Sarah Panus

Marketing With Empathy® helps brand content marketers more confidently navigate the world of brand storytelling. Listen as host, and 20+ year expert, Sarah Panus, helps you drive better results by connecting heart-to-heart and mind-to-mind with your customers. (+ earn the recognition, growth & personal happiness that comes from creating great work).

Each episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at how companies are attracting upper-funnel leads that drive lower-funnel results through storytelling. Giving listeners insights on actual strategies and tactics they can use in their work.

Obj: Help build trust with brand's customers by creating an emotional hook with health & wellness outcomes tied to proven quality sleep.

Developed strategic campaign for Sleep Number client to showcase customer series in this 6-part editorial video series, along with other written and varied formats used across company channels. Identified content gap need, pitched and secured idea and budget approval, casted and interviewed all owners to find the right fit. Sourced video production company, led editorial vision, and oversaw video production with crew until finished and launched.

Ideated the creation of this Sleep Number mini-documentary videos with external media partner, Thrive Global, to help increase the awareness of sleep’s importance among target audiences. Link shows multiple video examples created throughout the years.

6+ year Editor-in-Chief of billion-dollar retailer's, Sleep Number, blog. Led editorial direction for story, working with Contently writer team to draft, and copyedited to naturally include Sleep Number products editorially throughout.

Led Sleep Number branded content partnership with external partner, Katie Couric Media. This is one of many editorial stories I helped lead editorial direction of, and is a good example of how we editorially inserted Sleep Number's thought leadership in a non-promotional way.

Led editorial content strategy and owned content partnership for Sleep Number with partner, Katie Couric Media. This article was #1 most clicked the day it appeared in KCM's daily e-newsletter (vs. 40 other links in same email!)!

One of many articles and social content created during the two-year brand partnership.

Client article: Sarah led editorial insights into the need for this storytelling theme at the beginning of COVID pandemic. Worked with Contently writers to draft 3-part series driving strong brand engagement results.

Women often feel like they should be doing more, and it leads to a lot of unhappiness. Learn why women are so hard on themselves, and how they can improve their self-esteem and wellbeing.

I should be exercising more.
I should declutter the pantry.
I should eat more vegetables.
I should spend more time with the kids.
I shou...

Customer stories (ongoing): Sharing customer stories to increase new customer engagement and consideration + increase existing customer product use. This link shows approximately 50 customer stories created through the years.

6+ year Editor-in-Chief of billion-dollar retailer, Sleep Number's blog; driving millions in annual revenue. Led outreach, selections and interviews for almost every customer story shown on this link. Worked with Contently writers to draft majority of stories.

6+ year Editor-in-Chief of billion-dollar sleep retailer's, Sleep Number, blog. Worked with HGTV team to secure answers from Smart Home designer; a home Sleep Number was helping furnish with their smart beds. Story was used across Sleep Number owned channels including email, loyalty program, email, social, employee comms, and blog.

Welcome! I help brand content marketers build winning brand storytelling strategies. How? By reducing overwhelm and confusion so you can enjoy feelings of more focus, empowerment, creativity & confidence.
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Quickly create a brand storytelling framework strategy plan: start-to-finish step x step instructions, with plug-n-play PowerPoint template.
Sarah Panus 20+ years of experience helping billion-dollar brands drive leading ROI through brand storytelling. Sarah is a Minnesota ma...