Marketing Guides for Small Businesses

We’re recording this episode in mid-2022 where some parts of the world are very open and other parts are just emerging from COVID lockdowns and various restrictions. For some, it may be the first time in a couple of years you’re finally able to attend an in-person conference, event or tradeshow. In this episode we’ll discuss ways to make those events and tradeshows more meaningful and effective fo...

When Google recognizes that a searcher is likely looking for something local - think searches like, “24-hour laundromat” or “math tutors in Toronto” or “Thai restaurants open now” or any time somebody uses the “Near Me” functionality - the results prioritized are those found in Google’s Map Pack or Local Pack and other relevant organic search results. Having a strong local SEO strategy is how you...

It's been said that word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful strategies a business can use, but is it? And if it is powerful, how can a business use it to create a constant flow of leads to their business? In this podcast we'll explore what word-of-mouth marketing is, why it's so powerful, common word-of-mouth marketing myths, and how businesses can strategically leverage word-of-mouth...

We’ll talk with Virginia Muzquiz (The Referral Diva) about becoming a master connector and how to build your business with referrals. Virginia Muzquiz is the founder of Master Connectors, Inc and the creator of the Referrals On Demand® program which teaches solo entrepreneurs how to turn their network into a referral-generating machine.  With more than two decades of experience creating business b...

If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know we’ve talked at length about the value of an omni-channel approach to marketing - that is, ensuring the integration between all of the channels you use to interact with your customers (both physical and digital) to create a consistent brand experience.   In this episode, we’ll dig into specific traffic sources, explore their differences and discuss...

If I asked you to tell me the difference between your company and your closest competitor, would you be able to clearly articulate that difference? If not, you’re not alone. This is where customer interviews come in. The responses you receive from quality customer interviews can help you better articulate your company’s differences and craft messaging that really resonates with your target audienc...

Marketing doesn’t work! SEO Doesn't Work! Google Ads Don't Work! Email marketing doesn’t work! We’ve heard it all. As marketing consultants and agency owners we hear these complaints often from business owners who have tried certain marketing tactics without success. The truth is, every marketing strategy or tactic has both the potential for great success and for great failure. Check out our lates...

While most businesses are aware of the importance of SEO, an UpCity commissioned study found that as many as 57% of North American SMB’s lack an SEO strategy. According to the same survey, some of the top goals for businesses were to increase organic traffic, strengthen domain authority and increase brand awareness, among other things. Yet, only 34% of businesses have made SEO a priority for 2022....

A white paper is a long-form document (typically 2500 to 3000 words) that is used mostly in the business-to-business (B2B) space. It is typically an in-depth report on a specific topic that explains a particular problem and provides a solution. A well-researched and well-written white paper can be a great opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s knowledge and expertise and can, when used eff...

Creating an effective marketing strategy is hard work and it can feel overwhelming knowing where to start and what to prioritize. But, marketing results don’t just happen by accident. Creating a strategy is key to ensuring you’re targeting the right audience with relevant content. It’s like the blueprint for all of your upcoming marketing activity and helps guide all of the decisions you make. The...

There are a lot of opinions out there about what an appropriate marketing budget is for a business, and it often depends upon who you ask.  In this episode our four marketing guides will help unpack this important topic with the goal of helping you answer this important question of ‘What Should My Marketing Budget Be’. The questions we provide answers to in this episode include: Why is setting you...

The Four Common Problems Small Businesses Face Most business leak leads online Most marketing efforts take several week to show results Speed of response is critical to winning the business Tool costs add up Nearly every small business has a limited budget. So if you have limited time and money, and you know that you can’t ignore the reality of digital marketing in today’s world, what do you do? E...

Learn what works, what doesn't and how to get in on the podcasting opportunity if you don't want to host your own show. If you’re listening to us, you’re probably already familiar with podcasts and with so many of them out there now for every niche possible, you may be wondering if it is worth it to start your own. You have full control over content, promotion, scheduling…what is more freeing than...

In this episode we cover answers to such questions as: What is User Generated Content and why is it important?  Can Online Reviews Help With User Generated Content? What Are Some Examples of User Generated Content? For B2B Companies - Recommendations on How To Get User Generated Content And much more…listen in.

Almost everyone has a love-hate relationship with email.  It's a relentless taskmaster interrupting our days with endless requests and endless spam. We would all agree that email isn't all bad, and it turns out that email marketing is one of the most underutilized powerhouses in a company's marketing arsenal. In this podcast, we'll talk about why and how you should leverage email marketing in your...

Marketing is a two-way street and does need input from the client - oftentimes, more than they know.  We’re talking today about how the various aspects of social media can be practically tackled by small businesses and the marketing agencies who support them.  Tune in to learn more about: Is attention span really shortening? Reels went to 60 seconds and TikTok expanded to 3 minutes in length, up f...

You know, all too often, we go through the motions of marketing and sales without taking a moment to reflect on WHY we are doing what we do. Sure, we blog. We optimize. We post and tweet. We build. We meet. But what does it all MEAN?   So today, we’re going to help you take a step back from the day to day, stop going through the motions and ask: Am I still helping who I want to? Does my mission st...

Marketing, like many other industries, changes at a rapid pace each year. Follow along with our predictions and some insights as we share what we see as changes and more of the same this year. Do you agree or disagree with any of our predictions? While the start of a new year is a good time for these lists and predictions, it is important to understand that change happens throughout the year and t...

In this episode we’re tackling the customer journey.  These are the seven steps that someone goes through to buy and become a repeat customer. The steps are: know, like, trust, try, buy, repeat, refer. A way to explain the customer journey would be like this...No matter what product or service you sell, your customers, buyers or clients go through a few common steps from the time they find out abo...

The Client And Agency Are Not Always Right: The Smartest Steps To Set, Correct, Save And Grow A Business Relationship The client is not always right. But the agency is not always right either. The way we communicate throughout the duration of a business relationship means everything but let’s face it: Anybody who says they’ve figured out how to have the perfect client relationship every time is ly...

Fractional Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are those professionals a company would hire on a part-time or fractional basis. Perhaps the company has a marketing team great at the day-to-day execution but needs the strategic vision and path that a CMO can provide - this would be an ideal opportunity for a fractional CMO. Today we have a guest on the podcast, Casey Stanton, who is the foremost expert...

Free offers are everywhere.  Free iPad when you open a bank account, free decoder ring with your Fruit Loops, Act Now And Get A Free months membership, Buy one get one free.  Our world is filled with free offers because we as consumers love free stuff.  No doubt about it, there’s nothing like the thrill of getting a great deal and the marketing industry is full of free offers.  But what if there’s...

With so many new marketing tools and tricks and tips coming at you each week, which ones really matter? Which stand the test of time? Which are favoured by marketing professionals who use these tools day in and out on either their own company marketing or their clients’ marketing.  Each of the five Marketing Guides explained some of their favs and why. You’ll have to tune in to hear the whole show...

To lay the groundwork for our discussion in this episode, when we talk about marketing experts, we mean those people who have a talent or expertise in ONE THING that you are hiring them for ...some examples could be  a web developer content writer graphic designer email marketing expert photographer - specific experts you need to get your marketing work out the door. When we talk about a marketing...

Today, we’re going to dive into a topic that virtually every small business owner struggles with and never has enough of: Time.  Specifically, we’re talking about having enough time in your day, your week, your month for doing one of the most important activities to develop and grow your business: Marketing. You have a million things to do in a day. We get it. We’re business owners too. And yet, i...