Market This | Grow Local Business, Local Business Marketing, Local Advertising Strategies

Hosted by Lindsay Smith | Local Business Marketing Expert & Copywriter

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

124

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-CA

About the show

Want to grow your local business? Looking for local advertising strategies and local business marketing that actually bring in more calls, more customers, and more revenue? Are you tired of trying marketing advice that sounds great online but doesn't work for businesses serving real people in real communities? Wondering why your website, messaging, or advertising isn't bringing in the right customers? If that sounds like you, you're in the right place. This podcast is for local service business owners who want to grow their local business with practical, proven local advertising strategies and simple local business marketing that gets results, without making marketing more complicated than it needs to be. Each episode is filled with practical strategies you can implement right away to attract more local customers, improve your messaging, strengthen your website, and build a business that's easier to market and easier to grow. I'm Lindsay Smith, an award-winning marketing copywriter, conversion copywriter, messaging strategist, and former CBC reporter. I help local service businesses find the right words for their websites and marketing so they connect with the people they're trying to reach, and turn more of those visitors into paying customers. After years of working with local businesses, I realized something important: most marketing advice is created for online businesses, influencers, or large brands. But when you're trying to build a successful business in your own community, the rules are different. Local businesses need marketing strategies that reflect how people actually search, choose, and buy close to home. That's why this podcast is dedicated to practical, real-world marketing advice designed specifically for local service businesses. Inside each episode, you'll discover: ✨ Practical local advertising strategies that help you stand out in your community. 📍 Local business marketing ideas you can implement without a huge budget. 💬 Messaging strategies that help customers quickly understand why they should choose your business. 🖥 Website copy and conversion copywriting tips that turn more visitors into customers. 📈 Proven ways to attract more local customers and support long-term local business growth. 🤝 Positioning strategies that help your business become the trusted choice in your area. 🧠 Simple marketing systems that help you market consistently without feeling overwhelmed. If you're ready to simplify your marketing, attract more local customers, and confidently grow your local business, subscribe and start listening today. Every episode is designed to help you market smarter, communicate more clearly, and build a stronger business in your community. Ready to take the next step? Book a Website Copy Audit to discover how small changes to your messaging can lead to better connections, more qualified leads, and more customers. Learn more and book your audit here: https://www.lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 21, 2026Episode 4519 min

45: Local Marketing: 5 Platforms Every Small Business Should Focus On

You don’t need to be everywhere to grow your business. You need the right local marketing platforms working together so the right people can find you, trust you, and choose you. If you’re a physio, bookkeeper, contractor, esthetician, or any other service business owner, I know how loud the advice gets. Post more. Try every platform. Jump on every trend. It’s exhausting, and honestly? Marketing for local business doesn’t need to be that complicated. You need four core platforms and one seasonal bonus. That’s it. In this episode of Market This, I’m walking you through how to make your marketing simpler and more effective, without piling more onto a to-do list that’s already overflowing. Here’s what we cover: How to set up your Google Business Profile so local customers can find you, trust you, and pick you over the place down the street. What your website copy needs to say so visitors understand who you help, what you do, and where you work within seconds. Why choosing one social media platform your people actually use beats trying to show up everywhere. How email marketing keeps you top of mind with past clients and potential customers until they’re ready to book. How to turn local markets and pop-ups into real conversations that fuel local business growth (not just a table full of free pens). The thread tying it all together is consistency. When your Google profile, website, social media, and emails all say the same clear thing, your local business promotion stops feeling random and starts working on purpose. Potential clients see it and think, “Yep, this is who I need.” Even your referrals are Googling you before they reach out. If you missed episode 43, go back and give it a listen. It’s all about why your online presence still matters when word-of-mouth is doing the heavy lifting. If your website gets visits but not enquiries, that’s usually a messaging problem, not a traffic problem. That’s where a website copywriter comes in. My Website Copy Audit gives you a fresh set of eyes on your site and shows you exactly where your website messaging could be working harder. Ready to make your website pull its weight? Grab the Website Copy Audit using the link below. Website Copy Audit: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

October 14, 2026Episode 4414 min

44: Messaging Strategy: Stop Relying on Discovery Calls to Sell

You’re great at what you do. But if every potential client needs a call before they understand your value, something isn’t working. And I’d bet it’s not your sales skills. In this episode, I’m talking about what needs to happen before someone ever books a consultation. Your website should be answering the questions that make people hesitate: what you do, who you help, and what working with you actually looks like. Selling doesn’t have to mean convincing anyone. Most of the time, it just means giving people enough information to make a confident decision. When your website messaging is doing its job, discovery calls get a whole lot lighter. You stop explaining your services for the fifteenth time, justifying your prices, and reassuring people you’re the right fit, because your website already did that for you. It becomes part of your sales process instead of a digital brochure. I’ll walk you through five practical ways to improve your website sales without becoming someone you’re not: Find the questions clients ask over and over Answer them where people will actually see them Get clear about who your services aren’t for Be more open about pricing Explain what happens after someone says yes Each one removes a little uncertainty before a potential client reaches out, and that’s what actually moves your website conversion. If you run a local business, these changes help you build trust with the people who are already looking for someone like you. Your website should help the right people recognise themselves, understand how you work, and feel good about taking the next step. Your homework: Pull up your last five inquiry emails. Highlight every question, then count how many your website actually answers. Every one it doesn’t is a conversation you’ll keep having live. Want to know exactly where your website messaging leaves people guessing? Book a Website Copy Audit and I’ll show you the gaps and how to close them. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

September 30, 2026Episode 4313 min

43: Why Referrals Aren’t Enough For Local Business Owners | Copywriter Website

What happens when a referral Googles you and your website doesn't give them a reason to take the next step? Even if almost all your business comes through word of mouth, your website is doing more selling than you realize. In this episode, I explain why lost referrals are nearly impossible to track, why people searching your name are worth more than strangers searching generic terms, and how referrals can keep bringing you the same clients even after your goals have changed. I also break down four essentials of a referral-ready site: instant confirmation they've found the right person, the words your clients actually use, credible proof, and one clear next step. Good website messaging isn't about cramming more onto the page. It's about removing doubt at the exact moment someone decides whether to trust you. Plus, I share a simple exercise for uncovering the language your best clients use when they recommend you. For more, catch episode 29 . Ready to see your site the way a referral sees it? Book a website copy audit . This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

September 16, 2026Episode 4212 min

42: Why Your Web Copy Isn’t Converting | Conversion Sales

Why is your website getting attention but not action? If you’re wondering why your copy isn’t delivering the conversions you expected, the problem may not be your website. It may be that the right message isn’t reaching the right person at the right moment. Conversion rarely comes down to one simple problem. People can bounce because they don’t understand what you do, read every word without seeing why they should act, or want to learn more but have no clear next step. A smart marketing copywriter knows the first job isn’t rewriting everything. It’s finding where the drop-off happens. That starts with your messaging strategy. Can someone explain what you do and who it’s for within seconds? Does your copy speak to the problem your customer actually wants solved, rather than simply listing your services? And when they reach the end of the page, do they know exactly what to do next? That’s what a strong message strategy should do. In this episode, you’ll learn how to diagnose unclear messaging, feature-heavy copy, and missing calls to action without immediately redesigning or rewriting your site. We’ll also look at practical conversion strategies that help you identify what’s actually broken before spending time and money fixing the wrong thing. Because effective sales conversion strategies aren’t about clever words for the sake of clever words. They’re about clarity, relevance, and momentum. And this is where an experienced marketing copywriter helps a visitor understand the offer quickly enough to stay curious and confident enough to take the next step. If you’re a business owner refining your website or trying to understand why your traffic isn’t turning into enquiries, the goal is simple: fix the specific barrier instead of rebuilding everything. Ready to find out where your website is losing people? Book a Website Copy Audit and get a clearer path to copy that converts. Book a Website Copy Audit: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

September 9, 202620 min

41: Five Things to Fix Before You Run Ads | Grow Local Business

What if more traffic is the wrong answer? If you want to grow local business, running ads before fixing your website can make an expensive problem bigger. Paid traffic only works when the page it lands on makes sense. Visitors should understand what you do, who you help, why they should trust you, and what to do next. More clicks cannot repair unclear messaging or weak website copy. This local business marketing checklist gives you five things to fix first: messaging clarity, website copy, a consistent voice, a referral and review system, and content repurposing. You’ll see why each one matters before increasing ad spend. With local advertising strategies, the ad gets attention; your website continues the conversation. Your homepage should connect your service to the problem your customer is trying to solve, rather than reading like a service menu. Clear messaging makes marketing local business relevant and easier to trust. Reviews and referrals should not depend on hoping happy customers remember to recommend you. A simple system makes social proof easier to collect and easier for new visitors to believe. When you repurpose customer questions and useful answers, content marketing local can support your website, social content, email, and future ads. The goal isn’t a perfect website. It’s a foundation that helps attention turn into calls, bookings, and leads. Before increasing ad spend, make sure the experience after the click is ready to grow local business. If you’re wondering how to market local business more effectively, start with the foundation: message, copy, consistency, reviews, and repurposing. That’s how you grow local business without paying for more traffic. Book a website copy audit for a second set of eyes on your messaging and copy, and find where your site is making potential customers work too hard. To book: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

September 2, 2026Episode 4020 min

40: Write a 4-Email Sequence That Converts | Grow Local Business

What happens when someone joins your list today, but doesn’t need you for six months? If you want to grow local business, the answer isn’t sending more emails. It’s giving people a reason to remember you when the timing is right. For a local business owner, email is the bridge between “they signed up” and “they’re ready to buy”. Local marketing works best when trust is built before someone needs to make a decision. That’s why a simple four-email sequence can do more than a complex funnel. You’ll learn the four emails to send: welcome and trust, how you think, what it’s like to work with you, and the nudge that makes taking the next step feel easy. You’ll hear why a low-friction conversation can work better than a hard sell, how to remove the uncertainty that stops people booking, and how to use local marketing tips without constantly inventing new content. If you’re wondering how to market local business without adding another huge task to your week, start with one job per email. Teach something. Remove an objection. Get a reply. Invite a conversation. This approach helps you simplify marketing while staying useful. We also talk about cadence, sensible segmentation, and repurposing the content you’ve already created. You don’t need twenty-seven automations. You need messaging that keeps you present, builds familiarity and makes your business easier to remember. And that’s how you grow local business without making your marketing harder than it needs to be. It’s a practical way to grow local business simply. If your email list has been gathering digital dust, don’t wait for a bigger audience. Start with the people you already have, give them something worth opening, and keep showing up. Ready to turn your emails into a clearer path to sales? Book a free copy call with me and let’s find the gaps in your messaging. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

August 26, 2026Episode 3914 min

39: Three Myths Local Business Owners Need to Stop Believing | Simplify Markerting

You probably don’t need more marketing time. You need to stop believing the rules that make marketing feel harder than it is. If you’re a local business owner juggling clients, admin, simplify marketing by looking at what is already happening around you. The first myth is that marketing needs its own dedicated block of time. It doesn’t. A client question, a result you helped create, a problem you solved or a process you use every day can become useful content. If you’re wondering how to market your local business without adding another job to your list, start by capturing those moments. It can support small business growth without taking you away from the work. The second myth is that visibility automatically makes you salesy. Showing your process, answering real questions and sharing what you know is not the same as pressuring someone to buy. Good local marketing helps people understand what you do and decide whether you’re right for them. A useful local marketing tip is to ask: am I helping someone understand my work, or pushing them to act now? The third myth is that you have to post every day for marketing to work. You don’t. As a local business owner, you’re far more familiar with your message than your audience is. Someone discovering you today may be hearing your core idea for the first time. This is where Episode 38, Why Repetition Is Actually a Good Thing , fits perfectly : repetition can build recognition rather than boredom. To simplify marketing, notice what your business is already teaching you, capture it, share what you know and repeat the messages that matter. You don’t need to reinvent your strategy every time you post. You need to give the right people enough chances to understand how you help. Ready to simplify marketing and find the good material already sitting inside your business? Book a free copy call and let’s make it sound like you. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

August 19, 202613 min

38: Why Repetition Is Actually a Good Thing | Marketing for Local Business

Marketing for local business can feel like a strange game: the more you repeat your message, the more you start assuming everyone is sick of hearing it. But what if repetition is why people finally remember you? I’m breaking down why consistency isn’t about posting three times a week or recycling the same sentence. It’s about choosing a clear message and saying it often enough, in different ways, that your audience starts to associate you with the problem you solve. That matters for local business growth because customers are busy and rarely see everything you create. You’ll see the difference between your experience and your audience’s experience. You see every post, email, website change and offer. They might see one post today, disappear for weeks, then suddenly need exactly what you provide. That’s why changing your message too quickly can undermine local business messaging before it has a chance to land. Good marketing for local business gives the message time to stick. I’ll show you how to find your “chorus” — the one or two ideas you want to become known for — while letting the “verses” change through stories, examples, questions, myths and practical advice. You’ll learn to judge your messaging using real signals, not the feeling that you’ve said it too many times. For any local business owner, that means asking what evidence you have that your message isn’t working. I’ll share a simple repetition rule to stop you changing direction. These local marketing tips are designed to make your marketing easier to create and clearer for your audience. A business marketing expert can help you work out what your own chorus should be, but the first step is getting clear on the message. If you’re ready to get clearer on what you want to be known for, book a free copy call. That’s a practical place to start. This is marketing for local business. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

August 12, 202614 min

37: Why Great Websites Aren't Built by One Person | Website Copywriting

A beautiful website can still leave potential customers thinking, “What does this business actually do?” That disconnect is rarely a design problem. It’s a messaging problem. Great websites aren’t built by one person trying to do every job. Website copywriting and design solve different problems. Design guides attention, builds hierarchy and makes a site easier to navigate. Website copywriting clarifies what you do, who you help, why someone should care and what they should do next. For local businesses, those words often become your first sales conversation. Good design cannot fix vague messaging. A polished layout won’t make a generic headline persuasive. Strong local business marketing starts with understanding the customer, the problem you solve and the reason people should choose you. You’ll learn why copy should come before design, how to make smarter decisions when your website budget is tight, and what to ask a generalist. These local business strategies are about knowing what expertise your project actually needs. The deeper lesson is that a strong messaging strategy business owners can use starts before fonts, colours or layouts. Get clear on your audience, your difference, your key objections and the action you want visitors to take. Then let design make that message easier to understand and act on. Website copywriting becomes a strategic asset rather than words dropped into a layout. That approach can help you grow local business without relying on a prettier website alone. It gives designers and copywriters a stronger foundation for collaboration. If your website feels polished but isn’t generating the enquiries you expect, start with the words. Book a free copy call and let’s work out what your website actually needs to say before deciding what it needs to look like. Book a free copy call: lindsaysmithcreative.ca This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .

August 5, 2026Episode 3611 min

36: Why Storytelling Is Your Marketing Advantage | Business Messaging Strategy

Business Messaging Strategy isn't about finding the perfect words. It's about telling the right stories. If your marketing sounds like everyone else's, chances are you're relying on broad claims instead of real moments that help people connect with your business. The strongest brands don't simply say they're reliable or customer-focused; they prove it through stories that people remember. Every local business owner already has powerful examples hidden in everyday client interactions. A stressful phone call, an unexpected challenge, or a problem solved at exactly the right time can communicate far more than a list of services ever will. That's why business messaging strategy works best when it's rooted in authentic experiences instead of polished marketing language. Those moments build trust, strengthen your messaging strategy, and help potential clients see exactly what it's like to work with you. Using a simple storytelling framework, you'll learn how to identify meaningful client moments, highlight the tension, demonstrate the transformation, and connect each story back to your business values. Whether you're creating website copy, writing emails, recording videos, or sharing local marketing tips on social media, this approach helps your marketing sound more human and memorable. If you're focused on l ocal business growth, these small stories can become one of your biggest competitive advantages. As a marketing copywriter, I see businesses struggle because they describe what they do instead of showing how they help. Business messaging strategy bridges that gap by making your message specific, relatable, and impossible to confuse with a competitor's. Business messaging strategy isn't about creating more content. It's about creating stronger connections through stories your audience will actually remember. Ready to uncover the stories already inside your business? Book a Website Copy Audit and discover how to turn your real experiences into copy that sounds like you and attracts the right clients. Book a Website Copy Audit: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio .