Small Agency Survival Guide

It's a perennial question for freelancers and agencies: should you give clients what they want, even if what they're asking for is poor quality or won't work? Gwen, Andy and Emily discuss when it's appropriate to push back tactfully and when it's time to give in. Tell us about a time you pushed back against a client! Drop us a line at podcast@cabincommunications.com. 

Breaking up is hard to do...especially when it's a valued client! But sometimes ending a frustrating relationship with a client is the best thing for both parties. Gwen, Andy and Emily discuss a few early warning signs of a bad client and provide a simple script for "breaking up" with those clients. Tell us how you handled a bad client by emailing Cabin Communications at podcast@cabincommunications.com. 

Gwen, Andy and Emily explore 7 keys for successfully planning and promoting a client's special event: Make sure your event is appealing Start planning earlier than you think Script the event for you and for attendees Identify a specific audience  Use the marketing channels you already have Keep annual events fresh Get relevant feedback Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Gwen, Andy and Emily share four tactics for marketing clients who don't have a huge advertising budget.

Gwen, Andy and Emily discuss why Cabin Communications is a "distributed" team and why small agency owners may want to consider the same structure for their teams.

Facebook ads are easy to set up, but hard to use well. Andy, Gwen and Emily discuss best practices for helping your clients get started with Facebook ads and review pitfalls to avoid in the process. Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Gwen, Andy and Emily discuss why it's important for content writers and marketers to write with one or two specific goals in mind and for a specific target audience.  Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Gwen, Andy and Emily tackle five pervasive myths that clients may have about your services: PR and marketing can't possibly take that long...can it? PR and marketing isn't that hard. Anyone can do it! If you build it, they will come. All PR and marketing must have immediate financial ROI. What worked before will work again. Get in touch with Gwen, Andy and Emily by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Getting the word out about your client's news can be tricky in today's media landscape. Fortunately, small agencies can turn to clients' social media fans, employees and influencers to help spread the word.  Get in touch with Gwen, Andy and Emily by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com or tweeting @SmallAgencyPod. 

Gwen, Andy and Emily tackle more questions from journalism/PR majors at Indiana University of Pennsylvania: How do different target audiences affect which social media outlets you focus on? Will podcasts become more popular in the future? How do you balance person and professional social media? How do you keep energy and ideas flowing? How can a small business expand its target audience? Get in touch with Gwen, Andy and Emily by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Gwen, Andy and Emily answer a handful of questions about public relations and agency life, submitted by journalism and PR majors at Indiana University of Pennsylvania: How do you know when to outsource something? What's the difference between working for a small agency, a non-profit and a big company? How much of your work is collaboration vs. solo work? Does a small agency allow for more opportunity for learning? What are the strengths and weaknesses of a small agency from a client's standpoint and yours? What's your opinion on resumes that have a pop of color? Get in touch with Gwen, Andy and Emily by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Social media content development and management can take a lot of time and energy. But it doesn't have to take a lot of expensive tools! Andy, Gwen and Emily share a handful of low-cost, high-impact social media tools that can help your small team with scheduling, graphic design and content curation. Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by tweeting @SmallAgencyPod or emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Gwen, Andy and Emily from Cabin Communications discuss simple and unique ways to keep in touch with prospective clients. Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com

After you've sold a client on your team, your skills and your ideas, it's time to get to know them. But what does that actually look like? In this episode, the team from Cabin Communications discuss some of the key questions to ask your new client—and how to approach tricky subjects like budget and office hours. 

When you're a freelancer or part of a small team, taking photos at a special event may fall to you. But it doesn't have to be a nightmare! In this episode, Andy, Gwen and Emily from Cabin Communications share concrete strategies for taking useable photos at a client's special event.

Media relations can be tricky, given the ever-shifting media landscape. Does that mean that press releases are dead? Andy, Gwen and Emily from Cabin Communications discuss how to approach drafting a press release—and what to do after writing one. Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by tweeting @SmallAgencyPod or emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.

Freelancers and small agency owners often want to take on a wide range of clients and projects, but not every potential client is ready for it. In the first episode of Small Agency Survival Guide, the team at Cabin Communications discusses Andy's criteria for new clients and the red flags that may signal trouble ahead. Get in touch with Small Agency Survival Guide by emailing podcast@cabincommunications.com.