Top 3 Content Marketing Tips for Small Business

1. Make A Schedule

Want to have a successful content marketing run? Get organized. First, create a calendar (I like to use Google Docs); you should create an outline of what each month of your year looks like as far as seasonality, industry events, holidays, and company-specific happenings, then add them to your calendar. Allot time each week for filling in content ideas, developing strategy, researching, and actually creating your content. This could take between 2-4 hours per week (depending on how in-depth your content is and/or if you outsource any portion of this). The more successful marketing campaigns are the ones that were well thought out and planned properly.

2. Survey

Surveys are a great way to get inside consumer’s minds and see what they like. You can use surveys to improve your website, improve your product, learn about what type of content they want to see and more. Consider incentivizing for responses; a $5 iTunes gift card to all participants, one “grand prize” drawing or several smaller prizes. Team up with like-minded businesses for list exchange, sponsored prizes and other co-marketing efforts to cast a wider net for survey respondents. Some popular survey sites are: SurveyMonkey, SurveyGizmo and Google Survey Forms.

3. Use Images

While there is tremendous value in text-based posts, you must still integrate imagery into your content creation. Visual content is a fast and easy way to get your point across. You might want to take a longer piece of content and replace a paragraph with an image you have created instead. Making it visually appealing and easy to understand. Some ideas for imagery include using infographics, bold photos with text on top.  To create custom infographics try Easel.ly or Infogr.am

Affordable Small Business Marketing Strategy Tip #2

Everyone LOVES to WIN!  So why not run a contest on social media?

You’ll need to cough up some dough for a prize, but the number of participants and new potential leads you get will be well worth the price. Really tight on budget? You don’t technically need a super expensive prize to get participants. Even a couple high-end water bottles or fancy backpacks might be enough of a draw for some users.

Not sure how to host a contest? 

Try DIY & go with Rafflecopter – they make it super easy to set up a contest and embed the contest entry form on your website.  

Afraid to fly solo?  Hire a professional.  I recommend Mission4Media which offers affordable monthly social media management and contesting for all social media formats!  Be sure to tell James that Jody sent you!

Your hosting company’s downtime got you feeling down?

Angell Advantage Promise: Peace of Mind…at No Additional Cost.

Techs, Specs and Security!
Your Web site will be hosted at our ultra-secure server facility with tiered, high-performance Dell PowerEdge servers powered by Intel Xeon processing technology. Your Web site traffic will be load balanced across clustered and fault tolerant Dell servers, Cisco networking devices and Network Appliance storage systems.

Our servers are located in facilities that are protected from fires, floods, earthquakes, power outages, and other disasters – natural or otherwise. A few of the measures we take at our secure facility include:

• Remotely-monitored video surveillance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Hand-scanning authorization sensors using biometric recognition for clearance.
• Server racks reinforced against seismic anomalies, and scientifically exact bracing that adjoins our server racks and the caging environment to a below-floor channel.
• Clean power conditioned by an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The UPS assures immunity from energy spikes and surges. Backup generators guarantee an alternate power source, providing hours of additional uptime in the event of a system failure.
• Multiple HVAC units supplement principal cooling systems for consistent temperature control and maximum airflow.
• A preferred alternative to conventional fire suppression methods, and intelligent early detection & backup fire suppression methods that prevent unnecessary equipment damage and incidental loss of uptime.
• On-premise security officers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our alarms are also monitored 24/7 to ensure rapid incident resolution.
• Electronic motion sensors detect and react to movement around the perimeters of the data centers and within their interiors.

Dual-Layer Firewall Protection – Our network is protected by a dual-layer firewall security system using Cisco ASA firewalls, thus making it virtually impossible for hackers or unauthorized users to compromise the integrity of your Web site.

Unlimited Site Traffic – Many providers set limits on the number of hits your site is able to receive. We don’t penalize our clients for becoming successful. You can be confident that your site will handle increased traffic at no added cost.

Posted by: Sarah Rose Stack

Affordable Small Business Marketing Strategy Tip #1

List your company on Google Maps/Local

"A company presence on Google Maps/Local is as extremely important, and it's completely free," says David Hudson, managing director at EasyClear, a family run house clearance business in London. 

When it comes to small business marketing, Google Maps/Local presence is important for many reasons, he says. It directs customers to your establishment when they are in the area, and your business typically appears higher in Google search rankings. "Finally, because customers can review the company and leave comments, it is also a tool to evaluate the efforts we made, and it helps us to understand customers better."

Get Started HERE

Overcoming Networking Fears

Networking does not come easily to everyone. Some people believe they are too shy, or too introverted, not skilled at meeting new people, or suffer from social anxiety.

But networking can be learned, and a person’s skills can increase with time with the right information, and some practice.

So instead of dwelling on your shyness, or perceived lack of social skills, start by thinking what you LIKE to do. Maybe it is outdoor activities, attending your childrens’ events, or a skill such as cooking or a foreign language you are trying to develop in a class.

Begin your journey to networking improvement by approaching and communicating with people at events where activities you enjoy are taking place. They are almost sure to respond positively.

Why? Because people are attracted to people who are similar to them, and who have the same interests.

Pretty soon, your anxiety related to approaching new people will start to melt away. You’re now ready to reach out to new groups of people. Initially, you simply want to make a connection, and find out if you have similar interests. A short presentation of your business can come later to see if the prospect is interested in a professional relationship.

Here’s where you start to become an expert networker. You notice you’re getting better at handshakes, eye contact, listening, and asking questions. You’re no longer hiding behind the curtain of email, social media, and cell phones to conduct your business communication. You discover that going to coffee, lunch, or networking event is 10 times better than any email or text exchange with a prospect.

And don’t neglect your family, friends, and the people you are already doing business with. Ask for referrals and introductions to people who might be looking for a new business opportunity.

Remember, good networkers are MADE, not born. You can do it !!!