Writing can be daunting for many small business owners; you’re an expert in your field, but that doesn’t mean you’re also an incredible wordsmith! Even savvy entrepreneurs don’t always stop to consider just how much writing work is involved in running their own business. Aside from emails (and any other documents you send to clients), you also have to worry about website copy, advertisements, and branding collateral like brochures. That doesn’t even begin to cover all the regular blogging and social media posts a small business needs to appear active in this digital age! The quality of your copy demonstrates…
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“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Boy, how about that old cliché, huh? It’s just one of those phrases that gets thrown around, without any real through as to what it means. Well, I am going to reclaim that phrase because it is a truly fantastic piece of advice for small business owners. When you are talking with a client, even if you are engaging, interesting, and are offering them something really special, there is a chance that they might not be fully listening. That’s the problem with words, it can be easy to get lost in them. If…
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Social media is an essential component of marketing for small businesses, but it can also put a huge strain on busy entrepreneurs. The “always on” nature of our modern, interconnected world may mean your clients expect to be able to reach you via any communication channel at any time. This is a recipe for overworking yourself and living under constant stress. As entrepreneurs, we need to be especially careful to take care of ourselves. Small business owners are more likely to try and do it all when it comes to running our companies! The current expectation to maintain active social…
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Have you paid much attention to Pinterest lately? It may not have the immediacy of Instagram, but it’s still a very important social media platform for small business owners! Pinterest combines visuals with powerful organizational and search capabilities. Content uploaded to it can still go “viral” like Instagram and Facebook posts, but also has more staying power and is easier to find months or years later. Pinterest is an incredible visual search engine that functions differently from other social media. Click To Tweet I’ve personally used Pinterest to great effect for my businesses. I’ve gained followers on multiple social media…
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Product launches are exciting for small business owners, whether they’re for a new webinar, e-book, online course, or physical product. Seeing the results of your labor being used and appreciated by dozens, if not hundreds or thousands of people, is extremely satisfying! However, it’s also a lot of work to get to the point of launch, especially if you’re doing everything on your own. Make a big deal about your launch! Think Facebook ads and online promotions to mark the occasion. Click To Tweet Have you ever looked at other entrepreneurs and wondered how they get new products ready to launch…
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Business to business (B2B) relationships can be valuable assets for a small business, especially when it comes to gaining exposure on social media. Cross promotion through social platforms is a great way to attract new followers and new clients. It’s an “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” deal, though. You won’t get exposure for nothing; whoever you’re working with will expect to be given similar exposure in return. This is great because it can strengthen a whole network of independent businesses and form long-lasting partnerships! Social media isn’t just for marketing to clients. Use it for connecting with…
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For small businesses on a tight budget when it comes to advertising, it’s important to only run ads which successfully bring in new clients. Ubiquitous ad blocking software and general marketing oversaturation makes potential clients far less likely to see or click on your online ad. That’s why Facebook is currently one of the best places online for small businesses to do their advertising. Because ads show up in the newsfeeds of Facebook users just like any other post, and often get viewed on mobile devices where ad blocking is less commonly used, you can get far more eyeballs on…
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Staying on top of all your business’ social media accounts can be extremely time consuming. Luckily, much of your social media presence can be automated for a “set it and forget it” experience. Automating various social media-related tasks eliminates the need for spending a sizeable part of each day on small, fiddly tasks that take up your valuable time. Your social media presence is only valuable if it is consistent. Automation helps with this! Click To Tweet As a virtual assistant who specializes in social media marketing for small business, I have quite a few strategies for streamlining these tasks!…
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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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