10 Marketing Podcast Episodes Solopreneurs Need in 2026

Zero-click search didn’t “arrive” in 2025—it became the default behavior. When Google (and now AI assistants) answers the question without sending the click, the old playbook of “publish, rank, wait” stops paying rent.

If you’re a solopreneur in the U.S., that shift is more than a marketing trend. It changes how you earn attention, how you build trust, and how you turn content into leads. And it’s exactly why I like using a tight set of high-signal resources to recalibrate at the start of the year.

Below is a solopreneur-focused roadmap built from the Top 10 Duct Tape Marketing Podcast episodes of 2025—not as a recap, but as a practical operating system you can apply to your one-person business in 2026. This is written as part of the SMB Content Marketing United States series: realistic strategies, limited time, measurable outcomes.

1) Build a “visibility stack,” not just SEO

Answer first: Traditional SEO is no longer enough; solopreneurs need a visibility stack that shows up in search snippets, AI answers, local results, social, and communities.

John Jantsch’s episode on staying visible in the AI search era and Rand Fishkin’s breakdown of the zero-click internet point to the same reality: you can do everything “right” and still not get the click. That doesn’t mean content is dead—it means the job changed.

Here’s what I’ve found works for a one-person business: treat visibility like a portfolio, not a single channel.

What a solopreneur visibility stack looks like

• On-site content built for answers: short definitions, step-by-step sections, clear FAQs, and “how to” formatting that AI can quote.
• Local proof (even if you’re remote): a polished Google Business Profile, consistent NAP, services, and review velocity.
• Platform-native publishing: a weekly post on the platform where your buyers actually hang out (LinkedIn for B2B services, YouTube for demos, etc.).
• Third-party validation: guest appearances, partner webinars, industry roundups, and podcasts.

Snippet-worthy rule: if a paragraph can’t stand alone as an answer, rewrite it.

A simple weekly cadence (2 hours total)

1. Write one “answer-first” article section (300–500 words).
2. Repurpose into one platform-native post.
3. Add 3 FAQ entries to your article.
4. Ask one customer for a review or testimonial.

This is content marketing for small business that respects your calendar.

2) Pick an enemy to make your positioning memorable

Answer first: Strong solopreneur brands don’t try to be liked by everyone; they stand against a specific “enemy” that clarifies who they’re for.

Laura Ries’ idea—every brand needs a strategic enemy—sounds dramatic until you try it. Then it feels like turning on a light. The enemy isn’t a competitor. It’s the thing your customer is tired of.

Examples of “enemies” that work for solopreneurs

• “Random acts of marketing” (no strategy, just posting)
• Vanity metrics (likes instead of leads)
• Overbuilt funnels that never get finished
• Template positioning (“we help businesses grow”) that says nothing

When you define your enemy, your content gets easier:

• Your blog topics become opinionated.
• Your sales calls get shorter.
• Your referrals get better because people can describe you.

Action step: Write a one-sentence positioning statement:

I help [specific audience] get [specific outcome] without [your enemy].

Use that sentence on your homepage, LinkedIn headline, and email signature for 30 days. If it doesn’t spark clearer conversations, refine it and repeat.

3) Use books as your content engine (seriously)

Answer first: Intentional reading is one of the highest-ROI inputs for solopreneurs because it turns into ideas, frameworks, and differentiated points of view.

Todd Sattersten’s episode on how books shape success hits a nerve for solopreneurs: you don’t have a team to generate ideas. Your inputs matter.

I’m biased here. A single good book can fuel:

• 10 LinkedIn posts
• 3 blog articles
• 1 webinar
• a sharper onboarding sequence

The “one book, one month” system

Pick one business-relevant book per month and extract:

• 5 contrarian observations you agree with
• 5 tactics you can test in 7 days
• 5 stories (personal or client) that connect to the theme

Turn those into an editorial calendar. Your content becomes less “me too” and more “this person thinks.” That’s what earns leads.

4) Stop renting your marketing—own a strategy you can run

Answer first: Solopreneurs grow faster when they own the strategy and use tools (and occasional specialists) to execute, instead of outsourcing their brain.

Sara Nay’s “anti-agency” stance is blunt and correct: the classic model often leaves small businesses dependent and confused. For a solo business, that dependency is dangerous.

Owning your marketing doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. It means you control:

• your positioning
• your offers
• your lead capture path
• your content priorities
• your measurement

A lightweight strategy doc you can finish in one afternoon

Keep it to one page:

1. Ideal customer: industry, role, budget range, buying trigger
2. Core problem you solve (in their words)
3. Signature offer: scope, timeline, starting price, best-fit criteria
4. Content pillars (3–5): the recurring themes you’ll publish on
5. Lead path: content → lead magnet or consult → follow-up sequence

If you do hire help (ads, design, SEO cleanup), this one pager prevents wasted spend.

5) Make behavioral science your unfair advantage

Answer first: Marketing works better when it matches how humans decide—specificity, concrete language, and memorable moments beat vague “value props.”

MichaelAaron Flicker’s episode on brain science is a reminder: people don’t buy because you’re “full service.” They buy because they recognize themselves in your message.

Three behavior-driven upgrades you can make this week

1. Swap abstract for concrete
   • Weak: “We drive growth.”
   • Strong: “We help you generate 10–20 qualified sales calls/month with a weekly content system.”
2. Create a peak moment in your funnel
   • A 5-minute personalized Loom audit after opt-in.
   • A “quick win” template delivered immediately.
3. Use specificity everywhere
   • timelines (“14 days”), formats (“3-email sequence”), and outcomes (“reduce no-shows by 30%”).

Solopreneurs win with clarity because they can’t afford wasted attention.

6) Treat culture and trust as lead generation assets

Answer first: Even solo businesses have “culture,” and trust-building storytelling is a primary driver of referrals, retention, and premium pricing.

Rhea Allen’s focus on internal culture might sound like a larger-company concern, but solopreneurs still have values, boundaries, and ways of working—and those show up in your brand.

Ernie Ross’ point is even more direct: meaning creates value. Feature-driven marketing turns you into a commodity. Trust-driven marketing makes you the obvious choice.

Practical trust signals for one-person brands

• A public “how I work” page (response times, process, expectations)
• 3 client stories that include numbers and constraints
• A clear stance on who you don’t serve
• Consistent tone across email, proposals, and content

If your marketing promises one experience and your delivery feels different, referrals dry up.

7) Build content that survives AI: original POV + proof

Answer first: As AI-generated content floods the internet, solopreneurs will stand out with original research, lived experience, and platform-native publishing.

Manick Bhan and Andy Crestodina both point toward the same defensive moat: topical authority plus originality. Not “more content.” Better evidence.

What “original” looks like when you’re a solopreneur

You don’t need a big research team. Try:

• a mini-survey of 25 customers or email subscribers
• anonymized before/after results from 5 projects
• screenshots of real analytics trends (with context)
• teardown posts (why a landing page works, what to steal)

A content format that consistently produces leads

Publish a monthly “field report”:

• what you tested
• what happened (numbers)
• what you’d do differently

It’s hard to copy because it’s true.

People also ask: quick answers solopreneurs want

Are podcasts still worth it for learning marketing in 2026?

Yes—if you treat them like an implementation queue. One episode should produce one change in your messaging, offer, or weekly content system.

How do I turn a podcast episode into leads?

Write one “answer-first” blog section, repurpose into one social post, then add a CTA to a lead magnet or consult that matches the episode’s theme.

What’s the best marketing strategy for a one-person business?

A clear position (with an “enemy”), a repeatable content cadence, and a simple lead path you can run weekly without burnout.

Your 10-episode implementation plan (do this, not “binge”)

Pick 3 episodes from the list and run this sprint:

1. Week 1: Positioning (Laura Ries)
   • Write your enemy statement and update your profiles.
2. Week 2: Visibility (John Jantsch + Rand Fishkin)
   • Add FAQs, improve snippets, publish one platform-native post.
3. Week 3: Proof and originality (Andy Crestodina or Manick Bhan)
   • Publish a field report with numbers.
4. Week 4: Trust (Ernie Ross or Rhea Allen)
   • Publish a client story and tighten your onboarding.

Do that once per quarter and your marketing compounds.

Most solopreneurs don’t need more tactics. They need a shorter list and a tighter loop: listen, implement, publish, measure.

Which part of your marketing is most “rented” right now—visibility, messaging, or trust—and what would it look like to own it by the end of January?