S.O.B. (Small Owned Business) Marketing

Are you spending money on marketing that isn't actually helping your small business grow? Just because something is popular, expensive, or easy to do doesn't mean it's the right investment for YOUR business.
In this episode of the S.O.B. Marketing Podcast, we're sharing 7 marketing things small business owners waste money on. We get into why these common marketing expenses can drain your budget, how to recognize when it's time to reevaluate, and where your marketing dollars may be better spent.
In this episode, we cover:
7 marketing expenses you want to reassess
Five categories of marketing investments that may actually be worth your money
Three questions to ask yourself before spending another dollar on marketing
🎧 Need practical marketing advice without the agency-sized price tag?
Join the S.O.B. Community for weekly marketing support, expert guidance, and a community of small business owners who understand what it's like to run and promote a business.
Join us at https://www.skool.com/SOB
If you enjoy the episode, subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with a small business owner who could use a little marketing tough love!
#SmallBusinessMarketing #MarketingTips #MarketingBudget #SOBMarketingPodcast

Small business owners are always being told they NEED to be showing up on video but is it true?
In this episode of the S.O.B. Marketing Podcast, we have a candid discussion about how your smalll business can benefit from video marketing, as video is becoming increasingly important across social media, Google, and AI search, giving small businesses another way to get discovered, build trust, and connect with potential customers.
Hate being on camera? That's ok - we break down how you can create effective video content without ever putting your face on camera.
Video marketing can really help put your business on the map, but you don't have to become an influencer or create 20 videos a week - you just need a video footprint to help people discover your business, understand what you do, and feel more comfortable choosing you. 

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to be the face of your business, constantly creating content, sharing your life, and putting yourself out there, this episode is for you.
We dig into the personal brand vs. logo-led brand debate and the bigger question behind it: What kind of business do you actually want to build? A small business that is built around you or a small business that is able to stand on its own?
Because building a personal brand isn't just a marketing decision, it's a business and lifestyle decision, too.
 

Even if you personally aren't a fan of AI Chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok - you WANT your small business to get recommended in their search results because that can lead to more sales.  But how do you even start to measure your AI "visibility"? In this episode, we share a four-lens framework for figuring out whether your business is showing up in AI chatbots like Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, Claude, and more.
If you're a small business owner who wants to stay visible, stay informed, and stay ahead of what your customers are doing - listen to this episode. You'll get a clear, practical starting point for understanding how AI might already be affecting your business. 

Google Search Console just got a lot more interesting for small business owners.
Google is giving businesses new insight into how their content shows up across search and that includes the growing connection between your website, social media content, and the way people discover you in search.
In this episode, we discuss Google Search Console - what it is, why small business owners need to be using it and the 2026 update that'll convince you to start using Google Search Console immediately (if you're not already).
If you want to see how well your website and social media content is working to attract people to your business, this episode is for you.

Small Business Saturday is a fabulous opportunity to increase your sales, but it's not enough to ask people to shop with you just because you're a small business! In this episode, we share questions you can ask to help you identify what makes your product, service, or experience different and how you can give shoppers a real reason to choose you before the holiday rush hits.
If you’re a small business owner planning on participating in Small Business Saturday or trying to get ahead of the holiday season, this episode is for you!

There is MONEY to be made on Small Business Saturday! Estimates are that around 62.7 million people shop in-store and about 63 million people shop online. While this episode was originally shared in 2023, the strategies we share to increase sales during this small business specific holiday are more relevant than ever in 2026. Listen as we share practical planning tips, marketing strategies, and the importance of using data to drive your decisions to maximize success during the holiday season.
 
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, follow, leave a review - and please consider supporting this podcast at buymeacoffee.com/sobmarketing.
 
Want to talk marketing with us? Join our S.O.B. Community! A membership includes:
A weekly hour long Zoom call with marketing professionals (Vivian & Chelsea) to talk shop or answer any questions you may have when it comes to marketing your small business. 
An extensive library of tutorials 
A community of like minded small owned businesses
Free downloads and templates for you to jumpstart your marketing
Join our 𝐒.𝐎.𝐁 (𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬) 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: https://www.skool.com/sob 
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Chapters:
03:05 Understanding Small Business Saturday08:53 Planning for Small Business Saturday09:45 Omnichannel Marketing Strategies16:51 Creating a Seamless Customer Experience17:51 Preparing Your Marketing Campaign21:05 Leveraging Email Marketing24:27 Personalization in Marketing32:07 Inventory Management for Seasonal Sales34:04 Competing with Black Friday Sales40:54 The Power of Gift Cards44:06 Maximizing Visibility for Small Business Saturday
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𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓:
Podcast Sponsorship Inquiries: https://sobmarketing.com/contact 
Support This Podcast: buymeacoffee.com/sobmarketing 
𝐒.𝐎.𝐁 (𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬) 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: https://theseasonedmarketer.myflodesk.com/sob
S.O.B. Marketing Merch: https://theseasonedmarketer.com/swag-shop/
Episode Transcripts: https://sobmarketing.com/blog 
Sign Up For Our Email Newsletter: https://theseasonedmarketer.myflodesk.com/nb0wpptjjt 
 
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If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be helpful! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://sobmarketing.com
 
This podcast is brought to you by THE SEASONED MARKETER. For more free marketing resources, follow us here:
**Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSeasonedMarketer
**Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theseasonedmarketer
**Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseasonedmarketer
 
COLLABORATION REQUESTS TO: vivian@TheSeasonedMarketer.com
 

Small business owners get asked for free donations all the time from non-profits, event-organizers, influencers, and even family and friends - but when (if ever) does it make sense to actually say YES? In this episode, we discuss how to approach requests for free stuff from a marketing perspective and get honest about how you can decide when to say yes, when to turn down a request or when you may want to entertain the request.   
If you are a small business owner who is tired of being asked for freebies or want a better way to properly evaluate these potential marketing opportunities, this conversation is for you!
 
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, follow, leave a review - and please consider supporting this podcast at buymeacoffee.com/sobmarketing.
 
Looking for a community of other S.O.B.s handling their marketing on their own? Join our S.O.B. Community! A membership includes:
An extensive library of tutorials 
A community of like minded small owned businesses
Free downloads and templates for you to jumpstart your marketing
A weekly hour long Zoom call with marketing professionals to talk shop or answer any questions you may have when it comes to marketing your small business. 
Join our 𝐒.𝐎.𝐁 (𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬) 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: https://www.skool.com/sob 
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Chapters:
00:00 Why free requests can wear small business owners down
04:14 Marketing Hot Take
04:33 Why friends shouldn’t expect free products
07:31 Set boundaries and treat donations like marketing
09:11 How to say no without burning bridges
13:40 If you say yes, set clear expectations
22:22 Ask for analytics and track the return
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𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓:
Podcast Sponsorship Inquiries: https://sobmarketing.com/contact 
Support This Podcast: buymeacoffee.com/sobmarketing 
𝐒.𝐎.𝐁 (𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬) 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: https://theseasonedmarketer.myflodesk.com/sob
S.O.B. Marketing Merch: https://theseasonedmarketer.com/swag-shop/
Episode Transcripts: https://sobmarketing.com/blog 
Sign Up For Our Email Newsletter: https://theseasonedmarketer.myflodesk.com/nb0wpptjjt 
 
____________________
If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be helpful! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://sobmarketing.com
 
This podcast is brought to you by THE SEASONED MARKETER. For more free marketing resources, follow us here:
**Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSeasonedMarketer
**Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theseasonedmarketer
**Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseasonedmarketer
 
COLLABORATION REQUESTS TO: vivian@TheSeasonedMarketer.com