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Everyone loves a vending machine. Put money in, and out pops your favorite snack. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if marketing were like that: if you could get a reliable revenue surge when you bought advertising or posted online. Marketing has never worked that deterministically and never will, despite tremendous advances in marketing data, technology, and […]

Summary Let’s talk about what really makes marketing tick—especially for small businesses that are out there hustling every day. It doesn’t matter if you are running ads or simply posting on social media, the key to marketing success starts with: Consistency, Authenticity, and Generosity. Nail all three, and you’ll stand out in a world packed […]

I remember the day I realized I was spending more time thinking about my next Netflix binge than the future of my business. In that moment, it hit me: “If I don’t have a simple plan for how I want to market my services, how can I possibly expect great results?” Looking back, I realize […]

You know that moment when you glide down a ski slope, catching the perfect line, feeling the crisp air on your face, and for a split second everything aligns just right? That’s what success in local SEO can feel like—seamless and exhilarating when all the elements come together. Yet it doesn’t happen by accident; it […]

It’s funny how life works sometimes: you’re scrolling through social media, sipping your morning coffee, when suddenly you spot a local bakery’s mouthwatering post about fresh cinnamon rolls. You think, “I could really use one of those right now.” And just like that, you’ve gone from casual onlooker to potential customer. Such is the power of social […]

If you’ve felt like your LinkedIn posts aren’t getting the same engagement they used to, you’re not alone. The State of LinkedIn 2025 Report reveals a major shift: organic reach is declining as LinkedIn prioritizes ads. But that doesn’t mean small businesses should abandon ship. Instead, it’s time to adapt. 1. Shift from Reach to Relationships The report confirms what […]

Social media posting can feel like you are shouting into a void often. But, if you can stay consistent and build a strategy around these channels, they can be a very cost effective way to reach new and current customers to stay top of mind and increase sales. Beyond the three pillars that I’ve mentioned previously, there […]

AI is here and likely here to stay. As a small business owner, using this tool can not only reduce your costs, but give you the ability to create a lot more marketing effort and generate more revenue for your business. As a small business owner, marketing often gets pushed to the back burner. Now […]

Picture this: A potential customer is looking for a service you offer. They grab their phone, type a quick search into Google, and scan the top results. If your business shows up with complete details, great reviews, and engaging photos, you’re already ahead of the competition. But if your listing is incomplete, outdated, or worse—missing […]

How to Find Your Brand Voice (and Why It Matters More Than You Think) A few years ago, I worked with a founder who had an incredible product—game-changing, in fact. But every time I visited their website, I felt… nothing. The messaging was flat. It sounded like it had been run through a corporate jargon […]

So, I just watched an interesting video on YouTube about how Barbara from StartUp Cookie runs a one person agency. It was a solid interview and I really enjoyed the conversation. She was an innovator and jumped on ChatGPT very quickly. She saw the opportunity very early because she was already running a full content […]

The U.S. government’s recent tariffs have sent ripples through the small business community. Increased costs, thinner margins, and broader economic uncertainty are reshaping business. Both product-based and service-based enterprises must now reassess their approaches to remain competitive.The recent U.S. tariffs have impacted small businesses, leading to higher costs, reduced profit margins, and economic instability. Both […]

Let’s say you have a hole to dig. What’s the first thing you’d grab? A shovel, right? And depending on the size of that hole, you might go for a post-hole digger—or even rent a backhoe. Why? Because using the right tool makes the job faster, easier, and a whole lot less exhausting. That’s how I think about […]

Why You Need Both a Marketing Funnel and a Sales Funnel (And What Happens If You Don’t) In my career, I have run marketing organizations at a number of fairly large businesses. In that capacity, my CEO and CFO always asked me for conversion rates to specific deals and how we contributed. It usually came in the […]

Here’s the (Clean) Truth About Backlinks and SEO Let’s rewind to a call I had with a small business owner last month.They were panicking—organic traffic had dropped like a rock. “Google must be punishing us,” they said.They were right. Turns out their previous agency built a bunch of sketchy backlinks through link farms, blog comment […]