Marketing for SMEs

Jeremy Yang

Marketing for SMEs is a podcast for founders and marketing managers running businesses in the $300k to $2m range, trying to make sense of what is actually working in marketing and AI right now, and what is just noise. Hosted by Jeremy Yang, founder of Digital Goliath, the show brings in specialists who work directly with this segment, across ads, analytics, creative, and AI implementation. Each episode focuses on how they are helping these businesses, what their offers look like in practice, what they are seeing work or fail in real accounts, and the questions founders tend to ask once they are in it. The aim is to surface real operating context so listeners can judge what is relevant to them, not be told what to do. Conversations stay grounded, specific, and current, with enough detail for experienced operators to take something from it, or ignore it if it does not fit.

  1. 14h ago

    Keith Lauver on Escaping AI-Generated Mediocrity

    AI has made it easier for almost anyone to produce acceptable marketing. But when every business uses the same tools in the same way, acceptable quickly becomes forgettable. Jeremy Yang speaks with Keith Lauver, Founder and CEO of Ellavator AI, about what Keith calls the “Ministry of Mediocrity”: the pull towards safe, average marketing created by general AI tools. Keith explains why businesses risk losing their voice and point of distinction when they use AI purely to produce more content. They discuss how Ella was created to keep a business’s positioning, customer knowledge and marketing thinking connected to the work it produces. They also discuss: Why below-average work may be the first thing displaced by AIHow businesses can use AI without sounding like everyone elseKeeping your own point of view while building a content systemHow MCP could connect marketing tools, advertising data and analyticsWhy small businesses are not behind on AI, despite how tools are pitched to themThe risk of building an entire workflow around one AI platform This episode is for SME owners, marketers and agencies that want help from AI without handing over the thinking, voice and knowledge that make their business different. Learn more about Keith Lauver Ellavator AI ➡️ https://www.ellavator.ai/ Keith Lauver on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithdlauver/ Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Looking for more practical ideas to help you run and grow your business? Explore Digital Goliath’s latest articles and how-to guides for SME owners. Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ How-To Guides ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/how-to-guides/

    Keith Lauver on Escaping AI-Generated Mediocrity
  2. 5d ago

    Solveig Petch on What Founders Misunderstand About Branding

    Many business owners approach branding expecting to hand everything over and receive a finished brand in return. But a branding expert cannot decide what your business stands for without your involvement. Jeremy Yang speaks with Solveig Petch, also known as Petchy, a strategic brandsmith with more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of business, brand strategy and design. Solveig explains why branding goes far beyond choosing a logo, colour palette or font. The real work involves understanding where the business is going, what it wants to be known for and how that thinking should influence every customer touchpoint. They also discuss: How to recognise when your business has outgrown its existing brandWhy founders cannot completely outsource the thinking behind their brandWhich businesses benefit most from professional branding workHow smaller businesses can build a useful foundation before hiring a specialistWhat business legacy can look like without building a huge companyWhy experienced creatives still matter in an era of AI-generated design This episode is for SME owners whose business has grown but whose website, messaging or visual identity no longer feels representative of where the company is today. Learn more about Solveig Petch Website ➡️ https://petchy.co/ LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/petchy/ Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/petchy.co/ Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Looking for more practical ideas to help you run and grow your business? Explore Digital Goliath’s latest articles and how-to guides for SME owners. Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ How-To Guides ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/how-to-guides/

    Solveig Petch on What Founders Misunderstand About Branding
  3. Aug 25

    Dan Charles on Building an Event Marketing Pipeline That Runs Year-Round

    Being busy can hide a future sales problem. Many event businesses stop marketing when their teams are fully occupied with delivery. When the busy period ends, they discover that the pipeline has dried up and they need to start again from zero. Jeremy Yang speaks with Dan Charles, founder of Codarity, a growth partner built specifically for B2B event service businesses. Before moving into marketing, Dan spent nearly a decade in the events industry and scaled productions from small local gatherings to shows with more than 3,000 attendees. He later worked inside a large agency before founding Codarity and eventually narrowing its focus to the events industry. Dan explains why relying on referrals creates unpredictable revenue, how long buying cycles affect event businesses and why running more ads will not necessarily fix a growth plateau. They also discuss: Why serving every type of client made Codarity harder to scaleThe four pillars of Dan’s Evergreen Event Profit SystemHow automation keeps the pipeline moving during busy seasonsWhy highly specific LinkedIn content can generate leads with only 150 impressionsLosing around 60% of Codarity’s clients during COVIDThe hidden opportunities businesses miss when they depend on word of mouthWhy short marketing trials lead to repeated restarts This episode is useful for event businesses, agency owners and other service companies that experience uneven demand or rely heavily on referrals. Learn more about Dan Charles LinkedIn ➡️ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dancharles Codarity ➡️ https://codarity.com/ Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Looking for more practical ideas to help you run and grow your business? Explore Digital Goliath’s latest articles and how-to guides for SME owners. Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ How-To Guides ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/how-to-guides/

    Dan Charles on Building an Event Marketing Pipeline That Runs Year-Round
  4. Aug 24

    Tracy Brinkmann on Why AI Should Challenge Your Thinking, Not Replace It

    AI can help a small business research ideas, develop products and move faster, but handing over all your critical thinking produces generic work. In this episode of Marketing for SMEs, Jeremy Yang speaks with Tracy Brinkmann, host of The Dark Horse Entrepreneur podcast. Tracy draws on decades of experience across entrepreneurship, corporate marketing, coaching and podcasting to explain where AI genuinely helps smaller businesses and where human judgement still matters. They discuss how microbusiness owners can use AI as a creative sounding board, test more specific product ideas and extract more value from knowledge they already have. Tracy also shares how his own path took him from addiction and a police raid to working with companies including Coca-Cola, Home Depot and Victoria’s Secret. They also discuss: How one product grew from $250,000 to $5 million in annual Amazon revenueWhat early Facebook advertising was like for businessesWhy advertising eventually appears on almost every new platformThe current limits of vibe codingAI creatives and the “uncanny valley”How email reactivation campaigns can produce revenue from an existing customer list This episode is for SME owners, solopreneurs and creators who want to use AI without losing the experience, judgement and original thinking that make their work valuable. Learn more about Tracy Brinkmann Website ➡️ https://www.darkhorseentrepreneur.com/ LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracybrinkmann/ YouTube ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@DarkHorseEntrepreneur/videos Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Looking for more practical ideas to help you run and grow your business? Explore Digital Goliath’s latest articles and how-to guides for SME owners. Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ How-To Guides ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/how-to-guides/

    Tracy Brinkmann on Why AI Should Challenge Your Thinking, Not Replace It
  5. Aug 20

    Lydia Lee on Scaling Down a Business Without Sacrificing Profit

    A bigger business does not always create more freedom. Sometimes it creates more expenses, more offers to sell and more work that the founder never wanted. In this episode of Marketing for SMEs, Jeremy Yang speaks with Lydia Lee, creator of the Tiny Business Method and founder of Screw the Cubicle. After building a business with three full-time staff, eight offers and a constant cycle of launches, Lydia realised she had recreated many of the pressures she originally left corporate life to escape. Lydia explains how established business owners can simplify their offers, marketing and operating model without automatically sacrificing income or impact. She also shares how to recognise whether you have outgrown your work or whether the business itself has become too complicated for you to manage sustainably. They also discuss: Why choosing a profitable niche starts with understanding your skills and lived experienceThe hidden costs of pursuing arbitrary revenue goalsHow to replace constant online marketing with fewer, better-fitting channelsWhy a leaner business can sometimes leave the owner with more profitHow founder burnout can be a business-model problemThis conversation is for established service business owners, coaches and consultants who have built something successful but no longer enjoy the way it operates. Learn more about Lydia Lee Website ➡️ https://screwthecubicle.com/ LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiallee/ YouTube ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/screwthecubicle Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Resources Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ Results ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/results/

    Lydia Lee on Scaling Down a Business Without Sacrificing Profit
  6. Aug 19

    Humaira Akhter on Finding the Red Thread Behind Your Best Offer

    Most advice about creating an offer starts with the target audience, their pain points and what keeps them awake at night. Humaira Akhter believes established business owners need to start somewhere deeper. In this episode of Marketing for SMEs, Jeremy Yang speaks with Humaira, creator of the Genius Offer Blueprint™, about finding the “red thread” that connects your experience, strongest work and personal history. Humaira explains why multi-skilled experts can struggle to choose one clear offer. Being capable of solving many problems can leave a business fragmented, difficult to explain and easy to forget. Her process looks at the high points, low points and turning points across your life and career. These patterns can reveal the work you are best placed to become known for, rather than forcing you into a niche that does not feel right. They also discuss: The difference between a zone of excellence and a zone of geniusWhy capable business owners repeatedly create offers but never execute themHow an aligned offer can remain relevant as the market changesWhy dialogue can uncover context that an AI tool may overlookWhat happens when a business owner keeps waiting to feel ready This conversation is for experienced coaches, consultants, creatives and service business owners who can do many things well but are struggling to decide what their business should be built around. Learn more about Humaira Akhter Website ➡️ https://humairaakhter.com/ LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/humairaakhter/ Genius Offer Diagnostic ➡️ https://humairaakhter.com/quiz/find_my_redthread Genius Offer Blueprint™ ➡️ https://humairaakhter.com/geniusofferblueprint Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Resources Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ Results ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/results/

    Humaira Akhter on Finding the Red Thread Behind Your Best Offer
  7. Aug 18

    Jenna Oberstein on the Social Media Mistake That Makes Businesses Look Awkward

    Feeling uncomfortable on camera is not something you can easily hide. Even a small amount of awkwardness becomes far more noticeable once the video is published. Jeremy Yang speaks with Jenna Oberstein, Founder and Director of ATAG Communication, about helping business owners create social media content that feels natural rather than rehearsed. Jenna explains why she avoids scripts during content shoots, how she helps clients become more confident on camera and why the business owner is usually the right person to appear in the content. She also shares a practical way for small businesses to plan their own posts using a content calendar and repeatable content segments. They also discuss: Why consistent content can matter more than going viralHow social media helps potential customers validate a businessWhen to manage social media yourself and when to hire someoneWhat a social media manager should actually take responsibility forHow Jenna uses AI without removing the human side of the contentWhy the right client and agency fit matters This episode is for small business owners who manage their own social media, are considering hiring someone or want to judge whether their current social media work is being handled properly. Learn more about Jenna Oberstein LinkedIn ➡️ https://au.linkedin.com/in/jenna-oberstein-045684164 ATAG Communication ➡️ https://www.atagcom.com/ Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Resources Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ Results ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/results/

    Jenna Oberstein on the Social Media Mistake That Makes Businesses Look Awkward
  8. Aug 13

    William “Billy” Sammons on His Unusual Approach to Local Referrals

    Most businesses try to generate referrals by asking for them. William “Billy” Sammons builds them by helping local businesses first. In this episode of Marketing for SMEs, Jeremy Yang speaks with Billy, the creator of Live Local Warm Marketing and author of Warm Marketing: The New Currency. Billy explains how creating useful video content for local businesses helped him build trust, form referral partnerships and become more visible within his community. They also discuss: Why pitching immediately after helping someone can undo the trust you createdHow to choose local businesses that align with your interests and valuesWhy community-focused emails can outperform industry updatesHow introverts can use one-to-one interviews to build connectionsHow to make relationship-based marketing manageable and repeatable This conversation is for service professionals, salespeople and business owners who want to build stronger local relationships without relying entirely on cold outreach. Learn more about William “Billy” Sammons LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-sammons-9951181a/ Live Local Warm Marketing ➡️ https://www.livelocalwarmmarketing.com/ Get the free Connector Blueprint ➡️ https://www.referralblueprint.com/ Warm Marketing: The New Currency ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6LMY1L8 Live Local Podcast ➡️ https://www.livelocalwarmmarketing.com/the-podcast Learn more about Jeremy Yang on LinkedIn ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-yang/ Listen on your preferred podcast app ➡️ https://pod.link/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkucml2ZXJzaWRlLmNvbS9ob3N0aW5nL2RmaGQ4QlltLnJzcw Connect with Digital Goliath Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/digital_goliath_marketing/ Website ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/ Learn more about Digital Goliath About Us ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/about-page/ Our Services ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/marketing-ads-services/ Resources Expert Perspectives ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/expert-perspectives/ Results ➡️ https://digitalgoliath.com.au/results/

    William “Billy” Sammons on His Unusual Approach to Local Referrals

About

Marketing for SMEs is a podcast for founders and marketing managers running businesses in the $300k to $2m range, trying to make sense of what is actually working in marketing and AI right now, and what is just noise. Hosted by Jeremy Yang, founder of Digital Goliath, the show brings in specialists who work directly with this segment, across ads, analytics, creative, and AI implementation. Each episode focuses on how they are helping these businesses, what their offers look like in practice, what they are seeing work or fail in real accounts, and the questions founders tend to ask once they are in it. The aim is to surface real operating context so listeners can judge what is relevant to them, not be told what to do. Conversations stay grounded, specific, and current, with enough detail for experienced operators to take something from it, or ignore it if it does not fit.