loader from loading.io

Success Stories: How These Local Businesses Grew with Social Media Ads

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Release Date: 11/19/2025

Why a Mixed Social Strategy is Your Secret Weapon in 2026 show art Why a Mixed Social Strategy is Your Secret Weapon in 2026

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Ready to rethink your social media playbook in 2026? In this episode, Sydney explains why a mixed social media strategy isn’t just smart, it’s the competitive edge every local business should be using in 2026. If you’re tired of chasing the latest trends or burning out trying to “be everywhere,” this episode will give you a clear, practical roadmap for building a resilient social media strategy that actually brings customers over the finish line. The truth is, ads and organic content each have superpowers—but they shine brightest when used together. Sydney explains what ads do that...

info_outline
Success Stories: How These Local Businesses Grew with Social Media Ads show art Success Stories: How These Local Businesses Grew with Social Media Ads

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Ready to feel inspired? In this episode, Sydney pulls back the curtain on real success stories from local businesses that transformed their results using Facebook and Instagram ads. Bonus: you won't believe how little they spent to see massive returns. From a jewelry store that had one of their busiest holiday seasons ever, to a nonprofit that finally solved their recruitment crisis, to a restaurant that had to make dough three times in one day because of overwhelming customer turnout. These stories prove that social media ads work for local businesses across every industry. What You'll...

info_outline
Designing Local Ads (And Posts) That Work show art Designing Local Ads (And Posts) That Work

Marketing Your Local Business Online

If your ads or social posts aren’t getting the clicks, comments, or customers you hoped for then this episode is for you. Sydney dives deep into what actually makes local ad creative work from the images that stop the scroll to the copy that makes people take action. She breaks down the biggest mistakes local businesses make with their ad visuals and messaging (and how to fix them), shares what’s been consistent across a decade of data for her local business clients, and explains how to design content that attracts real customers, not just likes. You’ll learn: Why “pretty” ads...

info_outline
The Reasons Your Social Media Isn't Driving Foot Traffic show art The Reasons Your Social Media Isn't Driving Foot Traffic

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Welcome back! After some time away, Sydney is back behind the mic with a game-changing episode that every local business owner needs to hear especially if they want to increase foot traffic. If you've been feeling frustrated with your social media reach lately, you're not imagining things. Sydney breaks down exactly what's happening with the algorithm and why your amazing content is only reaching a tiny fraction of your followers (hint: it's worse than you think). In This Episode: The shocking truth about how many of your followers actually see your posts Why "going viral" isn't a...

info_outline
What's Working on Instagram Reels Right Now show art What's Working on Instagram Reels Right Now

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Instagram Reels first launched in late 2020 and has since evolved tremendously. What used to work isn't necessarily what's working now. This episode breaks down what's working on Instagram Reels right now so you can use this powerful tool to grow your small business on Instagram.

info_outline
Marketing Trends to Know for 2023 show art Marketing Trends to Know for 2023

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Where is marketing heading in 2023? In this episode, I'm sharing my predictions for where marketing is heading in 2023 and how you can apply these trends to your advantage and grow your business. We're talking social media, email marketing, text messaging, and automation. 

info_outline
Make 2023 Your Most Successful Marketing Year Yet show art Make 2023 Your Most Successful Marketing Year Yet

Marketing Your Local Business Online

There are important actions to take when it comes to creating the marketing strategy that will work for your business and capture attention online. Yet many business owners haven't taken them. This episode will walk you through how to create a marketing strategy for your business so you can have your best year in business yet in 2023!

info_outline
Branding & The Images You Need for Your Website & Social show art Branding & The Images You Need for Your Website & Social

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Jessica Negron-Solis is a brand photographer based in the Tampa Bay area. Today she is on the show sharing ALL about branding, brand photography and how to elevate your business with it. She'll be share the value of brand photography, the images that you need for your website and social media, tips for planning for a brand photoshoot, and how to get over being nervous in front of the camera. 

info_outline
New Instagram Features for Your Small Business show art New Instagram Features for Your Small Business

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Instagram is releasing new features left and right and it's hard to keep up! Today's episode talks about some big updates that have taken place in the last few weeks including grid pinning, Reels updates and ideas for how to use them, and changes to how video stories appear.

info_outline
Save Time Creating Content With These Tips show art Save Time Creating Content With These Tips

Marketing Your Local Business Online

Is creating content for your marketing taking you hours? You're not alone. Creating thoughtful marketing content can take some time, but over time I've learned a few ways to save time creating content and get better results from what you create too. In this episode, you'll learn my favorite tips for saving time creating content including, how to make your content go further, setting up a content calendar, and getting more eyeballs on what you create. Find today's episode helpful? Leave a review and let us know!

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Ready to feel inspired? In this episode, Sydney pulls back the curtain on real success stories from local businesses that transformed their results using Facebook and Instagram ads. Bonus: you won't believe how little they spent to see massive returns.

From a jewelry store that had one of their busiest holiday seasons ever, to a nonprofit that finally solved their recruitment crisis, to a restaurant that had to make dough three times in one day because of overwhelming customer turnout. These stories prove that social media ads work for local businesses across every industry.

What You'll Discover:

Sydney shares detailed case studies from five different local businesses, including:

  • A retail store that maximized holiday foot traffic
  • A volunteer fire department that brought back a recruitment class they hadn't offered in years (with just $100/month in ad spend every month!)
  • A restaurant that brought in over $2,000 in catering orders for Thanksgiving
  • The customer appreciation event that had a line out the door
  • A garden center that had to order more Christmas trees for the first time ever

But here's what makes this episode truly valuable: Sydney doesn't just share the wins. She breaks down the strategy behind each success. What images they chose, how they crafted their messaging, and why these campaigns worked so well. You'll learn the common threads that made each of these campaigns successful, regardless of industry.

The best part? Most of these businesses spent between $50-$150 per campaign. You don't need a massive marketing budget to see real results. You just need the right approach.

Key Takeaways You'll Learn:

  • How to identify which photos and imagery will perform best in your ads
  • Why understanding your customer personas is crucial 
  • One of the biggest mistakes business owners make that causes their ads to "fail"
  • How to give your ads enough time to actually work
  • Why planning ahead makes all the difference in your results

Whether you own a retail store, restaurant, service business, or nonprofit organization, this episode will show you what's possible when you leverage social media ads strategically. If you've been on the fence about trying ads or felt like they "don't work," these real-world examples might just change your mind.

Connect with Sydney:

Love this episode? Leave a five-star review to help other local business owners discover this podcast or share this episode with a friend!

New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe so you never miss one!