Can you believe we’re less than a month away from 2026? We’ve talked a lot about marketing strategy going into the new year – but today, we’re talking about what to expect in the year ahead from social media marketing.

We’ve all felt a bit like we’re screaming into the void on social media and well, it’s not just you. You’re not imagining it. But what do we do about it? We’re breaking down the big shifts that are going to shape the social media landscape in 2026 so you as a small business owner can adapt with confidence.

From AI becoming a back office assistant to social platforms doubling as search engines – we’re sharing what matters, what to skip and how to turn this all into a plan you can follow.

Episode Highlights:

• How AI can truly save time
• Social as a search engine and what to know so you can be found for the right terms
• Short form video is growing up - less dancing more speaking and authenticity.
• Communities and owned channels and how to use public feeds for discovery and brand awareness, and closed spaces like Discord, WhatsApp, and online communities for depth and connection
• The challenge with online ads in 2026 - it’s all about the creative baby!
• Mindset chat – keep it all simple and track what actually moves the needle!

Resources & Mentions:

• Book a strategy session
• Workshop Replay
• Connect on Instagram

Subscribe, leave a review, and share Stop the Scroll with a friend or fellow business owner who needs a little more confidence and a lot less overwhelm in their marketing. Your reviews help us reach more creators like you!

Drop a question or a review! We love getting feedback from our listeners!

Connect with me:

Website - https://www.heidijschmidt.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/HeidiSchmidtCreative

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeidiSchmidtCreative/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/legallyheidi/

Email - Heidi@heidijschmidt.com

Feeling stretched thin as the year wraps up? You are NOT alone.

In this life-and-business update, we’re talking about why Stop the Scroll is moving to a biweekly cadence and how I’m simplifying my own marketing to finish the year strong. You’ll hear real talk about bandwidth, capacity, and what to do when your pipeline needs love because you’ve been head-down serving clients.

Then we get practical. I walk through a simple end-of-year planning process you can use right now. You’ll learn how to repurpose past wins, package timely offers, and schedule just enough content to stay visible through the holidays without living on your phone.

Episode Highlights:

• Why I’m shifting the podcast to biweekly and how to decide when something has to give
• Bandwidth vs. capacity: a sanity check for service providers before taking on more work
• What to do when you haven’t marketed yourself in a while and the pipeline feels light
• Offer ideas that convert now: bundles, strategy sessions with short-term support, and workshop promos.
• How to reuse what you already have: emails, landing pages, and high-performing posts.
• Pink Friday, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday: easy ways to tie in your messaging

Resources & Mentions:

• Planning Workshop on 12/5
• [Book a Strategy Session]– includes 30 days of Slack support for extra 1:1 support
• Browse all episodes & show notes

Subscribe, leave a review, and share Stop the Scroll with a friend or fellow business owner who needs a little more confidence and a lot less overwhelm in their marketing. Your reviews help us reach more creators like you!

Drop a question or a review! We love getting feedback from our listeners!

Connect with me:

Website - https://www.heidijschmidt.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/HeidiSchmidtCreative

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeidiSchmidtCreative/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/legallyheidi/

Email - Heidi@heidijschmidt.com

Feeling chained to the algorithm? You’re not alone, and it’s not just in your head. This is a challenge I face every day and every week with my clients. Algorithms are increasingly challenging, and the competition to stay ahead and keep up with app features can be exhausting.

In this episode, Heidi makes a bold case: your business can grow without social media, and sometimes, it’ll grow faster when you stop forcing it.

Instead of chasing trends, we’re discussing some smarter, saner alternatives: owned channels, search-friendly content, and partnerships that actually drive results. You’ll also get a quick audit to decide if social belongs on your roadmap right now, or if it should take a back seat.

If you do choose to show up on social, Heidi shares how to make it count with story-led content and genuine engagement (not just more posts).

Episode Highlights:

• Why strategy matters to growth on social media
• Why you should priortize owned channels first: website content, email, SEO, Google Business Profile.
• Why social media isn’t a “set it and forget it” marketing tactic, and the importance of engagement.
• The importance of the shift towards storytelling versus constant selling—show people, process, personality.
• How to use a 4-question audit (traffic, capacity, consistency, revenue tracking) before committing.
• How to let AI assist ideation, but why you need to keep your authentic voice front and center.

Resources & Mentions

• Book a strategy session
• Schedule a discovery call to learn about our consulting or DFY services.
• My Favorite Marketing Campaign from Dunkins
• Sprout Social: Pros & Cons of Social Media

Subscribe, leave a review, and share Stop the Scroll with a friend or fellow business owner who needs a little more confidence and a lot less overwhelm in their marketing. Your reviews help us reach more creators like you!

Drop a question or a review! We love getting feedback from our listeners!

Connect with me:

Website - https://www.heidijschmidt.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/HeidiSchmidtCreative

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeidiSchmidtCreative/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/legallyheidi/

Email - Heidi@heidijschmidt.com