Marketing

As a small business owner, you have plenty of things to do on a day-to-day basis. The last thing you need is to have another item added to your to-do list. That’s probably why you may not be overly enthusiastic if I suggest you start a blog for your business.

But what if I told you that starting a blog could actually help you alleviate some of your most pressing marketing challenges and enable you get more from the work you were already doing?
For example, if you already create email newsletters, chances are you’re already hard at work, planning and writing content for this month’s scheduled mailing. You’re thinking of content ideas, going through a few different drafts, and eventually you’ll have everything ready to go — just in time to start planning for what’s coming next.

Let’s say instead of just plugging that content into your email newsletter, you published it on your blog first. Better yet, instead of trying to pack every article in its entirety into your newsletter, you use your blog to trim down the amount of text within your email newsletter and link to your blog to read more.

Right away you can identify a few important benefits. The design of your email becomes a lot simpler. This means an easier creation process for you, but also a more enjoyable experience for your readers — especially those email contacts that are checking email on their smartphone or tablet. (more…)

When I found out that one of my favorite bakeries was about to open a new location in my neighborhood, my first reaction was to jump on Facebook to share the news. Guess what? My post got 11 likes, and 7 comments.

Think about the power of this dynamic. Before social media, I’d have to wait until I gathered with a group of friends to share the news (if I remembered at the time). Today, thanks to my mobile device, I can easily share the news with my Facebook friends in real time.

Many of my Facebook friends either live or work in the same area, and have similar tastes—which makes them great prospects for that new bakery. Based on the level of engagement with the original post I shared, that information will spread beyond my immediate connections. Pretty cool, right?

This type of social sharing goes beyond our offline experiences. Consider how much information is now available to us online, and how easy it is to share the content that resonates with us most with a simple click. People are sharing content they find valuable. Content they believe their connections may have an interest in. And for all these reasons content is something you can’t ignore when it comes to your business getting found online. (more…)

Friday 15: Small Business Tips, is a series designed to help small businesses like yours make the most of their online presence. If you missed our February post about email marketing, check it out here.

Today, I’m talking hashtags. You see them everywhere: on websites, social media sites, and even on television, radio and in print. I decided to dedicate this post to the wonderful pound symbol, so you can start using it as part of your business’s social media strategy. #Enjoy.

Lesson Highlight: Hashtag basics: Connect to customers on social media

A hashtag is word or phrase prefixed with a pound, or hash, symbol (#), typically used in a social media post. For example, #Friday15 is a hashtag. Hashtags organize messages by topic. People can search for a hashtag to see all associated messages. You can use hashtags to target messages to specific groups of people interested in particular topics.

For example, let’s say you own a coffee shop. When posting a photo of your lovely caramel latte on a social media site, you include the hashtag #coffee. Now, people tracking #coffee will see your post. This provides exposure for your business and helps position you as an authority on the topic. (more…)