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Market This | Local Business Marketing, Content Marketing & Website Copywriting
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 copy for 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.
Market This | Local Business Marketing, Content Marketing & Website Copywriting
S1 #27: What Local Business Owners Get Wrong About Standing Out
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Most local business owners think standing out means louder branding, better design, or more content.
But that's not what actually drives attention. The real issue sits deeper, in your messaging strategy, and how clearly your offer lands with the people you actually want to reach.
Websites don't fail because the service is weak. They fail because the language is generic, overused, and sounds exactly like every competitor on the block. When your homepage reads like a template, visitors stop seeing you as different.
This episode breaks down what actually makes people stop scrolling and pay attention.
You'll hear why unclear positioning blocks trust, how professional language often backfires, and how stronger local visibility strategies can change the way your business shows up online.
I also get into how to market a local business more effectively and when working with a website copywriter can help translate what you do into words that actually convert.
For a lot of local business owners, the biggest mistake is trying to sound universal instead of specific, appealing to everyone, avoiding the details, and leaning on industry clichés that say nothing.
Whether you're a local service provider or a growing brand, those patterns make it harder for potential clients to see themselves in your services.
The shift happens when your message gets specific enough that the right client immediately recognizes themselves. Instead of vague promises, you create clarity, the kind that drives trust, referrals, and inquiries. That's where better messaging strategy and refined positioning start working together.
If you're ready to tighten your message, a Website Copy Audit looks at your homepage and key pages to find where your copy is losing attention and how to fix it. It's a practical way to sharpen your messaging strategy so your local business starts attracting the right clients instead of blending in.
This episode was mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio.