Steve Maly: Stories are the Secret to Creative Messaging

What’s the secret to creative messaging? Well, according to Steve Maly, it all starts with a good story.  In this episode of Social PR Secrets, Lisa Buyer talks to Activist Steve Maly. Activist isn’t just a title on a business card to Steve, it’s his approach to marketing. Steve isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty trying new things and thinks it’s important to show clients active solutions for their marketing woes early in the game. It’s a pretty good conversation starter, too. This Nebraskan comes from a whole family of entrepreneurs and has always known he wanted his own business. His agency, Maly Marketing, has been around for 16 years and does a lot of its business in the economic development and tourism industry, and also works with small businesses and online advertising. It’s The Little Things Throughout the episode, Steve reveals some of the strategies his agency uses to build trust with clients and drive sales. It’s all about the small, upfront wins, and keeping things simple and easy to comprehend. Strategy always comes first, but paying attention to the nitty-gritty can make a big difference in your relationship with a client. And while it’s impossible to ignore how much marketing has changed since Facebook first came out, Steve talks about some of the ways he thinks marketing has changed for good, and how to utilize that as a marketer. What’s the importance of networking? Steve discusses how finding a mastermind group to lean on can help your business, and how having a big network became invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Is professional development worth the investment? After his company made 37% of its total revenue from connections made at masterminds, it’s a resounding yes from Steve. Look for the Story Stories, the ones we tell ourselves, the ones we tell others, and the ones we want to tell others, inform so many of our choices. Certain symbols of status can influence where we vacation, where we shop and what we buy. How can you take advantage of that in your marketing? Steve explains how to get out of your own way and find the stories that speak directly to what drives your consumer. With a good enough story, you might even get them to watch a video longer than 30 seconds. Looking for something to listen to after you finish this episode of Social PR Secrets? Steve gives his favorite resources to learn more about the latest news in the marketing world.  “If you’re more relatable, you’re more approachable. And if you’re more approachable, you’re gonna get, generally speaking, more business.” Topics Discussed Activism in marketing How to build trust with a client Using Facebook and Google algorithms to your advantage Having a network to lean on and learn from How status signals and stories affect marketing Tips for creative messaging Steve’s favorite resources  Contact Steve Maly