August Benefits News and Posts

21 Inspiring Podcasts Every Small Business Owner Should Download

FROM FUNDERA / BY RIEVA LESONSKY

Today’s small business owner is busier than ever. With crazy work schedules, spending time with family and friends, cooking dinner, and maybe even working out every once and a while, when are you supposed to enjoy a quiet afternoon of reading?

If you’re too busy to read a book, you might want to check out a podcast. Listening to a small business podcast during your commute or even at lunch is a fantastic way to learn something new while you’re on the go.

If you’re looking for a way to get business know-how, inspiration, and ideas—but find you don’t have time to read business books, startup and small business podcasts may be the perfect solution.

1. If you want to grow your business’s social presence: “Social Media Marketing”

Social Media Examiner is one of the most useful, straightforward sites on social media for small businesses and their podcast, “Social Media Marketing,” is just as helpful. Designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works in social media marketing, the podcasts run about an hour as Michael Stelzner interviews social media experts and explores various social media tools. Some of his best business podcasts are those featuring real small business owners sharing how they found success via social media.

2. Learn the tools you can take to building your business: “RISE Podcast”

This podcast from entrepreneur and best-selling author Rachel Hollis takes on all the challenges entrepreneurs face in her podcast “RISE podcast.” She interviews other entrepreneurs and offers applicable advice and tactics for running your business better or being a better entrepreneur.

Through listening to the RISE podcast you’ll learn how to kick that nasty procrastination habit, or how to change your mindset to be more positive.

3. If you want to feel like you’re talking to a smart friend: “Breaking Down Your Business”

On “Breaking Down Your Business,” hosts Brad Farris and Jill Salzman take a chatty, friendly approach to business that acknowledges the problems on small business owners’ minds, such as “How do I make more money without driving myself nuts?” Farris and Salzman know you’re busy, so each episode is short (about 20 minutes) and easy to digest, focusing on a list of “5 Things” (like “5 Things to Look for in a Networking Group”). Most podcasts also feature useful tools for small business owners. This is the perfect one to start out with if you’re looking for a podcast for starting a small business.

4. If you’re looking for an addictive podcast that resets each season: “StartUp”

Who better to host a podcast about startups than a former NPR employee who started his own business? Alex Blumberg’s “StartUp” podcast has a different format than most on this list. The first season followed him through the launch of his startup, Gimlet Media. The second season’s half-hour episodes followed the launch of Dating Ring, a dating company that combines technology with old-fashioned matchmaking and is run by two women in their 20s. We love the focus on the startup world from a woman entrepreneur’s point of view—something you don’t often get in most podcasts—and Blumberg’s willingness to share his own mistakes along the way helps make this one of the best business podcasts.

5. If you’re looking for quick and digestible marketing tips: “Marketing Over Coffee”

This podcast can be for anyone in small business looking to learn more about marketing. The episodes are about 20 minutes each and cover topics like SEO, email marketing, and your old standbys like offline marketing. “Marketing Over Coffee” is hosted by John J. Wall and Christopher S. Penn and new episodes are published once a week.

6. For anyone looking for an overall business briefing, and some wisdom: “Business Casual”

Morning Brew is a daily email that comes with an overview of business news made for millennials. The podcast “Business Casual,” is the new podcast from Morning Brew brought to listeners by host Kinsey Grant. The episodes focus on a range of topics in the news like breaking up big tech and interviewing CEOs and other executives on hot business topics.

The podcast is available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts and the newsletter is also free to sign up for.

7. If you’re a software entrepreneur: “Startups for the Rest of Us”

If you own or want to start a software business, check out “Startups for the Rest of Us.” Between them, the two hosts, Rob Walling and Mike Taber, have more than 20 years of experience as software entrepreneurs. They share their wisdom with the goal of helping “developers, designers, and entrepreneurs be awesome at launching software products.” Weekly podcasts cover everything from lean startups to hiring and managing remote developers and how to use virtual assistants to be more productive.

8. If you’re interested in tech and tech culture: “Product Hunt Radio”

With the near-constant change occurring in the startup and tech space, it can be tough to keep up. “Product Hunt Radio,” hosted by Ryan Hoover, is your answer to staying up-to-date with all things tech through interviews with world-famous investors and entrepreneurs to the reporters covering them. Whether you want to learn about tech that could affect your business, keep up with trends, or apply lessons to your enterprise, this small business podcast will be useful.

9. If you’re looking for better representation: “Brown Ambition”

If women are underrepresented in small business podcasts, women of color are even more so. Enter “Brown Ambition,” a podcast about “career, business, building wealth, and living in this brown skin” hosted by a journalist and an entrepreneur. Both women of color, the hosts post discussions with each other and a range of guests on career advancement, entrepreneurship, and how personal life intersects with both. Topics range from why you need a prenuptial agreement to financial management advice and business startup stories.

10. If you’re a woman in business: “The Strategy Hour Podcast”

The two hosts of “The Strategy Hour Podcast,” Abagail Pumphrey and Emylee Williams, started the successful Think Creative Collective, a company that helps creative entrepreneurs get their business going strong. Their podcast focuses on marketing strategies and helping you grow your business. They also interview top creatives in the industry to offer their listeners even more insight.

11. If you’re looking for some inspiration: “The Goal Digger Podcast”

This podcast focuses on more than just inspiration, “The Goal Digger Podcast” also has episodes on business, branding, and marketing. The host, Jenna Kutcher, has on guests like Barbara Corcoran, and covers topics like being a working mom, or dealing with difficult customers on the job.

12. If you want to make money lying on the couch: “Smart Passive Income”

Creating an online business that brings in consistent passive income sounds like a dream come true. Pat Flynn made it a reality, and each week on his “Smart Passive Income” podcast, he shares tips and advice to help you do the same. Featured interviews include industry experts and other successful entrepreneurs, all armed with practical tips on topics such as getting started in video advertising, selling on Amazon, and building relationships with influencers.

13. If you want to work less and live more: “Youpreneur”

Podcast host Chris Ducker experienced an epiphany when he burned out on his business in 2009. He set a new goal to become a “virtual CEO”—and succeeded. Today, he only works six hours a day, four days a week. “Youpreneur” shares inspiration and ideas on topics such as personal branding, delegating, marketing, outsourcing, and being more productive, all with the goal of helping you do more in less time so you can enjoy life. Solopreneurs will find this small business podcast especially valuable.

14. If you’re looking for something non-traditional: “The Tim Ferriss Show”

You might have heard of Tim Ferriss, his irreverent podcast isn’t for everyone, but since it’s previously reached number one on iTunes’ business podcast charts, we’d say that qualifies as one of the best business podcasts out there. Ferriss gained fame as the author of the bestseller “The 4-Hour Workweek.” (Ironically, listening to one of the podcasts would take up half of that workweek, since most clock in at 2 hours in length.) However, if you’ve got the time, you’ll be rewarded with fascinating interviews. Ferriss buttonholes high achievers in not just business, but investing, music, science, sports and more, to learn their secrets for doing things better. Whether it’s CrossFit or marketing automation, he’s genuinely curious about anything that can improve performance in business or in life.

15. If you’re want to get truly jazzed about business ownership: “Entrepreneur on Fire”

This high-energy podcast runs a few times a week. Host John Lee Dumas aims to inspire by featuring the success stories of entrepreneurs, including Seth Godin, Barbara Corcoran and Tim Ferriss, in an entertaining format: First, he starts by asking each guest about his or her biggest failure; then guests discuss their Aha! moments; finally, the episode ends with a Lightning Round of five rapid-fire questions. If you need something to revitalize your sagging entrepreneurial spirit, this is one of the best business podcasts to get you charged up again (the mere fact Dumas has interviewed over 700 entrepreneurs is inspiring in itself!).

16. If you wish you had a mentor: “Mixergy”

“Mixergy“ is a website where ambitious people can learn from mentors and online courses. With interviews of more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, its podcasts cover a wide variety of topics ranging from case studies of entrepreneurial startups to interviews with business owners who sold their companies or how-tos drawn from personal experiences, such as “How to recover from a cash flow crisis without mortgaging your home.”

17. If you’d like to scale your business: “How I Built This”

Scaling your small business to a New York Stock Exchange-listed corporation is a feat many entrepreneurs dream of without an idea of how to make it a reality. On “How I Built This,” Guy Raz explores the incredible stories of entrepreneurs who have accomplished the seemingly impossible from established figures like Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard to new successes like Betterment’s Jon Stein. Whether you’re interested in expanding your brick-and-mortar business or scaling a new tech startup, you’ll benefit from this impressive library of interviews.

18. If your business is outside of Silicon Valley: “Business Schooled”

If you had to associate one place with business creation, you’d probably choose Silicon Valley—the epicenter of American business innovation. Despite this fact, plenty of cities are housing incredible small businesses worthy of coverage. Reddit co-founder and investor, Alexis Ohanian, has made it his mission to cover these businesses with “Business Schooled,” focusing on unique businesses, non-Silicon Valley locations, and non-millennial entrepreneurs. If you’d like to learn more about businesses outside of the Silicon Valley-bubble or entrepreneurs that don’t fit the dorm-room/college student mold, then check out this small business podcast.

19. If you’re in a creative field: “Being Boss”

If it seems like every business podcast you listen to features a white guy interviewing a bunch of other white guys about software, give “Being Boss” a listen. Hosts Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon have created a small business podcast for creative entrepreneurs, including writers, artists, and graphic designers that acknowledges the “rebel” nature of this tribe. The two hosts specialize in business coaching and business branding, and their podcasts cover everything from “being real” on social media to when you need a lawyer and why it’s important to be humble.

20. If you want to learn more about finance and investing: “Masters in Business”

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Barry Ritholtz discusses financial markets, investing, and business with influential newsmakers from each of these industries. Discussions with guests are often wide-ranging, covering the guests’s careers, thoughts on the future of their space, and insights into what they have accomplished. Listeners of “Masters in Business” will learn a lot whether they’re financial pros or newcomers to this space. Many of the episodes are applicable whether you’re interested in growing your business, investing in new asset classes, or would just like to learn more about a particular industry.

21. If you want to learn about how other people handle their money: “So Money”

This podcast, “So Money,” from Farnoosh Torabi was started in 2014. She brings on guests to talk about their personal stories around money and hopefully to help listeners learn lessons others have already learned the hard way. Her past guests include Jillian Michaels, Tim Gunn, Ariana Huffington, and more successful entrepreneurs and business people alike.

Todd BellistriSeptember 20, 2022August Benefits

Why not start off this selling season leading into the holidays on the right foot? One way to do that is to finally give some thinking to smart marketing. We don’t need to be the ones to tell you it’s very competitive out there (but we will), what with tons of start ups and side hustles all over the landscape. By developing a legit marketing program you are giving yourself a true foot up on the competition. So read on, you’ll see that its not as daunting as you think and the upside is well worth it.

FROM FORBES / BY DOMINIQUE HARROCH

In today's digital landscape the right approach to small business marketing combines advanced technology, data-driven insights, and effective digital platforms. Here’s a comprehensive guide to small business marketing to companies navigate the current marketing trends and tools that can drive business success.

Key marketing tools for small businesses

Following is a summary of 11 key marketing tools that small and growing businesses should consider when leveraging owned, earned and paid media:

1. An optimized small business website

A high-performing website is crucial for marketing today. An optimized site increases your page rank on Google and other search engines, and in today's world, fewer than 1% of searches go to the second page of a search. Key elements of an effective small business site include:

Memorable domain name: Choose a name that reflects your business and is easy to recall.
User-friendly design: Ensure your site is visually appealing and intuitive. Sites should have a clear structure, intuitive navigation and information that is easy to access.
Search engine optimization (SEO): Implement SEO best practices to rank higher in search engine results.
Mobile optimization: Since over 55% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, you’ll want to ensure your site is mobile-friendly.
Valuable content: Regularly update your site with engaging content like blogs and articles that address your audience's interests and needs.
Fast loading times: Optimize page speeds to improve user experience and SEO rankings.
Secure hosting: Use reputable hosting services to protect your site’s data and performance.

Additionally, integrating tools like Google Analytics (now called GA4) and Google Search Console (GSC) can provide valuable insights into your site's performance and user behavior.

2. Paid search engine marketing (SEM)

Paid search engine marketing, in which you pay if a keyword is clicked on that drives traffic to your website, remains a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic. Platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads allow you to:

Bid on keywords: Use tools like Google keyword planner to select high-value keywords relevant to your business.
Control costs: Set daily and monthly budgets, and adjust bids based on performance.
Analyze performance: Track key metrics to assess and refine your campaigns.

3. Paid listings and display ads

Paid listings on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Pinterest can boost visibility. Use Google’s Display Network to target ads based on user interests and behavior. This approach allows you to:

Choose ad formats: Use banners, text ads, or video ads to capture attention.
Track return on investment (ROI): Monitor clicks and conversions to measure effectiveness. Track your costs, record and monitor revenue, and record all expenses. Make sure to measure lead generation numbers, customer acquisition, and sales metrics as valuable insights into your marketing effectiveness.
Testing: By experimenting with different ad copy, targeting options, and formats, businesses can identify what resonates most with their audience, refine their strategies, and ultimately improve click-through rates and conversions. This can include A/B testing, target audience variations, ad copy variations, call-to-action (CTA) testing or visual elements where you test different images or videos to determine which visual elements attract more attention and engagement.

4. Content marketing

Content marketing remains a cornerstone of effective digital strategies. Key tactics include:

Blogging: Regularly post optimized content to drive organic traffic. Nine out of ten marketers use blogs as part of their content strategy.
Guest posting: Publish articles on popular platforms such as Medium and AllBusiness.com to enhance your reach and SEO. Strive to create “evergreen” articles, which are designed to remain relevant and valuable over a long period of time, regardless of current events or trends. Unlike timely articles that focus on current news or trends, evergreen content addresses topics that have enduring interest and utility.
Video content: In 2023, individuals spent an average of 17 hours a week watching videos online. Utilize platforms like YouTube and TikTok to engage your audience.
Content platforms: Leverage content recommendation platforms like Outbrain to expand your content’s reach.

5. Social media marketing

Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with your audience. Focus on platforms such as:

Facebook: Effective for broad audience reach and targeted ads.
Instagram: Ideal for visual content and influencer partnerships.
LinkedIn: Best for B2B marketing and professional networking.
TikTok: Useful for viral video content and younger demographics.

With over 5 billion global social media users and growing, effective social media marketing can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement. To be effective, you must regularly post interesting content to obtain and keep followers.

6. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with individuals who have a significant and engaged following on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to promote products or services. These influencers, who can range from celebrities to niche content creators, leverage their credibility and relationship with their audience to drive brand awareness and influence purchasing decisions.

The impact of influencer marketing on broader marketing efforts can be profound, as it allows brands to tap into authentic, targeted communities that are often more receptive to recommendations from trusted (or at least known) voices.

This form of marketing can enhance brand credibility, expand reach, and generate higher engagement rates compared to traditional advertising. As consumers increasingly seek personalized and relatable content, influencer marketing has become a powerful tool for connecting with audiences in a meaningful way.

7. Online business directories

It’s important for business owners to list their companies in prominent and reputable business directories. Often these listings are free, but even if you must pay a small fee, it can be worth it.

The benefits include

Exposure to potential clients and customers.
Boosted SEO through backlinks.
Improved online presence and brand awareness.
Increased credibility for your business.
Low-cost or free marketing.

The following is a list of top business directories to consider listing your business:

AllBusiness.com
Better Business Bureau
Facebook Page
Google Business Profile
LinkedIn
Superpages
Bing Places for Business

8. Radio marketing

While less prominent today, radio can still be effective. Many people are in their cars during peak commute hours. To maximize radio advertising:

Targeted placement: Choose stations and time slots that align with your target audience.
Engaging content: Create memorable and concise ads.
Consider your market: Are you a B2C company (business to consumer) or B2B company (business to business)? Is your market local (like a neighborhood restaurant), national (such as selling payroll services), or international (such as selling unique clothing to multiple markets)?

The cost-effectiveness of radio compared to TV makes it a viable option for more localized campaigns.

9. Press releases

Press releases are valuable for announcing significant business updates. Ensure your release is:

Newsworthy: Focus on unique and timely information.
Well-structured: Include a strong headline, key details, and contact information.
Multimedia: Incorporate multimedia elements like images and videos to increase engagement.

10. Email marketing

Email marketing remains effective when executed correctly. Best practices include:

Segmenting: Personalize content based on customer preferences and behavior. Use data to segment your lists and target markets.
Offering engaging content: Provide valuable information, special offers, and updates.
Optimization: Use A/B testing to refine subject lines and content.
Using AI-driven tools: These can help automate and personalize email campaigns, improving engagement rates.

11. Direct mail marketing

Despite the digital age, direct mail still works for certain audiences. To optimize direct mail:

Use targeted lists: Use well-researched mailing lists to improve ROI.
Implement creative designs: Ensure your mail piece stands out and is easy to read.
Track mailings: Monitor responses and effectiveness.

More tips to enhance your marketing campaigns

Here are some additional tips to optimize your marketing campaigns:

Segment: Segment your target market to a specific audience. Segmentation can be done with respect to age, gender, income level, education, geography, purchase stage or brand loyalty, and more.
Business lists: Consider using high quality business lists such as Dun and Bradstreet, Experian Business, ZoomInfo or InfoUSA. These lists can be used in multiple channels as well, maximizing the value of the lists.
Track real time: Track your marketing campaigns in real-time to get immediate insights, make quick adjustments, and understand what is working or not.
Key metrics: Track the key metrics in your campaigns, such as click-through rate, engagement rate, conversion rate, sales, revenue, customer acquisition cost, market share, and churn rate.
Software and AI: Use software and artificial intelligence (AI) tools for social media management, content creation and testing of alternative ads.
Budget: Allocate your budget wisely. Assess the performance of different marketing channels and allocate your budget to the ones that deliver the highest ROI. Continuously review and adjust your spending to focus on the most effective strategies.
Keep current: Stay updated with trends. Keep up with the latest marketing trends and technologies. Experiment with new platforms, tools, or strategies to stay ahead of the competition and reach your audience in innovative ways. Keep up to date with experts by seeking articles from reputable business sources such as AllBusiness.com.
Promote across channels: Share earned media coverage on your website, social media platforms, and email newsletters. For instance, if a major publication writes about your product, feature this article prominently on your homepage or social media profiles.
Showcase social proof: Use earned media as a form of social proof by highlighting positive reviews, testimonials, or features from reputable sources. This can build credibility and trust with potential customers.
Strengthen relationships with media: Build and maintain good relationships with journalists and influencers. This can lead to more favorable coverage in the future and expand your media network.
Repurpose content: Convert mentions and reviews into additional content, such as blog posts, case studies, and infographics. For example, if your company was featured in a popular tech blog, you could create a detailed blog post about the experience and its impact.

Ready to enhance your small business marketing strategy?

Developing a comprehensive and modern small business marketing strategy requires leveraging a mix of traditional and digital techniques. By integrating artificial intelligence tools, optimizing SEO, utilizing effective SEM strategies, and harnessing the power of social media, you can create a dynamic and effective marketing approach. Start by experimenting with different strategies, tracking your results, and refining your approach based on performance data.