How do I get my business noticed online? How can I create an engaged social media audience? How do I convert website visitors and social media followers into customers? What hashtags should I be using? Are Google ads a good investment?

I'm Sydney Chakalos, a marketing nerd and small business owner with a passion for helping other small business owners grow their business using effective online marketing strategies on any budget.

Learn how to create and implement a marketing strategy that strengthens relationships with your audience and increases your bottom line. We'll cover topics around social media, email, Google ads, branding, and websites. Building your brand is a marathon and I'm here to help you win the race.




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Marketing Your Local Business Online Podcast

Social Media

Branding

Entrepreneurship

Branding, Marketing

Ep. 53: One Problem, One Story: The Marketing Shift That Changes Everything

Sydney recently flew to Nashville for a two-day live workshop called StoryBrand Your Business Live with Donald Miller, author of Building a StoryBrand, and she’s bringing all the best insights straight to you. Today’s episode provides an in dept StoryBrand review. If you’ve ever felt like you know your business inside and out but still struggle to communicate it in a way that makes people say “yes, I need this,” this episode is exactly what you need.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • What the StoryBrand Framework is and why it works
  • Why your customer (not you) should be the hero of your marketing story
  • The Cognitive Load Test and why a score of zero is your goal
  • Why brain-dumping everything you know actually drives customers away
  • How to focus on one core problem to pique curiosity and convert more clients
  • Practical tips for testing your messaging clarity before you publish

Key Takeaways

1. Stories Sell – The entire StoryBrand Framework is built on the idea that when people can see themselves in a story, they’re far more likely to buy.

2. Your Customer Is the Hero – One of the most common mistakes business owners make is centering their marketing on themselves.

3. Aim for a Cognitive Load of Zero – Donald Miller introduced the “cognitive load test” at the workshop. Your messaging should be so clear that a brand-new reader can instantly understand: what problem you solve, how you solve it, and how to get started. If they have to work to figure it out then you’ve already lost them.

4. Stop the Brain Dump – Detail-oriented business owners (Sydney counts herself among them!) tend to want to share everything upfront. But overwhelming potential customers is one of the fastest ways to lose them. Instead, focus your initial messaging on one specific problem to spark curiosity.

5. Test Your Messaging – After writing your copy, read it through the eyes of your ideal customer. Better yet, ask a friend who isn’t close to what you do: “What do I do and what problem do I help people solve?” If they struggle to answer, it’s time to simplify.

Resources Mentioned

Enrollment is OPEN for the Local Ads Accelerator! Great local businesses go unnoticed every day. When you’ve poured your heart and soul into building your business, it feels defeating when it seems like you’re not getting found by the people who need what you do the most.

That’s why I created the Local Ads Accelerator, a course designed specifically for local businesses to master Meta Ads so they can start getting found and go from being the best kept secret in town to the business people can’t stop talking about. If you’re struggling with getting your business visible in your community then investing in the Local Ads Accelerator is the right decision for you.

meet sydney

Strategist. coach. educator.

get to know me

Hi friends! My name is Sydney, founder of Marathon Marketing & Branding, and I’m so happy you’re here! As you might have guessed, I am an avid runner, which allows me to have more of that pinot and pasta in life. Running long-distance is all about training, endurance, and consistency. I realized that these same traits are directly applicable to social media marketing as well.