Filling Big Shoes on a Shoestring Budget
Many small businesses hang up on the concept of marketing before they ever get started. They assume it’s too expensive, too time-consuming or too difficult to tackle.
Or, small business owners get busy with client work and neglect continuing to grow their own business. The cobbler’s kids MUST have shoes. Even in your busiest times, it’s imperative to continue to maintain (and improve!) of the health of your own business.
We recommend devoting (at least) 30 minutes per day to ensure the continued health and growth of your biz. Here are a few marketing tactics you can implement immediately with minimal effort and little to no financial investment.
Optimize your Website
As consumer trends continue to shift toward an even more digital world, improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is incredibly important. Depending on which Content Management System (CMS) you use (e.g. Wix, Squarespace) some SEO is already built in. However if you want to take your SEO to the next level, you can implement simple techniques like incorporating keywords in your copy, adding SEO descriptions to your pages, tagging your blog posts, naming your photographs with keywords and adding alt text to your graphics. There are plenty of tutorials and online how-tos that will walk you through exactly how to do this. The process can be a little tedious, but it’s not difficult – and definitely worth your while.
Ensure your website works well on mobile devices
Your beautiful, functional website that works properly on a desktop may not be reaching your target audience. Quite literally, customers want products and information at their fingertips. It’s imperative that your business has a presence on the medium your customers probably use most – their phones. Again, most Content Management Systems will provide support for mobile to ensure your site looks and operates effectively across all devices but sometimes you will need to go back and make adjustments manually so that your beautiful site looks and operates properly across all devices.
Set up Google My Business
This one is a complete no-brainer and it’s completely FREE. All you have to do is sign-up with Google My Business (did we mention it’s free?) and once you have verified your listing you’ll increase your businesses’ visibility on the Google search engine as well as Google Maps. Plus, you can post updates, photos, receive reviews and more – all which will increase your ranking with Google search.
Be active on social media
Start by creating a profile on applicable channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Keep in mind, you need not create profiles everywhere – only those mediums that reach your target audience. However, also keep in mind that by setting up profiles on channels you don’t necessarily consider reaching your audience, you may just be able to expand your customer base to new demographics. Setting up social media accounts is FREE. Once you’re set-up, begin posting content regularly. Maintain activity – not just by posting, but by engaging with customers through comments and responses. Also, be sure to like other pages as your business and make comments on other business posts as your business. This organic approach to social media will steadily increase your businesses’ visibility and exposure.
All of the marketing strategies listed above are tactics you can implement immediately. So, let’s get to it! As always, feel free to drop us a line with questions at info@stamarketingpr.com.