Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot

I am sharing a prompt I use when I'm looking at a blog post that should be getting more traffic than it is. Instead of writing something new, I walk you through how to use AI to evaluate what you already have, what variables you need to fill in to get useful recommendations, and where the prompt has limits so you're not expecting it to do something it can't. If you've got a post sitting on your site that isn't doing much, start here.Enjoy the episode!🗞️ ⁠Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠Digital marketing advice that doesn't require a dictionary.Short enough to read. Useful enough to use. Every Wednesday.👉 For all the prompt, links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.👉 Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is Her AI Club.For women who want to use AI and automation in their business, there is no better community. There are monthly calls that help you troubleshoot, build and connect with other people want to improve their business. The ladies who build the community are engaging and always improving the club benefits. I’ve enjoyed getting to meet new people and learn from others. And it’s how I first learned how to build out a full on automated playbook! Super nerdy and super fun. The club also offers tutorials around AI tools and provides skills builder tools to help you customize your Claude.Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is [name of show and who by][insert description]About This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot is a weekly podcast for service-based small business owners who want more website visibility, traffic, and leads. Hosted by Barb Davids, each episode covers the what, why, and how of SEO, AI SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy. Plus expert guest conversations on productivity, branding, and mindset. Because growing your business and loving your life aren't separate goals.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about AI search and whether it changes everything we know about SEO. So in this episode I’m breaking down something I think is worth understanding: the difference between being found on Google and being cited by AI. They’re not the same experience, and they don’t work exactly the same way. I walk through how Google finds and ranks your website, how AI search tools decide whether to reference you, and why the foundation for both comes back to the same thing and that is how credible and consistent your presence looks across the web.I also bust a couple of myths that are floating around out there, because I almost fell for one of them myself.If you’ve been wondering whether any of this actually matters for your small business, this episode is for you.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.👉 Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is Exploding Topics.It’s a tool that discovers trends. There’s a paid version and a free version. I like it just for the informative nature of what’s trending as it goes across all kinds of industries. Like “dog food maker”. Apparently a big thing right now. Even Dash has one for making treats.Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is The Real Reason You Procrastinate (It’s Not Why You Think) on All it Takes is a Goal with Jon Acuff. I like his episodes. They are short and to the point. I have a habit of procrastinating. I have a habit of overthinking. And I know the two are related. I loved the angle of this episode and what he boiled procrastination down to. I’m not gonna tell you because that would ruin the effect of listening to it. He also mentioned he has a new book called Procrastination Proof. I bought it and read it in two days. I took quite a few notes and know where I get hung. And am actively trying to keep one of his suggestions active in my head to work through my procrastination habit.🗞️ Digital Marketing TakeawayDigital marketing advice that doesn't require a dictionary.Short enough to read. Useful enough to use. Every Wednesday.About This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot is a weekly podcast for service-based small business owners who want more website visibility, traffic, and leads. Hosted by Barb Davids, each episode covers the what, why, and how of SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy. Plus expert guest conversations on productivity, branding, and mindset. Because growing your business and loving your life aren't separate goals.

This one is a little different. I took the podcast on the road... well, on the trail... and went to Sedona with Sheila Kofahl, founder of And Then She Did.Sheila leads women on guided hiking adventures. She handles everything: the van, the itinerary, the driving, the parking permits, even the daily briefings. You just show up, lace up, and let her take over. It's honestly the most appealing thing I've heard in a while.But her story is the real thing. Sheila lost her home in the market crash, walked away from a 20-year marriage, and found herself answering a therapist's question she hadn't thought about in years: what do you actually like to do? The answer was hiking. Solo travel. Getting outside. And then she did.We talked about the women who book these trips and why they come. Spoiler: it's usually not just for the hiking. Life transitions, empty nesting, grief, illness, fresh starts. The trail has a way of making room for all of it.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results.🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. Peek inside my toolbox.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot is a weekly podcast for service-based small business owners who want more website visibility, traffic, and leads. Hosted by Barb Davids, each episode covers the what, why, and how of SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy. Plus expert guest conversations on productivity, branding, and mindset. Because growing your business and loving your life aren't separate goals.

Stop losing visitors to "tab clutter" and accidental exits. Learn the golden rule of link settings of when to use "open in a new tab" and how it impacts your bounce rate and SEO. Plus, a quick tip on tracking your traffic attribution correctly.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is Vizard.ai.This tool is incredible! It’s so easy to use. It automatically creates short clips from long videos. And does a great job at it. Super simple editor to take out sections and add them. And easily add an outro scene to the end for branding. Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode isis not an episode but a Spotify audio book. Did you know they have them for paid users? I listened to Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. Interestingly, maybe more to me than you lol, I tried to get the physical book. I thought it was in stock at teh local Barnes and Noble but then they texted and said they didn't have it. So ok, I guess I'll just get teh audio version then… which is funny because generally I like reading books vs listening to them. I can skip through parts faster. But this time, the audio seemed to be what I was doing. And it just happened I was going on a trip and I ended up listening to a large portion of it on the plane ride and my long drive from the airport to my destination. For someone who has been searching for how to let go, it is very timely. Now that I gave you that big ole backstory, you'd probably like to know what it's about. It's about a guy who stopped controlling his life and lived. 🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot is a weekly podcast for service-based small business owners who want more website visibility, traffic, and leads. Hosted by Barb Davids, each episode covers the what, why, and how of SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy. Plus expert guest conversations on productivity, branding, and mindset. Because growing your business and loving your life aren't separate goals.

Tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how people find businesses. But — and this is the part most people are getting confused about — your website still matters. A lot. AI doesn't rank pages the way Google does, but it still scans your content, reads your pages, and pulls from what you've got on it. So if your service pages are thin, your About page is vague, or your Google Business Profile is half-finished, AI is going to skip right past you.I'm running a live virtual workshop on April 22, from 1-3pm PT on YouTube. So if you want to be in the room and get feedback on your actual website, here's your shot. And if you can't make it or you want to go through it on your own time, I'm also making a recorded version available. To watch the replay, you'll need to be on my newsletter list.  I'm streaming iit live on YouTube so nobody had to sign up for anything, because frankly I just wanted to get it out to you without overthinking it. Working on my overthinking. LOL🗞️ Replay for newsletter subscribers... Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot is a weekly podcast for service-based small business owners who want more website visibility, traffic, and leads. Hosted by Barb Davids, each episode covers the what, why, and how of SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy. Plus expert guest conversations on productivity, branding, and mindset. Because growing your business and loving your life aren't separate goals.

I am fascinated at how NotebookLM is taking a lot of anguish out of my day. I wanted to get more clarity about some client calls and better understand how they come in to my world, and how they leave. Like what’s their “transformation”.  Because a lot of what I do doesn’t transpire to immediate results. Here are 4 ways how I’m using NotebookLM for my business.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is AppSumo.Speaking of tools, this is the grand daddy of the tools finders. It's been around for quite some time and offers a lot of lifetime offers on tools. Now, use at your own risk. One time I bought a "lifetime" offer app and then later they said, oh we're not supporting that anymore, we're in a new version and that doesn't apply to the lifetime offer. That said, I also know a lot of people who that didn't happen to. My TidyCal is one that successfully came from that. Tidycal is a calendar booking system.Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is The Hidden Link Between Trauma and High Achievement in Women with Farya Barlas on the show Tried and True with a Dash of Woo. I'm beginning to think when people use "high achiever" in their content, they mean workaholics. LOL Just my personal connection. I didn't get any actionable takeaways from this one but I enjoyed the conversation. 🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot is a weekly podcast for service-based small business owners who want more website visibility, traffic, and leads. Hosted by Barb Davids, each episode covers the what, why, and how of SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy. Plus expert guest conversations on productivity, branding, and mindset. Because growing your business and loving your life aren't separate goals.

I sat down with a talented brand designer whose business had evolved, but her search rankings were still stuck years in the past. We dug into her data and realized she was accidentally attracting beginners instead of her new ideal, established clients simply because Google loved an old post she wrote back in 2017. It was such a powerful "under the hood" moment to see that even with a new URL resetting her progress, we could identify exactly which premium phrases Google was already considering her for. We focused on the long game of refreshing content to turn her website into a 24/7 salesperson that generates sustainable leads rather than just random clicks. It was a fantastic session that proved how taking a few hours to review the reasoning behind your data can replace guessing with a real strategy.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is Beaver Builder.It's a website builder that sits on your WordPress. I really like the ease of use and the ability to add content blocks in various parts of the site. I have one in particular that is the notification bar at the top. It's not from an added plugin to make that happen.Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is What's Working in Marketing (And What's Not) by The Marketing Millenials.One of the things is using all caps as a subject line. Someone is testing it. And while I'm cringing at that idea, testing is always good. 🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

I’m chatting with Heather Ferrari about the transformative power of an abundance mindset in business networking. We dive into why creating a supportive community for female entrepreneurs is essential for moving past the "salesy" hustle and finding a more meaningful way to grow together.Enjoy the episode!Connect with Heather Ferrari:⁠Instagram⁠⁠Website⁠⁠EventBrite⁠👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting ⁠blog post here⁠.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. ⁠Peek inside my toolbox.⁠🗞️ Like newsletters? ⁠Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠About This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/puncher⁠ License code: OEIJ8O6EGGPMSKBU

If you’ve ever felt too shy to ask for help or felt like networking was just an extrovert’s game, this episode is for you. • Networking is just "in-person" visibility. A year and a half ago, I wouldn’t even get out of the car. I was too afraid to get in front of people because I had this idea that networking was a "client hunt"... where you were either the predator or the prey (Jurrasic Park is popping in to my head). It felt heavy, salesy, and frankly, gross.In this episode, I’m sharing my experience of showing up over the last 18 months and how I’ve changed my mind about what networking actually is to me.I’m diving into:The "Business Card Shove": The moment I realized why some networking feels so icky (and how I checked out immediately).The Client Hunt Myth: Why shifting from "finding clients" to "expanding business contacts" changed my energy.The "Ask" Gap: My fascination with why we ask for help in a group, get a literal solution, and then… never follow up.The Visibility Connection: How meeting people in person actually feeds your website visibility and long-term SEO.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.💡 Related Episodes⁠4 Networking Techniques for Solopreneurs Who Want Quality, Not Quantity⁠⁠How To Escape The Networking Friend Zone Immediately⁠⁠4 Creative Ways to Partner for Growth and Opportunity⁠Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool.This week’s recommended tool is Glimpse.A trends analyzer in the form of a Chrome extension. I use it for specific keywords to see the trend YOY. There is a paid version that gives you more data early on as it claims to see trends before they hit. It's designed to watch rising search volume specifically. Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Is Any Brand Really Authentic in Marketing? by Marketing Millenials.This reminds me of a time I went to a conference, I forget what year it was, and I was in awe at a speaker. He seemed so genuine and real and he was truly different than the other speakers. And then he said, this is me, what you see is what you get or something like that, I can't recall the exact words, but he lost me at that moment. But now looking back, I wonder if he said it out of nervousness. Anyway, the point being, saying your authentic or saying it a way to justify doesn't actually make you authentic. I don't know how that word go so overused but now it feels gross to me. 🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

If you’re anything like me, getting in front of the camera can feel incredibly awkward, and the thought of needing a massive production crew just to post on social media is completely a big fat no. But with AI increasingly blurring the lines of what is real online, showing up as ourselves has never been more important for building trust.In this episode, I chat with McKenzi Taylor, founder of Taylored Photo. McKenzi shares how she is helping business owners ditch the overwhelm through her innovative “Content Happy Hour”… a low-stress, real-world environment where entrepreneurs can network, (sometimes) grab a glass of wine, and capture authentic B-roll and high-quality photos alongside a supportive community.Join us as we discuss why consumers are craving real human connection, how to drop your perfectionism so you can just “show up,” and the secret to repurposing a single video clip for weeks without anyone noticing. We also dive into McKenzi’s 20-year entrepreneurial journey, exploring why dropping rigidity and embracing adaptability is the true key to surviving in today’s fast-paced market.Enjoy the episode!Connect with McKenzi Taylor at Taylored Photo:IG: https://www.instagram.com/tayloredphoto/?hl=enWebsite: https://tayloredphotomemories.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tayloredphoto👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

ChatGPT is lying to you about your keyword strategy. It has zero data on keyword volume, which means you could be targeting phrases that exactly zero people are typing into a search box.Enjoy the episode! 👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is OpusClip.A video repurposing tool that turns your long videos into short videos.Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is You Might Also Like: The Tamsen ShowIt's a bonus episode on the Marketing Companion Show podcast.I break my self promises all the time. I used to justify it by saying I changed my mind or thinking I need to give myself grace. But every time I don't keep my promise, it tells my brain that I can't trust myself. There's this weird line between giving myself grace and holding my promises. I don't think there's anything ground breaking in this one but I did enjoy listening to the one promise tactic.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

Google doesn't care how pretty your website is. A gorgeous design with a searchability score of zero is nothing more than an expensive digital brochure sitting in a dark corner of the internet where nobody can find it. If that makes you gasp, you'll enjoy this episode. 👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is wave.video.This tool can create videos from existing blog posts!Peek inside my toolbox.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Knowledge Mindfulness for Complex Times with Dr. Laila Marouf on the Speaking Your Brand podcast.Speaking of being an expert, Dr. Marouf spoke about how we "tend to just cling to what we know in many ways, defend what we know in many ways, become static, become hardened of what we know." She encourages us to open up to different views and different perspectives.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

If you’ve ever felt too shy to ask for help or felt like networking was just an extrovert’s game, this episode is for you. • Networking is just "in-person" visibility. A year and a half ago, I wouldn’t even get out of the car. I was too afraid to get in front of people because I had this idea that networking was a "client hunt"... where you were either the predator or the prey (Jurrasic Park is popping in to my head). It felt heavy, salesy, and frankly, gross.In this episode, I’m sharing my experience of showing up over the last 18 months and how I’ve changed my mind about what networking actually is to me.I’m diving into:The "Business Card Shove": The moment I realized why some networking feels so icky (and how I checked out immediately).The Client Hunt Myth: Why shifting from "finding clients" to "expanding business contacts" changed my energy.The "Ask" Gap: My fascination with why we ask for help in a group, get a literal solution, and then… never follow up.The Visibility Connection: How meeting people in person actually feeds your website visibility and long-term SEO.Enjoy the episode! 👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Glimpse.A trends analyzer in the form of a Chrome extension. I use it for specific keywords to see the trend YOY. There is a paid version that gives you more data early on as it claims to see trends before they hit. It's designed to watch rising search volume specifically. Peek inside my toolbox. 🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Is Any Brand Really Authentic in Marketing? by Marketing Millenials.This reminds me of a time I went to a conference, I forget what year it was, and I was in awe at a speaker. He seemed so genuine and real and he was truly different than the other speakers. And then he said, this is me, what you see is what you get or something like that, I can't recall the exact words, but he lost me at that moment. But now looking back, I wonder if he said it out of nervousness. Anyway, the point being, saying your authentic or saying it a way to justify doesn't actually make you authentic. I don't know how that word go so overused but now it feels gross to me. 🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing Takeaway💡 Related EpisodesHow To Escape The Networking Friend Zone Immediately4 Creative Ways to Partner for Growth and Opportunity4 Networking Techniques for Solopreneurs Who Want Quality, Not QuantityAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Marketing Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

4 signals to help you spot what’s behind your marketing that you might not consciously see. This episode encourages you to review the energy behind your content. It’s a conversation about fear, compassion, and the difference between proving and actually connecting. Not a how-to, a perspective shift that may drive better results from your marketing efforts.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Streak for Gmail.I love this tool! Mostly for the ability to get links to specific emails. I used to use it for workflow when I did various types of outreach and wanted to follow up. It has multiple ways to view emails, whether it's incoming support or sales. The free version used to let you save templates. That used to be my favorite part because of the batching capability.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is You Don’t Need More Discipline, You Need More Trust on the Small Business Straight Talk podcast. Talk about hitting the nail on the head, looking in a mirror all those cliches. If you think you've failed at improving discipline or if you keep moving your tasks to the next day, this would be a good episode to check out. Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

After hitting publish or turning on a new marketing tactic, there’s often a quiet period where nothing seems to happen. In this episode, I use a quick story about getting stuck in a car wash to explain why that waiting period feels so uncomfortable. I talk about how search visibility, Google Ads, and AI tools take time to respond to changes, even when you’ve done everything right. I share how long I typically wait before evaluating results and what to look for during that time. If you find yourself wondering whether to stay the course or move on too quickly, this episode offers a more realistic way to think about the wait. Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Cinchshare.A social media planning platform that is especially useful if you have FB groups. I was impressed at it's batching capability and the templates it has.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Time is your truest form of wealth (and travel helps you embrace your riches) on the Deviate podcast. I enjoyed the tip about going to markets or squares vs standing in line for touristy things. Lots of good info in this one.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

Is it possible to take a vacation from work without actually taking the traditional vacation? What started as a simple way to teach myself, I don't have to work all the time, so that someday I might actually take more than a day or two off work turned into some fun revelations and a new softer start to my days. Now, let me be clear. I'm not sharing anything about time management. This was more about releasing the pressure that I feel to be productive, even though I was thinking going into it, I'd be productive as hell.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Better Proposals.An online software that enables you to create attention-grabbing proposals with the help of an easy-to-use editor and a library of templates.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is How to Get Unstuck: The Science and Soul of Releasing Emotional Loops with Katie Morton. Katie shared a quote from the book, the Artist's Way, that says "Perfectionism I always thought was seeking out the best in things but it was actually me looking for the worst." Mind… blowing… right?Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

If you're feeling stuck on what goal to set for your website, don't just aim for "better SEO." Use this rule instead. Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Flick.A social marketing platform that helps you schedule your social posts, generate hashtags and helps with caption writing. It has some really cool reporting too. Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Coming Home to True Refuge by Tara Brach.Tara's talks often provide insights for me. New awareness into what's in my brain. She says "we habitually leave presence and go for what I call false refuge." She goes on to say that it's not false because it's bad, but because it blocks your way to true refuge, true peace. We need to see them to choose to change them. Fascinating episode.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed. 🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

Wanna get a coffee with me? Depending on your location, we can meet in person or do a virtual. I'm gonna be all over the US this year so there's a good chance I'll show up in your area. The reason I'm offering is because sometimes it's helpful to meet who we will work with. I pride myself and my business on having integrity and being true. And I had an experience lately that was the opposite of that. I ignored the signs and gut feelings and gave the person a shot and I got burned. Thankfully not for a lot of cash but definitely for not trusting myself. So how can we show integrity and good values in our marketing as people are getting to know us? That's what we're going to cover today.Digital Street Cred👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Termageddon.Speaking of digital street cred… this tool is an easy to use app for generating things like a privacy policy, various disclaimers, terms and conditions and end user license agreements.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Micheal J. Fox on Literally! with Rob Lowe. I'm about halfway through but so cool hearing them talk back and forth. I forgot that Michael J. Fox wrote some books, quite a few and now I want them all.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowCreated by Compass Digital Strategies, the Small Business Sweet Spot offers an eclectic mix of episodes, all meant to help you find the sweet spot in your business. Each week, you'll hear the what, why, and how's of getting more visibility on your website for the goal of more traffic and leads, along with bonus episodes, some experiential from other business owners sharing their own sweet spot.We talk about everything that influences creating an atmosphere around and inside you that you actually love because how you grow your business and how you move through your life are connected, and neither of them are linear.

Do you ever find yourself moving "crap" from your desk to your kitchen counter just to feel like you have a "clean" workspace, only to move it back again when you need to cook dinner? If your home feels like a constant shuffle of clutter, it's possible your home’s layout might be sabotaging your focus. In this conversation with Julie Corcoran, owner of JC Renovators, we got into why "pretty" design is secondary to functionality and how the "hidden science" of your home impacts your mental well-being and business performance.Enjoy the episode!Julie’s Instagram ProfileConnect with Julie at ⁠@jcrenovators⁠⁠Julie's Home Remodel Calculator⁠Timeline01:29 Introduction to Julie Corcoran and JC Renovators02:31 The Importance of Functional Design03:41 Maximizing Small Spaces04:25 The Power of Layered Lighting06:01 Navigating Design Choices07:30 AI vs. Professional Design Expertise09:25 Impact of Home Design on Mental Health09:35 Creating a Functional Home Office👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

It's quite possibly I'm taking everyone's story telling advice a little too far in this episode. LOL But you know what? It's ok. What I'm about to share is how it happened. I'm going to share about my trying to get drunk from non-aholic beer and then relate that to our avoidance in business.I identify four key areas where business owners often avoid tasks (visibility, finances, marketing, and analytics) and practical steps to confront these avoidances. Additionally, I introduce the helpful digital marketing tool of the week and recommend a podcast episode. The episode wraps up with an invitation for you to identify and share their own areas of avoidance.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Napkin AI.You plug in numbers, it outputs a pretty format. Literally a few seconds. It's quite amazing.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is 5 Hard Truths That Changed My Design Business in 2025 from The McClain Method podcast. It wasn't a wrap up like some do; he went in to share specific learnings that as a business owner we can benefit from.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

SEO related questions I've been asked or have seen a lot in discussions on various platforms.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Gamma.Quite literally the most thought out tool from a business perspective. The functionally in this thing is what every business owner has been looking for. It creates presentations for you! PDFs too. You can load up your bullet list of notes or word for word what you want and then answer a couple of questions, and bam! You got yourself a handy presentation. I've used it to present ideas and share pricing with prospects. It's so much prettier than a word doc. This visually takes away the boring.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is The Liberating Power of Conscious Intention part 1 by Tara Brach. If you've ever wondered how to get more intentional with your day, this is a good one to listen to.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

A lot of businesses that come to me have a "skeleton website". Bare bones pages that fall short of informing, building trust, and definitely not ranking in search engines. I have 4 questions you can ask to see if your website is a skeleton website.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Keywords Everywhere.It installs as Chrome Extension and keyword data shows in the search results page. If you connect it with Google Analytics and Google Search Console, it adds columns for search volume, CPC, competition and trending.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Shaman's tips for An Amazing 2026 Part 6 on the Jim Fortin Podcast.I realize that not a lot of people are interested in content around shaman advice, however, this was a good episode around person responsibility and convenience.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

This episode was inspired by a friend's IG post on consistency. I feel like I've struggled with it so I decided to ask myself, what does consistency mean to me. How do I stay consistent? The answer turned out to be through resiliency. In this episode, I explore the idea of resiliency as I see it and I’ve also brought in four fellow business owners to weigh in with their stories. Plus I share 6 ways to build that resiliency muscle.Enjoy the episode!Timestamps00:27 Defining Consistency and Resiliency00:51 Exploring Resiliency01:27 Personal Story: Falling Off the Horse03:39 Diana Knezevici's resiliency definition03:59 Sheila Kofahl's Tree in the Storm Analogy05:02 Resiliency in Business06:23 Six Ways to Build Resiliency06:27 Refocus Your Attention07:23 Phone a Friend07:55 Leslie Marshall's story of resiliency09:08 Less Social Media10:21 Acknowledge and Accept11:01 Find Optimism11:34 Isabel Chen's advice for resiliency12:33 Respond Intentionally14:26 Final Thoughts on ResiliencyResourcesLeslie Marshall • Wyldflower NomadWebsite | InstagramSheila Kofahl • And Then She DidWebsite | InstagramDiana Knezevici • Embodied Leadership CoachWebsite | InstagramIsabel Chen • Fairy Fox DigitalWebsite | Instagram | Pinterest👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is SEO Pro Extension⁠. The most clean and simple extension to see the headings and other SEO details for a single page on your website.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is from ⁠Diary of a CEO, with Brené Brown: The Algorithms Have Forced Us Into A Hidden Epidemic, This Is The Only Way Out!⁠ The title would have you believe it's a bit on the chaos side or pulling at your panic feelers. In fact, it was a wonderful conversation about so many things. Trust being one of them that I particularly enjoyed.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

What a fun convo with fellow marketer Sarah Gemmell! She helps small business owners and solopreneurs who don't have a dedicated marketing team. Sarah has amazing advice around following up, whether to invest time and energy into free or paid networking and shares how we have gotten so scared of being salesy that we've flipped our possible business opportunities to the friend zone.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

In this episode, I’m walking through six clues that help you figure out which marketing channels are actually working for your business and how they can help you decide what to keep, cut, or bring in.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is BrightLocal.A local SEO tool used by both business owners and SEO professionals. See who your competitors are in the Google map pack and track your keywords for the maps also. Super handy. Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is from Diary of a CEO, called Anxiety Is Just a Prediction. It's one of their most replayed moments. The host, Steven Bartlett, interviewed Lisa Feldman Barrett. It blew my mind. I knew of the concept already but not quiet in this way. And it's one of the reason I continue to listen to episodes even if the title sounds like something I already know. Different people, different perspectives and ways of explaining things. Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that has actionable topics that grow our business and personal life. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Small Business Sweet Spot is a place for business owners wondering what matters in growing their business. Episodes range from quick, tactical advice on improving website visibility, marketing and analytics to guest interviews with experts on topics like productivity, branding, and mindset to support the "whole" business owner. Let’s find the sweet spot between business and life so you can enjoy both.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jessie Geroux, a serial entrepreneur, travel expert, and passionate advocate for families navigating life with special needs. Jessie shares her journey of pivoting from real estate into the travel industry, how she’s built businesses that align with both purpose and profit, and why she believes travel is one of the most powerful investments we can make in ourselves. Whether you're in the middle of a business transition or just dreaming about your next trip, Jessie’s story is full of wisdom, warmth, and real-world insight.Enjoy the episode!Timeline00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview00:58 Meet Jessie Geroux: Entrepreneurial Journey02:01 Networking and Business Pivoting03:10 Travel Business and Special Needs Advocacy10:02 Faith and Community Involvement14:34 The Value of Travel18:46 Conclusion and Contact Information👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

Zero-click searches get tossed around a lot in the search world, usually in alarmist posts that make business owners feel like they’re behind. In this episode, I’m sharing what it actually means and how to factor it into your website marketing strategy.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is How To ClickUp.If you're a fan of ClickUp, you're gonna love this! Learn ClickUp basics in just one day. Taught by ProcessDriven, one of the most knowledgeable teachers on the tool. It's one of the most comprehensive and easy courses I've ever taken. I took it when I first started using ClickUp.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Say "NO" to Awkward Networking with Special Guest, Ande Lyons on the Small Business Casual show. Emily is doing a NO-vember theme and I really appreciate this episode. The word networking has such an icky connotation to it. This episode offers an angle to make it not-icky. Emily's questions are so great. Ande talks about how she follows up and Emily asked what I was exactly thinking, that's a lot of people! She asked how many do we follow up with. Ande also provides a way to help ease the anxiety before going into a magical meetup. When you listen to the episode, you'll understand why I call it a magical meetup.  Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

I was overwhelmed because my all-black, minimalist wardrobe didn't match where I was in my business, and I wanted a strategic, intentional closet. So I brought brand stylist Jackie Wheeler on the show to go through her entire process, starting with the core idea that your personal style is your most powerful nonverbal brand message. You'll hear us go through my color analysis and right into my closet, where Jackie showed me how to build combinations and a strategic shopping list. This episode is about ditching decision fatigue and gaining the kind of confidence that makes getting dressed feel like a strategic move.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

 You've probably seen like 47,000 posts about how social media is ruining everything, how the algorithms are trash, and how we should just all delete our accounts and return to carrier pigeons. I even saw a headline from Marketing Brew that said, quote, social media use is plateauing as users face scroll fatigue.Despite that and how I've been feeling personally, I'm not quite ready to poo poo social media as a marketing channel. For some businesses, it works for coaches, creators, and service providers who sell what they know. It can be incredibly strategic, and even for the rest of us, it serves a purpose. Just maybe not one that's commonly shared.Enjoy the show!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is SE Ranking.There are many apps out there claiming they are an SEO tool. This is one of them. My preferred one. It has a simple interface. Support has been responsive when I use it. I use it for site audits, page specific audits, and finding back links for client websites. I definitely underutilize this tool. (They claim they are an agency tool, but solopreneurs can benefit from it as well.)Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Why Do You Always Feel Like You're Struggling on the Sabrina Zohar show.Visit ⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

 I've been noticing more and more of you experimenting with Google ads, which is exciting and a question keeps coming up. Should you send that traffic to your homepage or create a dedicated landing page? It's a great question because it affects your ad spend and your return. So let's talk about it.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is ClickUp. For projects and tasks, I have used this in the past for my own business and for clients. I love their support. I don't think there's anything it doesn't do. The bit I like the most about it was the ability to email right from inside a task. I haven't used it for awhile but of course like to recommend it because everyone has varied tool preferences. It's worth a test run.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is AI Manipulating Your Mental Health on the Jordan Harbinger Show. This is a disturbing albeit educational episode. My jaw kept dropping.Visit ⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

Strategic Business Coach, Marci Rossi, spills the beans of systems and processes, the benefits of proper onboarding, and the challenges of solo entrepreneurship. She shares her favorite digital tools along with tips for using templates and documenting procedures. She also reveals why she quit social media and how shifting her focus to collaborations and email marketing significantly grew her business. Tune in for actionable advice on optimizing your workflows and increasing productivity.Enjoy the episode!01:19 Marcy Rossi's Business Coaching Insights03:22 Importance of Systems and Processes05:33 Defining Your Audience and Business Pivoting12:12 Favorite Tools and Software Recommendations17:58 Choosing Between Zapier and PLI18:53 The Importance of Templates and SOPs20:27 Managing and Storing SOPs21:38 Finding the Right System for You24:37 Balancing Multiple Tabs and Windows28:35 The Case for Systems and Documentation30:04 Stepping Away from Social Media👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

I thought nomading was care-free and spontaneous. I envisioned a massive amount of freedom. I didn't realize how much planning was involved nor did I realize the amount of self reflection that got slapped into my face. This is my story of nomading for 14 months and what I got out of it in the event you have been considering it and want to hear one unstoppable woman's perspective; that's me.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Time Management Made Simple. It's put on my productivity specialist Amber De La Garza.I've always wanted to get more organized with my calendar and tasks and have a clean inbox. When I have a clean inbox, oh baby. That's a good day. This is a direct course, you can go at your own pace. If you're looking to find more time, this course will help you find it.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is  by Dan Koe. It's called Social Media Keeps Getting Worse, how Your Dopamine Is Being Hijacked. I found this one pretty interesting. And it goes into a little bit of history as well, but I had some good takeaways and just, I like getting more information around this whole social media thing.Especially it seems like the whole collective, like everybody, there's just like this big change in how social media is being looked at. And as business owners it's even more concerning or more confusing because how do we use social media and maybe stay away from it sometimes personally.  if you listen to the episode, let me know how you like it. I've saved this and other episodes I like into a playlist on Spotify.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

And as business owners, sometimes we feel like we have to be on all the time or like we have to be there. And sometimes it just doesn't quite work like that.  I am so glad to have Karen Jones on the show. She is a grief, recovery and resilience coach, and we talked about some myths around grief and what to say to people, what not to say to people, and also understanding it a little bit more because there was a lot, I felt like grief and people going through a lot of stuff recently.Enjoy the episode!Timeline00:45 Karen Jones' Background and Approach to Grief01:37 Starting the Conversation on Grief03:13 Debunking Myths About Grief05:36 The Process of Healing and Coping Mechanisms08:56 Addressing Different Types of Grief10:43 Supporting Others Through Grief19:16 The Importance of Witnessing Grief22:24 Final Thoughts and ResourcesIf you’d like to learn more about Karen or download her guides...Website: iamkarenjones.comGuides: Download hereLinkedIn👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

A lot of business owners skip conversion tracking, assuming their inbox is enough, but without those numbers in your analytics, you can’t really see which marketing efforts are paying off. In this episode, we’ll walk through simple ways to set up tracking so you can make smarter decisions about where to spend your time and energy.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Streamyard.I use Streamyard for lives that I wanna do and sometimes for my podcast guesting because it has extra elements that I can put on the video while I'm doing it. So mostly the lives, but I can put banners down at the bottom. I can also share my screen and have somebody else come with me on the entire video. I can have snippets of like things to pop up in advance and ready to show on the screen. So for me, it's mostly for lives , but it can also be used for like workshop type presentations.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Self-Discipline is Easy, Actually by Dan Koe.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

This was a great conversation with Kathryn Yarborough because I had questions. We talked about payment or paying for speaking engagements, we talked about whether or not to use slides. We talked about the time involved. We talked about the backgrounds of speaking, and she had a lot of great advice and perspective on how she runs her. Speaking and what she's done and things that we can think about.Enjoy the episode!Timeline01:20 Getting to Know Kathryn03:29 Kathryn's Sweet Spot04:48 Hosting Summits: Kathryn's Passion08:15 The Women Loving Life Summit Series09:36 The Origin of 'Small Business Sweet Spot'11:47 Benefits of Speaking for Small Businesses14:37 Getting Started with Speaking19:32 Engaging Your Ideal Audience21:25 Payment for Speaking Engagements26:41 Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking28:53 Effective Use of Slides and Backgrounds34:13 Optimal Presentation Lengths37:25 Final Thoughts and Takeaways👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

It's not just button colors that can improve conversion rates. And for most of us small business owners, changing a button color doesn't produce significant enough difference. But these 3 things inside the episode might. Learn the 3 ways plus a general guideline for what conversion rate percentage you can use as a goal. Enjoy the episode!14 Examples of Lead Magnets & Why They Work👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Descript. My podcast and video editor. I like that I can highlight words and move or remove them. I can add “commercials” or snippets of things that are repeated in multiple pieces of content. I find it’s one of the easier editing tools.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is How to Make Your Business Page More Professional with Carli LeBlanc on The Side-HustlHER Podcast. Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

If your business growth has slowed or you've found yourself saying "I'll get to that later,” this episode is a gentle nudge to pause and think. Complacency can sneak into your business under the disguise of comfort, hesitation, or routine. Inside this episode are simple, mindful steps to help you shift back into intentional action.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. Peek inside my toolbox.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

Google ads can be a great supplement to lower lead periods. If you've been considering Google Ads, there are some things that are helpful to know for before the click performance vs after the click performance. Because just getting impressions and ad clicks doesn't equals sales or return on your ad spend. And that's what this episode is about.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Kling AI.Turn your static images into video! I’ve had some fun with this one. I took one of my static photos and had it take my arm/hand reach out to Branch from the Trolls movie. Well, the reaching out part… I had to put a photo of Branch in my Canva and then I inserted a video. Add just a little movement to static photos and turn them into .gifs for some movement on your website!Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is How to Let Go Of Your Shame on the Solved show.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

What in the world does journaling have to do with business ownership? For me, it's been a huge helper in the success of my business. I see a lot of people offering journals or the idea of journaling. The other day I saw somebody on Instagram doing a skit about journaling and I can't remember who it was, but they were writing in their journal and then they got really mad and they tore the journal up and said… "oh, great! The journaling works!" And so, I want to share with you my journaling story and whyyyyy it's something to consider doing if you're not already.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is BetterLinks. Super handy for short URLs (aka vanity URLs). Instead of showing someone a super long URL, you can set it up so it's shorter and if you're an organized gal like me, put them in categories so you can track the URLs. I have categories for tools, podcasts, operations, affiliate (links I share with other people). And it will show you how many times the URL is viewed and clicked so you can understand if the link is popular.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is When Business Threatens to Take Over Your Life on the Small Business Casual show by Emily Aborn.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

I’m sharing 6 types of blog posts every service-based business should have on their website. Blog posts aren’t just for filling space. They’re help your site rank higher in search engines and give your visitors a reason to stick around and take action. You’ve only got one shot when someone lands on your site to prove you know your stuff, show you’re the right fit, and answer the questions already spinning in their head. These blog post types will do exactly that.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Embracing the Full Spectrum of Emotions: A Guide to Mindfulness and Self-Discovery with Tara Brach. I love Tara Brach. Tara is an engaged Buddhist specializing in the application of Buddhist teachings to emotional healing.I think the thing I liked best about this episode is the chat around the logistics of meditating and thinking about setting an intention before you start. I don't set intentions normally because I feel like what kind of intention should I set. But now I'm doing more around just intending to be open and not expecting any "thing" to come from the session. I think a couple years ago it would have been just let me get to the grocery story without screaming bloody murder at someone who just cut me off. lolVisit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

I think sometimes, it can feel like we are doing all the right things to get more leads in our business. And we think we're doing them correctly. And we're still not seeing leads. Doing all the posts on all our channels. And then checking our email and the inquiries aren’t there. That’s when the guessing starts. This episode tells you how you can stop guessing.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. Some of them I am an affiliate of which means they pay me to promote their tool. And I'm happy to do so as long as I am using it currently, have used or tried it or someone I trust recommends it to me. This week's tool is PodMatch. It's like a dating site but for hosts and guests for podcasts. If you're looking for podcasts to guest on, you plug in some information, and it attempts to find you shows that match! It's hands down one of the most useful tools for finding podcast shows.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧This week's recommended podcast episode is Ultraspeaking with Tristan de Montebello from the Smart Passive Income Show. This episode has some great tips for how to speak more confidently in meetings, on stage, wherever. I think it's a new "trend" of category in public speaking. When I hear Toastmasters, I think stuffy and not a fun thing. But ultraspeaking!? It feels a little scary but well, you'll just have to listen. I don't want to give away the stuff you should hear from the guest on the show.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

If you've been wondering whether podcast guesting is actually worth your time, let me tell you... it. Is. And not just in the "some expert said it works" kind of way. I teamed up with copywriter Emily Aborn and podcast pro Ande Lyons to talk about how podcast guesting can actually work as a solid marketing strategy, not just a one-off visibility boost. We covered what makes a great pitch, how to prep for interviews (without overdoing it), and the kind of energy that gets you asked back again.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Postamatic. This tool sits right inside Google Sheets. It is a service that automates publishing posts to your Google Business Listing! You can download your reviews too; which is handy when you want to search for certain words to put them in your marketing. I've used this for clients to schedule posts out one and two months at a time.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is Are you Being Gaslit? Here's How to Know For Sure from the Michelle Chalfant Show.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

 For a lot of us, marketing is the last thing that we wanna do. It may be why you're listening to this podcast... to learn what in fact you can do to increase the visibility of your business and get more people to your website. Well you're in luck! I'm going to share some super specific things that you can do based on various effort levels.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week's tool is Process Driven. ProcessDriven is the most comprehensive resource for business owners who want to turn operational chaos into a proven, repeatable, process. I had used the YouTube tutorials and articles but being in the community allowed me to get my own personal scenarios worked out. The community is run by Layla Pomper. Layla and her team are beyond expectations when it comes to helping the community members. Always new templates, helpful decision trees, and the regular updates are packed with information.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week's recommended podcast episode is Can I persuade 20 strangers to listen to Nudge? from the Nudget podcast by Phill Agnew.He uses the art of pre-suasion. Did it work? I can't tell you. You'll have to listen for yourself. If you do, let me know how you like it.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

People say "just do it". Like it's some act of pulling a lever that dispenses Reese's peanut butter cups. Of course I can just do thaaaat. 🤪 But following through with better morning routines, posting that great idea for a social skit (of which I have so many on my list, it's not even funny), or even publishing that ultimate guide for your blog. That's easier said than done, right? If you could just do it, it would be done. You've probably been hoping to get all those things done. In this episode, I wanna share why we have to stop hoping for results for our business and instead replace it with intention and how to go about doing that.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Google Search Console.One of my go-to tools to find what phrases people find my (and clients') websites on. It tells me the phrases, how many times I show up, what page I rank on and how many people click to my website. And recently! Google has added an insights area that easily lets you see what pages or keywords are trending up or down in a given period.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week's recommended podcast episode is from Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income podcast… called What's Working on YouTube Right Now.He talks about series. It's not the first time I've heard that. I first heard it from Shine with Natasha, who has a fabulous YouTube channel. It's about creating, well, series… a set of content that is broken up into parts and keeps people coming back. It doesn't have to be video either. It is a great listen. If you listen, let me know how you like it.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

In this episode I chat with Rael Bricker, a seasoned business owner living in Perth, Australia. He starts with the essential aspect of prioritizing sales over marketing for entrepreneurial success and discusses how integral sales skills are in the business world. Rael also provides valuable strategies on becoming a successful public speaker, emphasizing the importance of having a compelling message and effectively structuring presentations. The conversation transitions into practical AI tools for business productivity. Wrapping up, Rael emphasizes the significance of resilience, embracing change, and focusing on solution-oriented thinking for business growth. Enjoy the episode!00:00 Introduction to the Small Business Sweet Spot00:26 A Personal Insight on Life in Perth02:31 The Importance of Sales Over Marketing07:55 The Journey to Becoming a Professional Speaker17:15 Building Resilience and Positivity in Business21:04 Personal Reflections21:27 Starting a Business - From Fluke to Success21:54 The Flaws of Consulting Firms22:25 Winning Contracts and Seizing Opportunities23:28 The Evolution of a Mortgage Business24:11 The Importance of Passion and Flexibility in Business25:46 Embracing Emerging Technologies27:36 Practical AI Tools for Entrepreneurs31:10 The Future of Work and AI36:16 Give Up Control to Gain Control👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

🤗 You are personally invited! Listen for details on an upcoming live workshop for podcast guesting.

No over complicated tool need to track changes you make on your website. 💡 Listen in for the simplest way to keep track of your changes.Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is AI Powered Reels Club. Super helpful and thoughtful club of weekly reel ideas. That are actually usable for me. And wow howdy is getting the templates so easy! The provider, Kinsey, even provides a Canva template and a ChatGPT prompt to guide you getting a caption that works with YOUR brand. I really love this club. It's helped me diversify my IG feed. And YouTube shorts because sometimes I put these creatives there too.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is The REAL Numbers of Podcast: Time, Money, Energy, Possibility.Super meaty with real world examples from multiple people and from both the host and guest perspectives.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

A couple of the myths around starting a podcast are pretty beat to death. And Carl Richards, of Podcast Solutions Made Simple, shares some new ones. Listen in as he shares 5 myths and his perspective on the role of AI in podcasting and whether or not video is required. Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠Episodes I Like Playlist⁠⁠⁠ for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters?⁠⁠⁠ Digital Marketing Takeaway⁠⁠⁠About This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

Lots of businesses use AI copywriters... but should you or I? Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Metricool.Somehow this came across my path because of a download I did and I started getting their marketing emails. Then one day, my previous social media scheduler decided to hike their rates quite absurdly and I had to find a new platform to allow my Social Media Manager, aka my niece, to schedule my posts. We decided to try this out and it's quite handy. It has an approval process and you can see things at a glance on a calendar. If you're looking for something to schedule your social posts across different platforms or reevaluating your current tech stack, this is a good one to consider.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is How Instagram' Search Engine Update Can Help You Get Found and Grow Your Business on The McClain Method.I like listening to podcast shows that sometimes aren't aimed at me. Like this show by John McClain; it's mostly aimed at interior designers. He has some great info in this episode if you use Instagram as one of your marketing channels. Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.

I heard someone say SEO is dead. Again. People have been saying this for years. They've also been saying email is dead. For years. Now I'm hearing, keywords don't matter anymore. I call bullshit. Because I've seen clients get traffic on keywords that tools would say there is nobody searching for it. If people are searching using different tools or apps, for example, using perplexity, google search, Instagram, some even say TikTok… do we need to worry about keywords anymore?Enjoy the episode!👉 For all the links and resources mentioned in this episode, check out the supporting blog post here.Stop second-guessing your to-do list and grab the Marketing Energy Matrix to focus on the tasks that actually get you results. 👉 https://compassdigitalstrategies.com/digital-marketing-services/marketing-energy-matrix/🧰 I love me a good digital marketing tool. This week’s recommended tool is Google Alerts. A good old fashioned email alert on any phrases you want to keep track of. I have one on my name and my business name. I can keep an eye on competitors or industry terms.Peek inside my toolbox for all my tools.🎧 This week’s recommended podcast episode is 400+ Website in a Day Clients on the Web Design Business podcast with Josh Hall.He interviewed Bailey Collings of Honey Wave Creative and as a business owner, I was in awe at how much she has accomplished with her business. Hearing how she pulls off when many web designers and many industries would claim isn't possible, is inspiring. She is an example of how most of us are waaaaay overthinking things.Visit Episodes I Like Playlist for other recommended episodes I've enjoyed.🗞️ Like newsletters? Digital Marketing TakeawayAbout This ShowSmall Business Sweet Spot is a podcast show created by Compass Digital Strategies LLC. Founder, Barb Davids, wanted to create a show that was more direct and to the point around topics that improve our small businesses and personal lives. A self-professed podcast junkie, she listens to a variety of shows on her runs and road trips.Compass Digital Strategies is for people who are tired of their website being the thing that stresses them out. Around here, it gets simpler. We’re not here to add more to your plate. This is about having someone who sees what you’re dealing with and helps you sort it out. Clearly. Personally. In a way that doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out.