Nowadays, content marketing and digital PR carry a lot of weight regarding the development and promotion of businesses on the Internet. Moreover, these are the spheres that gain much attention during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forces people to spend more and more time online.
Recently we had an interview with a person who is a content marketing and digital PR expert who helps SaaS companies get more search traffic through team training in digital PR and content promotion. Meet Dayana Mayfield, the founder of Pitch & Profit, who has favorably agreed to answer our questions and share her thoughts on customer experience, content marketing, and digital PR.
How did it all start: Dayana's career path
Q: Dayana, you are the founder of Pitch & Profit, as well as the content marketing and digital PR expert. But how did it all come together? Tell us about your career path.
After college, I started my career in the tech industry as a quality assurance tester for a boutique software development firm. I’ve always loved writing and later decided to start my copywriting business. In 2016, I used my previous work experience to get a contract position as a content writer for a QA startup Testlio, and I still write for this client today. Along the way, I noticed in my writing business that not enough clients are doing digital PR and content promotion to get better SEO results. Today, I train companies in digital PR.
Q: Sounds interesting. And are you satisfied with what you do, or would you like to apply your knowledge and skills to something else in the future?
I love what I do, and I really enjoy doing marketing and PR for B2B businesses. However, I do feel like it would be fun to have my own B2C startup someday. We’ll see what happens!
Q: Yeah, we’ll see what happens. As for now, what is the most exciting aspect of your job?
The best part about my business is helping my clients get more brand awareness while increasing their search rankings at the same time. It’s so fun to see my clients raise in important searches in Google. I’m totally addicted to getting more search rankings!
It's all about work: weird cases, failures, achievements, and opportunities
Q: Can you tell us about the weirdest case you’ve experienced at work, and how did you handle it?
I once encountered a client that had been in business for ten years. They were the first SaaS product of their kind, but they hadn’t invested at all in SEO. Their younger competitor was dominating search results. It was very unfortunate. I handled it by immediately focusing on creating long-form content pieces and helping them rank for over a dozen key phrases that they should have already been ranking for.
Q: What characteristics should a company have to make you want to work with it?
I like working with companies that provide products that are far better than their competitors, not just a little bit different.
Q: Can you name one thing that you consider to be your biggest failure and one thing that you regard as your biggest achievement so far?
I think one of my biggest failures is not having a holistic business from the beginning. For too long, I was focused only on content writing and not enough on content promotion. My biggest achievement is founding Pitch & Profit to help more businesses get better results with SEO by using digital PR strategies.
Q: Is the COVID-19 pandemic a threat or an opportunity for your work?
COVID-19 hasn’t changed my work very much because I was already a copywriter and digital PR trainer for SaaS companies. In fact, I actually have had more leads this year than ever before, as more tech companies seek to gain the market share of businesses that are moving from in-office work to digital work.
Take note: useful pieces of advice from a top digital PR and content marketing professional
Q: Since you are an expert in this field, what are the top-3 pieces of advice in the digital PR sphere?
Don’t just do digital PR to promote your brand. Make sure you use it to promote your SEO content as well. My other key pieces of advice are to set monthly PR goals (such as a number of features or podcast interviews) and to choose just three topics of authority to discuss in the media so that you create a cohesive brand story.
Q: What should a person focus on first to become successful in content marketing?
Focus on making your content better. Don’t try to fool Google into ranking something. Instead, write better content by including quotes from interviews you conduct yourself or statistics from surveys and studies you conduct in-house too.
Q: What is your favorite strategy for avoiding conflict?
Always offer a compliment before giving constructive feedback because people will receive your input better.
Q: How do you keep up with the latest news and trends in your sphere of work? Can you suggest any useful methods or sources?
I love following other content marketing and PR experts on LinkedIn. I find that’s the easiest place to stay up to date, as I don’t have the time for podcasts right now.
Q: What characteristics should a person have to achieve success? What are the top 3 qualities that helped you to succeed?
My top 3 qualities are focus, speed, and commitment. I’m able to stay very focused during my workday, work quickly, and commit to a project through to the end. This is my natural personality, and it has helped me grow my business to a consistent 6-figure income.
Focus, speed, and commitment have helped me to grow my business to a consistent 6-figure income.
Every little bit helps: Dayana's success rituals, motivation, relaxation, and vision
Q: What are your success habits or rituals?
One of my best success rituals is to check my email after my lunch break instead of at the start of my day. By beginning my day with important work, I set myself up for further success. Feeling productive at the beginning of the day helps you generate energy to carry you through the rest of the workday.
One of my best success rituals is to check my email after my lunch break instead of at the start of my day.
Q: And what helps you to relax and distract yourself from stress?
I never work after 4:30 PM on weekdays, and I never work on weekends. I’m very good at sticking to my schedule, which is how I achieve work-life balance as a mom.
Q: I see. Can you tell me what motivates and inspires you to work harder?
I love saving and investing money. I’m definitely motivated by money, because the more money I have, the more I can make smart decisions with and learn more about investing with.
Q: What are the core values that drive you?
My core values are being practical and results-focused. I’m a very no-nonsense person. I’m not addicted to flashy things or social media. I take a relationship-based approach to marketing, and this helps me stand out in my industry. It also helps my clients to trust my advice.
Q: Perfect! And what one word best sums up your vision?
The number one word that sums up my vision is unique. By combining the power of digital PR with the strategy of SEO blogging, I’m able to bring a very unique course to the market. It’s important to me to have very big differentiators in the market.
Personality matters: favorite quote, personal hero, and other Dayana's preferences
Q: What is your favorite quote, and why?
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that has always inspired me because I have noticed in my own life that if I believe something is possible, I will figure out the nitty-gritty steps. Believing is essential to gaining the confidence to move forward.
If I believe something is possible, I will figure out the nitty-gritty steps.
Q: Oh, and how weird and crazy are the ideas that come to your mind on a scale of 1 to 10?
I would say an 8. I think big and get awesome ideas, but they’re usually very doable, if only there were more hours in the day.
Q: Who is your personal hero?
I really admire content marketing expert Julia McCoy. She’s very prolific and has done an amazing job building her personal brand.
Q: Okay, and if you could immediately acquire one new skill, what would it be and why?
I would love to be able to draw better. Then I could write and illustrate my own children's books.
Q: My last but not least question to you: if you could choose one superpower to have, what would it be?
I would choose to fly because it’s fun! We all need a little more fun in our life.
