May 18, 2026
Why Smart Solos Are Watching These Five Trends Right Now Episode Summary
That Solo Life Episode 339: Why Smart Solos Are Watching These Five Trends Right Now
Episode Summary
Karen and Michelle are back with one of their favorite formats — a roundup of what's happening in the world right now and what it means for solo and small agency PR, communications, and marketing professionals. From the growing opportunities in internal communications to a telling shift in how and where people place their trust, the co-hosts cover five timely topics shaping the landscape for independent practitioners. The conversation is grounded, practical, and delivered with the candor and warmth that listeners have come to expect — including a solid reminder that measurement isn't going anywhere, social media strategy is getting smarter (not louder), and community may be the most underrated channel in your toolkit right now.
Episode Highlights
- [01:22] Internal Comms Is an Opportunity Worth Claiming: Internal communications has long been part of the broader comms picture, but many solos have treated it as someone else's territory. Karen and Michelle make the case for why that should change. When companies lack strong internal comms, external clarity suffers — and that's where solos can step in to add real strategic value. As Karen puts it: you cannot have external clarity with internal confusion.
- [05:35] Trust Is Getting Smaller and More Local: The latest Edelman Trust Barometer data points to a meaningful cultural shift: amid economic anxiety, geopolitical tension, and AI disruption, people are narrowing their trust to smaller, more familiar circles. For solo PR pros, this is a signal worth acting on. Leaning into local relationships, nurturing offline connections, and building genuine community may matter more right now than any amount of digital thought leadership.
- [09:11] Measurement Is Still Non-Negotiable: Measurement continues to be a source of stress across the industry — but Karen reframes it: it doesn't have to mean complicated dashboards. It means connecting your strategies to what actually matters to your clients, tracking impact rather than just activity, and being able to have honest conversations when outcomes fall short. Solos who are fluent in measurement have a genuine competitive edge — and there are excellent free resources to help build that fluency.
- [12:20] Social Strategy Is About Intention, Not Volume: The era of 'post more' is over. Pew Research and broader industry data are confirming what communicators have known for a while: what matters is why you're on a platform, not how often. Karen and Michelle encourage solos and their clients to audit their social presence every six months — who are you actually reaching, and is this platform still the right place to reach them? Chasing algorithms isn't a strategy.
- [14:58] Community Is a Communications Channel: Pew Research highlights a growing trend: people are turning to niche online communities — like Reddit — to find answers that broad searches and AI can't provide. For PR pros, this is a reminder that community building is a long game, but one with serious returns. The fundamental truth still holds: people buy from people they know, like, and trust — and that means amplifying real voices and real customer experiences, not just polished messaging.
Resources & Additional Information
- Edelman Trust Barometer: edelman.com/trust/trust-barometer
- Katie Payne's Measurement Resources: kdpaine.blogs.com
- AMEC (International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication): amecorg.com
- Pew Research Center: pewresearch.org
- Solo PR Pro membership community: soloprpro.com
- That Solo Life podcast website: thatsololife.com
Host & Show Info
That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent and small practitioners. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, founder of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and practical advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape.
Listen to all episodes and catch up on previous conversations at thatsololife.com.
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00:00 - Intro & Welcome
00:31 - Hosts Chat: Weather & Midyear Thoughts
01:36 - Topic: Solos Should Know — Internal Communications Opportunity
02:23 - Why Internal Comms Matter
05:33 - Trust Shrinking & Local Focus
06:44 - AI, Authenticity & Local Buying
07:58 - Leveraging Local Relationships for Solo PR Pros
09:19 - Measurement Matters for Solo PRs
11:12 - Educating Clients on Measurement
12:19 - Social Strategy: Purpose over Presence
15:03 - Community as a Communications Channel
16:42 - Proof Points & Peer Recommendations
18:30 - Wrap Up & Resources
TSL Episode 339: Why Smart Solos Are Watching These Five Trends Right Now
Michelle Kane (00:18):
Hello and welcome back to That Solo Life, the podcast for PR pros and marketers who work for themselves. People like me, Michelle Kane with Voice Matters and my wonderful co-host, Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro. How are you, Karen?
Karen Swim, APR (00:32):
I'm doing great, Michelle, on this wonderful Monday midday. Is it afternoon?
Michelle Kane (00:37):
Monday, Monday.
Karen Swim, APR (00:38):
Yeah. How are you doing?
Michelle Kane (00:40):
Something like that. Springtime's not bad. It's a little gloomy and chill, but I'll be complaining that it's too hot soon enough. We're getting through. I can't believe we're almost looking at halfway through the year soon and that's a little wild to even consider. I feel like the
Karen Swim, APR (00:57):
Spring season has mirrored the world at large where you never know what you're going to get on any given day.
Michelle Kane (01:05):
How true is that? Am I turning on my heat? Am I turning on my air conditioning? Can I just open a window? Is the sun going to come out ever? Oh, there it is. Yeah, pretty much.
Karen Swim, APR (01:16):
Will there be sun or will there be hell?
Michelle Kane (01:22):
And within all that crazy, I'm sure you guys out there, you're going through it too. So we thought let's take a look at something we do from time to time. Things solos should know right now. What's out there that we really need to concern ourselves with? Because I know as Kara and I and I talk off pod, we're like, some days it's like, I have my list, but still, where do I begin? So just wanted to touch on a few nuggets that could help all of us get through this together. The one interesting thing I saw was how internal comms can actually be a bigger opportunity for us, which you often think, "Well, how do I get in there?" Because sometimes companies, they're like, "No, no, no, we've got this. We're good. Just do that. " And yet oftentimes we see kind of what they're doing and we're like, "Yeah, no, you really need us in there." So it was nice to see that that is actually becoming an area where we might be able to grow our business.
Karen Swim, APR (02:23):
Yeah. I love this because I think internal comms has always been a part of the Oval Comms picture, but we probably a lot of people have taken more of a casual approach to it. So even when there's an internal comms team, there's still opportunity for solo PR pros to be a part of that process and to really be able to help to guide the strategy because it does impact external communications as well.
Michelle Kane (02:56):
Oh, definitely. I mean, I've seen it and this is no shade against the companies, but they're so focused on servicing their clients or getting their product out that a lot of times keeping employees informed about what's going on or even what maybe they're doing in the community, it doesn't always trickle through. So they'll say, "Oh, were we doing that? Oh, I'd like to help with that kind of thing." And I get it. It's definitely a bandwidth issue, but I wish more places would realize the benefits. It's not a waste of time. It's not a waste of productive time to really build strong internal comms. If anything, it's going to make you better. And even if you can't draw a direct line to profit, I can't see that it would hurt.
Karen Swim, APR (03:49):
Yeah. And I think that you cannot have external clarity with internal confusion. Those two things cannot be true. And so it is worth it for building trust for reputation management to ensure that there is clarity internally before going externally with your campaigns and with your communications. I feel like the internal communications piece is not only a way to really help your teams to be prepared for external questions, to be excited and to be your internal champions around initiatives that you're leading, but it can also be a testing ground for things that you might assume are coming across a certain way. Having that space for true and honest feedback and questions can help you to inform better your external publics when you really value the input of your internal publics.
Michelle Kane (04:53):
Definitely, definitely. I mean, it all comes down to a morale issue sometimes too.
Karen Swim, APR (04:58):
Yes.
Michelle Kane (05:00):
You want your employees to feel seen and feel heard. And when they feel like they have some sort of buy-in in what everyone's working towards, I mean, that can only help you. It's not going to hurt you.
Karen Swim, APR (05:12):
Totally agree.
Michelle Kane (05:13):
Do it companies. Have us important check it out. It's good for you. Eat your vegetables.
Karen Swim, APR (05:22):
Except in this case, it really is like getting a vegetable with a side of cake.
Michelle Kane (05:28):
I like that. I like that. Cake is always good and always welcome.
Karen Swim, APR (05:31):
Cake is always good.
Michelle Kane (05:35):
So that's one thing we want you guys to know. Another cool tidbit that we saw was about trust. They're saying trust is getting smaller and more local. We always love checking out elements of the Edelman Trust barometer and they are, in their words, describing a shift toward insularity with people narrowing trust to smaller, more familiar circles amid economic anxiety. Well, we don't have any of that. Geopolitical tension, everything's fine. And technological disruption. In other words, we're all tightening our circles in some ways. That makes sense.
Karen Swim, APR (06:14):
So
Michelle Kane (06:14):
How does that-
Karen Swim, APR (06:15):
Completely. Whoa. Right? Because
Michelle Kane (06:18):
I
Karen Swim, APR (06:19):
Think for all of us as prices is skyrocketed, but here's the other thing that's come into play. I used to online order quite a bit of things and I don't anymore for ... I was trying to reduce my carbon footprint, but also I'm back to really needing to touch and feel stuff and know that things are true because AI has changed the game. I just read this in- depth article about the wedding industry and their fight against AI where people are using AI to either steal designs or they're creating these dresses that really don't exist.
Michelle Kane (07:00):
Having
Karen Swim, APR (07:00):
AI sellers pop up and scam people or people who are dress shopping or coming into real shops with these dresses that are impossible. These two things can't go together. I don't care that AI did it. Well, I completely understand when you can go to a local vendor to buy a product or a service, you know it's not a copycat, you're getting the real thing. There's some level of authenticity and trust and it's somebody that you can go back to if there's a problem. So this makes sense.
Michelle Kane (07:36):
Yeah, definitely, definitely. And also we've seen the signs outside the shops when you spend your dollars locally, the money stays here. It stays in your community. It stays in your tax basin, for lack of a better actual word, but just everybody wins because we're helping each other stay afloat.
Karen Swim, APR (07:58):
I mean, I think what that means to me for solo PR pros is that maybe you don't have a lot of local clients, but there are local initiatives that
Michelle Kane (08:09):
You
Karen Swim, APR (08:10):
Can absolutely make a part of your strategy. And I think bottom line, it's leaning into creating and sustaining those relationships because that's what it boils down to. It's not relying on the online thought leadership and the online chatter or posting to drive the trust, but making sure that you really are nurturing offline relationships at a local level. I think that that's worth it. And I think that that can have big takeaways even for global companies.
Michelle Kane (08:47):
Oh, absolutely. I mean, I've long felt this to be true. It's not so much the person you might meet at an event, but it's who's in their circle, because you might be surprised.
Karen Swim, APR (08:59):
Yes.
Michelle Kane (09:00):
Even in my tiny town, it's like, "Oh wait, you know someone that what? Where? Really? Okay.
Karen Swim, APR (09:07):
Love that.
Michelle Kane (09:11):
Good times, good times. But yeah, there's a lot of fun stuff out there, but the one thing that might ... Don't think it's a drag, but measurement's not going anywhere, guys. It's not going anywhere. We still have to aim for measurement. And actually, I think as a solo, this could be one of our strongest reasons why people should do business with us because we get it. And I think for most of us, we're probably ahead of the curve as far as prioritizing it. And I think it helps us in so many ways. It helps the prospect or the client realize, oh, okay, you really get that this is about business, not just about creating messaging.
Karen Swim, APR (09:59):
I absolutely agree. And I think that this is still an area that causes a lot of agita with any size PR Pro because we always wonder if we're doing it correctly or if we're doing enough.
(10:18):
And it's really not about having these complicated dashboards and pretty graphics. It really boils down to being able to develop strategies that align with what's important to your client and being able to then say, okay, here's how we can support these goals. Here are the things that we can do. And then not just focusing on activities, but the impact of what you did. And there's so many great resources out there to help you with that. There are measurement tools. There's Katie Payne who runs a measurement school but also has a ton of resources on her website, excuse me. So I think it's worth learning more. The Amec website also has tons of great resources and a framework that you can download for free because these days what I find it's not just about knowing how to talk about measurement, but educating your clients as well because they tend to be outcome focused because they have their own KPIs and they're just driving towards those.
(11:31):
They don't really care what happens. They're going to be looking at the set of numbers and how that needle is moving. So it's really important to have those conversations early and often about what PR really does. Like, here are the outcomes that you can expect. Here's what we're driving for, and then show them how that's doing and be able to make recommendations when you don't hit certain outcomes, like where this could be improved, what went wrong with this because that's just as important. It's not that you have to feel like you are knocking it out of the park every month or every quarter, but you do need to be able to take those learnings and refine your approach so that you can get better results.
Michelle Kane (12:20):
Definitely. And tied with that is the little nugget that social strategy, which I don't know, this doesn't feel so new. Apparently it's less about post more and more about why am I using a platform? This doesn't feel like such a hot new thing, but it's because we've all been on social so much, but it's a good reminder for us and our clients to not just be everywhere because you think you should, the shiny syndrome, but okay, who are we reaching if we're still on Facebook? What's that for? LinkedIn, thought leadership, here's what we can offer you kind of thing.
(13:02):
Instagram is for another reason. Whatever that is for you, make sure just revisit this maybe every six months and say, okay, are we tracking where we should be with these? Are we using them the way we should be? Who is using these channels that we need to talk to because you don't need to be everywhere either. So I love that it's less about jamming the feeds with your posts because especially the way the algorithms are so out there anymore, that doesn't mean a darn thing. So just using things purposely, you don't have to be chasing yourself.
Karen Swim, APR (13:39):
Oh, I love that. And I think that that is probably a breath of fresh air to clients because for so long social media was intimidating for that reason because it felt like it took a lot of time or you had to go on TikTok and dance for everybody in order to get notice or post 15 times a day on Instagram and that is really not a thing anymore. And to be honest, I think that we all need to take a step back and get back to that point of hearing what communicators have been saying since the beginning of time is that you need to focus on communicating with your publics, honesty, with intention, telling them things that matter to them and meeting them where they are, period. It's really not much more complicated than that. Yes, there's always going to be tools and things that come up that tell you to do it differently, or it has to look a certain way, or it has to be delivered a certain way.
(14:44):
But if you keep your eyes on the goal, I think that you can weather these algorithm changes. I cannot speak this Monday and all of the other trends that pop up.
Michelle Kane (14:58):
It's okay. It's okay, but it's so true. And then almost like the flip side of that is the value of community and community as communications channel. Pew just did some research on this and they point to Reddit, that people are gathering in the different communities to drill down for some niche answers or something that's not handled as well with a broad Google search or AI. So it's really something to consider from a client point of view and this is one, you can't just magic community out of nothing and it is super challenging to create a culture that is loyal to your product or your vibe of your company. So this is not easy, but man, if you can do it, it's so worthwhile. And I think too, that just requires stopping to take a closer look at either your ideal customer and also your current customers.o, what questions are they asking us mostly?
(16:15):
What are they coming to us with needs? Is that changing from say a year ago? Okay, how can we ... Again, this is content marketing 101. How can we be the answer to that before they even ask it? It's not high-minded or hard, but it does take a lot of work, a lot of consistent long-term work to be that resource. And if you can get that ...
Karen Swim, APR (16:42):
Yeah. And I mean, I think it goes to show no matter what type of product or service you offer, people still want to hear from people like them, that old sells adadge that people buy from people that they know, like, and trust, that still holds true. You
Michelle Kane (16:59):
Can
Karen Swim, APR (16:59):
Have the best looking product and your messaging could be so right on point and so great and you could tell perfect stories, but at the end of the day, it's going to matter to people like, "Well, is somebody like me using this? And what do they say?" And that can go from the smallest thing to the biggest thing. It can go from a rug for your living room where you actually want to see and hear from other people like, "Well, was it good for your dogs? Do you have dogs?" Was the sizing really correct? Like you want to know, or if it's a technological tool, you want to know, did this work for people who work like me? What really happened? What could you really do? Did all those features really work? And so don't forget that element. I mean, we're always talking to our clients about Proofpoints because again, you need real people who are using it to be able to share those experiences because other people like your clients want to hear from people like your clients.
Michelle Kane (18:08):
Right. It all comes down to how can we distill everything into life in a tiny town where people talk, but well,
Karen Swim, APR (18:22):
We
Michelle Kane (18:22):
Hope- They pay
Karen Swim, APR (18:23):
For the insights, but they stay for the comedy, Michelle.
Michelle Kane (18:25):
There we go. That's right. But well, hey, we hope you've gotten value out of our time together this week. We always love dishing good information out to you. So we hope that you do value it. And if you do, please share it around. Hit us up at not just soloprpro.com. Oh no, but the podcast now has its own website at sololife.com where you can find all our episodes and just get right to the goodness. But I encourage you also to check out soloprpro.com with more good info like this. And until next time, thanks for joining us on That Solo Life.
Michelle Kane (00:18):
Hello and welcome back to That Solo Life, the podcast for PR pros and marketers who work for themselves. People like me, Michelle Kane with Voice Matters and my wonderful co-host, Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro. How are you, Karen?
Karen Swim, APR (00:32):
I'm doing great, Michelle, on this wonderful Monday midday. Is it afternoon?
Michelle Kane (00:37):
Monday, Monday.
Karen Swim, APR (00:38):
Yeah. How are you doing?
Michelle Kane (00:40):
Something like that. Springtime's not bad. It's a little gloomy and chill, but I'll be complaining that it's too hot soon enough. We're getting through. I can't believe we're almost looking at halfway through the year soon and that's a little wild to even consider. I feel like the
Karen Swim, APR (00:57):
Spring season has mirrored the world at large where you never know what you're going to get on any given day.
Michelle Kane (01:05):
How true is that? Am I turning on my heat? Am I turning on my air conditioning? Can I just open a window? Is the sun going to come out ever? Oh, there it is. Yeah, pretty much.
Karen Swim, APR (01:16):
Will there be sun or will there be hell?
Michelle Kane (01:22):
And within all that crazy, I'm sure you guys out there, you're going through it too. So we thought let's take a look at something we do from time to time. Things solos should know right now. What's out there that we really need to concern ourselves with? Because I know as Kara and I and I talk off pod, we're like, some days it's like, I have my list, but still, where do I begin? So just wanted to touch on a few nuggets that could help all of us get through this together. The one interesting thing I saw was how internal comms can actually be a bigger opportunity for us, which you often think, "Well, how do I get in there?" Because sometimes companies, they're like, "No, no, no, we've got this. We're good. Just do that. " And yet oftentimes we see kind of what they're doing and we're like, "Yeah, no, you really need us in there." So it was nice to see that that is actually becoming an area where we might be able to grow our business.
Karen Swim, APR (02:23):
Yeah. I love this because I think internal comms has always been a part of the Oval Comms picture, but we probably a lot of people have taken more of a casual approach to it. So even when there's an internal comms team, there's still opportunity for solo PR pros to be a part of that process and to really be able to help to guide the strategy because it does impact external communications as well.
Michelle Kane (02:56):
Oh, definitely. I mean, I've seen it and this is no shade against the companies, but they're so focused on servicing their clients or getting their product out that a lot of times keeping employees informed about what's going on or even what maybe they're doing in the community, it doesn't always trickle through. So they'll say, "Oh, were we doing that? Oh, I'd like to help with that kind of thing." And I get it. It's definitely a bandwidth issue, but I wish more places would realize the benefits. It's not a waste of time. It's not a waste of productive time to really build strong internal comms. If anything, it's going to make you better. And even if you can't draw a direct line to profit, I can't see that it would hurt.
Karen Swim, APR (03:49):
Yeah. And I think that you cannot have external clarity with internal confusion. Those two things cannot be true. And so it is worth it for building trust for reputation management to ensure that there is clarity internally before going externally with your campaigns and with your communications. I feel like the internal communications piece is not only a way to really help your teams to be prepared for external questions, to be excited and to be your internal champions around initiatives that you're leading, but it can also be a testing ground for things that you might assume are coming across a certain way. Having that space for true and honest feedback and questions can help you to inform better your external publics when you really value the input of your internal publics.
Michelle Kane (04:53):
Definitely, definitely. I mean, it all comes down to a morale issue sometimes too.
Karen Swim, APR (04:58):
Yes.
Michelle Kane (05:00):
You want your employees to feel seen and feel heard. And when they feel like they have some sort of buy-in in what everyone's working towards, I mean, that can only help you. It's not going to hurt you.
Karen Swim, APR (05:12):
Totally agree.
Michelle Kane (05:13):
Do it companies. Have us important check it out. It's good for you. Eat your vegetables.
Karen Swim, APR (05:22):
Except in this case, it really is like getting a vegetable with a side of cake.
Michelle Kane (05:28):
I like that. I like that. Cake is always good and always welcome.
Karen Swim, APR (05:31):
Cake is always good.
Michelle Kane (05:35):
So that's one thing we want you guys to know. Another cool tidbit that we saw was about trust. They're saying trust is getting smaller and more local. We always love checking out elements of the Edelman Trust barometer and they are, in their words, describing a shift toward insularity with people narrowing trust to smaller, more familiar circles amid economic anxiety. Well, we don't have any of that. Geopolitical tension, everything's fine. And technological disruption. In other words, we're all tightening our circles in some ways. That makes sense.
Karen Swim, APR (06:14):
So
Michelle Kane (06:14):
How does that-
Karen Swim, APR (06:15):
Completely. Whoa. Right? Because
Michelle Kane (06:18):
I
Karen Swim, APR (06:19):
Think for all of us as prices is skyrocketed, but here's the other thing that's come into play. I used to online order quite a bit of things and I don't anymore for ... I was trying to reduce my carbon footprint, but also I'm back to really needing to touch and feel stuff and know that things are true because AI has changed the game. I just read this in- depth article about the wedding industry and their fight against AI where people are using AI to either steal designs or they're creating these dresses that really don't exist.
Michelle Kane (07:00):
Having
Karen Swim, APR (07:00):
AI sellers pop up and scam people or people who are dress shopping or coming into real shops with these dresses that are impossible. These two things can't go together. I don't care that AI did it. Well, I completely understand when you can go to a local vendor to buy a product or a service, you know it's not a copycat, you're getting the real thing. There's some level of authenticity and trust and it's somebody that you can go back to if there's a problem. So this makes sense.
Michelle Kane (07:36):
Yeah, definitely, definitely. And also we've seen the signs outside the shops when you spend your dollars locally, the money stays here. It stays in your community. It stays in your tax basin, for lack of a better actual word, but just everybody wins because we're helping each other stay afloat.
Karen Swim, APR (07:58):
I mean, I think what that means to me for solo PR pros is that maybe you don't have a lot of local clients, but there are local initiatives that
Michelle Kane (08:09):
You
Karen Swim, APR (08:10):
Can absolutely make a part of your strategy. And I think bottom line, it's leaning into creating and sustaining those relationships because that's what it boils down to. It's not relying on the online thought leadership and the online chatter or posting to drive the trust, but making sure that you really are nurturing offline relationships at a local level. I think that that's worth it. And I think that that can have big takeaways even for global companies.
Michelle Kane (08:47):
Oh, absolutely. I mean, I've long felt this to be true. It's not so much the person you might meet at an event, but it's who's in their circle, because you might be surprised.
Karen Swim, APR (08:59):
Yes.
Michelle Kane (09:00):
Even in my tiny town, it's like, "Oh wait, you know someone that what? Where? Really? Okay.
Karen Swim, APR (09:07):
Love that.
Michelle Kane (09:11):
Good times, good times. But yeah, there's a lot of fun stuff out there, but the one thing that might ... Don't think it's a drag, but measurement's not going anywhere, guys. It's not going anywhere. We still have to aim for measurement. And actually, I think as a solo, this could be one of our strongest reasons why people should do business with us because we get it. And I think for most of us, we're probably ahead of the curve as far as prioritizing it. And I think it helps us in so many ways. It helps the prospect or the client realize, oh, okay, you really get that this is about business, not just about creating messaging.
Karen Swim, APR (09:59):
I absolutely agree. And I think that this is still an area that causes a lot of agita with any size PR Pro because we always wonder if we're doing it correctly or if we're doing enough.
(10:18):
And it's really not about having these complicated dashboards and pretty graphics. It really boils down to being able to develop strategies that align with what's important to your client and being able to then say, okay, here's how we can support these goals. Here are the things that we can do. And then not just focusing on activities, but the impact of what you did. And there's so many great resources out there to help you with that. There are measurement tools. There's Katie Payne who runs a measurement school but also has a ton of resources on her website, excuse me. So I think it's worth learning more. The Amec website also has tons of great resources and a framework that you can download for free because these days what I find it's not just about knowing how to talk about measurement, but educating your clients as well because they tend to be outcome focused because they have their own KPIs and they're just driving towards those.
(11:31):
They don't really care what happens. They're going to be looking at the set of numbers and how that needle is moving. So it's really important to have those conversations early and often about what PR really does. Like, here are the outcomes that you can expect. Here's what we're driving for, and then show them how that's doing and be able to make recommendations when you don't hit certain outcomes, like where this could be improved, what went wrong with this because that's just as important. It's not that you have to feel like you are knocking it out of the park every month or every quarter, but you do need to be able to take those learnings and refine your approach so that you can get better results.
Michelle Kane (12:20):
Definitely. And tied with that is the little nugget that social strategy, which I don't know, this doesn't feel so new. Apparently it's less about post more and more about why am I using a platform? This doesn't feel like such a hot new thing, but it's because we've all been on social so much, but it's a good reminder for us and our clients to not just be everywhere because you think you should, the shiny syndrome, but okay, who are we reaching if we're still on Facebook? What's that for? LinkedIn, thought leadership, here's what we can offer you kind of thing.
(13:02):
Instagram is for another reason. Whatever that is for you, make sure just revisit this maybe every six months and say, okay, are we tracking where we should be with these? Are we using them the way we should be? Who is using these channels that we need to talk to because you don't need to be everywhere either. So I love that it's less about jamming the feeds with your posts because especially the way the algorithms are so out there anymore, that doesn't mean a darn thing. So just using things purposely, you don't have to be chasing yourself.
Karen Swim, APR (13:39):
Oh, I love that. And I think that that is probably a breath of fresh air to clients because for so long social media was intimidating for that reason because it felt like it took a lot of time or you had to go on TikTok and dance for everybody in order to get notice or post 15 times a day on Instagram and that is really not a thing anymore. And to be honest, I think that we all need to take a step back and get back to that point of hearing what communicators have been saying since the beginning of time is that you need to focus on communicating with your publics, honesty, with intention, telling them things that matter to them and meeting them where they are, period. It's really not much more complicated than that. Yes, there's always going to be tools and things that come up that tell you to do it differently, or it has to look a certain way, or it has to be delivered a certain way.
(14:44):
But if you keep your eyes on the goal, I think that you can weather these algorithm changes. I cannot speak this Monday and all of the other trends that pop up.
Michelle Kane (14:58):
It's okay. It's okay, but it's so true. And then almost like the flip side of that is the value of community and community as communications channel. Pew just did some research on this and they point to Reddit, that people are gathering in the different communities to drill down for some niche answers or something that's not handled as well with a broad Google search or AI. So it's really something to consider from a client point of view and this is one, you can't just magic community out of nothing and it is super challenging to create a culture that is loyal to your product or your vibe of your company. So this is not easy, but man, if you can do it, it's so worthwhile. And I think too, that just requires stopping to take a closer look at either your ideal customer and also your current customers.o, what questions are they asking us mostly?
(16:15):
What are they coming to us with needs? Is that changing from say a year ago? Okay, how can we ... Again, this is content marketing 101. How can we be the answer to that before they even ask it? It's not high-minded or hard, but it does take a lot of work, a lot of consistent long-term work to be that resource. And if you can get that ...
Karen Swim, APR (16:42):
Yeah. And I mean, I think it goes to show no matter what type of product or service you offer, people still want to hear from people like them, that old sells adadge that people buy from people that they know, like, and trust, that still holds true. You
Michelle Kane (16:59):
Can
Karen Swim, APR (16:59):
Have the best looking product and your messaging could be so right on point and so great and you could tell perfect stories, but at the end of the day, it's going to matter to people like, "Well, is somebody like me using this? And what do they say?" And that can go from the smallest thing to the biggest thing. It can go from a rug for your living room where you actually want to see and hear from other people like, "Well, was it good for your dogs? Do you have dogs?" Was the sizing really correct? Like you want to know, or if it's a technological tool, you want to know, did this work for people who work like me? What really happened? What could you really do? Did all those features really work? And so don't forget that element. I mean, we're always talking to our clients about Proofpoints because again, you need real people who are using it to be able to share those experiences because other people like your clients want to hear from people like your clients.
Michelle Kane (18:08):
Right. It all comes down to how can we distill everything into life in a tiny town where people talk, but well,
Karen Swim, APR (18:22):
We
Michelle Kane (18:22):
Hope- They pay
Karen Swim, APR (18:23):
For the insights, but they stay for the comedy, Michelle.
Michelle Kane (18:25):
There we go. That's right. But well, hey, we hope you've gotten value out of our time together this week. We always love dishing good information out to you. So we hope that you do value it. And if you do, please share it around. Hit us up at not just soloprpro.com. Oh no, but the podcast now has its own website at sololife.com where you can find all our episodes and just get right to the goodness. But I encourage you also to check out soloprpro.com with more good info like this. And until next time, thanks for joining us on That Solo Life.