For small businesses, Instagram represents an incredible opportunity for reaching out to new potential clients. However, in order to successfully take advantage of what the app has to offer, you’re going to need to build up your follower list. Instagram is currently the hottest social media platform out there because it allows people to connect with more than just friends. Celebrities and companies are just as easy to access on Instagram as Twitter, and the platform offers a lot more engagement than Facebook. The trick for small business owners is to grow your number of followers and turn them into…
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Social media gives a small business the opportunity to get noticed like nothing else before it in the world of advertising. Social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram offer multiple ways to promote your business. Free options abound, like posting status updates and photos for your followers to see, and if you’ve made them really compelling, share with their followers. Social media platforms also represent one of the most effective places to spend your advertising budget, thanks to their sophisticated targeting algorithms. I always recommend making social media marketing a pillar of any small business’ plans for attracting new…
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For entrepreneurs who own a small business, a marketing strategy has to be successfully developed and implemented in-house. We don’t have the luxury of being able to hire marketing firms or often even to have an entire team at our disposal for marketing our business! However, with the right components, a marketing strategy for small business can be very successful. A good marketing strategy can provide fast growth with little monetary investment. Click To Tweet As a long-time, successful small business owner who does her own marketing and develops marketing campaigns for clients, I’ve learned a lot about what…
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Probably the single most helpful tool any entrepreneur can use to ensure the success of their venture is a business plan. Think of it as your road map to successfully running a small business. It will help you clearly envision your goals, and show you how to reach them from where you are. A business plan is essential for those starting a new business, but it is also helpful for established businesses to make one. You may gain new insights into how your business is running, and where you can make changes to improve efficiency and make more room…
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Do you have the right team in place to support your business and meet its needs for the coming new year? When considering your goals for the upcoming year, they probably involve the growth of your business; taking on new clients, expanding your services or product line, tackling more and larger projects, etc. No small business owner wants to get stuck in a rut or have their business stagnate. However, growth means more work, and more work means you’ll probably need to hire at least one or two part-time team members in order to accomplish everything on time. A lot…
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It’s Thanksgiving week, which means it’s a good time to focus on the things in our lives that we’re grateful for. Owning and running a small business can sometimes be challenging or draining, but there are so many wonderful things about it that make the trials worthwhile. I always try to remember to think on all the parts of running my own business that fill me with gratitude and appreciation for the work I do and the people I work with. Especially around holiday time, when the themes of thankfulness and love are so prevalent, I find it makes me happy…
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When it comes to online content, the old saying really is true: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. In the era of Instagram, Pinterest, and other visually-based social media platforms, visual design is more important than ever. Potential customers and clients want to see beautiful graphic design when browsing the website and social channels of any business, no matter what their focus. Just because you aren’t a photographer or design firm doesn’t mean you can ignore the need to make your online presence visually appealing. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs simply don’t have enough time to devote to learning a whole…
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The days of simply reading and liking social media posts are over. The most active and engaged social media users spend time asking questions, starting conversations about topics that are important to them, and sharing content that is meaningful to them. If your business wants to engage in meaningful conversation on social media, you need these top 4 tools. 1. Be Professional But Not Stiff Think of social networking as virtual cocktail parties: charm, wit, and jokes are encouraged while maintaining professional boundaries and keeping the conversation relevant to all involved. There is an element to this type of conversation…
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If you’ve ever started your own business, you know that there are—or at least seem to be—an endless amount of steps to take to get your business up and running. If we listed them all, this blog post would quickly turn into a book! In this post, I am taking for granted that you already know what services or products you want to offer and how to finance your venture, and are ready to get the ball rolling. The following is my small business launch checklist. 1. “Paperwork” All small business owners need to go through the “paperwork” process of starting…
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“Copy” refers to written information that will be published in a book, newspaper, magazine, website, ad, or on social media sites. Copy is a silent but powerful medium through which clients, prospects, and other businesses are introduced to and stay connected with your business. Without this written content, your business’ ability to represent itself would be limited to images, your brick-and-mortar store (if you have one), and personal interactions. As you have probably guessed, professional copy is an important part of your business! Many small business owners are experts in their own right, but few are also talented, effective…
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