Growth does not happen by accident. Too many small businesses chase tactics without building a solid marketing plan. In this episode, we break down what sustainable business growth looks like and how local business owners can move beyond short-term wins with effective marketing for small business.

We discuss core components of a strong marketing strategy including hiring and systems, building a predictable sales funnel, improving customer experience, and expanding reach without overextending your business. You'll learn why strategic planning matter more than motivation, how to reduce risks as you grow, and how to set meaningful goals that lead to lasting progress.

This episode is designed to help small business owners stop reacting and start planning with smart marketing for small businesses. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of where growth really comes from and how to build a strategy that supports long-term success.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners, whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own, who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships, while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, Grow My Small Business by Lindsay Fletcher, and Social Media Marketing by Cheyanne Cleyman.

Many small businesses struggle with their social media marketing strategy, especially on Facebook, feeling like their efforts aren't yielding growth.

In this episode, we dive into why typical approaches fall short and reveal what truly drives Facebook follower growth today without spending money on ads. This is essential listening for anyone interested in marketing for small businesses and online marketing for small business success.

We explore foundational mistakes made with Facebook Pages and emphasize the importance of content quality, consistency, and social media engagement. Learn how to create posts that inspire conversations, strategically use Facebook features like Stories and Live video, and leverage partnerships and community interaction for greater organic reach.

Additionally, you'll discover how proper timing, compelling visuals, and simple data tracking can significantly boost your results. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear social media marketing strategy framework for turning Facebook into a long-term audience-building channel rather than feeling like a frustrating time sink.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners, whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own, who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships, while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, Grow My Small Business by Lindsay Fletcher, and Social Media Marketing by Cheyanne Cleyman.

2026 does not need more marketing tactics. It needs more commitment.

In this episode, we introduce the 2026 Marketing Challenge. One intentional choice. No pressure to do everything.

We challenge you to pick just one marketing initiative. Not the easiest one. Not the trendiest one. The one you are willing to stick with long enough to see results.

This is not about chasing algorithms or trying to be everywhere. It is about focus, consistency, and building momentum that actually lasts.

Pick one idea. Commit to it. Let 2026 be the year your marketing finally compounds.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners, whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own, who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships, while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, Grow My Small Business by Lindsay Fletcher, and Social Media Marketing by Cheyanne Cleyman.

Marketing rarely fails because of bad ideas. It usually fails because people quit before the work has time to compound.

In this episode, we step away from tactics, trends, and tools to talk about the part of marketing no one prepares you for. The waiting. The silence. The stretch where you are showing up, doing the work, and wondering if any of it is actually working.

This conversation is about belief. Belief in your product, your message, and yourself long before the results show up. We unpack why consistency matters more than creativity, why confidence transfers before strategy does, and why most marketing wins happen quietly before they become visible.

If you have ever felt like you are behind, stuck, or questioning whether your marketing efforts are worth it, this episode is a reminder that progress often happens long before proof does.

Marketing works in silence first. And if you stay in the game long enough, the right people always notice.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners, whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own, who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships, while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, Grow My Small Business by Lindsay Fletcher, and Social Media Marketing by Cheyanne Cleyman.

As we start the new year, Matt and Jim are clearing the slate. In this episode, they're talking about the biggest marketing myths that small businesses need to leave behind in 2026. These are the ideas that sound good but quietly hold businesses back.

They unpack common beliefs around social media, advertising, branding, and growth that no longer match how customers actually behave. They explain why these myths persist, where business owners get stuck, and what to focus on instead as you head into the new year.

This episode is less about trends and more about clarity. If you want to start 2026 with a cleaner, more focused marketing approach, this conversation will help you stop chasing the wrong things and double down on what actually works.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners—whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own—who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships – while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, The Marketing Millennials by Daniel Murray, and The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher.

Before a customer speaks to you, before they understand your offer, and before price ever comes into play, a perception has already formed.

In the first ten seconds, people judge your business based on things you may not even notice anymore. The parking lot. The front door. The website load time. The greeting. The signage. The feeling of order or chaos.

This episode breaks down why first impressions quietly decide outcomes, how small details signal trust or doubt, and why most businesses focus on messaging while ignoring the moments that matter most. We also explore how these ten seconds shape everything that follows, from pricing tolerance to perceived professionalism.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners—whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own—who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships – while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, The Marketing Millennials by Daniel Murray, and The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher.

Most people think marketing is something you learn later, hire out, or turn on once a business is already running. In reality, most of us have been doing marketing long before we ever called it marketing.

In this episode of Mastering Local Marketing, Jim and Matt reflect on how their paths into marketing started much earlier than they realized. Matt shares how his interest in marketing began in high school, while Jim talks through wishing he had leaned into it sooner. Together, they unpack a simple but powerful idea: persuasion, storytelling, listening, and gaining support are things we all practice every day.

From trying to prove a point in a conversation, to building momentum around an idea, to paying attention when customers tell you exactly what they want, this episode reframes marketing as a natural human skill rather than a formal discipline. The takeaway is not that everyone is an expert marketer, but that understanding what you are already doing changes how intentionally you can do it.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners—whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own—who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships – while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, The Marketing Millennials by Daniel Murray, and The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher.

People will drive past a local business they have known for years but only give it a try when a stranger on the internet they have never met says it's good. A one sentence review. A TikTok recommendation. A YouTube comment. Somehow, that feels more reliable than anything else these days.

This episode of Mastering Local Marketing explores the strange hierarchy of credibility we have created in the digital age. Why reviews carry so much weight. Why influencers feel more trustworthy than experts. And why social proof often matters more than experience.

We break down how this shift happened, what it means for local businesses, and why trust today is less about who you are and more about who is talking about you.

HAVE A SHOW IDEA?

Do you have an interesting idea for a show topic or a marketing problem that you'd like us to cover in a future episode of Mastering Local Marketing? Email matt@masteringlocalmarketing.com and we'll add it to our future episodes.

Mastering Local Marketing is for small business owners—whether you run a restaurant, retail store, service-based business, or handle marketing on your own—who want proven strategies to grow their customer base, increase the number of customers, and market smarter.

Each episode delivers actionable tips on proven marketing strategies that build awareness through digital marketing, content development, engagement strategies, and networking opportunities like key partnerships – while not wasting your time or money on things that don't work.

Fans of these marketing podcasts will find plenty to binge here: Savvy Marketing for Small Business by Samantha Shephard, Grow Your Local Business by Leslie Presnall, Local Marketing Trends by Gordon Borrell, Marketing Ink: Big Ideas for Local Businesses by Allie Bloyd, The Marketing Millennials by Daniel Murray, and The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher.