(Transcription) [Fully Managed] Patrick Kurowski from MarketKeep Ep. 81

Introduction

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Meet the Guest

DD: Hello everybody. Welcome to the Fully Managed Podcast. This is the podcast where we discuss marketing tips, business tips, and so many other cool things to help assist you in your business journeys. I’m your host Daniela, and I’m Penji’s partnership coordinator, and I’m very excited today because we have a great guest called Patrick Kurowski. Kurowski.

Patrick Kurowski (PK): Yep.

DD: Kurowski. Okay, so I got it on the second try. He’s the founder and CEO of MarketKeep. Hi Patrick, how are you?

PK: I’m doing well, thanks. How are you doing today?

DD: I’m doing great. I’m so excited to have you on the episode today.

PK: Likewise. I’m excited. Thank you very much for inviting me to join the podcast today.

About MarketKeep

DD: Awesome. To break the ice and get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do? Can you tell us about MarketKeep for anybody watching who is not familiar with who you are and what you do?

PK: Yeah, absolutely. So, like you said, my name’s Pat Kurowski. I am the founder and CEO of MarketKeep. We are a digital marketing agency for small businesses, so we wear a ton of hats. At the end of the day, we’re most known for our general optimization strategies and website designs for small business owners. Typically, we work primarily with service-based companies. We do dabble with e-commerce, but more often than not, it’s the service-based businesses. It’s a lot of fun—every day is different. I get to work with a lot of different business owners, which keeps it from being boring. SEO can definitely be boring, but I like to joke we’re part-time marketers, part-time therapists because we’re also dealing with the problems of small business owners, which there are plenty of.

Service-Based Industries & Digital Marketing

DD: Very interesting, Patrick. And you said service-based. So is it software as a service or more—

PK: No, that’s a great clarifying point. More like home services—home improvement companies, roofers, plumbers, electricians—that type of service-based business.

DD: That’s so interesting. And I wanted to ask, because you’re doing mostly digital marketing, is social media a big part of the digital marketing strategy in the industries you’re working with?

PK: I think it’s becoming more proactive as the years go by. Certainly in 2025, we expect more of our small businesses to utilize social media. It helps to build trust and credibility, especially with video. A lot of the businesses we work with view social media as a fact-checking opportunity for their potential clients—showcasing their work, highlighting their team, or the service trucks they use. Social is becoming more prevalent. We like to use the phrase “connecting with customers in the moments that matter to them,” whether that’s winning a Google search or being discovered through Instagram Reels or TikTok. These are all opportunities our small business owners care about.

DD: Interesting. We’ve seen a surge in e-commerce companies having a strong social presence, especially with things like TikTok Shop. But I was just curious about service industries. It’s a little more niche.

PK: Yeah, I don’t think many people are watching toilet repair reels on Instagram, but putting a face to the business helps. That’s where social can really help small business owners.

DD: I’m addicted to the carpet cleaning and car detailing videos. They’re therapeutic.

PK: Yeah, those are therapeutic. I recently got a haircut inspired by Instagram reels. A lot of barbers use social media to their advantage now. Anything you want, you can probably find on social.

Search Engine Optimization & Strategy

DD: You mentioned you focus more on SEO for small businesses. Do you think it’s the best digital marketing strategy for the types of businesses you work with?

PK: That’s a good and loaded question. We definitely feel SEO is one of the most effective tools for small businesses to generate leads and conversions. It’s all about connecting with customers in the moments that matter. When we work with a small business, we focus on the Google three-pack, reviews, website usability—all of that. SEO wins long-term over something like Google Ads, where you’re paying per click and risking unqualified leads or competitors clicking on your ad. We’re big fans of SEO because it delivers consistent long-term results.

Oversaturation & Authenticity

DD: Do you think there’s oversaturation in digital content for service industries? Does that make consumers less likely to interact?

PK: For sure. There’s so much information out there for customers and business owners. The challenge is to be authentic. If you’re authentic, provide value, and answer questions, you’ll connect with people. But it’s hard to sit down and plan out everything you need to say clearly on your website.

Client Challenges & Therapy Hat

DD: You said you’re part-time therapists. What are some of the problems you see from business owners that come to your agency?

PK: Number one is visibility—“I can’t get found.” Then, over time, clients reach out about things like bad reviews or employee issues. That’s when we become the sounding board. It’s a little outside SEO, but it’s part of the relationship.

DD: At Penji, we do graphic design and get similar situations—clients needing advice beyond our services.

PK: Exactly. Business owners wear many hats. Sometimes we’re the only person they can talk to, so we try to help where we can.

Founding MarketKeep

DD: How did you end up founding MarketKeep?

PK: I was a communications major at St. Joe’s in Philadelphia. I had internships doing content creation and digital marketing. After college, I had a few jobs I didn’t love but learned a lot from. Eventually, I realized I wanted to start something myself. I was 24, married, and my wife was three months pregnant with our first son when I decided to launch MarketKeep. There was no option to fail. That pressure helped me push forward. We’re now coming up on nine years.

DD: That’s amazing. How did you turn it into something sustainable?

PK: It was a combination of pressure and support. My wife was the rock, and having a family forced me to take every day seriously. That helped me grow it faster.

Scaling the Business

DD: After making the business sustainable, how did you handle scaling?

PK: Every day is still a learning opportunity. You have to be honest about where you are and where you want to go. Don’t overpromise and underdeliver. When growing, work with people who understand your mission and are better than you in some areas. That’s how you sustain growth.

DD: Was it hard to let go of control?

PK: Absolutely. Still is sometimes. But everyone has their process. As long as the client is happy and the work is solid, I have to step back. Also, no one works as hard as the business owner—it’s something I had to accept.

Client Relationships

DD: How do you build strong client relationships?

PK: It starts during onboarding. Be clear about expectations, communication, and check-ins. Small business owners want to know you’re on their side. Be honest and invested in their growth. Avoid making clients feel like a number—don’t just send reports.

Working with Service Industries

DD: How did you end up focusing on service industries?

PK: It’s fun. You see the impact of your work—like when clients grow or hire new people. That’s rewarding. Working with larger businesses can be slow, but small business owners give us freedom to run with ideas. It’s more fulfilling.

Rapid-Fire Questions

DD: Before we finish, I have a little game. Twenty rapid-fire questions in one minute. You ready?

PK: Yep.

DD: 3, 2, 1, go!
Coffee or tea?
PK: Coffee.
Early bird or night owl?
PK: Early bird.
Favorite social media platform?
PK: Instagram.
Go-to karaoke song?
PK: Sweet Caroline.
Books or podcasts?
PK: Books.
One word that describes you?
PK: Energetic.
Dream vacation destination?
PK: Rome, Italy.
Most used app on your phone?
PK: Instagram.
Favorite emoji?
PK: Thumbs up.
Hidden talent?
PK: Juggling.
Go-to comfort food?
PK: Mac and cheese.
Superpower for a day?
PK: Flying.
Who inspires you the most?
PK: My wife.
Guilty pleasure?
PK: Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
PK: Probably still marketing somewhere.

DD: That’s great! We got through 15. You’re up there! CS gets degrees, right?

PK: Right! I’ll take it.

Closing & CTA

DD: Now, where can people find you if anything we discussed today resonated with them?

PK: Just Google us. If you’re going to work with an SEO company, they should be easy to find. Visit MarketKeep.com. We offer free SEO evaluations where we walk through how you’re performing and where to improve. It’s a video, not a sales call.

DD: Awesome. I’ll add the links in the description. Thank you so much for doing this, Patrick. It was great having you.

PK: Thank you. It was a pleasure to be on. I appreciate it.

DD: I’ll see you guys on the next episode. Have a great day.