Market This | Local Business Marketing, Content Marketing & Website Copywriting

Lindsay Smith | Marketing Strategist, Website Copywriter for Local Business Owners
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Are you a local business owner who's spent money on marketing and still isn't seeing results? You might not have a strategy problem. You might have a messaging problem. Market This is the podcast that helps local service businesses fix what they're saying so their marketing actually works. I'm Lindsay! A messaging strategist and website copywriter with 20+ years in journalism and advertising. I've written for CBC Radio and copy for million-dollar campaigns, and now I help local business owners compete on clarity, not budget. Each week, you'll get practical marketing strategy and content marketing tips you can actually use, like how to write website copy that converts, what to say (and stop saying) in your marketing, and how to build a local business strategy around messaging that's clear, not complicated. Inside each episode, you’ll learn: ⚡️How to write website copy that actually converts ⚡️How to build a marketing strategy that fits a local business ⚡️What to say (and cut) from your homepage, about page, and social content ⚡️Simple content marketing that doesn't eat your whole week ⚡️When to DIY your copy and when to bring in help If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your words and start using copy that actually sells, hit subscribe and follow along. And come hang out with me on Instagram too: @lindsaysmithcreative And if you want expert eyes on your website, you can book your copy audit here: https://www.lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit Let’s turn your words into your hardest-working salesperson.

  1. 1 day ago

    32: The Local Marketing System Every Service Business Needs Before They Spend Another Dollar

    Too many service businesses think they have a marketing problem when they actually have a systems problem.  They're posting on social media, testing ads, updating their website, experimenting with local email marketing, and creating endless business marketing content. Yet leads remain inconsistent and growth feels harder than it should. This is where local business marketing often goes wrong.  Business owners collect tactics without understanding how those tactics work together. More visibility doesn't automatically create more customers. Because awareness alone isn't enough. People need a clear path from discovering your business to trusting you and ultimately taking action. Every customer journey starts with a problem. Whether someone needs a landscaper, photographer, financial advisor, or another service provider, they begin by searching for a solution. Getting found is important, but it's only the first step. Effective local business marketing requires a system that guides prospects through every stage of decision-making. As prospects evaluate their options, they ask important questions. Can they trust you? Do you understand their situation? Are you different from the competition? This is where strong messaging matters. For any local business strategist, the goal isn't simply generating attention, it's building confidence and removing friction throughout the buying process. Sales conversations create another common leak. Many business owners shift from helping to pitching. But customers aren't looking for features and packages. They're looking for outcomes. This insight is essential for a local business copywriter creating messaging that connects with real customer needs and motivations. The strongest businesses understand that local business marketing is not about adding more tools. It's about building a customer journey that moves people from awareness to trust to action. When every touchpoint supports the next step, marketing becomes simpler and more effective. If your leads seem to disappear somewhere between discovery and conversion, it may be time to examine the entire system. Because successful local business marketing isn't about doing more. It's about doing the right things in the right order. And that's exactly how sustainable growth happens. Book a free call to identify where your customer journey is breaking down and discover the next best step for your business. Free Copy Call: Book it now.  This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    10 min

  2. 17 June

    #31: What a Marketing Strategist Actually Does And Why Local Businesses Need One

    Have you ever felt like you're doing all the right marketing activities but still not seeing the results you expected?  Many business owners assume they need more visibility, better social media, or a bigger advertising budget.  In reality, the problem is often much deeper. A strong marketing strategy for local business starts with clear messaging, not more tactics. When your audience isn't sure who you help, what you do, or why they should choose you, every marketing effort becomes harder.  This is where messaging strategy makes the difference. Before investing in content marketing, email marketing, or another marketing channel, it's essential to build a foundation that helps customers instantly understand your value. Many local business owners unknowingly create confusion by speaking to multiple audiences at once. Their website, social content, and sales conversations send mixed messages.  The result? Prospective customers hesitate because they're not sure the business is meant for them.  A clear marketing strategy for local business helps eliminate that confusion and creates consistency across every customer touchpoint. You'll discover why clear positioning matters more than constantly chasing new tactics, how strong messaging improves website copywriting, and why visibility alone isn't enough to drive growth. Because when your message isn't clear, even the best local business marketing efforts struggle to generate results. This conversation also highlights why clarity can become a competitive advantage.  You may not have the largest budget, but you can create stronger connections through strategic communication.  Whether you're focused on digital marketing for local business, networking, advertising, or client retention, clear messaging makes every activity more effective.  And this is where a well-defined marketing strategy for local business begins to outperform random marketing efforts. The goal isn't to be everywhere. It's to be understood.  When your foundation is strong, your content becomes easier to create, your offers become easier to explain, and your marketing becomes more effective. A successful marketing strategy for local business starts with understanding exactly who you're talking to and what they need to hear. If you're wondering whether your website messaging is helping or hurting your growth, a Website Copy Audit can help uncover opportunities to strengthen your positioning, clarify your message, and improve customer alignment. Website Copy Audit: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    12 min

  3. 10 June

    30: Content Marketing for Local Business Owners. What if You're Overthinking It?

    You know you should be posting content. You might even have ideas. But the moment you actually sit down to create something, an hour disappears and you have nothing to show for it. Sound familiar?  However, that's not a content problem. It's a clarity problem. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly why local business owners get stuck in the content spiral and giving you a simple, repeatable framework to get unstuck for good. What we cover: Why content marketing feels so performative (and how to ditch that mindset for good)The real job of your content (it's not what you think)The only three things every piece of content needs to do: educate, reassure, or remindWhy one post should have one job (not five)How to stop chasing perfection and start building momentumThree questions to ask yourself every time you sit down to create contentThe framework in a nutshell: Every piece of content you put out into the world should do one of three things: Educate: help someone understand something they didn't know beforeReassure: lower the fear or doubt standing between your ideal client and a yesRemind: stay top of mind so people don't forget you existThat's it. Pick one. One post, one job. Three questions to keep in your back pocket: What am I helping someone understand right now?What fear or doubt am I reducing?Am I just staying visible so people don't forget I exist?If you're still feeling stuck on what your content should actually say, I'd love to help. Book a free copy call with me at lindsaysmithcreative.ca — we'll figure it out together. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    18 min

  4. 3 June

    29: Is Your Website Quietly Turning Away Clients? | Website Copywriting

    On this episode of Market This, I'm breaking down why most websites are quietly losing potential clients and what you need to do to fix it.  Most websites aren’t failing because they look bad. They’re failing because they quietly turn visitors away before a conversation starts.  Website copywriting is often the hidden reason behind that gap between traffic and enquiries. If your site feels “fine” but isn’t converting, this breakdown changes how you see what’s happening. You’ll learn how a seven-second homepage test reveals what’s working instantly, why hero sections often miss the mark, and how structure impacts conversions. website copywriting shifts here from writing words to guiding decisions. From calls to action placement to missing page elements, the audit process shows how messaging strategy affects performance. Local business marketing relies on clarity at every step, while content marketing only works when it reflects what clients actually need to hear. This is where strong website copywriting makes the difference. It sharpens positioning, highlights differentiators, and removes friction that causes potential clients to leave. For service-based businesses focused on marketing for local business growth, the goal is simple: increase trust and turn visits into enquiries. Done well, this helps boost local sales without more traffic, just better messaging. Ready to improve your website?  Book a website copy audit to get a professional breakdown of your homepage and services page and uncover what’s costing you clients. Website copywriting is often the difference between being found and being chosen. Book: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    15 min

  5. 27 May

    28: Your Website Copywriting Problem Isn’t Your Design. It’s Your Headline.

    Most local business owners spend weeks perfecting their website's look, the colours, the fonts, the layout, and then slap on a headline like "Helping you achieve financial freedom" and call it done.  However, if someone lands on your site and bounces, it's almost never because of the design. It's because your headline didn't stop them. In this episode, I break down why generic headlines are silently killing your website's performance, using a real example from a recent website copy audit I did for a financial planner.  Her site looked great. Her business was solid. But her headline could have belonged to literally anyone, a bank, a coach, an app, a newsletter. And that's exactly the problem. I walk you through what a strong headline actually does (spoiler: it's not about being clever), the three things every good headline needs to include, and how to rework yours even if you're not a writer.  As a website copywriter who's looked at hundreds of homepages, I can tell you, the fix is almost never a full rewrite. It's just saying the right thing more clearly. I also get into something most people miss: the connection between your headline and search intent, and why clarity builds trust faster than design ever will. If you've been wondering why your website isn't converting the way it should, this episode is a good place to start. In this episode, I cover: Why "professional-sounding" headlines are usually the weakest part of a local business websiteThe real-life audit example that shows exactly what a vague headline costs youThe one question I asked that completely changed this client's messagingWhat your headline actually needs to do (it's simpler than you think)The search intent layer most business owners overlookA quick framework you can use to rewrite your own headline today If you want a professional's eyes on your website copy, book a website copy audit at: lindsaysmithcreatie.ca/audit. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    15 min

  6. 20 May

    27: What Local Business Owners Get Wrong About Standing Out

    Most local business owners think standing out means louder branding, better design, or more content.  But that's not what actually drives attention. The real issue sits deeper, in your messaging strategy, and how clearly your offer lands with the people you actually want to reach. Websites don't fail because the service is weak. They fail because the language is generic, overused, and sounds exactly like every competitor on the block. When your homepage reads like a template, visitors stop seeing you as different. This episode breaks down what actually makes people stop scrolling and pay attention.  You'll hear why unclear positioning blocks trust, how professional language often backfires, and how stronger local visibility strategies can change the way your business shows up online.  I also get into how to market a local business more effectively and when working with a website copywriter can help translate what you do into words that actually convert. For a lot of local business owners, the biggest mistake is trying to sound universal instead of specific, appealing to everyone, avoiding the details, and leaning on industry clichés that say nothing.  Whether you're a local service provider or a growing brand, those patterns make it harder for potential clients to see themselves in your services.  The shift happens when your message gets specific enough that the right client immediately recognizes themselves. Instead of vague promises, you create clarity, the kind that drives trust, referrals, and inquiries. That's where better messaging strategy and refined positioning start working together. If you're ready to tighten your message, a Website Copy Audit looks at your homepage and key pages to find where your copy is losing attention and how to fix it. It's a practical way to sharpen your messaging strategy so your local business starts attracting the right clients instead of blending in. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    21 min

  7. 13 May

    26: Stop Overthinking Email Marketing: Build Your Local Business Email List in Days

    A lot of local business owners don’t struggle with marketing, they struggle with staying remembered.  And email marketing often gets pushed aside because social media feels faster, easier, and more visible. The thing is, those platforms don’t belong to you. Email marketing changes that. It gives you a direct line to your audience without algorithms deciding who sees you and when. And for a local business, that shift is the difference between being occasionally noticed and consistently booked. What you’ll hear in this episode is a grounded breakdown of how to build a simple, sustainable email list without funnels, complicated systems, or overthinking every word. Because effective email marketing isn’t about complexity. It’s about clarity and consistency. You’ll learn how email marketing for local business owners works differently than online influencers or digital-first brands. Instead of chasing volume, you focus on relevance, relationships, and repeat customers who already know your name or are close enough to become regulars. We break down four simple ways to start building your list quickly:  Creating a simple, no-pressure signup offer your customers actually want  Placing opt-ins everywhere your audience already interacts with your business Treating email as relationship-building, not performance marketing This is where most people overcomplicate things. But marketing for local business doesn’t need to look like a tech startup funnel. It needs to feel human, consistent, and useful.You’ll also hear real-world examples from service-based businesses like bakers, estheticians, and contractors who use local business strategies to stay top of mind without relying on social media alone.  And this is where content marketing becomes practical, not theoretical. Your emails don’t need to be long or polished. They need to be useful, timely, and real. If you’ve been stuck in overthinking mode, this episode connects the dots between simplicity and results. Because copywriting isn’t about sounding perfect, it’s about sounding like yourself so your audience actually trusts what you say. And if you have more questions about email marketing, go listen to Episode #18: The 3 types of emails every small business owner needs, which builds on this foundation and shows you exactly what to send once your list is growing. By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why email marketing for local business is one of the most underused tools for sustainable growth, and how to start using it in a way that actually fits your time, energy, and business model. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building something that compounds over time, you can book a free call with me to map out your next steps and get your email strategy working properly for your business. This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    19 min

  8. 6 May

    25: Local Business Marketing Isn’t Just Instagram Anymore

    I know you're feeling the pressure to constantly show up on social media. I get it. For a while, it really was one of the easiest ways to get visibility. But the landscape has changed, and if your entire marketing strategy depends on Instagram, you're missing some critical foundations. In this episode, I break down what actually happens when someone in your community needs the kind of service you offer. Spoiler: they're not scrolling your feed, they're Googling you. And when they land on your website, the words on that page matter more than anything you've ever posted. I walk you through my four-layer marketing framework (yes, I compare it to a cake, a video game, AND a theatre production, it got away from me a little) covering discovery, trust, validation, and conversion. I talk about where social media actually fits in and why it's not where most business owners think it is. In this episode, I cover: Why organic reach has dropped and what that means for your businessThe real path your ideal client takes before they hire youMy four-layer marketing framework and where social media actually belongsThe one thing that's costing most local business owners clients (hint: it's not your posting schedule)A simple exercise you can do right now to test whether your website is doing its jobGrab my Website Copy Audit!  This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    18 min
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About

Are you a local business owner who's spent money on marketing and still isn't seeing results? You might not have a strategy problem. You might have a messaging problem. Market This is the podcast that helps local service businesses fix what they're saying so their marketing actually works. I'm Lindsay! A messaging strategist and website copywriter with 20+ years in journalism and advertising. I've written for CBC Radio and copy for million-dollar campaigns, and now I help local business owners compete on clarity, not budget. Each week, you'll get practical marketing strategy and content marketing tips you can actually use, like how to write website copy that converts, what to say (and stop saying) in your marketing, and how to build a local business strategy around messaging that's clear, not complicated. Inside each episode, you’ll learn: ⚡️How to write website copy that actually converts ⚡️How to build a marketing strategy that fits a local business ⚡️What to say (and cut) from your homepage, about page, and social content ⚡️Simple content marketing that doesn't eat your whole week ⚡️When to DIY your copy and when to bring in help If you’re ready to stop second-guessing your words and start using copy that actually sells, hit subscribe and follow along. And come hang out with me on Instagram too: @lindsaysmithcreative And if you want expert eyes on your website, you can book your copy audit here: https://www.lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit Let’s turn your words into your hardest-working salesperson.

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