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

Lindsay Smith | Local Business Marketing Expert & Copywriter
  • 5.0 (6)
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Want to grow 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

  1. 5d ago

    35: Local Advertising Strategies: Why Your Brand Comes Before Your Marketing

    A lot of business owners assume a better local advertising strategy starts with choosing the right marketing channel.  But what if the real problem isn't where you're advertising. It's what your message is saying? Before investing in more campaigns, it's worth asking whether people instantly understand who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you. A memorable business isn't built on a polished logo alone. Strong local business branding gives people something to recognize, while local business messaging gives them a reason to remember you. When your message lacks clarity, every marketing effort has to work harder, no matter how much you spend. And this is where a clear messaging strategy becomes the foundation for sustainable local business growth. You'll discover why trying to promote everything often causes customers to remember nothing, how to identify what your business should be known for, and why rebranding rarely fixes unclear positioning. If you've been wondering how to market local business more effectively, these practical local marketing tips will help you create a clearer promise before amplifying it through advertising. Because advertising doesn't create clarity, it amplifies whatever already exists. A strong local advertising strategy works when every touchpoint reinforces the same idea, helping customers immediately understand your value and making every marketing dollar go further. If your website looks professional but isn't converting visitors into customers, it may be time to review your message before changing your marketing. Book a Website Copy Audit to uncover the gaps, strengthen your positioning, and build a local advertising strategy that supports long-term results instead of short-term fixes. Website Copy Audit: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

  2. Jul 15

    34: Local Business Marketing: Why Trying to Reach Everyone Is Costing You Customers

    If your local business marketing tries to speak to everyone, it may be giving your ideal customer no reason to choose you. It feels safer to keep every door open, but broad messaging often creates confusion instead of confidence. The businesses that attract the right customers aren't always the loudest, they're the clearest. It's not about listing every service you offer; it's about helping the right person recognize themselves in your message.  Because when your website tries to answer every question for every visitor, it rarely answers the emotional question that matters most: "Is this business right for me?"  And this is where local business messaging becomes a competitive advantage. Using the example of a photographer serving multiple audiences, you'll see why positioning your homepage around one ideal customer creates stronger connections without limiting your business.  Discover why how to market local business is less about reaching more people and more about making the right people stop scrolling, trust your expertise, and take action. That shift alone can fuel local business growth while making every marketing effort work harder. If you're a local business owner, this conversation challenges one of the biggest myths in local business marketing: niching your message isn't the same as niching your business.  Your marketing attracts; your operations deliver. Understanding that difference makes your website, testimonials, headlines, and overall copywriter marketing strategy far more persuasive while giving you practical local marketing tips you can apply immediately. Strong local business marketing removes uncertainty before price or reviews ever enter the conversation. When your words clearly position who you're best equipped to help, trust grows naturally—and so do enquiries. Book a Website Copy Audit to discover where your messaging is blending into the background and learn the small changes that can make a big difference in how your website converts. Website Copy Audit: https://www.lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit  This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

  3. Jul 8

    33: Local Business Growth Begins the Moment You Stop Thinking Small

    What if local business growth has less to do with the latest marketing tactic and more to do with the beliefs shaping every decision you make? If you've been holding back from posting, raising your prices, or showing up consistently, this conversation may reveal what's really standing in your way. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough starts with changing how you see yourself, not your marketing plan. You'll discover why visibility isn't the same as ego, how fear of being judged by people you know can quietly limit your business, and why consistency will always outperform chasing quick wins.  From practical local marketing tips to strengthening your local business messaging, you'll learn how small mindset shifts can create lasting momentum without pretending to be someone you're not. You'll also hear why confident pricing, choosing a niche, and building authentic local business marketing can help you grow local business in a way that feels sustainable.  Rather than relying on endless tactics or complicated local advertising strategies, you'll be encouraged to build a business that reflects your strengths and earns trust over time. T his conversation also builds naturally on the ideas shared in Episode 26: Stop Overthinking Email Marketing, giving you another perspective on creating meaningful, long-term success. The truth is, local business growth isn't built through perfection or constant hustle. It's built by showing up, serving the right people, and thinking bigger than yesterday. When you shift your mindset, your marketing becomes more natural, more consistent, and far more effective. If you're ready to create local business growth that feels aligned with who you are, this episode offers practical encouragement to help you move forward with confidence. If you're ready to take the next step, book a free call and let's talk about where your business is today and the opportunities that could help you achieve lasting local business growth. Book a free call!  This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

  4. Jun 24

    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.

  5. Jun 17

    #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.

  6. Jun 10

    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.

  7. Jun 3

    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.

  8. May 27

    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.

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Want to grow 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

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