We were lucky to catch up with Haley Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Haley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

As Millennials and Gen Z enter the workforce and gain purchasing power, social responsibility and company values are playing a bigger role in marketing for organizations of all sizes. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for budget-conscious organizations to both market to and embody these values. Consumers now have the means and motivation to investigate whether a company truly supports the environment or if they have just created a greenwashed brand. They also want to know if a DEI statement represents a diverse workforce or if it is just words on paper. This means that budget-conscious companies must decide if they want to invest in their policies, practices, and causes, or if they want to prioritize traditional marketing and advertising to compete with larger companies.

For smaller businesses with limited budgets, this can be a difficult decision. Choosing to prioritize their values may mean they do not have the visibility they need to grow the company, while prioritizing marketing may mean they do not have the resources to sustain it. However, over time, businesses that prioritize their values are thriving as consumers are more inclined to support them. By dedicating themselves to their mission, these businesses are finding patience in areas they want to grow and are seeing the benefits of a limited marketing budget as their message resonates with consumers.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

As a trauma-informed marketing strategist and copywriter, I work with values-driven service providers to create ethical and supportive customer journey experiences for their ideal clients. I know that’s a mouthful, so let me simplify it for you: I create marketing strategies that feel good for people who do good.

When I graduated college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to specialize in, and I didn’t want to get stuck in an industry I didn’t love. Freelancing gave me the flexibility to work in a variety of industries and types of marketing without limiting my options for the future. After a few years in business, I found that I had a passion for offering an approachable marketing experience that my clients could feel good about. I love the challenge of solving the puzzle that is business and marketing, and I’m motivated every day by figuring out what problem there is to solve.

I created the Marketing Roadmap™ to provide an ethical and supportive marketing approach for business owners who care about their customers’ journey. The methods and language we learn in school are often focused on massive companies with big budgets, but my approach breaks things down in a way that is approachable for everyone. The first time I presented a Marketing Roadmap™ to a client who “knew nothing about marketing,” their excitement and understanding was a standout moment for me. I carry that moment with me in every Marketing Roadmap™ I create because I believe that everyone should have access to marketing strategies that feel good and make sense.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’ve always been a big fan of using LinkedIn for service providers. There’s a misconception that LinkedIn is just for finding a job or for spammy sales messages, but LinkedIn is an amazing way to target, connect, and build real relationships with your ideal clients in a way that’s just as natural as going to a networking event or trading business cards. Using Linkedin to grow my network and then using content and personal connection to stay. top of mind and foster those relationships has helped me not only grow my clientele over time but also develop referral partnerships, find media opportunities, and establish myself as a thought leader in the ethical marketing space – no spammy sales messages required.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I don’t waste time or energy on people or things I don’t care about. I don’t think I’ve ever laid it out so explicitly, but that’s the truth. I don’t jump on trends that don’t feel right for me, I don’t take on projects that I don’t believe in, and I don’t follow, promote, or support people or businesses that don’t align with my values. This gives me the energy to care so deeply about the people/clients/projects I do have in my life and I think that comes through in the quality of those relationships and the experiences people do have with me. I don’t have a massive following or huge network or laundry list of famous brands I’ve worked with – and I don’t care if I ever do – but I don’t have to pretend to be someone or something I’m not and I think people trust that.

Contact Info:

• Website: haleyejohnson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleyejohnson/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-e-johnson/
• Other: Become a thought leader on LinkedIn when you join Thought Leaders Collective – https://thepropegy.com/tlc/ Listen to Messy in the Middle – https://www.haleyejohnson.com/category/podcast/