In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson interviews Navah Hopkins, an expert in search ads and pay-per-click marketing. They dive deep into PPC strategies, how to navigate Google Ads, and what small businesses need to do to succeed in digital marketing.

===================================

Best Moments:

(01:03) Introduction to pay-per-click and search ads

(04:50) What not to do when researching your own ads

(06:02) Determining goals for PPC campaigns

(06:45) Local service ads for customer acquisition

(07:19) Dealing with competitors bidding on your brand terms

(08:37) Using auction insights reports in Google Ads

(09:42) SEO vs. paid ads: which is more productive?

(12:02) Choosing between SEO and PPC based on business operations

(13:56) Brief discussion on metal music genres

===================================

Guest Bio:

Navah Hopkins is a PPC expert and evangelist for Optmyzr. She’s an internationally recognized speaker and instructor with extensive experience in SEO and paid search marketing. A passionate metal music enthusiast and gamer, Navah contributes to major publications like Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land. She's also an active member of professional communities like Women in Tech SEO and the Paid Search Association.

===================================

Kickstart Growth in 2025 with 25% Off Marketing Center plans

🚀 thryv.com/wins

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson chats with Paige Graham, founder of Sweet as Choice Bakery, about turning a passion for baking into a successful business. Paige shares her journey, insights on adapting to customer feedback, and tips for managing and growing a bakery.

Best Moments:

(01:50) Introduction to Sweet as Choice Bakery and its focus on classic New Zealand baking

(02:45) Paige’s journey from passion to business ownership

(04:06) Adapting business strategies based on customer feedback

(05:13) Importance of customer reviews and feedback for product improvement

(06:55) Marketing strategies, including social media and email collection

(08:11) Time management and using Thryv for business efficiency

(10:27) Future plans for growth and expansion

(11:56) Valentine’s Day celebrations in New Zealand

(13:07) Most popular bakery item: Melting Moments

===================================

Kickstart Growth in 2025 with 25% Off Marketing Center plans

🚀 thryv.com/wins

In this episode of Small Business Quick Wins, host Jay Schwedelson is joined by Clint Fontanella, a content expert at Thryv, to explore how small businesses can leverage both traditional and "fake" holidays to boost engagement and stand out. They discuss creative ways to tie in holidays—like Valentine's Day and March Madness—into marketing campaigns, even for industries that don’t have an obvious connection.

===================================

Best Moments:

(01:00) Introduction to leveraging holidays in marketing

(02:17) Using Valentine's Day as an example for non-related businesses

(04:13) Exploring "fake holidays" and their marketing potential

(05:42) The importance of treating customers as human beings in marketing

(07:09) Utilizing March Madness in marketing strategies

(08:05) Using ChatGPT to find relevant holidays for marketing campaigns

===================================

Guest Bio:

Clint Fontanella is a content expert and blog manager at Thryv, where he specializes in creating valuable content for small business owners. He shares actionable marketing strategies on Thryv's blog (thryv.com/blog), offering insights on seasonal campaigns, content marketing, and more.

===================================

Kickstart Growth in 2025 with 25% Off Marketing Center plans

🚀 thryv.com/wins