Hometown ADvantage - Local Business Marketing Strategies for Local Businesses

Nicole Eldridge | Facebook & Instagram Ads Strategist for Local Businesses
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Tired of posting content that gets likes but not leads? Hometown ADvantage is your go-to space for Facebook and Instagram ad strategies built specifically for local business owners so you can spend less time on social media and more time running the business you actually love. Each week, you'll get real, no-fluff answers to questions like:- How do I run Facebook ads for my local business without wasting money on the wrong audience?- What's actually working right now in Meta ads for local service-based and brick-and-mortar businesses?- How do I attract high-quality leads instead of tire-kickers?- How do I know if my ads are actually working and when to change course? Hosted by Nicole Eldridge, local ads strategist and founder of Hometown ADvantage, each episode brings honest numbers, real client wins, and practical strategy you can put to work in your business today. Hit play and start getting results from your ads, not just views.

  1. 4d ago

    48. How Much Should a Local Business Spend on Facebook Ads?

    Think you need to spend $1,500 a month to run Facebook ads for your local business? You don't. In this episode, I break down what I actually recommend local business owners spend on Meta ads, what to realistically expect when you start small, and why $5 to $10 a day might be the best marketing move you make this year. Your audience is local so it's smaller. That means a small budget reaches a real chunk of the people you want to reach. Organic posts might reach a couple hundred people. A $5 a day ad can reach a couple thousand people in your target market. In this episode, we cover: Where the "big budget" myth comes from and when hiring an ad agency actually makes senseMy go-to starting budget for local ads (and why $1 a day still beats $0)How to use your goal cost per acquisition to know how long to run ads before deciding whether they're workingWhy ads aren't gambling when you have a strategy: you're either learning or earningReal client stories, including a physical therapist who got a new client the day after launching an $8/day adWhat mailers, vendor booths, and print ads cost you compared to ads you can actually trackWhy staying invisible costs 10 times more than a $300/month ad budgetIf you've been wondering how much to spend on Facebook ads or you've been stuck deciding where to start, this one's for you. Starting small is still starting and the audience you build now makes sales easier down the road. Ready to learn how to run your own ads?  Join Hometown ADvantage, my marketing membership for local small businesses. You get local-specific ad strategies, weekly expert feedback on your ads and fresh ad ideas and prompts every month all for $99/month. Join Hometown ADvantage: https://www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio

  2. Sep 28

    47. 10 Facebook Ads Myths Keeping Your Local Business Stuck

    Think Facebook and Instagram ads are too expensive, too complicated, or just not working for your business? You might be buying into a myth that's quietly capping your growth. In this episode, Nicole runs down the top 10 paid ads myths she hears from local business owners every day. Some have been passed around for years and a lot of them are just plain wrong. From "I'm not good at marketing" to "I'll just use ChatGPT to teach me," Nicole shares what's actually true, what she sees working inside her agency and membership, and the mindset shifts that help local businesses get more leads, more foot traffic, and more sales from their ads. Here's what you'll learn: Why the best business in town isn't always the one that wins and what does decide itWhy "it's not working right away" is normal and how every flop ad moves you forwardHow to think about Meta Ads Manager (hint: it's the beat-up car you still have to drive to work)Why "expensive" is relative, and how to judge your ad spend by return insteadWhy not every lead has to be ready to buy for your ads to be worth itThe difference between boosting posts and running real ads, and why more traffic doesn't always mean more salesHow just 2 hours a week can make you way more confident with ads in 3 monthsWhy simple, "ugly" ads often beat polished, produced onesWhy ChatGPT is sending you in circles on Ads Manager and what to use insteadReady for more support? Join the Hometown ADvantage membership for Nicole's full ad strategy, weekly eyes on your ad results, 10 monthly ad ideas, and the Hometown Bestie Bot.  Join Hometown ADvantage: https://www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio

  3. Sep 21

    46: Don't Know Where to Start With Facebook Ads for My Local Business (Your 3-Step Fix)

    🌐 Website: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicoleeldridge_ads 💻 Join Hometown ADvantage: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown "I don't know where to start" is the sentence Nicole hears constantly from local business owners about Facebook ads, and in this episode she's calling it out for what it really is. Before you can launch a single ad, you need to get honest about four things: are you over-consuming instead of doing, are you okay with some risk, are you actually an action taker, and do you believe in your own business enough to sell it? Once that's sorted, Nicole breaks down the exact three-step process to launch your first local follower campaign, using a real dry cleaning business as the example: Write your copy (your 30-second networking-event pitch, in writing)Create your reel (3-5 clips, text overlays, and yes, the annoying app-hopping to add music)Set it up in Ads Manager and hit publishNo fluff, no 47-step tutorial. Just what to actually do first if you run a local business and want Facebook ads to work for you. Perfect for: Local business owners who keep telling themselves they'll figure out Facebook ads "eventually." Timestamps  00:00 — Intro: who this episode is for  02:10 — The Tori Dunlap post that inspired this episode  03:00 — Reflection #1: Are you overconsuming instead of doing?  05:15 — Reflection #2: Do you have risk tolerance?  06:40 — Reflection #3: Are you an action taker?  07:20 — Reflection #4: Do you believe in your business?  09:30 — Why "I don't know where to start" happens (the kitchen remodel analogy)  12:15 — Step 1: Write your copy/caption  14:50 — Step 2: Create your reel  18:30 — Step 3: Set up your campaign in Ads Manager  20:40 — What happens after you launch (analyze, scale, repeat)  21:30 — Inside Hometown ADvantage: 117 members and counting

  4. Aug 24

    45: How Much Should You Really Invest in Your Business? My Honest 2026 Numbers

    Links 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/nicoleeldridge_ads 💻 Join Hometown ADvantage: nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown Description Ever wonder what it actually costs to grow a business — not the highlight reel version, but the real numbers? In this episode, you'll get a full, no-holds-barred breakdown of every investment Nicole has made in her business this year, from her team and coaching to ad spend and a brand-new website. You'll hear how she thinks about risk, why she's not afraid to put big investments on a credit card, and what her actual revenue, expenses, and profit look like so far in 2026. If you've ever hesitated to invest in yourself or your business, you'll walk away with a totally different perspective on what "worth it" really means.

  5. Aug 6

    44: Top 5 Mistakes Local Business Owners are Making with Ads + Meet My Local Ads Co-Coach, Melissa!

    📸 Melissa's Instagram: instagram.com/yanosocial.ads 📸 Nicole Instagram: instagram.com/nicoleeldridge_ads 💻 Join Hometown ADvantage: nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown Description: In this episode, you're getting an inside look at the most common Facebook ad mistakes local business owners make — straight from Melissa, one of our ad managers who reviews ad accounts every single day. You'll learn why mentioning your city or town in your ad can instantly boost relevance, how to avoid Meta's sneaky "AI advantage" settings that quietly mess with your data, and why using the exact same copy across your reel and your ad text is holding you back. You'll also hear why picking just one offer to advertise (instead of everything at once) will actually get you better results faster. By the end, you'll have a clear list of things to check in your own Ads Manager today.

  6. Jul 30

    Ep 43: My membership has been running for 1 month! Here's how it's going

    Links 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicoleeldridge_ads 💻 Join Hometown ADvantage: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown Description You'll get the full, honest recap of how Nicole relaunched her group program as a membership — including the exact warm-up strategy she used, what the numbers looked like ($10K cash collected and 30 new members before ads even ran), and why she's rethinking how much she invests in her email list and audience. You'll hear real client wins from inside Hometown ADvantage — a hair extension salon, a physical therapy practice, and a custom bathroom vanity store — and the specific ad strategies behind their results. Plus, you'll get a peek at what's coming next inside the community, including profile audits, live ad breakdown trainings, and new Ready Set Launch spots opening in August.

  7. Jul 20

    Ep 42: How to Attract High Quality Local Leads with Meta Ads

    Links 🌐 Website: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com 🎓 Free Local Ads Workshop: www.nicoleeldridgeads.com/jumpstart 💻 Join Hometown ADvantage: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown Description Think Meta ads only bring in low-quality leads? You're probably missing these five things. In this episode, you'll learn why your ad copy might be repelling your best customers instead of attracting them, why real people (not stock photos or polished branding) are non-negotiable in your ads, and how social proof, a full marketing strategy, and strategic friction on your lead forms can completely change who shows up in your inbox. You'll walk away with a clear, practical checklist to level up the quality of leads coming from your ads — starting today.

  8. Jun 13

    Ep 41: The Top 3 Things I Look At to Tell You If Your Ads are Working

    Description Stop guessing whether your ads are working — and start asking better questions. In this episode, you'll learn the four questions Nicole uses to evaluate any local ad campaign, why ROAS looks completely different for local businesses than online businesses, and what the ad funnel actually tells you about where leads are dropping off. You'll walk away with a clear framework for tracking your results, knowing when to be patient, and knowing when something actually needs to change. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome & Nicole's mission to help 100K local businesses  02:15 — Why there's no single "magic number" for ad success  04:30 — How local ads are different from online business ads  07:00 — What ROAS means and how to calculate it  10:45 — Cash collected vs. lifetime value ROAS  14:20 — Real examples: cleaning company, therapy practice, yoga studio  18:00 — The 4 questions to replace "is my ad working?"  20:30 — Breaking down the ad funnel step by step  26:00 — Click-through rates, form conversion rates, and what to look for  30:00 — Are your leads actually responding and converting?  33:00 — Softer wins: the "vibe check" for local ads (Robert's gym story)  36:00 — Overview of Hometown ADvantage membership  40:00 — The July 6th live launch sprint + membership pricing Links �� Website: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicoleeldridge_ads 💻 Join Hometown ADvantage: www.nicoleeldridgemedia.com/hometown

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About

Tired of posting content that gets likes but not leads? Hometown ADvantage is your go-to space for Facebook and Instagram ad strategies built specifically for local business owners so you can spend less time on social media and more time running the business you actually love. Each week, you'll get real, no-fluff answers to questions like:- How do I run Facebook ads for my local business without wasting money on the wrong audience?- What's actually working right now in Meta ads for local service-based and brick-and-mortar businesses?- How do I attract high-quality leads instead of tire-kickers?- How do I know if my ads are actually working and when to change course? Hosted by Nicole Eldridge, local ads strategist and founder of Hometown ADvantage, each episode brings honest numbers, real client wins, and practical strategy you can put to work in your business today. Hit play and start getting results from your ads, not just views.

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