Key marketing components every business should have in place to be successful
As a business owner, it’s important to have a solid marketing plan to reach and engage with your target audience. But there are so many choices, where do you even start?
Google Business Profile
It’s no secret that Google is the market leader for search engines. We don’t even say “search it” when we need information; we say “Google it.” As of December, 2022, Google had 84% of the global search market, with Bing bringing in nearly 9%.
Getting your business listed on Google is free – you don’t pay Google anything to be listed. But to have a truly optimized page that brings in new business, you need to include more than just your business name, address and phone number.
Additionally, you don’t want to create it, then forget about it. Top performing Google profiles are continually updated and optimized, showing Google that you are engaged and invested in being in their top search results.
Your Own Website
Once you are on Google, you will want to point your customers somewhere else to learn more about your business. The best place to send them is your own website.
A website is a crucial marketing piece for any business, as it provides a central location for customers to learn about your products, services, and brand. Your website should be well-designed, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive, and should include key information such as your business hours, location, and contact information.
Social Media Presence
Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, can be a valuable tool for promoting your business and connecting with customers. By regularly posting updates, photos, and promotions on your social media accounts, you can stay top of mind and drive traffic to your website.
But you don’t have to be on all of them. It’s best to choose the best platform for your business – and your schedule. You will want to make sure whatever platform, or platforms, you choose to use, you work to have a consistent posting schedule, even if it’s once a week, every two weeks, or once a month.
If your business works mainly with people local to your area, make sure you are posting in places where those people are: Facebook Groups for your local communities can be amazing places to showcase your products and services. Other platforms like Alignable or Nextdoor are also great places to find people in your local area.
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Speaking of local, local search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website and online presence for local search results. This can include claiming your Google My Business (GMB) listing, optimizing your website for local keywords, and getting listed in online directories. Local SEO can help increase your visibility in local search results and make it easier for customers to find your business.
Although this combines two areas already mentioned, local SEO takes those steps a bit further. SEO can be a complex, time consuming marketing process. But when done correctly, it is a powerful marketing tool.
Email/Text Direct Messages
Email and text message marketing can be an effective way to stay in touch with customers and promote your products or services. By building a contact list and sending targeted messages, you can reach a larger audience and drive sales.
By having these key marketing pieces in place, you can effectively promote your local business and reach a larger audience. This can help you acquire new customers, drive sales, and grow your business.
The key to all of these marketing components is to keep them active, up-to-date, and optimized. These are not set-it-and-forget-it marketing pieces, even though most businesses use them that way.
Sound dauting? Already overwhelmed? I can help!
Smart Virtual Solution can help you set up these marketing assets, as well as maintain them each month so your business is found by potential customers.
Schedule a chat with me to find out how we can help your business succeed.
Prefer to watch content instead of read? View the video presentation here
A live presentation of this Tech Talk Tuesday was presented on the Alignable platform.
I’ve found Alignable to be a great platform to build relationships with other business owners.
