We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Bast. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Michelle, 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.

At Pulley Media, and I think at marketing agencies nationwide, we’re seeing a huge rise in the usage of AI. I think initially, a lot of agencies pushed back. They didn’t want their clients to use AI for a few reasons, some nobel and some less so. Agencies didn’t want to see incorrect information published (AI doesn’t fact-check), but (selfishly) also didn’t want to see themselves replaced. I treat AI as a valuable coworker, rather than a threat. I’ve fully embraced it, and pay for a few different AI services myself. I think it can really help customize marketing campaigns to make them cohesive.

To share a recent example, I was creating some holiday content for a flooring company here in Fuquay-Varina. I wanted a stock image of a reindeer, walking inside of a home with beautiful floors. The idea was to take the concept of their “pet proof flooring” a little bit further and say it was reindeer proof, for their holiday marketing. Of course, that image doesn’t exist on any stock photo site. By using AI, I was able to create the exact photo that I wanted, and also keep the colors matching the brand’s existing style.

I think there’s a place for AI in the agency space, and there’s really no need to be threatened by it. Those who want to do their own hands-on marketing, will do so regardless of having access to AI or not. Those who want to focus on the business and outsource the marketing, will appreciate the added efficiency that AI brings.

Michelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Michelle Bast, I’m the owner of a marketing agency called Pulley Media. We’re an integrated marketing agency that offers a full suite of services: content writing, paid ad management, SEO, social media marketing, website design, and graphic design services.

I think what makes Pulley Media unique is that we try to fit in where our clients need us. No two clients are identical, so we don’t try to sell everybody on the same marketing package. If you have an excellent web team, but could use some help with managing your social media marketing – no problem! We are happy to focus only on filling the gaps in your existing business, and I think that’s a departure from the all-or-nothing approach that other large agencies take.

I’m also proud of the fact that, while I have a team of designers and developers, I continue to take a hands-on approach to my clients. Every project is one that I’ve been involved in, thought about while driving, and poured a piece of myself into. It’s important to me that we treat technology as a valuable tool, but maintain a human-centric approach to marketing.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Although I spend a TON of time on my client’s websites and social media pages, I spend an alarmingly small amount of time on my own. My clients have originated almost entirely from referrals! Somebody will see a website overhaul that I’ve recently done, and ask my client who they used, and things just flow from there. I’m also a member of several organizations, like my local Chamber of Commerce, which has introduced me to other local business owners. Fostering those relationships over time just naturally turns into sales – which is great, because there is not one sales-y bone in my body! I’m much happier behind my computer, coming up with marketing campaigns.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’m sure a lot of us having this in common, but the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was a huge pivot point for me. I had just had a baby, he was just a few months old. I had a steady client roster that I had been working with for some time, so I expected those first few months of newborn time to hold steady. As long as I didn’t introduce any new clients, we’d have a predictable flow of working coming in to the agency, and no large new projects to rock the boat. Perfect, right? Well, the pandemic hit, and my largest client (the owner of a chain of flower shops) panicked as he saw a potential loss of income. He immediately let me go. One more client followed, because they had to close their doors for an unforeseen amount of time.

I had no idea what to do. So I focused on an education campaign. I called every client and asked how they were impacted by pandemic, what they were feeling from their clients, and what fears they had. I looked at each of their competitors, and figured out what people were tired of seeing (messages starting with “during these uncertain times…”) were prevalent in these early days. This was a time that having a personal relationship with each client allowed me to understand where the cracks in the armor were, and help prop their businesses up and send the right messages, to the right people, at the right time. If we thought their clients were concerned that they might not be able to afford a service, we introduced less expensive offers and focused on introducing financing. If they were a service based industry, we focused on highlighting options for visiting them safely or virtually. Everybody got a customized campaign based on their needs, and I think that’s a great example of why it remains important to me to have a human-centric approach.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pulleymedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulleymedia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PulleyMedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2911109