Small biz marketing tips

A businessman holding a christmas tree, with the quote, "Why would you put a lot of resources into something you'll be publishing right when people are the most distracted?"

Our gift to you: do you really need that holiday marketing video?

‘Tis the season for corporate holiday cheer, which in this day and age means holiday email after holiday email, from every business contact you have ever made—and even probably some you haven’t. And a high proportion includes their version of the dreaded holiday video. Now, I’ve done competitive research on corporate holiday videos. They range from the mind-numbingly boring (the vast majority), to cringe-inducingly awkward (a healthy second), to the occasionally truly brilliant. Yes, brilliance is possible, but let’s just...

A stressed looking business owner, with the quote, "think you can't afford marketing? Do you have any choice?

Three quick, cheap, and easy marketing wins for small business

I speak to a lot of small business owners (particularly the really small business owners) who tell me they don’t do any marketing because they can’t afford marketing. To which I respond: You’re probably already doing marketing, but you just don’t know it (whether you think of it that way or not, your website is important marketing!) Doing a tiny bit of cheap marketing is better than doing no marketing at all and How the heck are you going to...

A computer screen showing a Wordpress theme, with the quote, "Your website is your most important marketing investment. Make it great."

The official Urban Sherpa great website checklist.

In an earlier post, we went out on a limb and made the claim that a really good website is the most important marketing investment a small business can make. In fact, just the other day I was giving a local business a free phone consultation (yes! We do that!), and the business owner said her biggest concern was how their marketing could help them stand out from their competition. Of course, I suggested she update their website. Why? Because...

A man looking at a planning board, with the quote, "Want to fail at marketing your small business? Try to do too much."

How to fail at marketing your small business: try to do ALL the things

Let me tell you a story. I recently talked to a small business that had hired an experienced marketing person to put together a marketing plan for them. That person put together a very professional and thorough marketing plan. A plan that simply didn’t work. What went wrong? Well, that thorough marketing plan, with all the best practices and bells and whistles, failed to take one thing into account: the fact that it was a small business. With a small...

A person relaxing a looking at the view, with the quote, "Never let perfectionism get in the way of communicating with potential customers. It can pay to just... chill."

Marketing pro-tip: just chill.

Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, I have a little gift for you, dear small business owner. One I hope you will accept, and take to heart. If you do, it will give you peace and possibly gratitude. I promise. Here is my gift, my friends: you have my permission to just chill when it comes to your marketing. Now, before you get too excited, let me clarify something. I am not telling you that it’s OK to stop...