PR Formula to Stop Being Invisible | Amy Bartko, episode 160

EP 160.   PR is more than press—it’s the visibility that builds credibility and drives sales. In this episode, Sarah Panus talks with Amy Bartko, founder of Chatterbox PR & Marketing, about her PR formula: gain visibility to earn credibility and achieve profitability. Amy shares insider tips for landing media, influencer, and celebrity coverage, plus practical steps brands can take to stop being invisible and start getting noticed.

When it comes to growing a brand, there’s one crucial puzzle piece that’s often overlooked: PR. Marketing With Empathy® Host Sarah Panus sits down with renowned PR expert Amy Bartko for a packed episode exploring how smart public relations can boost your brand’s visibility—especially among family decision makers. If you’ve ever wondered how to get your products featured in top media or land on the radars of influencers, celebrities, and millions of moms, this episode is a goldmine. Let’s dive in!

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways

Amy Bartko’s Signature PR Formula
Amy believes in a simple-yet-powerful formula: “Gain visibility to earn credibility—and achieve profitability.” Whether you’re a startup or legacy brand, that credibility comes from trusted third parties (media, influencers, celebrities) spotlighting your brand. The moment Parents Magazine recommends your stroller or a celebrity shares your product, your credibility skyrockets.

PR is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Amy stresses that while you can quickly land some PR wins, most results take time. Organic placements in gift guides, features, or celebrity mentions require consistent outreach and authentic relationship-building.

Influencers, Celebrities & Media: What Works Now

• Influencers: Modern content creators expect payment or fair affiliate programs. Nurture relationships—sometimes a strong commission model is more impactful (one influencer made over $100K from affiliate links!).

• Celebrities: Strategic, organic gifting can lead to impressive exposure. Amy gifts celebrities and influencers quarterly and boasts up to 85% post or unveil rate.

• Media Roundups: Product roundups and holiday gift guides are invaluable, especially if you do your research and pitch products that fit relevant stories (e.g., “Best Gifts for Moms Under $50”).

Pitching Like a Pro

• Set up Google Alerts for your brand, competitors, and relevant journalists to stay in the loop.

• Personalize every pitch—subject lines must be ultra-clear (“Best Travel Stroller for Family Vacations”).

• Engage with journalists’ content and social media. Connection counts!

• Avoid “spray and pray” pitches—quality beats quantity.

DIY PR Tools & Resources
Don’t have a big PR budget or team? Amy offers an affordable self-paced PR course and a free “Do’s & Don’ts of Pitching” guide. Sarah also recommends signing up for HARO (now sourcesofsources.com) and Quoted (Qwoted) for real-time media requests.

“The PR formula to build brand awareness is you need to gain visibility to earn credibility, and you will then achieve profitability. PR is a marathon. It is not a sprint.”
— Amy Bartko

Quick Recap

Amy Bartko shares her proven framework for brands to break through the noise: get seen, get trusted, and grow your bottom line—with practical tips for working with influencers, celebrities, and media in today’s environment. Whether you’re a PR newbie or looking to sharpen your approach, her actionable advice and resources can help any marketer start building organic buzz—without needing a huge budget.

Resources & Links Mentioned in Episode

• FREEBIE: Do’s & Don’ts of Pitching Freebie: https://chatterbox.mykajabi.com/free

• Amy Bartko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybartko/

• Amy’s PR Course: https://chatterbox.mykajabi.com/cracking-the-media-code

• HARO (Sources of Sources): sourcesofsources.com

• Quoted (Qwoted): qwoted.com

• Chatterbox PR Marketing: (Amy’s agency website – https://chatterboxbrands.com/

Meet the Guest: Amy Bartko

Amy Bartko is the founder of Chatterbox PR Marketing, a two-time bestselling author, and trusted PR strategist for lifestyle and family brands. With 25+ years in the industry, Amy has landed brands on Today Show, Forbes, Scary Mommy, and even placed products in the hands of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kate Hudson. She’s as passionate about teaching brands to do their own PR as she is about landing them major wins.

Closing

Ready to secure your own PR wins? Dive into Amy’s free “Do’s & Don’ts of Pitching” and her approachable course to uplevel your brand’s visibility—no matter your budget or team size. And don’t forget, building credibility starts with getting your story placed where it matters most to your target audience.

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Thanks for listening—and keep showing up with empathy and strategy in your marketing.

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About Marketing With Empathy® Podcast Host, Sarah Panus

Marketing With Empathy® is the podcast for brands that want to target & engage mom customers. Moms influence or control 85% of ALL household purchases, but without the right content strategy many brands are missing out on sales. Sarah Panus helps busy marketers build clear content plans that reach more moms – and other key customers – to drive more leads and sales. Top 5% of all podcasts, and member of Marketing Podcast Network.

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With 20+ years of experience, Sarah understands how hard it is to juggle all the demands coming at you. She’s a mom, content marketing strategy consultant, Certified StoryBrand Coach, 2x podcast host of Marketing With Empathy® and KEEP KIDS SAFE, a speaker, and owner of Kindred Speak®. Sarah’s helped clients of all sizes including: Sleep Number, SHEFIT, American Express, LegalZoom, Katie Couric Media, Thrive Global, Nestle Waters, Lindt Chocolate, Starbucks, Western Green, JHL Turf Pros, Christos Bridal, University of St. Thomas, American Heart Association, + numerous small businesses.

Podcast Produced by Sarah Panus