How Theater Taught Sarah Kleist to Bring Brands to Life

Hey everyone,

Austin Dandridge here. After a hiatus, I’m back with another new episode of The Marketing Factor. I’m stoked to get back to sharing these conversations with all of you.

This one is packed with actionable advice about how to leverage different platforms, so be sure to give it a listen:

Starting out on stages, Sarah Kleist nailed the art of storytelling, a skill she now uses to help brands craft their messages—from relatable TikToks to quick-turn web design. In this episode of The Marketing Factor, she gets into how her theater background gives her a unique lens on marketing, blending creativity and strategy to reach audiences where they are.

Read on for five highlights from my chat with Sarah and be sure to catch the full episode to hear all of her thoughts on branding, engagement, and stopping the scroll.

Theater Meets Branding

Sarah steps into the shoes of her client’s audience like she used to step into character, creating brands that feel familiar and build trust from the start.

Authenticity on TikTok and Instagram

Sarah focuses on relatable, genuine content for TikTok and Reels. Create for TikTok first, repurpose for Reels, and keep Instagram’s main feed a little more polished.

Stopping the Scroll

With anything short-form, you’ve got to grab attention fast. Sarah recommends flipping traditional storytelling, coming out of the gates with the climax to keep viewers watching.

Web Design On Demand

With Sarah’s “website-in-a-day” offer, clients get a custom site that’s ready to go in less than 24 hours. It’s perfect for brands that know what they want and need a quick, quality launch.

Prioritizing SEO Where It Counts

For high-cost, low-volume brands, Sarah skips heavy SEO and focuses on brand identity. For high-volume businesses, she suggests targeting niche keywords to reach the right eyes.

If you’re new, here’s how you can follow along with my weekly podcast:

→ Weekly episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple. Every Wednesday.

→ Short-form content on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

→ Follow me on Threads!

Until next time,

Austin Dandridge