1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 S6:E31 There is no shortage of marketing tools right now. There is a shortage of clarity. In this episode, Dr. LL sits down with Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact (you know - the pioneer of eMail marketing with revenues still over $250 million per year), to unpack what is actually happening beneath the surface for small business owners trying to stay visible in 2026. If people don’t trust you, they won’t respond. If they don’t understand you, they won’t refer you. If your message keeps shifting, they won’t remember you. Dave shares insights from Constant Contact’s small business research, including a sharp drop in marketing confidence, rising overwhelm, and the growing tension between activity and actual results. The conversation brings us back to fundamentals: connection, consistency, and clarity. Guest Dave Charest Director of Small Business Success, Constant Contact Core Problems Founders trying to be everywhere instead of being effective somewhere Marketing activity replacing intentional strategy Message inconsistency weakening trust and referrals Overreliance on tools without understanding audience needs Practical Takeaways Focus on one primary channel and build from there Use email as a relationship channel, not just a sales tool Match frequency to relevance, not arbitrary rules Use AI to support thinking, not replace it Build real-world relationships and use digital to sustain them Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Small Business Stories 03:00 What has changed and what hasn’t in marketing 05:45 Overwhelm and channel fatigue 09:38 The real role of email in 2026 18:30 Why consistency builds trust 22:00 Message clarity and referrals 27:00 Confidence drop in small business marketing 31:00 AI, confusion, and content quality 39:00 What small businesses should do now Who This Episode Is For Entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel like they are doing everything but still not getting traction. Invisible brands don’t make money, but neither do businesses that are active everywhere and clear nowhere. Subscribe, share, and send this to someone trying to simplify their marketing without losing momentum. &amp;nbsp; ✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship 🔁 Share this episode with someone who needs to be heard Follow STEERus on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrLLSmallBusiness Instagram: https://instagram.com/steerus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/steerus Twitter: https://x.com/steerus_io &amp;nbsp; #EmailMarketing #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #smallbusiness Small Business Stories https://steerus.io/ <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/40563280/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/199921625