Katelyn Rhoades' Secrets to Building a Multi-Brand Empire

Ever wondered how some agency owners seem to effortlessly command attention, build massive communities, and drive consistent leads? 

We sat down with Katelyn Rhoades, owner of Influence Marketing Studio and host of the "Call Her Creator" podcast, to uncover her strategies for leveraging a multi-brand approach to grow her agency and personal brand to an incredible 171k followers.

From Corporate to Creative: The Genesis of Influence Marketing Studio

Katelyn's journey into entrepreneurship wasn't a sudden leap. After years in corporate marketing and agency settings, the birth of her second child sparked a desire for more control over her schedule. 

"I knew that I wanted more of a schedule of my own," Katelyn shared. In 2021, after dabbling in freelancing, she took the plunge, leaving her full-time job and actively promoting her services online.

Her breakthrough came with Reels. As an early adopter, Katelyn quickly saw her short-form videos gain millions of views, leading to a flood of inquiries. This organic lead generation was so successful that she soon found herself overwhelmed. 

"I got to the point where I was getting so many clients coming in and new leads that were signing on with me that I couldn't handle it myself anymore," she explained. 

This demand led to the official launch of Influence Marketing Studio.

The Power of Personality: Why Your Personal Brand Matters

Katelyn's success isn't just about clever marketing. It's deeply rooted in her personal brand. 

"People at the end of the day, they hire humans," Katelyn emphasized. 

She intentionally infused her personality into her Instagram content, transforming her personal page into a primary lead source for her agency.

This personal connection resonated not only with potential clients but also with other brands. 

Her authentic presence on Instagram led to an offer from Stan to produce her podcast, "Call Her Creator," further diversifying her revenue streams.

Finding Your Authentic Self on Camera

For many, showing up authentically on camera can feel daunting. Katelyn, known for her "goofy and silly" online persona, acknowledges this challenge. 

Her advice? "If you're someone out there that's like, video is not for me, tap into that character and make them be camera-ready."

She shared an example of a client, a charter company owner, who wasn't comfortable being "silly." 

Instead, Katelyn and her team helped her script "day in the life" videos and "show up for her people" by showcasing her expertise. 

The key isn't about being overtly entertaining if that's not your style, but about humanizing your brand and letting your audience connect with the person behind the business.

Juggling Multiple Brands: Strategy and Teamwork

Katelyn successfully manages three distinct online presences: her personal brand (@thecaitlinrhodes), the Influence Marketing Studio agency page, and the "Call Her Creator" podcast page. 

While they all aim to get her expertise out there, each serves a specific purpose:

• @thecaitlinrhodes (Personal Brand): Positions Katelyn as the speaker and expert on all things social, educating and offering a peek behind the agency's curtain. This acts as the top of the funnel, drawing in a broad audience.
  
  
• "Call Her Creator" (Podcast): Caters to individuals looking to monetize their passions online, providing valuable educational content. This moves the audience further down the funnel.
  
  
• Influence Marketing Studio (Agency): Focuses on attracting clients for social media management and teaching other social media managers. This represents the conversion point in the funnel.

Katelyn stresses that managing these isn't a solo endeavor.

"I have a team helping me with that content, too. It is not all me posting," she clarified. 

Her team members, Darby and Alex, manage the agency and podcast accounts, freeing Katelyn to focus on her personal brand. 

This highlights the importance of delegation and utilizing tools like Cloud Campaign for scheduling and analytics.

Reels, Hashtags, and Engagement: Katelyn's Content Nitty-Gritty

The Ever-Evolving Reels Strategy

The Instagram algorithm is constantly changing, and Katelyn's Reels strategy adapts accordingly. 

While she initially found success with almost any content, the focus has shifted. 

"The algorithm is focused right now on share-worthy content," she revealed. 

Relatable humor and skits that prompt shares are currently performing well. Talking head videos also work, but require excellent editing and dynamic changes within the first three seconds to hold attention. 

For those unsure what resonates, Katelyn recommends experimentation. Her own 30-day Reels challenge (which she offered attendees for free!) provides diverse ideas, encouraging users to test different formats and analyze their performance over time.

Katelyn also leverages trending audios and, surprisingly, remixed Reels. By taking viral memes or movie clips and tying them into her industry, she's seen incredible results, including one remix hitting eight million views.

The Role of Hashtags and Keywords

While some debate their importance, Katelyn remains a believer in hashtags. 

She views them as Instagram's way of indexing content, making it discoverable when users search for specific terms. 

However, she emphasizes the equal importance of keywords within text overlays and captions. 

For newer accounts, hashtags can be particularly beneficial in helping Instagram understand and categorize content.

Boosting Engagement: Simple Calls to Action and Reciprocity

Low engagement can be frustrating, but Katelyn has actionable tips:

1. Revisit your Calls to Action (CTAs): Instead of always pushing for a sale, try simple, low-barrier CTAs like "Rate my dance skills from 1-10" or "Drop your opinion using emojis." This encourages interaction without immediately demanding a purchase.
2. Give to Get: Katelyn makes a point of actively engaging with other accounts. Responding to comments on your own posts and genuinely interacting with others' content in your feed and stories fosters a sense of community and encourages reciprocal engagement. "If people are spending time to give you some kind of comment, the least you could do is reply back to them," she stated.

Selling on Stories: Don't Be Afraid to Talk About Your Offers

Katelyn candidly admitted that a dip in her digital offer sales recently was a result of her own oversight. She just stopped talking about them! 

Her husband's observation, "You used to post about them all the time in your stories and talk about them," was a wake-up call.

Her strategy for selling on stories is simple but effective:

• Talk about it consistently: A small percentage of your audience sees each post, so repetition is key.
• Focus on results, not technicalities: Instead of listing what's included in an offer, highlight the pain points it solves and the results clients can achieve. "Tell them your results. Tell them talk about those pain points that they're probably having too, and I can guarantee you that is going to sell much better," Katelyn advised.
• View it as a service: "You're actually doing them a disservice by not talking about it" if your offer helps people.

Actionable Tips for Agencies and Marketers

Building Social Proof

• Leverage your own success: Katelyn's personal Instagram following and Reels views serve as significant social proof.
• Create a "Brag About It" channel: Internally collect client compliments and wins to easily share as testimonials.
• Showcase client wins: Feature successful client content or growth achievements.
• Don't be afraid to ask: Reach out to happy clients for video testimonials or Google reviews.

Video Editing Tools

Katelyn primarily uses Instagram's built-in editor and InShot (a paid app costing around $15/year). 

She notes that while Instagram's CEO states it shouldn't matter where you edit (as long as there's no watermark), some creators still re-upload content edited externally back into Instagram to be safe.

Helping B2B Clients with Reels

For B2B agencies struggling to get video content from clients, Katelyn suggests:

• Provide a list of easy-to-record B-roll videos: Send a Google Drive link and specific, simple requests (e.g., "record yourself at your computer for 10 seconds").
• Send timely Reels trends: Curate 3-4 trending audio ideas weekly for clients to record and post themselves.

Dispelling Common Myths

Katelyn and Mya debunked two common social media myths:

1. Where you edit your video matters for reach: According to Instagram's CEO, it doesn't, as long as there's no watermark.
2. Scheduling content hurts engagement: Both Katelyn and Mya, along with other industry experts, confirm that this is a myth. Consistency, aided by scheduling tools like Cloud Campaign, is more important.

Katelyn Rhoades' insights offer a powerful roadmap for agency owners and marketers looking to expand their reach and impact. 

By embracing personal branding, strategically managing multiple platforms, and focusing on genuine connection and value, you too can cultivate a thriving online presence and a flourishing business.

Ready to put Katelyn’s insights into action? Click here to get started with your free two-week Cloud Campaign trial now!