Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chad Treadway. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chad, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

My most recent idea for execution revolved around my book, Digital Marketing for Rural Small Businesses. The idea came from several angles.

The first was when I was talking with my business partner, who lives in a larger city, and he remarked that he typically only drives about 5 miles a day. Living in a rural area, I usually go 20-30 miles before my work day has even started.

The second came from realizing how the search engines, primarily Google, doesn’t understand rural America. You see, rural areas make up about 80% of the United States. At the same time, 80% of the US population is concentrated in the 20% left. While this makes sense for the search engines to cater to them, it solidifies that they don’t understand rural areas. Take, for example. A little community close to me has a post office, Dollar General, and a caution light. Simply because Google sees the zip code, it sees it as a significant location, and I need to have it listed as a place that I service.

The third reason was that many rural small businesses didn’t understand how to get found on the internet and needed help.

All this culminated in the need for more than a few blog posts but a full-fledged book and becoming a speaker around the topic.

Chad, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

First and foremost, I want people to understand that I know the importance of digital marketing, and I am 100% committed to helping rural small businesses not just embrace its benefits but break free from overwhelm and take the next right steps to leverage it for their efforts. I am the Chief Smarketing Officer and Partner at Cube Creative Design in North Carolina, where I help my small business clients survey their business needs and find customized solutions. I have years of experience spanning advertising, marketing, design, and business development. I often call on my small-town roots and work ethic to provide thoughtful guidance tailored to each client.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my business partner while we were in college at Appalachian State. He was the incoming editor of the newspaper, and I was his graduate assistant. After he graduated, we shared responsibilities for the student media office and shared a desk. During this time, we became great friends. He went on to start Cube Creative Design and asked me to do it with him. At that time, I was working part-time at my local community college and was close to a full-time position there.

I got on full-time at the college, but one day, I had had enough and reached out to him to see if the offer still stood. Thankfully, the business was growing, and he needed help! So, on June 1, 2012, I started with Cube Creative and haven’t looked back!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Two main things have been the most effective strategy for growing our clientele. The first is doing what we do for our clients, which is digital marketing. The second is in-person networking, such as leading groups and community involvement. For those in a rural area, being part of the community is a huge part of marketing the business.

As the old saying goes, people do business with those they know, like, and trust. We just do it on the internet and in person.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ruraldigitalmarketing.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chadjtreadway/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chad.j.treadway
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadjtreadway/
• Other: https://cubecreative.design/about/chad-treadway