Small biz marketing tips

Man typing at computer, with the caption, "If you do one marketing thing today, update your Google My Business listing."

Google My Business listings: the one super simple, free thing many small businesses forget to do

Most small businesses set up a Google My Business listing. You know, that listing at the side of the search results that shows your business logo, some pictures, your address, and a few other things? That’s a Google My Business listing. But unfortunately, a lot of businesses set it up about a part of the way and pretty much forget about it. And that’s a serious mistake. As overlooked as it often is, Google My Business listings are powerful tools...

SEO: a practical real-world guide

I’m gonna say it. SEO (Search Engine Marketing) isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. “Wait, WHAAAAT?” you gasp! “I thought SEO was a critical piece of my marketing, the most important thing for my website, the be-all, end-all of making sure my business is successful, the Alpha and Omega of my strategy…” Sorry. It’s not. I know what you’ve read. I know what all the marketing “experts” tell you before handing you a proposal to “fix” your site for...

A blogger putting together a post with the caption, "Content marketing attracts three times the leads for about 62% less cost. Whoa is right."

What the heck is content marketing and why should I care: the small business guide

Hey! If you’re reading this, you’re interested in content marketing, one of the biggest trends in recent marketing history. So give yourself a pat on the back. Yes, content is king. Here are a few stats to support that statement: Content marketing generates about three times the leads that traditional marketing does (including paid search marketing), at about 62% less cost Small businesses with blogs (i.e. content marketing) get 126% more lead growth than small businesses that don’t. Websites with...

A car engine, with the caption, "Good marketing, like a car, works pretty much all the time. If yours has broken down, don't assume that cars aren't for you - run a diagnostic instead."

Marketing not working? Six ways to troubleshoot

If you are a small business and you don’t feel like any of your marketing works… well, let’s just say you’re not alone. I hear this over and over, and often not just from small businesses. I’ve heard the infamous, “marketing doesn’t work for us” line from businesses ranging from one employee to fifty. And the reality is that they aren’t wrong. But they also aren’t right. Don’t worry, I haven’t lost it. The truth is that at the very...

A video camera filming, with the caption, "Conventional wisdom would have us all believe that video is the greatest marketing thing since sliced bread. But we advise caution. Here's why."

Don’t make me watch your stupid marketing video

Marketing video fail: a few weeks ago, my mortgage company sent me an email regarding their annual audit of my escrow account. In the past, they’ve sent me a letter describing the change and letting me know when my payment will adjust. I read the letter, absorb the information, and I’m on to other things in under 10 seconds. Sounds good, right? No need to mess with that formula. This year, it appears the marketing department at my mortgage company...