AI is everywhere right now, and makes quick work of A LOT of tasky tasks... but just because you can use it for pretty much everything doesn’t mean you should.

In this episode, we break down how to use AI to level up your small biz marketing, and when to absolutely avoid it.

We talk about:

How prompt AI like a pro (shout out Jeff Su!)

How to build a system that keeps things human

And the biggest AI no-no's, like letting it write your emails to customers... yikes.

Whether you’re curious about AI or already using it in your workflow, this episode is packed with practical tips, real examples so you can make the most of your machine bestie.

🎧 Listen in now! And if you want more smart strategies for growing your biz on a small budget, sign up for our free newsletter at bigbadmarketing.com/newsletter. We’ll send you our go-to list of marketing levers to pull today, with or without AI.

Welcome to your crash course in email automations: drips campaigns, nurture campaigns, and everything in between.

You've already started your email list and you've got the email marketing basics down. Now what?

In this episode, we break down the difference between drip and nurture campaigns (and why you need both to move prospects through your sales funnels and get them to buy.)

We cover:
✅ What a drip campaign is and when to use one (so you can drip it real good 😉)
✅ How nurture campaigns instigate action so people buy things
✅ Why your email provider matters (and when it’s time to graduate from Squarespace)
✅ Step-by-step: How to build smarter email campaigns
✅ Essential automations to set up ASAP (welcome sequences, abandoned cart, lead magnet delivery & more)
✅ Common mistakes small biz owners make (and how to avoid them)

✨ Bonus: We rant (lovingly) about why most businesses get email soooo wrong, like emailing daily with nothing to say, or disappearing for 3 years then suddenly showing up with a “flash sale.” Just. Don’t.

Ready for more from Big Bad?
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🤑 Share this episode with an entrepreneur who doesn't know how to do email marketing but needs to
⭐️ Leave a 5-star review so we can reach world domination

🔥 Hot take: you don’t need a big marketing budget to make a big impact.

In Part 2 of our low-cost marketing series, we’re back with five more free or cheap marketing tools you can use to promote your small business without running ads, hiring a team, or crying into your empty bank account.

Once you jump into some basics (the stuff we covered in part one: social, blogging, referrals, email, and lead magnets), it's time to step it up with visibility-building, authority-boosting, and community-driven marketing methods to get people knocking on your door (to give you money!)

We cover:
✅ How to find win-win partnerships with other businesses (that make sense for you and them!)
✅ Hosting webinars or virtual events that drive value and bring in leads
✅ How to make your Google Business Profile capture the attention of your prospects, even when you’re asleep
✅ SEO basics so you can get found on Google without hiring an agency
✅ Why selling yourself in real-life convos is still one of the best (and cheapest) marketing moves

These tools are perfect for solopreneurs and scrappy small biz owners who are ready to grow without a giant team or giant budget.

Want more Big Bad insight?
👀 Follow @bigbadmktg on Instagram
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🤑 Share this episode with a business buddy on a budget
⭐️ Leave a 5-star review and tell the world about us!

Think you need a fat ad budget to get more customers? Nah. There are tons of free or cheap strategies to market your business.

In this part 1 episode we share the first five marketing moves you can make right now to grow your small business without spending all your savings.

Whether you're a solopreneur, accidental entrepreneur, or a side-hustler, these tools make marketing accessible, without the overpriced softwares or marketing expertise.

We cover:
✅ Why social media still matters, and how to use it to stir up excitement around your brand (without boosting posts)
✅ How a scrappy blog can drive traffic (and build your street cred)
✅ Referral programs: the cheapest marketing you’re not using enough
✅ Email marketing made easy (and powerful) with free tools
✅ Lead magnets designed to attract more paying customers

Stay tuned for Part 2 Low Cost Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses where we cover partnerships and collabs, virtual events and webinars, Google Business Profiles and managing your digital reputation, SEO-ing, and selling yourself!

Want more Big Bad nonsense?
👀 Follow @bigbadmktg on Instagram
✉️ Sign up for our free newsletter (it's packed with good stuff)

🤑Share this episode with a business buddy on a budget
⭐️ Leave a 5-star review if you learned something new (or just like our vibes)

In this epsiode we break down one of the most overlooked but insanely powerful tools in your marketing toolkit: referral programs. 

If you’ve got customers who love your work and want more clients just like them, it’s time to stop banking on surprise word-of-mouth customers, and actually build a system to bring in qualified leads...on repeat.

We cover:

✅ Why literally every good business should have a referral program (unless your product sucks, then fix that first)
✅ Creative, non-boring referral reward ideas that don’t involve gutting your pricing
✅ Easy ways to track referrals, even with just a spreadsheet
✅ What to say when asking for a referral (without sounding desperate, awkward, or like you joined a pyramid scheme)
✅ Smart ways to promote your referral program across email, socials, SMS, and in-person convos
✅ How to make it feel less like “asking” and more like a natural part of your brand and biz

You’ll leave this episode with the exact steps to turn your happy clients into a lead-generating machine.

Want more from BigBad?

👀 Follow @bigbadmktg on Instagram
✉️ Share this episode with a biz friend who deserves better marketing.
⭐️ Leave a 5-star review and spread the goodness.

You don’t have time to recreate content for every platform, and honestly, you shouldn’t. In this episode, we’re diving into COPE: Create Once, Publish Everywhere.

It’s not just a buzzword, it’s a smarter content strategy for small business owners who want to save time, boost engagement, and stretch every piece of content as far as it can go.

We’ll break down why copy-pasting your blog or Instagram post on every channel isn’t getting you more leads, and show you how to tailor one solid piece of content so it fits across platforms (without sounding like a broken record!)

You’ll walk away with practical steps to make your content work harder and smarter.

Perfect for: small biz owners, coaches, content creators, and marketers ready to streamline and grow without burning out.

You know you should be promoting your business more but every time you go to post, or tell people about it, something stops you. In this episode, we get real about the hidden mindset traps that quietly sabotage so many entrepreneurs: imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the fear of being judged.

We’re not giving you homework or a checklist, just an honest conversation between two marketers who’ve been there, felt that, and still have to push through it. If you’ve ever over-edited a caption, deleted a Reel, or convinced yourself no one wants to hear from you, it's time for a mindset shift.

Let’s talk about how to quiet the fear and start showing up for yourself and your business, as perfectly imperfect as it is.

Feeling scattered, second-guessing every move, or stuck chasing trends that go nowhere when it comes to strategic direction for your small biz? You might be missing your business’s North Star. In this episode, we break down what a North Star is, why it matters more than your next marketing hack, and how to define a clear strategy that keeps you focused, aligned, and moving toward real growth. Whether you're a solopreneur or leading a team, a holistic guiding principle helps you make faster, smarter decisions and build a business that actually lasts.

People seem to believe you've got to be on social media the second you start your business (or even before you launch!)

But we didn’t touch it for the first six months, and we’re glad we didn’t.

In this episode, we get into the reasons why social media marketing can actually be a distraction, not a solution, especially in the early stages of building your business.

We’re talking hot takes:

-How jumping into social media eats your time, and feeds the dopamine loop without feeding your bank account

-Why social media isn't a prime location for conversions and sales

-What to focus on instead of social media at the start to actually grow your business

From websites to offers to strategy that sticks, we break down why building the business foundation should comes first, and how social can make sense later as part of your holistic marketing strategy, once there’s something worth nurturing.

You made a freebie. You posted about it. Crickets.

In this episode, we break down how to create a lead magnet that actually gets people to sign up, not just scroll past. You'll learn how to come up with the right offer, how to package it, and how to make your audience say “YaAsSss” to joining your email list. If you're trying to grow your list, boost conversions, or finally make email marketing work for your small business, this one's for you.