Marketing insights for small businesses.
Practical, education-first marketing — SEO, email, content, and the systems that tie them together.
The State of Small Business Marketing in 2025: What You Need to Know to Stay Competitive
The world of small business marketing has fundamentally changed. What worked even two years ago may be costing you opportunities today. If you’re feeling like marketing…
What I Learned Analyzing 15 Auto Repair Websites in Flathead County
Last month, I spent several hours doing something that probably sounds incredibly boring to most people: I systematically analyzed every auto repair shop website I could…
ManyChat Instagram Summit 2025: Day 1 Recap – What Small Businesses Actually Need to Know
A small business owner’s honest take on the Instagram Summit – separating the hype from the helpful I spent Day 1 of the ManyChat Instagram Summit…
Black Friday Operators Online: Marketing Breakout Session Recap
Deep-dive strategies from the tactical breakout sessions at the Marketing Operators Conference Following the main stage presentations at Black Friday Operators Online, the Marketing Breakout Session…
Black Friday Operators Online Conference Recap: 15 Game-Changing Strategies from E-commerce’s Top Minds
Complete insights from the Marketing Operators Digital Marketing Conference on Black Friday Cyber Monday Success The Black Friday Operators Online conference (9ops.co/black-friday) brought together some of…
The Service Business Owner’s Guide to Winning the Holiday Season: 10 Strategies to Cut Through the Noise
How Local Service Businesses Can Leverage Black Friday Through New Year’s to Build Momentum That Lasts I just finished attending the Marketing Operators Digital Marketing Conference,…
WordCamp US 2025: Insights from Portland on the Future of WordPress, AI, and Digital Marketing
After a decade-long hiatus from WordCamp events, I returned to WordCamp US 2025 in Portland with renewed purpose. As the founder of Hill Media Group, managing…
How to Dominate AI Search Results: The New SEO Strategy Small Businesses Can’t Ignore
The way customers find businesses is fundamentally changing. While most business owners are still focused on traditional Google rankings, a small group of smart entrepreneurs has…
Why Your Marketing Tools Are Working Against Each Other (And What to Do About It)
Last week, I had a conversation with a local restaurant owner that perfectly illustrates a problem I see with almost every small business I work with.…
Why Your Website Traffic Is Declining (And What to Do About It)
If you’ve noticed your website getting fewer clicks lately, you’re not imagining things. Recent research reveals a dramatic shift in how people interact with search results,…
The AI Search Revolution: How Local Businesses Can Dominate AI-Driven Discovery
The way customers discover local businesses is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Google’s aggressive push toward AI-driven search results, from AI Overviews to the new AI Mode,…
Will AI Replace Digital Marketing Services? My Real-World Experiment
A question I get constantly from business owners is whether AI will eventually replace the services they provide. As someone who helps small businesses with digital…