The Edge

Training Your AI Chatbot to Better Understand Customer Queries

by Bill Jackman | July 12, 2025 | AI Implementation, AI Marketing Automation, AI Workforce | 0 Comments

AI chatbots have become a go-to tool for local businesses looking to improve customer...

How To Handle Negative Comments on Social Media

by Bill Jackman | July 19, 2025 | Reputation Management | 0 Comments

Negative comments on social media can feel like a punch to the gut. Whether it's a ruffled...

Why Your Franchise’s Corporate Website Is Losing You Local Business

by Bill Jackman | January 2, 2026 | Franchise Marketing, Local SEO | 0 Comments

I keep hearing the same advice from experienced marketing people: “Build one corporate website with location pages. Simpler. Cheaper. Easier to manage.”On paper, this sounds reasonable.Here’s what…

Why Mortgage Brokers Are Fighting Over Scraps

by Bill Jackman | Jan 31, 2026 | AI Marketing, AI Marketing Strategy, Local SEO, Marketing Strategy

Most mortgage brokers are fighting over the same 3% of homebuyers who are ready to close next week.Meanwhile, 93% of Gen Z still wants to own homes someday. But they’re not calling mom and dad for…

Why Your Franchise’s Corporate Website Is Losing You Local Business

by Bill Jackman | Jan 2, 2026 | Franchise Marketing, Local SEO

The Hidden Cost of Fragmented Franchise Marketing

by Bill Jackman | Dec 9, 2025 | Franchise Marketing

When I audit a franchise system’s marketing spend, franchisors expect me to find waste in their ad budgets or agency retainers.Not where the money disappears.The real financial drain lives in…

The Fourth Visit: Your Restaurant’s Hidden Loyalty Threshold

by Bill Jackman | Nov 17, 2025 | Franchise Marketing, Marketing Strategy

Most restaurants are fighting the wrong battle.They’re chasing new customers while a 95 percent guarantee sits right there in their own data.The economics are brutal right now. Seventy-five percent…

The False Choice in Franchise Marketing

by Bill Jackman | Nov 11, 2025 | Franchise Marketing

Franchise brands have long faced a false choice: consistency or local relevance. AI personas built on first-party data make both possible—and profitable.

AI Overviews Are Eating Your Local Visibility

by Bill Jackman | Oct 23, 2025 | AI Marketing, AI Marketing Strategy

I've been watching something happen in local search that most multi-location businesses haven't noticed yet. AI Overviews now appear in over 13% of...

What Multi-Location Businesses Get Wrong About AI

by Bill Jackman | Oct 21, 2025 | AI Marketing, AI Marketing Strategy, Franchise Marketing

I had coffee with a Tim Hortons franchise owner a few years back. He told me about a box of Tetley tea he kept hidden under the counter. Head office...