactions with customers or members, from initial contact to ongoing relationships. When implemented correctly, CRM programs can also improve your customer satisfaction, increase sales, and boost your overall business efficiency.

Core Aspects of a CRM Program

Think of your CRM as a digital rolodex or filing cabinet for your small business or organization, as it has the ability to track and manage your customer interactions and data so you can make informed business decisions. Among the core features included in many CRMs include:

• Contact management: Store and organize customer information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.

• Sales management: Track sales opportunities, manage pipelines, and automate tasks like lead generation and follow-ups.

• Marketing automation: Create and send marketing campaigns, track email open rates and click-through rates, and segment your customer list.

• Customer service: Manage customer support tickets, track customer satisfaction, and provide self-service options.

Benefits of a CRM system

Optimized CRM systems can essentially manage the core operations for your business or organization. Among the various benefits you’ll get from implementing a CRM program include:

• Improved customer satisfaction: A CRM helps you keep track of customer interactions and preferences, so you can provide personalized service.

• Increased sales: By organizing your sales pipeline and automating tasks, you can close deals faster and increase your revenue.

• Enhanced efficiency: A CRM can help you streamline your business processes and save time on administrative tasks.

• Better decision-making: By having access to customer data, you can make informed decisions about your marketing and sales strategies.

Choosing the Right CRM

Initially, the marketplace was dominated by a couple of core providers like SalesForce and HubSpot. Today, there are hundreds of CRMs on the market, meaning you can choose a system that either fits your budget or is specialized for your specific industry/needs.

When selecting a CRM for your small business or organization, you’ll want to consider the following factors:

• Your business needs: What features do you need to manage your customer interactions effectively?

• Your budget: How much are you willing to spend on a CRM?

• Ease of use: The CRM should be easy to learn and use, especially if you have a small team.

• Scalability: As your business grows, your CRM should be able to scale with you.

There are many excellent CRM systems on the market, each with its own unique advantages/disadvantages. Among the programs we commonly recommend to clients are Zoho CRM (approximate price point💰), Freshworks CRM (💰), Monday CRM (💰), HubSpot (💰💰), ZenDesk (💰💰), and Salesforce (💰💰💰).

Implementing a CRM Program

Once you've chosen a CRM, you’ll want to make sure it’s set up and running smoothly to make the most of it. Here are some tips:

• Train your team: Make sure everyone on your team knows how to use the CRM and understands its benefits.

• Import your data: Transfer your existing customer data into the CRM.

• Set up workflows: Create automated workflows to streamline your business processes.

• Monitor and adjust: Regularly review your CRM usage and make adjustments as needed.

By implementing a CRM program for your small business or organization, you can improve your customer relationships, increase sales, and boost your overall operational efficiency. If you're a small business owner, you should strongly consider investing in a CRM to help you achieve your overall marketing & communications goals.

Do you need help selecting a CRM program for your small business or organization? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing strategy fares and how Phoenix Rising Consulting can best help you optimize it!

I’ll admit, this is NOT the post-election autopsy I thought I’d be writing right now. In fact, I even started to shell out a different post — one that I thought would have, in some ways, brought full circle the decision I made several years ago to focus less on political consulting and more on the nonprofit/corporate side of Phoenix Rising in recent years.

Instead, I’ve largely spent the last few days reviewing as much data and reading as much as I can about why now-President Elect Donald Trump recorded such a decisive victory last Tuesday. Interestingly enough, the answer was right under my nose — and it was even something I’ve written about extensively over the years!

In the infamous words of lauded Democratic strategist James Carville:

Perhaps my jadedness has turned me into an establishment cynic, but my biggest miscalculation was having enough faith in the American people to focus on what matters most at the ballot box. We always knew it was going to be a change election — what we didn’t know was whether that change would come in the form of new policies for tackling issues like inflation & the economy, or in the form of new leadership & a return to decency in Washington, D.C. The voters chose the former — electing a convicted criminal to the job he refused to vacate just four years ago — suggesting that once again, the issues trumped everything (pun intended).

And, ultimately, that’s a good thing! I thought that I’d be writing about the death of the Republican Party this week. About the need to rebuild from the ashes (like a Phoenix, get it?) into a stronger, more adaptable organization that better suits the needs of 2020s America. Clearly, I’m not doing either of those things.

I’m thrilled that we do not have another four years of Democratic leadership in Washington. As a lifelong, card-carrying Republican, I truly believe the country will be better off with a return to conservative principles. Already, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates another quarter-point — meaning that Americans looking to buy houses and cars (like me) will be able to take out loans with lower interest rates in 2025 than in recent years. The stock market soared in the aftermath of Trump’s election, with the S&P 500 briefly reaching 6,000 and the Dow hitting 44,000 for the first time.

But that doesn’t mean it’ll be all smooth sailing from here on out — nor am I wrong to be concerned about the future of the Republican Party under Trump and his acolytes. Mark my words: The next 180-ish days will be the most important in the future of modern Republican politics.

I wrote back in September that Republicans only had themselves to blame if they didn’t win in November. I stayed away from a study on candidate character in that piece, instead choosing to focus on the Democrats’ financial advantage and more traditional ground game strategy to make my argument. I’m still not 💯 sold that Trump won despite these disadvantages, but I’m smart enough to know that there’s more to the story than I originally thought.

The 2024 presidential election will be heavily studied (as it should be), and hopefully, I will be able to play a role in that review both here at The Phoenix Quill and elsewhere. But there is one projection that I can make from the data I’ve reviewed in recent days, and it is this: Republicans may have won the battle this time, but there’s still a long journey ahead in the war to make the GOP sustainable for the longhaul.

You see, I don’t believe we’ve awoken to a new “Morning in America”.

Rather, Americans did what they’ve been doing for nearly 250 years now — they didn’t like the status quo so they democratically voted to shake things up at the ballot box.

What they did not do — despite Trump’s victory and expected GOP victories in both both the House and Senate — is provide Republicans with any sort of mandate to govern unilaterally over the next two years. If the GOP wants to continue growing and expanding beyond its base — and remain the party of the people — it needs to heed their wishes and legislate pragmatically, not with an iron fist. Otherwise, Republicans will quickly find themselves out in the cold — possibly as soon as the 2026 midterm elections.

One way that Trump could show he’s a changed man and willing to truly lead the Republican Party into a new and stronger future is with the choices he makes over the next few weeks as he announces his leadership & transition teams. This includes nominating leaders from all parts of the “big tent,” including those who don’t always agree with him — and (gasp!) maybe even a Democrat or two!

The president-elect is a proud man and he should feel good about his achievements — including and most importantly, this latest electoral victory. If he truly wants to go down as a great leader in American history, he’ll be the one to make the initial overtures to the Cheneys, Kristols, and other “Never Trump” Republicans to help reunite the party once and for all. (After all, it was this lack of diplomacy that led many of these individuals to renounce the GOP in the first place!)

So far, Trump has only made a few announcements about those he’s planning on bringing with him to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The biggest is incoming Chief of Staff (and former campaign manager) Susie Wiles, who appears to be well-suited for the role of maintaining law & order at 1600 Pennsylvania. His selections of Tom Homan as “border czar” and Elise Stefanik as U.N. Ambassador — coupled with his refusal to even consider rivals like Mike Pompeo & Nikki Haley leads me to think that we’re in for another four years of the same acrimony that brought us here.

Since its inception in 1854, the Republican Party has been advocating for:

“…liberty, economic prosperity, preserving American values and traditions, and restoring the American dream for every citizen of this great nation. As a party, we support policies that seek to achieve those goals. 

Our platform is centered on stimulating economic growth for all Americans, protecting constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms, ensuring the integrity of our elections, and maintaining our national security. We are working to preserve America's greatness for our children and grandchildren.”

We owe it to the American people to actually fight for these values. Fighting culture wars and disrupting foreign policy through crippling tariffs are not this. Nor are a lot of the components of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 — which, while not explicitly endorsed by Trump, is backed by many of his advisors and contains several controversial policies that are fundamentally, well, not Republican in nature.

Suffice it to say that this is both not the autopsy I thought I’d be writing right now, but also that there will be much more to come in the coming weeks. So buckle up and stay tuned…

Katie was asked about several topics during this hour-long segment, including:

• Whether or not Iran should retaliate in response to Israel’s latest round of attacks against Iran over the weekend; and

• Where the United States stands relative to the rising tensions in the Middle East, and how the results of November’s presidential election could change this position moving forward.

Katie was one of several panelists, representing the American/GOP view on the subject. Other panelists included an Egyptian journalist, an Israeli professor of political science, a former NATO official based in London, and a professor specializing in European Union politics.

You can watch the full interview below:

Additionally, here’s Katie talking specifically about the U.S.’s steadfast support of Israel when it comes to the tensions in the Middle East:

Katie was asked about several topics during this 15-minute segment, including:

• What the recent shift in generic ballot polling favoring the GOP means for the party moving forward;

• The role that Trump’s recent statements on tariffs instead of income taxes will play on voters; and

• The impact of cybersecurity threats on the presidential campaigns and whether voters should be worried about election security when they vote.

Katie was one of two panelists included in this special election-focused segment and represented the GOP view. The other panelist was a Democratic strategist.

You can watch the full interview below:

It’s ironic that after an exhausting 10 days of travel and helping to take care of my 2.5-year-old niece, I fell asleep partway through watching the live broadcast of the CBS Vice Presidential Debate because out of the three we’ve had so far this cycle, it was — by all reports — the most civil, and well, boring.

In both my own post-debate analysis and others I’ve seen, there were a few common threads. As a swing-state undecided voter told The Washington Post during their live-debate focus groups:

“I found this debate to be very amicable. They both seemed to care about the American people and were agreeable to what each other had to say.”

Even Axios’s post-debate coverage noted that:

The result was a refreshingly substantive, even cheery debate — a flashback to a less polarized America, and a preview of what's possible if the nation's current rage subsides.

This, my friends, is what political debates are traditionally like — and yet in the year 2024, watching Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz debate like two civilized humans was a strange and refreshing breath of fresh air.

The October 1st debate was yet another reminder that Americans are yearning for a return to a society in which people came together to help one another in times of need, putting aside their own agendas for the betterment of others. Or just a time when politics in general didn’t muster such division and hatred between Americans as it does now.

As a recent transplant to Charleston, South Carolina with family in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, I’ve bore witness to the best in human nature as people came together to help those affected by Hurricane Helene. While my parents and I personally babysat my 2.5-year-old niece for a week so my sister and her husband — both hospital workers — could take care of things back in Greenville, I know we were among the lucky ones. My sister didn’t have much property damage, but she has friends who lost their homes in the storm, and those in other parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains (such as Asheville, North Carolina) fared even worse and will be rebuilding for years as a result of Helene (and later, Milton).

They call it an “October Surprise” because it typically affects a political campaign in the month of October, but it can truly be anytime anytime after Labor Day. In 2008, for example, mounting loan losses plus the fall of Lehman Brothers on September 15th sent the stock market into a major recession and ultimately resulted in Barack Obama’s presidential victory seven weeks later.

Sometimes, we think we’re going to get an October Surprise, and it ends up being a complete nothingburger. A perfect example of this would be back in 2016 when footage surfaced of an old Access Hollywood interview featuring inappropriate comments about women by then-GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Already this month, we’ve had:

• The aftermath and devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton;

• Multiple labor strikes on both coasts (Boeing workers in Seattle & East Coast port workers);

• Escalating tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas/Hezbollah;

• A newly unsealed legal brief and redacted document dump related to the Special Counsel’s January 6th case against Trump;

• And who knows what else is coming?!?

Recent polling suggests that the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump remains neck-and-neck, meaning that the slightest change in circumstances (aka an October Surprise or two) could have a major impact on the race. So let’s take a look at some of the October Surprises we’ve already had.

To start, a large chunk of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene affected those living in or around the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Georgia. Except for Asheville proper (Buncombe County, North Carolina), these areas tend to vote for Republican candidates in general elections and if there are issues with voter turnout because of the storm, this could impact Trump’s ability to carry North Carolina or Georgia in November.

While the above map was released before Hurricane Milton’s landfall on October 8th, its data also foretells the impact that the once Category 5 storm could have on the vote in Florida. By following the I-4 corridor across the peninsula of the Sunshine State, Milton traveled through counties that are both more populous and historically have a more liberal bend than Helene did — counties like Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, Orange, and Volusia. All this could result in lower-than-anticipated early vote returns for Kamala Harris and other state-level Democrats at a time when the campaigns were bullish headed into November.

And trust me, millions upon millions of people were displaced initially as a result of Milton — likely far more at the end of the day than Helene. I was supposed to be at a client conference in Tampa that week and had to evacuate. Below is a picture of the bay that I took from my hotel room on Sunday, October 6th.

According to FiveThirtyEight.com, which provides an average of all public polling available, the presidential race is currently a dead heat in both North Carolina and Georgia — while Trump holds a slight edge over Harris in Florida.

With the economy and inflation still the top issue for voters, the bicoastal union strikes could also have a small impact on the outcome of the election. A longtime union supporter, President Joe Biden said at the outset of both that he would not invoke the 1947 Taft-Hawley Act, which would’ve given him the power to end the strikes via collective bargaining. Harris later signaled that she’d support him in that decision.

Fortunately, the port workers’ strike ended after a few days, preventing a major breakdown of the American supply chain and allowing us to avoid a situation in which everyday essentials such as groceries, electronics, and holiday gifts became even more expensive. (It also might have handed Trump another term in office.) The Boeing workers’ strike lasted nearly a month, however, which could lead to minimal disruptions in air travel & freight shipping as the company begins to normalize its operations.

With just a few weeks left before Election Day, there’s still a myriad of things that could impact both the presidential race as well as those down-ticket. But one thing’s for certain — no matter how perfect one’s campaign is this fall, be on the lookout for an October Surprise (or two) to wreak havoc on the voting electorate and shake things up a bit between now and November 5th.

Katie was asked about several topics during this half-hour segment, including:

• How former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are working to gain support among Arab-American voters in the key battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania;

• Whether the rising tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas/Hezbollah will have a major impact on voters this November; and

• If elected, how a Republican administration will impact the future of the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East.

Katie was one of two panelists included in this special election-focused segment and represented the GOP view. The other panelist was an Arab-speaking Democratic strategist.

You can watch the full interview below. Katie’s segment starts around the 11:15 mark:

Social media is a blessing and a curse for many small businesses and organizations. While it’s a great way for them to connect with their target audiences, build brand awareness, and drive engagement, successful organizations often need to develop an active presence on multiple social media networks to have any impact.

Hence, the beauty of a social media scheduling & reporting program. These tools can help simplify the posting & analytical process for small businesses and organizations, saving them valuable time and money in the long run.

Why should I invest in a social media scheduling program?

1. Time ⏰ & Effort Saver: Arguably the biggest benefit to using a scheduling program is the savings you’ll get both with your time and efforts. That’s because these programs have built-in features such as batched posts (scheduling multiple posts at once to save time and avoid last-minute scrambling) as well as recurring posts (setting up recurring posts for consistent content delivery, such as weekly newsletters or daily tips). Thus, you can spend 30-60 minutes a week planning the content for all of your channels and the rest of your time focused on running your business/organization!

2. Maintain Consistency and Engagement 🚀: Social media scheduling tools are great at helping you refine the when and how of your message. Many programs will provide you with recommended, optimized posting times based on your audience’s activity to maximize engagement. Plus, you’ll be able to ensure that your brand’s voice and visuals remain consistent across all platforms since you can use the same base post and then update it with the relevant hashtags/handles in the scheduling tool.

3. Improve Collaboration 🤝 and Team Management: By having all of your accounts linked to a social media scheduling tool, you’ll be able to manage them all from a single dashboard, making collaboration easier between team members. Plus, you can assign different roles and permissions to various team members based on their responsibilities (admin, editor, content creator, etc.).

4. Track Performance and Analytics 📊: Depending on the scheduling tool you choose, you’ll gain access to detailed reports & metrics that’ll enable you to monitor key performance indicators like post engagement, reach, and click-thru rates. You can then use this data to identify trends and understand what content is resonating with your audience to make informed decisions about your business or organization.

5. Stay Organized 📁 and Avoid Missed Posts: If organization is your jam, then you’ll ❤️ using a social media scheduling tool. Many of them have a “calendar view” feature to help you visualize your content schedule and ensure nothing slips through the cracks. You’ll also be able to set up reminders and notifications for your upcoming posts and tasks to keep on top of everything.

What social media scheduling program is best for my needs?

There are many excellent social media scheduling tools available on the market, each with its own unique advantages/disadvantages. Among the programs we commonly recommend to clients are Buffer (approximate price point💰), Loomly (💰), Hootsuite (💰💰), and SproutSocial (💰💰💰).

No matter what social media scheduling tool your small business or organization decides to adopt, they are a valuable asset for anyone looking to effectively manage their social media presence. Social media scheduling programs can save small businesses & organizations valuable time, improve their posting consistency, and provide valuable insights to help achieve their ultimate social media goals.

Could your social media program use a refresh? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing strategy fares and how Phoenix Rising Consulting can best help you optimize it!

The other week, as I was scrolling through my RSS newsfeed, I came across a post from a well-respected Pennsylvania-based politics news site. This post discussed the dozens of bipartisan endorsements being touted by three-term GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who — like his late brother, Mike — is one of the most pragmatic legislators ever to represent SEPA in Congress.

We’re not talking about small-potatoes endorsements, either: Among the 30+ endorsements mentioned were more than a dozen major unions, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police, AND several gun control groups.

It got me thinking because, well, you don’t see these types of organizations coalescing around a single candidate or cause that often in 2024. Both Fitzpatrick brothers — like many of their colleagues in the Problem Solvers Caucus, or the once-powerful Main Street Caucus and Blue Dog Coalition — appear to be a dying breed in Washington, as ideologue and authoritarianism reign superior at the expense of policy and pragmatism.

But is that really what the American people want? Even with the summer shakeup created by President Joe Biden’s departure from the Democratic ticket, former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remain neck-and-neck with just a couple of weeks to go before Early Voting begins.

The facts are simple: Voters are unhappy with the status quo. Voters do not like the direction the United States is headed in. Voters want change and WILL vote for that change in November. What is up for debate — and what is left to be determined over these next seven weeks is what that change will look like and who will lead it come January.

I mean really, does anyone actually think that Liz & Dick Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Geoff Duncan, and the myriad of other former GOP officials who’ve endorsed Harris this cycle believe they support her based on the policies she espouses?

Instead, look at the fight that the former Wyoming Congresswoman chose to pick with Nikki Haley over the former South Carolina governor’s endorsement of Trump:

As CNN’s roundtable put it so astutely, the former GOP presidential candidate is taking the cautious road here — endorsing but not actively campaigning for Trump — so she has some cover no matter the outcome of November’s election. If Trump wins, she will still seen favorably by the party, whereas if he loses, Haley can’t take the blame for the result and can be part of the party’s rebuild moving forward.

If Republicans and Democrats were coming to the table for November’s election as equally heavy hitters, my money would easily be on the Grand Old Party to clean house in D.C. this fall. But that’s not what we have.

Yes, a majority of voters may agree more with Trump (i.e. Republicans) on the issues this cycle. And yes, at the end of the day, issues and policy may be the most important thing that drives voters to the polls every cycle.

But there’s a reason so many Republicans are refusing to vote for Trump (or not voting for POTUS at all, like former GOP Senator Pat Toomey from my home commonwealth of Pennsylvania). And it’s those intangible things that are not only making this a much closer race than it has any business being but could potentially lead to Harris in the Oval Office on January 20th.

For the sake of argument, and to avoid writing an entire tome here, I’m going to skip over candidate quality for now. I think that’s been discussed enough — both by me in my past posts and by others. But that’s not the only advantage Democrats have in their pocket this cycle.

Let’s start with the financial one: In the two months since Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president, fundraising up and down the party ticket has skyrocketed. Democrats currently hold a 3:1 advantage over their Republican counterparts in terms of fundraising headed into the fall, something that will help them dearly with churning out the early & absentee vote. Harris’ fundraising efforts have been so strong that she was already able to transfer nearly $25 million from her campaign fund to the DSCC, DCCC, DLCC, and other state-party organizations to help with down-ballot efforts.

We may not be living in the days of party bosses anymore, but when candidates up and down the ticket still rely upon the party for the bulk of their operational and voter contact resources, that $25 million could make a difference in a state-level race on Election Day.

On the contrary, Republicans decided to take up a different approach this cycle — and it’s very likely to be their downfall regardless of who opposed Trump on the ballot. This brings me to the second — and probably biggest advantage — Democrats have going for them this cycle: centralized party organization at all levels (state, local, national) this fall.

Upon taking over the leadership of the Republican National Committee this past spring, Trump (and his daughter-in-law, Lara) scrapped the committee’s lauded voter contact departments (grassroots, political/communications, and data/research), arguing that this outreach could be better managed and funded by super PACs. This move came after a March advisory by the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) effectively allowing campaigns and outside groups to collaborate more on voter turnout efforts in federal races.

The issue with this is two-fold: First, as 501[c]4 organizations, these groups cannot campaign directly for specific candidates (aka Trump), but rather for specific causes (such as abortion bans or conservative leadership in Washington, D.C.). Thus, many down-ticket candidates who would normally rely on the RNC and its state-level affiliates for institutional support with their grassroots and voter outreach programs will likely not get as much support this year — a difference that could be make-or-break in some marginal races.

Secondly, all of these groups — including but not limited to America PAC, Turnout for America, Turning Point Action, and America First Works — are private organizations that are ultimately beholden to their donors before that of the GOP and its affiliated candidates. It’s free market competition at its finest, ladies and gents!

Because they’ve yet to sustainably coordinate with one another, let alone Trump and the RNC, there’ve been multiple situations reported where the groups have duplicated efforts among targeted voters and/or prioritized certain pockets of the voting electorate — such as low-propensity rural voters — over others that the RNC/party leadership would rather they contact (i.e. swing-state suburban voters).

The GOP then (perhaps unsurprisingly, given the events of the last few years) funneled much of the money it saved by not mounting a sizable voter contact program into building out a massive voter integrity and election information program — ensuring that if Trump wins or loses in November, it was done legally. They would have been better off integrating with (or building their own version of) a voter contact system like Buzz360 if they wanted to ensure victory for all GOP candidates both in November and in elections to come.

Meanwhile, things are status quo at the Democratic National Committee, and down-ticket Democratic candidates aren’t struggling to mount a last-ditch voter contact program the same way their GOP counterparts are.

I don’t know about you, but it’s gonna be one heck of an autopsy this winter if the answer for the GOP’s defeats all comes back to this.

Social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, X (FKA Twitter), LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, and Pinterest — have become essential tools for businesses to connect with their target audience and drive growth. But with the ever-increasing competition, it can be challenging to stand out and reach a wider audience.

That’s why it’s sometimes helpful to use a boosted post to promote your most important, brand-centric content.

But what are boosted posts exactly?

Well, boosted posts are essentially paid advertisements that allow you to extend the reach of your organic posts beyond your existing followers. By investing a small amount of money in your brand, you can showcase your content to a larger audience and increase overall engagement for your organization.

There are a ton of benefits that come from adding boosted posts to your marketing strategy, including:

1. Targeted Reach: Boosted posts offer precise targeting options, allowing you to reach individuals meeting specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This way, you can be sure that your content is seen by the right people, maximizing its effectiveness. (You can also set your boosted posts up with customer match audiences, as well as pixel and/or lookalike campaigns, to better target prospective customers/members as well.)

2. Increased Visibility: By amplifying your organic posts, your posts be able to reach a far wider audience than your current network — boosting their visibility and helping you attract new followers, generate leads, and drive website traffic. Plus, if you follow up your paid posts with a robust series of organic postings to your followers, you’ll have a better chance of retaining these new leads.

3. Improved Engagement: Because of the increased visibility to these posts, boosted posts can often encourage more likes, comments, shares, and clicks to your pages, leading to overall increased engagement and interaction with your brand. It especially helps if the posts you boost include either something interactive (like a video or poll question), or have a lead generation element built in (CTA to a contact form).

4. Faster Results: All of the social media networks are set to optimize boosted posts over organic ones in their respective newsfeeds, so you’ll often see faster results and a noticeable impact on your social media metrics compared to traditional organic growth. Don’t forget to include any/all relevant handles & hashtags in your post copy to further guide the site’s algorithm into more newsfeeds!

5. Cost-Effective: Yes, boosted posts are not cheap — and will involve you spending a few bucks here and there to work properly. But when done correctly, they can be a highly cost-effective way to reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals.

It may seem daunting now, but creating effective boosted posts for your business or organization are not that difficult at all! Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Create High-Quality Content: Make sure the posts you boost are visually appealing, informative, and relevant to your audience, or they won’t attract any new visitors to your cause.

• Choose the Right Platform: Just because you have a presence on multiple social media networks doesn’t mean you have to boost posts on each of them! Start by running boosted posts on the network that your target audience hangs out on the most, and then as you find success, you can add additional posts on other networks. (Think quality over quantity).

• Set Clear Objectives: Like with any marketing content you produce, make sure there is a clear message with you boosted posts — whether it's increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads. Don’t just create a boosted post to create a boosted post.

• Track and Analyze Results: Don’t forget to keep tabs on how your boosted posts are performing to measure their effectiveness and alter/adjust the campaigns based on the data. It helps that boosted posts can be made from inside many popular social media scheduling platforms — including Loomly, HootSuite, and SproutSocial — as well as the native platforms themselves so all of your analytics reporting will be right alongside the rest of your social media stats.

By leveraging the power of boosted posts, you can significantly enhance your social media presence and achieve your marketing objectives. So, don't hesitate to experiment with this effective marketing tool and watch your reach and engagement soar!

Could your social media program use a refresh? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing strategy fares and how Phoenix Rising Consulting can best help you optimize it!

The debate, which may be the only debate this cycle between former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, is set to take place later this evening in Philadelphia on ABC News.

Katie was one of three panelists included in this special election-focused segment and represented the GOP view. The other panelists were a nonpartisan academic scholar and a Democratic strategist.

Katie was asked about several topics during the half-hour segment, including the recent endorsements of Harris by both Liz and Dick Cheney, whether Trump’s attacks on Harris’s character and criminal record could impact him with persuadable voters, and what Trump needs to do in tonight’s debate to show he’s the better option this November.

(Plus, if you look closely enough, you may catch a special cameo from PRC’s chief canine officer, Amalia Bella!)

Click on the videos below to watch Katie’s segments:

You can watch the full episode of AlQaheraNews Live on YouTube here.

It’s been exactly one month since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, and well, it’s not entirely clear that things have truly gotten better.

Sure, we no longer have two octogenarians (or near-octogenarians) running for the nation’s highest office this November. But it’s not like now-Democratic presidential nominee (and current Vice President) Kamala Harris chose a candidate that does much to widen her coalition in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

When I last wrote about this race a few weeks ago, I hypothesized that Harris would choose a vice presidential nominee who would help her expand the Democratic coalition and ultimately bring her closer to the 50%+1 necessary to win in November. I figured she’d tap someone like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly for the nomination — both moderates from swing states who’ve established themselves as dealmakers willing to cross party lines to get things done.

Instead, like Trump did with Vance, Harris doubled down on her liberal base with Walz. Sure, Walz will help bring some additional voters to the fold — including your traditional “blue dog” Midwestern Democrats and pro-gun/pro-military voters, for example — but not nearly as many as a Shapiro or Kelly veep pick might have.

Yet if you listen to the media, you hear Republicans — and some in the Trump camp even — expressing buyer’s remorse over the Vance selection. You don’t have that on the Democrats’ side, and it’s not because Walz is still in the honeymoon phase, either.

During a controversial appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in late July, Trump remarked that “[t]he choice of a vice president makes no difference.” And to some extent, Trump is 💯 correct.

Where Trump (and Vance) are wrong is in their strategy and messaging. Rather than attack the Democratic ticket for their progressive policies and/or records, they’ve chosen to belittle and castigate them. And when Trump and Vance aren’t bullying Harris or Vance, they’re picking on Biden and his senility — not his politics — even though he’s no longer on the ballot in November!

Over the last couple of weeks alone, Trump and Vance have collectively:

• Poked fun at Kamala Harris’s unique laugh

• Questioned Harris’s ethnic heritage (she identifies as both Black and Indian)

• Defended past attacks related to her lack of naturally-born children (“childless cat ladies”)

That’s not even getting into the attacks that are blowing back on all parties involved, such as the questions over Walz’s military record or the revelation that second gentleman Doug Emhoff’s original marriage ended because of a scandalous affair.

NEWSFLASH: Personal attacks do not win you political campaigns. We’re not that far removed from a time when people literally voted for a candidate (George W. Bush) because they felt more comfortable grabbing a beer with him than they did his opponent (Al Gore). And that was after Bush’s consultants (including Karl Rove, one of the architects of the modern GOP political campaign) decided that the blue-blooded, Yale grad, son of a former President needed to change his entire demeanor to better connect with the average Joe while running for governor of Texas in 1994.

Sure, Harris has yet to release a full slate of policy initiatives as the Democratic presidential nominee (as of this writing, her only major statements have been on the economy). Nor has she had an official press conference or media interview since replacing Biden on the ticket. Yet Harris has been a public official for decades — including her time as a U.S. Senator from California — and is a current member of the Biden administration.

Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from my home commonwealth of Pennsylvania, released this genius video shortly after Harris jumped into the race in July.

While McCormick is using the video to tie his Democratic opponent — U.S. Senator Bob Casey — to Harris after Casey endorsed her for president, McCormick does so strictly by focusing on Harris’s record of liberal policies while in office and during her ill-fated bid for POTUS back in 2019. McCormick doesn’t call her names, or make fun of her ethnic heritage, or any of the other dirty smear tactics that Trump and co. have resorted to — he sticks to what the voters care most about.

They say that the Harris/Walz campaign is leaning into the concept of “joy” as it develops its messaging strategy — and who could blame them when all their opponent does is tear them down bit-by-bit, piece-by-piece? Americans are exhausted of all the negativity and in a “change” election, they’d rather turn to hope and optimism — even if it means more of the same policies — than anger and violence.

For much of this campaign cycle, Republicans have held the edge in polling when it comes to the issues — particularly when it comes to handling the economy and immigration. Yet recent polling suggests that Harris is gaining ground on several key issues, making the race more competitive as we head toward November.

It’s gotten so bad that many top Republicans, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have publicly urged the former president to stop the name-calling and get back to the issues. Instead, Trump’s taken to meandering press conferences at his lavish estates in Florida and New Jersey — under the guise of delivering policy speeches or major announcements, mind you — and even going so far as to assert that he thinks he’s “entitled to personal attacks." 

He’s even hired additional senior staff for his presidential campaign, all of whom will continue to drive home the doubling-down message rather than mix things like his allies are begging him to do.

Meanwhile, Harris is out and about on the campaign trail, giving the voters exactly what they want to hear while simultaneously nailing the delivery. Wearing a powder blue suit to give a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina (home of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels) is 🧑‍🍳💋 — well, unless you’re a Duke Blue Devil, that is!

Maybe one day, society will be civil enough that we’ll be able to return to the days of Robert’s Rules debates and checks-and-balances and working together for a common good. Until then, 🤬.

The early days of starting a business is an exhilarating journey filled with challenges and opportunities, and one of the most critical aspects of launching a successful start-up is an effective marketing strategy. While it may seem overwhelming to the new entrepreneur, understanding the fundamentals of marketing will provide you with a strong foundation to build your business upon.

Following are 6 marketing basics for start-ups businesses to keep in mind when developing your initial marketing strategy:

1. Understand Your Target Audience

The first step in any marketing strategy is to know your customer. Ask yourself:

• Who is your ideal customer? Create detailed customer personas to understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors. Remember, less is more: Start out with 1-3 solid customer personas and dig deep into their wants and needs rather than covering a wider breadth of customer base.

• What problem does your product or service solve for them? Clearly define the value proposition and how it can help your targeted customer base. This is where you start to outline your products/services/offerings in greater detail. Again, stick to a few options and focus on the granular details with those limited offerings rather than many options.

• Where can you find them? Identify the channels where your target audience spends their time. Are you going to focus more on digital or traditional print/in-person methods? Social v. email v. paid advertising? While you’ll want to cover several different channels with your overall promotional strategy, there will be 2-3 channels that you focus on the most — and this is the time when you figure out what those networks are going to be.

2. Build a Strong Brand Identity

Essentially, your brand is the personality of your business. It's how you want customers to perceive you.

• Develop a compelling brand story: This narrative should both resonate with your target audience and differentiate you from competitors. Why should people choose you over Company Y? This story will become your marketing hook and elevator pitch in later stages.

• Create a visual identity: Design a logo, color palette, and typography that reflects your brand's personality. When deciding your branding scheme, think about how it’s going to be used the most — print or digital — as that will have some impact on what fonts/colors you can use. For example, if you’re going to be getting lots of printed collateral or signage made, use Pantone (PMS) colors (or the equivalent) and standard fonts for your brand. Also make sure you don’t have too much color blending in your logos so they can easily be reproduced in black/white or greyscale if need be.

• Consistency is key: Ensure your brand message and visuals are consistent across all marketing materials. For example, your social media pages should all have the same image for the cover page (just resized per network guidelines) and your company logo as the network avatar. Canva’s resizing tool is great for this, plus it already has templates built into the program for many common networks as well as social media posts/ad sizes.

3. Leverage Content Marketing

Content marketing is about creating valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

• Identify relevant topics: Create content that addresses your target audience's pain points and interests. What problem are you providing a solution to, and how exactly do you solve it with your product/service/offering?

• Choose the right channels: Determine where your audience consumes content (blog, social media, email, etc.). Are you looking to target younger consumers? Maybe you’ll focus primarily on Snapchat, TikTok & Instagram as your primary marketing channels. Business professionals fare better with LinkedIn and email marketing. While you’ll always want to have the main offerings — website/blog, email marketing, Facebook and either Twitter or LinkedIn — knowing which primary channels your audience uses will save you a lot of time and money.

• Optimize for search engines: Use relevant keywords to improve your content's visibility in search results. You could have the best website in the world, but if it’s not continually optimized for SEO on Google and Bing, it won’t help you attract new customers.

4. Embrace Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness and engaging with your audience.

• Select the right platforms: Focus on where your target audience spends their time. If you can, invest a few bucks in a social media scheduling program like Loomly or Sprout Social to help you manage your various networks and keep tabs on interactions and analytics.

• Create engaging content: Share valuable insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and interact with your followers. I always like to create a trove of evergreen posts about both the brand and its various services/offerings that can be reused whenever you need filler content throughout the year. Don’t forget to use a mix of video and poll/question posts in addition to standard link and image ones.

• Utilize social listening: Monitor conversations about your industry and brand to identify opportunities. Reposting and liking/sharing content will not only bring attention to your brand, but it can help you grow your follower counts by introducing your brand to a new audience. Plus, many customers turn to social media for customer support these days (good and bad) — so be attuned to that.

5. Build Relationships

Networking and building relationships are essential for start-up success.

• Attend industry or chamber/local events: Connect with potential customers, partners, and investors. Sometimes, your best referral partners are those in a similar industry who you may be able to partner up with on future projects.

• Leverage online communities: Participate in forums and groups related to your industry. Alignable is a great online community of 9+ million business owners looking to meet other entrepreneurs just like you; LinkedIn is also a great source for networking as well.

• Offer value: Provide helpful information and resources to build trust and credibility. Think of it as a two-way relationship: You only get back as much as you give.

6. Measure and Analyze

Marketing is an ongoing process, and you’re always updating and changing things as your business evolves from start-up to established. Track your efforts and make data-driven decisions.

• Set clear goals: Define what you want to achieve with your marketing campaigns and then ask yourself, did you meet those goals? If you didn’t, ask yourself why and either adapt your strategy or your goals based on your findings.

• Track key metrics: Monitor website traffic, social media engagement, and conversion rates. Tools like Google Analytics and Loomly/Sprout Social can provide you with this data.

• Analyze results: Identify what's working and what's not, and make adjustments accordingly. Sometimes the change can be a good thing.

Remember, marketing is an investment in your business. It takes time and effort to build a strong brand and attract customers. By following these basic principles and consistently adapting your strategy, you'll be well on your way to achieving your start-up goals.

Need help getting your start-up’s marketing & communications strategy off the ground? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current marketing strategy fares and how PRC can best help you optimize it!

After studying — and then working — in D.C. politics for nearly 15 years, I used to think I’d seen it all. How I couldn’t have been more wrong…

I made the tough decision a couple of years ago to step back from politics and focus on other work not because I wanted to leave the game, but because the game left me. The GOP under President Donald J. Trump has morphed into something unrecognizable — something I believe will set us back more than it will ultimately advance us — and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my principles for a cause I didn’t believe in.

That doesn’t mean that I haven’t kept abreast of current events. If anything, what’s happened over the last few weeks has reassured me that my decision was the right one, for now. 

I “grew up” in a world where students learned politics through cutesy videos like “I’m Just a Bill” from Schoolhouse Rock. Where checks and balances, the concept of three EQUAL branches of government, and Tip O’Neill’s famous slogan “All politics are local” loomed large. Heck, I was one of the millions of Americans enthralled with the TV show “The West Wing,” idyllic as it may be, and used to dream that I could be like Josh Lyman or Karl Rove when I finally made it big in the nation’s capital.

(Of course, I later learned that the political show most accurately depicting D.C. politics is “VEEP” — which says a lot about the state of the nation — and HBO launched that show largely pre-Trump!) 

The running joke for Republicans who hone their talents in D.C. is that you come in as a staunch conservative and end up a pragmatic moderate the longer you stay “inside the beltway.” 

Maybe I did live in D.C. for too long, but I very much found myself becoming that dreaded “R.I.N.O.” over time — and truthfully, I’m not ashamed or embarrassed by it. So what if my beliefs resemble those of former House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan — both men I believe did a phenomenal job given the circumstances they were under, and both men who only called it a day when the fringe within our party became too much for them to handle daily.

Again I go back to ideals, but we used to live in a world where Republicans represented all colors and stripes of Americans — a true “big tent” of sorts. You all know I’m a Philly girl at heart, and as such, my first internship back in 2005 was for my then-Senator, the late Arlen Spector. Spector was a longtime liberal Republican who served my home state alongside another Republican, Rick Santorum, who was far more conservative than Specter and whose 2006 senate campaign I also worked on. 

Unfortunately, you wouldn’t find a pairing like this in 2024, because you no longer have “Blue Dog Democrats” and “Northeastern Republicans” roaming the halls of the Capital in tandem. We can talk about Democrats and Republicans creating a “big tent” within their respective parties all we want in politics, but it no longer exists in practice — and that’s a damn shame because the majority of American people are in the middle of the political spectrum and not at the ends of the bell-curve like our elected officials. 

Which brings me back to the events of the last few weeks. I’m not going to recap them because, frankly, there’s enough ink being spilled on them elsewhere.

Rather, I’m gonna start by sharing this tweet, because well, it’s pretty apropos:

They say history repeats itself. While many of the events that we are facing right now are similar to what happened in American politics in 1968, we didn’t have the internet or social media 56 years ago. Party bosses — rather than the grassroots — were very much still in control back then, and we didn’t go out of our way to do or say the most politically correct thing 100% of the time. 

Even in times as crazy as these, you can tell which politicians on both sides of the aisle are harkening for a return to the civility that once existed in Washington. 

Like former Maryland governor (and current U.S. Senate candidate) Larry Hogan:

Or New York Republican Congressman Michael Lawlor:

Both of those posts came Sunday after President Joe Biden announced he would leave the presidential race. 

Several similar posts were released by their Democratic counterparts earlier this month as well in the wake of the attempt on former President Trump.

Unfortunately, civility appears to be the exception these days — and not the rule. You can say all you want about an octogenarian being too old to run for president, but to be fair, the GOP’s nominee is only a few years younger than him. 

We’re no longer able to have a civil discussion on the issues that divide our two parties these days. Rather, the temperature has been raised so much that it’s led to violence and bloodshed at times.

When I’m working with my clients, I like to take a holistic approach and start from the top — the 30,000-foot view of the project, so to speak — before I dig in deep and dive down to the 10,000-foot or 5,000-foot views. Both Republicans and Democrats today are skipping ahead to those myopic views, much to their detriment.

For example, many Republicans today still think the race is Trump’s to lose even with Biden off the ticket — after all, why wouldn’t the American people re-elect a convicted felon to the nation’s highest office in November? It’s why Trump’s campaign is running scared, demanding changes to the ABC presidential debate in September and reimbursements for his previous campaign efforts rather than embracing a full pivot and doing whatever it can to mount a competitive race against Vice President Kamala Harris and her soon-to-be-announced running mate.

You see, two wrongs ≠ a right. And the Democrats just took away one of those “wrongs” the moment Biden announced he was not seeking re-election.

Trump’s “advantage” in the race came from the fact that Americans disliked both original choices for president — in a Trump v. Biden matchup, Trump as the outside is the natural benefactor. Without Biden in the mix, he does not necessarily have that same advantage.

Much can (and will) be said about the timing of Biden’s decision — in particular, the fact that it came after Republicans nominated their ticket in full at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Again hindsight is always 20/20, but Trump’s decision to select Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate looks even worse now than it did last week because he brings nothing new to the ticket and makes it that much harder for Trump to get to 50%+1 on November 5th. He would have been much better selecting a swing state leader (like Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin), a female (former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley), or a minority candidate (Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina or Marco Rubio of Florida).

Nor am I the only one to think this — just look at the results of Punchbowl News’ A-Canvass of senior congressional staffers and K Street leaders who were following the RNC speakers:

You can take it to the bank that Harris is not going to make this same oversight. Multiple reports have her top choices for a running mate narrowed down to three swing state candidates: Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, as well as Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

Not only will this cancel out in full any advantage that Vance could have brought to the GOP ticket, but it will make it that much more difficult for Trump to expand beyond his already-maxed-out ceiling.

Kamala and her “Blue Dog” swing-state running mate, on the other hand — well, they may have a clearer pathway to 50%+1 come November 5th.

I guess my point (via this very long ramble) is this: Sunday’s news doesn’t mean that Trump will definitely lose or Harris will definitely win in November. All it means is that the 2024 presidential election is now a brand-new race, and don’t let anyone tell you anything different.

One of the biggest things I notice when I run an initial audit for many of my clients is the fact that many of them do not have a strong online presence for their brand or organization.

Unfortunately, in today’s digital landscape, simply having a website and paying for a few ads isn’t always going to be enough to get your business to the top of Google or Bing’s search rankings. You’ll also need to establish yourself as a credible and valuable resource within your industry — and that is where link building comes into play.

What is Link Building?

Link building is the strategic process of acquiring high-quality links from other websites that point back to your own. Think of it as a recommendation system for the web.

When reputable websites link to your content, it signals to search engines like Google or Bing that your site is trustworthy and offers valuable information.

Benefits to Link building

There are numerous benefits to a well-executed link building strategy, including:

• Improved Search Engine Rankings: Search engines like Google and Bing consider backlinks a significant ranking factor when developing their search algorithms. The more high-quality links you have, the higher your website is likely to rank for relevant search terms according to their search algorithms — resulting in increased organic traffic and website visibility for your brand or organization.

• Enhanced Brand Authority: Having your brand/organization’s website linked to a page with established domain authority can further serve as a vote of confidence in your brand or organization’s expertise and legitimacy. This will further build trust with your potential customers and help you establish yourself as a thought leader within your industry.

• Increased Referral Traffic: When other websites link to your content, they're essentially sending targeted visitors your way. As a result, this referral traffic can be a valuable source of new leads and customers. Protip: Make sure to include some type of call-to-action with your backlinks so you can capture data from these referrals and work them into new prospects/leads!

• Improved Website Credibility: Backlinks from authoritative sources can also enhance your website's overall credibility, thereby resulting in a significant boost in user trust and conversion rates for your brand or organization.

Building Links the Right Way

Although there are many significant benefits to link building, it's important to focus on acquiring high-quality links rather than a sheer quantity.

Here are some tips to help you get started effectively:

• Create High-Value Content: The foundation of any successful link-building strategy is exceptional content. Make sure you’re only developing and publishing informative, engaging, and well-researched content that establishes you as an authority in your field.

• Guest Blogging: Contribute guest articles to relevant websites within your industry. Having your name/brand published in multiple places beyond your website will allow you to showcase your expertise, reach a new audience, and secure valuable backlinks.

• Broken Link Building: Identify broken links on websites within your niche and offer your content as a relevant replacement. This is a win-win situation, as you gain a valuable link while helping the other website improve its user experience. Protip: You can also view your current backlinks report on Google and on Bing.

• Industry Outreach: Build relationships with key influencers and journalists within your field and share with them your latest news and updates. By providing them with valuable insights and resources, you can increase the chances of them linking to your content — thus helping build out your brand/organization’s online authority.

In short, link building is an essential — but often overlooked — component of any comprehensive SEO strategy.

By acquiring high-quality links, you can significantly improve your website's search engine rankings, establish brand authority, and drive organic traffic. By focusing on creating valuable content and building genuine relationships within your industry, you can easily develop a sustainable link building strategy that fuels your online presence and success for years to come.

Ready to take the next step with your strategic marketing & communications needs? Sign up today for our FREE website audit to see how your current link building strategy fares and how PRC can best help you optimize it!