Stop the Scroll: A social Media podcast with Heidi Schmidt - Social Media and Content Marketing Advice for small business own

Lessons in Entrepreneurship – What 6 years in business has taught me

This week we’re celebrating six years in business – and two years of podcasting!  But we’re also marking a milestone in that we’re putting a pause on season one of the p

Followers Aren’t Clients: Why Vanity Metrics Don’t Pay the Bills

What if the numbers you’ve been obsessing over are the ones that matter the least? In this episode of Stop the Scroll, I’m breaking down the truth about vanity metrics a

Why Going Viral isn’t a Social Media Strategy (Fan Favorite!)

Everyone wants more views, and more followers in the social media space.  So many business owners have said to me, “I want to go viral.” Hard stop y’all. Going viral is

How to Keep Marketing When the World Feels Heavy (A Low-Energy Plan to Stay Consistent)

If you’ve been staring at your content calendar like… “I literally cannot today,” this episode is for you. Because sometimes the world feels heavy, routines fall apart,

The 2026 Reset: Building Consistency Without Burnout

Happy 2026! Heidi’s kicking off the year a little later than planned (because the end of 2025 was, in her words, a “complete and utter Schmidt show”)—but with a message e

CEO Debrief: 2025 Wins, Lessons and Reflections

This year stretched me—in the best and hardest ways. And, if you know what’s to come, this is only the beginning, right? In this unfiltered end of year recap, I’m pullin

2026 Social Media Trends You Can’t Ignore

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 expec

How to Plan Your End-of-Year Marketing (Without Burning Out)

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 cadenc

You Don’t Need Social Media to Win. What to do instead…

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 in

Instagram Reels Made Easy: Easy Video Ideas You Can Batch Today

If you’ve got 10 seconds, you’ve got a clip: the door opening, a notebook flip, keys on the desk, a client thank-you email. String a few together, add a “how I” voiceove

The Toxic Social Media Habit Crushing Your Confidence (& Your Strategy) (Fan Favorite!)

If checking your follower count is the first thing you do when you open Instagram… we need to talk. Obsessing over followers and unfollows isn’t “staying on top of your

Q3 Social Media Updates That You Need to Know

If it feels like the rules of social media change the moment you find your groove, you’re not wrong. Social media is ALWAYS changing.  In this Quarterly Updates episode,

Why Business Owners Need a Creator Mindset When Showing Up on Social Media

Are you treating social media like another task on your to-do list? Do you treat it as a tool to genuinely connect with your audience? For many small business owners, the

How to Write Instagram Hooks That Stop The Scroll

Ever feel like your Instagram content deserves way more views than it gets? The truth is, it might not be your content at all…it’s your hook(s). Without a scroll-stopping

Q4 Marketing Strategy: Small Business Holiday Marketing Planning Tips

Scrambling to pull together holiday promotions at the last minute? Let’s fix that. Marketing during this time of year can feel incredibly overwhelming, but with the righ

I Tried 30 Days of Reels and Here’s What Really Happened

What really happens when you commit to 30 days of Reels? I tested it for myself, and while I didn’t hit all 30, I still walked away with higher reach, more engagement, a

How to Identify Your Ideal Audience (and Why Broad Answers Don’t Work)

If your answer to “Who’s your audience?” is something broad like “women” or “business owners,” it’s time to dig deeper. If you’re marketing to everyone generally, you’re

Why Authenticity Beats Perfection in Marketing (and How to Finally Post Without Overthinking)

What’s really holding you back from showing up online? For most business owners, it isn’t lack of strategy—it’s mindset.  In this episode of Stop the Scroll, we’re getti

What Instagram’s Latest Updates Mean for Your Marketing Strategy

Instagram just dropped a wave of new updates, and if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed (or wondering which ones are actually worth your time), this episode is for you.

Proven Marketing Strategies to Attract More Local Customers

Running a local business means your marketing needs to do more than just “look good” online. It has to bring real people through the door. In this episode of Stop the Sc