Practical marketing guides for local businesses
Written for owners who do their own marketing between customers. Every number on this site links to the study it came from, and we say so plainly when the data does not exist.
Start here
Foundational guide
Customer Video Reviews: The Complete Guide for Local Businesses
How to get customers to record short video reviews on their phones, what a usable 20 second clip contains, permission rules, and where to use the footage.
Foundational guide
Rewarding Customer Feedback: What the FTC Rule Actually Says
A plain English guide to 16 CFR Part 465 for local businesses: what you may reward, what you may not, disclosure duties, TCPA consent, and platform bans.
Foundational guide
QR Code Marketing at the Table, Counter and Chair
Where to put a QR code in a local business, how big to print it, what to write next to it, what scan rate to expect, and what quietly kills scans.
Foundational guide
First-Party Customer Data for Local Businesses
Why a customer list you own beats followers you rent: consent capture that holds up, TCPA express written consent mechanics, what to send, and list hygiene.
Foundational guide
How AI Assistants Recommend Local Businesses
What is known about how AI answer engines surface local businesses, why 45% of consumers now ask them, and the short list of signals you can influence.
By industry
Restaurants
Filling weekday covers, earning reviews without nagging, and turning one-time diners into regulars.
4 guides
Cafés and coffee shops
Fixing slow mornings, working the counter moment, and turning first-time buyers into regulars.
4 guides
Bakeries
Diagnosing slow weeks, capturing feedback from a 90-second transaction, and following up after custom orders.
4 guides
Hair salons
Filling empty chair time, asking for reviews without awkwardness, and keeping first-time clients.
4 guides
Barbershops
Building walk-in traffic, collecting reviews without asking every client, and fixing the one-and-done problem.
4 guides
Nail salons
Filling the book in slow months, collecting feedback without discounting sets, and holding a two-week cycle.
4 guides
Gyms and fitness studios
Growing membership without discounting, turning member results into proof, and beating churn.
4 guides
Yoga and pilates studios
Filling classes without cutting drop-in rates, collecting student feedback, and converting intro offers.
4 guides
Auto repair shops
Raising car count, earning reviews without bribing customers, and building a repeat customer base.
4 guides
Home services contractors
Surviving the shoulder season, collecting reviews on every job, and converting leads into booked work.
4 guides
Retail stores and boutiques
Driving foot traffic, collecting reviews without a booking system, and using the email list you already have.
4 guides
Pet grooming and boarding
Keeping the grooming book full, capturing feedback at pickup, and building rebooking habits.
4 guides