EP033 How to turn adversity into opportunity with Katie Brinkley

Hot Seat Series on Next Up Nation Evaluates the Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast

Rocky Mountain marketing has released 69 episodes from April 8, 2020, until the date of the recording of this episode, which was July 29,  2021. From Katie’s point of view, the main purpose of the podcast is to both talk about social media and its marketing potential and to highlight other business owners’ journeys, from where they started to where they are now.

For Katie, a big focus is talking about her experience with marketing and how it has changed over time, as well as interviewing other business owners to get their stories.

Since she was thrown into the world of marketing, she has experienced a lot of growth and has had to change the way she thinks about marketing. She wants to continue this journey of discovery with her podcast and continue to explore how social media can be used for business.

In each episode, Katie highlights a different business owner and their story. Through these interviews, she hopes to gain more insight into the changing world of marketing and learn how to better use social media to connect with customers. 

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, her podcast aims to have something for everyone who wants to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.

Part 1: The WHY Behind Katie Brinkley’s Podcast, Rocky Mountain Marketing

Having landed her dream job as the NFL locker room reporter for a Denver radio station, Katie was crushed when a corporate restructuring saw her lose her position.

Never one to give up, Katie took her love for sports and her marketing know-how to start her own company, Rocky Mountain Marketing.

“I started my own marketing company after I was laid off from what I thought was my dream job, and now I’ve found my own dream job running my social media agency.”

Inspired by other marketers who had built their own businesses from the group up, Katie has built her own successful business by helping companies large and small tell their stories and connect with their customers.

Because Katie never expected to be an entrepreneur, she wanted to inspire others who are in a similar position with the stories and advice of other business owners who have taken the leap into self-employment, and the Rocky Mountain Marketing was born.

Part 2: WHO Katie Brinkley Considers the Ideal Audience for Rocky Mountain Marketing

The Rocky Mountain Marketing podcast is aimed squarely at business owners and budding entrepreneurs. In Katie’s words “I’ve tried to kind of create this tight-knit community of other people that want to listen and do business together.”

For Katie, the ideal audience for Rocky Mountain Marketing is somebody who is maybe a little bit lost in their business journey. They might be early on and not really sure what to do or where to start. 

As we’ve already mentioned, Katie went from landing her dream job to being laid off in a short amount of time. While this was undoubtedly scary and disheartening, it ultimately gave her the push she needed to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions. 

In many ways, this struggle is reflected in the Rocky Mountain Marketing podcast itself. Throughout each episode, Katie seeks to connect with other business owners and entrepreneurs who are navigating similar entrepreneurial struggles, providing them with the encouragement and advice they need to succeed. 

Maybe they’ve been in business for a while but they’re kind of at a crossroads and not quite sure which direction to go. Whatever the case may be, Katie wants Rocky Mountain Marketing to serve as a compass for both new and established business owners.

Part 3: WHAT is Working Now to Get More Listeners to the Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast

Currently, the podcast is heavily focused on local businesses and business owners in the Denver area. This has helped to create a tight-knit community of listeners, which has created brand loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.

In addition to focusing on local businesses, Katie is also working to create engaging content that helps listeners to stay ahead of trends in the digital marketing industry. This includes regular episodes on topics such as SEO best practices, social media marketing, and email marketing strategies.

However, the local focus and engaging content are not the only things that make the Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast stand out. Katie is also a skilled interviewer, and she has a knack for getting her guests to open up and share their stories in an authentic way. This allows listeners to get to know the businesses and business owners that they might not otherwise have had the chance to meet.

To further engage listeners, Katie is also working to widen her scope, bringing in a more varied lineup of guests from further afield and providing new perspectives on the industry.

TIFFANY’S TAKE

While it’s clear that Katie has the knowledge and experience to be a successful digital marketing expert, what truly sets her apart is her commitment to creating engaging content for her listeners.

With regular episodes on topics such as SEO best practices, social media marketing, and email marketing strategies, Katie provides listeners with the tools they need to stay ahead of trends in the industry.

However, she is struggling with the overall goals of the podcast.

What is the end goal? What does she want people to take away from each episode?

Finding the purpose of your show is the first step in Tiffany’s 4 P’s of Podcaster Preeminence:

• PURPOSE – What is the show’s overall purpose?
• PEOPLE – Who is the show for?
• PROMOTION –  How will you promote the show?
• PROCEEDS (or Profit)  – What’s the business model?

Using the four P’s, Tiffany identifies what the Rocky Mountain Marketing podcast is already doing well, where it can be improved, and what single action step Katie can take to grow both her audience and credibility in the next 30-days.

#1: What Katie Brinkley is Doing Well

Katie has already identified the purpose of her show as providing marketing and business tips to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She has also built an engaged community of listeners who are excited to learn more about marketing and entrepreneurship.

The interviews with local small business owners provide valuable insight into the strategies that are working for others in a similar niche.

Overall, Katie has done well in identifying her target audience and creating content that is relevant, interesting, and useful to them.

As a social media marketing expert, Katie is already efficiently promoting her show across multiple platforms to reach her target audience. 

#2: Areas for Improvement

One area Katie can improve is focusing on topics that resonate most with her audience. This could involve conducting market research or surveys to determine which topics are most important to her listeners. Additionally, Katie can focus on delivering more actionable tips that her audience can use to grow their businesses.

This reinforced the PURPOSE, and PEOPLE aspects of the four P’s, focusing on who your core audience is and giving them content that is useful and actionable.

In order to grow her audience and increase her Podcaster Preeminence, Katie also needs to focus on building strategic partnerships and networking with other podcasters in her niche. 

This could involve attending industry events or reaching out to relevant bloggers and influencers to promote her podcast, as well as looking to book repeat guests who have a complementary audience to hers.

Overall, Katie has the potential to become a leading voice in the marketing space if she continues to focus on improving her content and growing her listener base.

#3: Action Step for Improvement

There are several areas where Katie could improve her show in order to continue growing her audience and credibility in the next 30 days.

One key action step would be to focus on developing more engaging content for a wider scope of listeners. This could include experimenting with different formats, including interviews or listener Q&As, as well as incorporating more practical tips and actionable advice that listeners can implement in their own lives.

In order to better engage her audience and deliver more actionable content, Katie should consider widening the scope of the content she is creating. 

AI transcribed text will ensure that her content is more accessible to a wider audience and will help her to better connect with potential listeners. 

In addition to content creation, Katie should also focus on developing monetization strategies for her show. Potential monetization strategies could include affiliate marketing, sponsored content,

As Katie is currently not monetizing her podcast, she needs to focus on PROCEEDS and how she can generate profit that can be reinvested in the quality of her show. 

By developing a comprehensive growth strategy that includes both content creation and monetization efforts, Katie can better position herself as an authority in the podcasting space and grow her listener base quickly.

About the Hot Seat Series

Podcasting is both a popular pastime and an excellent way to build an audience around your business or brand. However, it takes a lot of time, effort, and consistency to both build an audience and create content that resonates with them. 

The Hot Seat Series was created to help podcasters improve their shows and reach new listeners. 

Tiffany Youngren is a podcast producer, coach, and strategist. She helps entrepreneurs, business owners, and content creators level up their podcasting presence. In each episode, 

Tiffany interviews an up-and-coming podcaster, sharing insights, tips, and strategies to help them take their podcast to the next level.

Whether you’re just starting out with your podcast or looking for ways to improve, the Hot Seat Series offers valuable advice and actionable strategies that will help you succeed.