BuzzStream Digital PR and Link Building Podcast

BuzzStream
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Join host Vince Nero as he interviews link building, SEO, and digital PR experts to bring you tips and tricks for better coverage and rankings.

  1. From Pickle Chocolate Shakes to Fake Athletes: Inside Creative PR Campaigns

    17H AGO

    From Pickle Chocolate Shakes to Fake Athletes: Inside Creative PR Campaigns

    What separates a forgettable digital PR campaign from one that actually gets coverage, links, and results? In this episode, Vince sits down with Katy Powell — PR director and co-founder of Bottled Imagination — to talk about what it really takes to build creative campaigns that stand out. They get into everything: how to stress-test ideas before you pitch them, why you should be thinking more like an ad agency, how to mitigate risk when going big, and what "So What Reporting" actually means for your clients. Plus, Katy shares the stories behind two standout campaigns — a fake footballer designed to raise gambling awareness, and a very unusual protein shake flavor event involving pickles and chocolate. If you're in digital PR and feel like you've been stuck doing the same thing over and over, this one's for you. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 02:26 – What makes Bottled Imagination so creative? 06:02 – How to stress-test a campaign idea 08:27 – What actually makes an idea press-worthy? 13:38 – The ProteinWorks pickle & chocolate campaign 18:04 – Overcoming data and execution challenges 21:43 – Getting the data you need (and the AI trap to avoid) 29:11 – The Jordan Rees fake footballer campaign 33:03 – How to measure creative campaigns beyond just links 35:54 – "So What Reporting" explained 🔗 Links and resources Full post: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/creative-digital-pr-podcast/Bottled Imagination: https://bottledimagination.comConnect with Katie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-powell-333717127/Try ListIQ (media list building tool): https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/BuzzStream: https://buzzstream.com---💬 Have a question about creative digital PR? Drop it in the comments! 👍 If you found this useful, like and subscribe for more episodes on digital PR, link building, and content strategy.

    36 min
  2. How to Get Your Brand Cited by AI with Bernard Huang

    MAR 4

    How to Get Your Brand Cited by AI with Bernard Huang

    Getting your brand mentioned in AI answers isn't luck — it's a strategy. In this episode, Vince sits down with Bernard Huang, founder of ClearScope, to break down exactly how AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini decide what brands to recommend, and what you can do about it. They cover the three layers of how AI generates a response, why links are becoming less important than co-mentions, how digital PR fits into the AEO playbook, and what "topical authority" actually means in a world where AI answers questions before anyone clicks through. If you're in SEO, digital PR, or content marketing, this one's worth a watch. --- ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 03:07 — Training data vs. real-time grounding: what's the difference? 03:45 — The 3 layers of how AI generates a response 09:08 — Do you need on-site content, or can off-page do the job? 12:13 — Is informational content still worth making? 17:10 — Chunking, character budgets, and content depth 20:00 — Two schools of thought: cosine similarity vs. information gain 23:35 — How digital PR and entity mentions work for AEO 28:31 — Real-world example: reactive PR and the halo effect 33:01 — How to track digital PR success for AI visibility --- 🔗 Links - ClearScope: https://www.clearscope.io/ - BuzzStream List IQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq - Full post: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/ai-brand-playbook-podcast/ - Bernard Huang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjhuang/ Subscribe for more episodes on digital PR, SEO, and content strategy.

    43 min
  3. The Reddit Strategy That's Winning in 2026

    FEB 25

    The Reddit Strategy That's Winning in 2026

    Reddit has quietly become one of the most powerful platforms for brand visibility — and most marketers are doing it wrong. In this episode, Ross Simmonds (founder of Foundation Marketing and author of Create Once, Distribute Forever) breaks down exactly how brands should be showing up on Reddit in 2026 — from reputation management to influencing AI-generated search results. We cover: ✅ Why Reddit is now critical for LLM visibility (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) ✅ How to audit and monitor the subreddits that actually matter for your brand ✅ The right way to build karma and credibility before posting ✅ Why comments matter more than upvotes when it comes to AI citations ✅ The black hat tactics that will get your brand permanently banned ✅ How to measure Reddit's impact on pipeline and revenue Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 2:35 – How Reddit is different from other social platforms 6:21 – The 3 types of marketers approaching Reddit right now 9:31 – Reputation management: how to handle negative Reddit threads 16:18 – Building karma and credibility before posting 26:43 – Which subreddits Google actually associates with your category 29:42 – Black hat tactics and why they backfire 35:33 – Measuring attribution and ROI from Reddit 🔔 Subscribe for more marketing strategy, PR, and outreach tips from the BuzzStream podcast. 📖 Ross's book Create Once, Distribute Forever: https://www.amazon.com/Create-Once-Distribute-Forever-Creators/dp/1544541295 🌐 Foundation Marketing: https://foundationinc.co/ 🎙️ Previous episode with Ross: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/content-distribution-podcast/ 🔗 BuzzStream: https://www.buzzstream.com/ 📋 List IQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

    44 min
  4. Is Social Media the Future of PR? With Manychat's Mady Lanni

    FEB 18

    Is Social Media the Future of PR? With Manychat's Mady Lanni

    Is your PR strategy still living in 2015? In this episode, Mady Lanni (PR & Communications Manager at Manychat) breaks down why social media needs to be at the center of your digital PR strategy—not just an afterthought. Mady shares how she's building Manychat's PR function from the ground up with a social-first mindset, why the creator economy is poised to reach $200 billion by 2030, and how to turn viral social moments into legitimate PR wins. Whether you're agency-side or in-house, this conversation will change how you think about content distribution, influencer partnerships, and the future of earned media. 🔗 Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/madysonlannihttps://www.instagram.com/theprgirlie/Try ManyChat: https://manychat.comTry BuzzStream's ListIQ: https://buzzstream.com/listiq⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 01:37 - Mady's background: From agency to in-house at Manychat 07:58 - How to insert your content into trending conversations 08:28 - Creating social-first content: The soundbite strategy 11:58 - Understanding your audience: Which platforms actually matter? 20:05 - How to spot trends: Metrics vs. gut instinct 22:56 - Three ways to use social: Ideas, outreach, and content creation 27:01 - How to identify and reach out to influencers 31:01 - Final hot take: The creator economy is the future of all media --- ⭐️ KEY TAKEAWAYS: ✅ Social media should be integrated into your PR strategy from day one, not added as an afterthought ✅ Train a separate social media account's algorithm to catch relevant trends for your brand ✅ Not every viral moment is right for your brand—focus on relevance over virality ✅ The future of PR is fully integrated: SEO + Social + Influencer + Email + Comms ✅ Budget for influencer partnerships—it's becoming table stakes---👍 Like this episode? Subscribe and hit the bell for more digital PR strategy insights.

    34 min
  5. Is Common Crawl Secretly Being Used to Train All LLMs?

    FEB 10

    Is Common Crawl Secretly Being Used to Train All LLMs?

    In this episode of the BuzzStream podcast, host Vince Nero interviews Metehan Yesilyurt, Chief Growth Officer at AEO Vision, about the significance of AI training data, particularly Common Crawl. They explore how AI models use this data, the importance of metrics such as page rank and harmonic centrality, and the challenges posed by data accessibility. The conversation emphasizes the need for relevancy in AI citations and the evolving landscape of AI and SEO.⏰ Chapters00:00 Introduction 02:17 Understanding AI Training Data 04:49 Exploring Common Crawl 07:37 The Role of Common Crawl in AI 10:12 Metrics: Page Rank and Harmonic Centrality 12:31 AI Citations and Brand Positioning 15:21 The Future of AI and Data Sources 17:35 Relevancy vs. Authority in Links 20:20 Challenges with Common Crawl 22:52 Final Thoughts and Future Predictions 🔗 Links and Resources: Connect with Metehan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/metehanyesilyurt/ https://aeovision.ai/ His tool and study: https://metehan.ai/blog/cc-rank/ https://webgraph.metehan.ai/ Common Crawl's article: https://commoncrawl.org/blog/how-seos-are-using-common-crawls-web-graph-data-for-ai-ranking-signals BuzzStream's article: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/publishers-block-ai-study/ ListIQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq

    33 min
  6. How Audience Research Turned Frustration Into a Viral Campaign

    JAN 28

    How Audience Research Turned Frustration Into a Viral Campaign

    What makes a great marketing idea… actually great? In this episode of the BuzzStream Podcast, host Vince Nero sits down with Paxton Gray, CEO of 97th Floor, to break down one of the most talked-about creative B2B campaigns ever: The Rage Cage. Paxton not only gives us the story behind the Rage Cage campaign (yes, accountants smashing printers), but we also go deep into how audience research (real conversations, not dashboards) fuels breakthrough ideas and why “best practices” rarely lead to great marketing. This is a must-watch for agency owners, in-house marketers, SEOs, PRs, and growth marketers. ⏰ Timestamp 00:00 – Intro 02:10 – The Rage Cage campaign explained 05:55 – How the campaign drove SEO, PR, and real revenue 09:38 – Getting buy-in for big creative swings 14:23 – Why great ideas can’t be copied or scaled 21:10 – Turning audience research into breakthrough campaigns 🔗 Linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paxtongray/ https://www.97thfloor.com/ https://www.buzzstream.com/

    34 min
  7. The Secrets Behind Telling Stories With Your Data with Six Chillies

    JAN 21

    The Secrets Behind Telling Stories With Your Data with Six Chillies

    Data has a reputation for being boring, but it can do wonders for your marketing. This podcast is all about getting your heads out of the spreadsheets. In this episode, host Vince Nero sits down with Thierry Ngutegure and George Sinnott, co-founders of Six Chillies — a UK-based, data-centric agency on a mission to make data-led content feel human* creative, and actually useful. If you’re in digital PR, content marketing, or SEO, this one’s packed with practical insights. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 — Intro 03:47 — Why data gets labeled “boring” 09:08 — Is AI making data storytelling easier or harder? 11:33 — How to use AI the right way for ideation 16:12 — Best data sources to start with 20:54 — How to find stories *without* living in spreadsheets 24:47 — What makes a data story “cool”? 31:50 — Strategy frameworks for pitching + presenting data 40:40 — Biggest mistakes people make with data-led content🔗 Linkswww.sixchillies.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thierryngutegure/https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-sinnott-020738133/

    54 min
  8. The PR Pitch Problem Nobody's Talking About with Synapses' Charlie Russell

    JAN 14

    The PR Pitch Problem Nobody's Talking About with Synapses' Charlie Russell

    Even perfect pitches get buried when journalists receive 1,000+ emails per day. Here's what's replacing the traditional PR playbook. In this episode, I sit down with Charlie Russell, CEO and Founder of Synapse, a stories marketplace that's rethinking how PR professionals connect with journalists. Charlie brings a unique perspective from his years working at Dow Jones and Gorkana (a leading media database), and he's built a solution that moves PR pitching out of overloaded inboxes entirely.We discuss: Why email has become an ineffective channel for PR outreachThe decline of traditional media databases and what's replacing themHow to build real relationships with journalists in the AI eraWhy "spray and pray" tactics hurt everyone (even targeted pitchers)The quality vs. quantity debate in digital PRDifferences between UK and US PR landscapesHow AI is reshaping journalism and expert sourcingWhether you're an agency PR pro, in-house consultant, or just trying to get better media coverage, this conversation will change how you think about journalist outreach.🔗 LinksCharlie Russell's LinkedIn:   / charlierussell85  Synapse: https://synapse.media⏰ Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 2:07 - What is Synapse and what problem does it solve? 4:06 - The noise problem in PR and building relationships 11:18 - How Synapse differs from journalist request platforms 14:24 - When did media databases stop being effective? 17:48 - How media databases work and journalist incentives 21:27 - Should PR pros build relationships with journalists? 31:01 - Final thoughts and UK vs. US PR differences

    39 min
See All (84)

About

Join host Vince Nero as he interviews link building, SEO, and digital PR experts to bring you tips and tricks for better coverage and rankings.

Information

You Might Also Like