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Market This | Marketing For Local Business Owners

Market This | Marketing For Local Business Owners

By: Lindsay Smith | Marketing Strategist Website Copywriter & Local Business Marketing
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Summary

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 led copy on 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.

© 2026 Market This | Marketing For Local Business Owners
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • S1 #25: Local Business Marketing Isn’t Just Instagram Anymore
    May 6 2026

    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 business
    • The real path your ideal client takes before they hire you
    • My four-layer marketing framework and where social media actually belongs
    • The 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 job

    Grab my Website Copy Audit!


    This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

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    18 mins
  • S1 #24: The 3 Things Your Marketing Needs to Say (Before Anything Else Works)
    Apr 29 2026

    You're posting, emailing, showing up, and it still feels like nobody's paying attention to your local business marketing.

    Before you blame the algorithm or try another tactic, it might be time to look at what your marketing is actually saying.

    In this episode, I break down the three foundational things every piece of marketing needs to communicate before any of it actually works, whether it's your website, your social media, or your emails.

    In this episode, I cover:

    • Why narrowing down who you're speaking to makes your marketing land harder (and why talking to everyone means talking to no one)
    • How to articulate the real problem you solve, not just list your services
    • Why every piece of marketing needs a clear, low-friction next step
    • The common call-to-action mistakes that are costing you leads (including the dreaded mail app pop-up)

    If you're not sure if your marketing or website is hitting all these marks, grab my Website Copy Audit.


    This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • S1 #23: The 3 Website Gaps Costing You Money
    Apr 15 2026

    Is Your Website Actually Doing Its Job?

    You're great at what you do, your clients love you, and referrals are coming in. So, why aren't they booking? In this episode, I'm breaking down the three sneaky website gaps that are quietly costing service-based , local business owners money.

    In this episode, you'll learn:

    • The "who is this for?" gap: why vague, flowery homepage copy is driving warm leads away, and what to say instead
    • The "what happens next?" gap: the difference between a call to action that just exists and one that actually converts
    • The "why you?" gap: how to position yourself so referrals landing on your website immediately know you're the right person

    Not sure if your website is doing its job? That's why created the Website Copy Audit. Get a clear, specific breakdown of what's working, what's confusing visitors, and what to change: lindsaysmithcreative.ca/audit


    This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.

    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
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