Starting a new business? Avoid these 5 marketing mistakes

Setting up a business can feel like you’re spinning plates. There’s a hundred things to do, a thousand things to think about, not least financial pressures! It’s all too easy for marketing become an afterthought – or to be rushed into without a clear strategy in place.

But good marketing is essential for a business to survive. Your customers won’t find you without it. At best, marketing mistakes will cost time and money down the line when restoring your brand’s image.

I’ve learned how to promote a small business effectively – sometimes the hard way! – and I’ll share the common pitfalls to avoid, so your business can get it right from the very start.

1. Promoting before researching the industry

You’ve a great product or expert service to sell. Of course you want to get in front of consumers. And you’re under pressure to see profits ASAP – especially if you’ve invested capital for your new business to take off.

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The complete small business guide to writing SEO content

If you run a small business, it’s vital your website shows up in search results or your customers won’t find you.

But the way Google ranks pages is complex and evolving. Tackling SEO can be overwhelming – especially if your time and budget is in short supply! Can your small business improve your google rank to compete with bigger companies?

Yes it can, and I’ll show you how.

This complete guide to writing SEO content has everything you need for your small business to meet Google’s key ranking factors in 2018.

First off, some SEO basics:

What is SEO, exactly?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It’s the process of improving your Google rank so you’ll be seen by people searching for the product or service you provide for free.

With so many businesses fighting for the top spot, hitting the first page of the search results doesn’t happen overnight. But you can boost your SEO over time by writing content that meets Google’s key ranking factors – the ways Google measures your web page to assign it a rank. Here’s how:

1. Write each page to resolve a query

Before you write anything, step inside your customer’s shoes and identify what they search for.

Read moreThe complete small business guide to writing SEO content

Small business SEO essentials: keyword research made simple

You want your small business in front of people already looking for your product. Use the right keywords, and you show up in Google’s search results just when your potential customers need you.

But keyword research has some massive challenges, especially if you’re busy and on a budget!

For starters, Google keeps changing the way it uses keywords to rank pages. Then there’s fierce competition for keywords from other websites all vying for the top spot. And countless articles giving conflicting advice, offering their own tool as the answer (for a fee, of course).

It’s all too easy to find yourself picking ones at random in the hope they’ll work. Sound familiar?

But it is possible to find the right keywords without spending hours on analysis or a fortune on fancy tools.

Yes, really!

In this step-by-step guide I’ll show you the easiest way to find the keywords you need – and how to use them.

First off, just to clarify:

What are keywords and why are they so important?

Keywords are the search terms your potential customers enter into google. They can be single words or phrases. Add these to your content and you’re telling both Google and your searchers that you’re a good match for the query. This means Google will rank you higher – and searchers are more likely to visit your website.

Here’s how to get your keywords:

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7 free marketing courses that will benefit any small business

With everyone glued to their smartphones these days, digital marketing is crucial to your small business’s success. And if you’ve a busy schedule, self-paced courses are a great way to learn the skills to promote your business through channels like online advertising, social media and blogging.

But drop a google search to find a course and you’re bombarded with countless options, all promising superior results.

Being a caring, sharing sort, I’ve picked out the best online courses you can take –completely free– which give the range of skills you need to engage with your customers and grow your business online. Happy learning!

1. Digital Garage from Google

This is a broad intro to digital marketing, broken up into a series of bite-size videos. The concepts are very clearly explained, and if you’re not too computer-savvy or a novice to marketing, this is a great starting point.

There’s an emphasis on advertising options, and woven into the helpful info is a gentle plug for Google’s services. So keep in mind any option that’s promised to work wonders could be more effective for one type of business than another.

Read more8 free marketing courses that will benefit any small business

5 ways your new business will pack a punch online – for free

Did you know over 90% of shoppers now research online before they buy? Going digital is hands-down the best way to reach a vast audience.

With so many ways to promote your business online, you’re spoilt for choice. But some are more effective than others. How to avoid spending money on tactics that don’t work?

Help is at hand! I’ve learned the best way to promote a small business (through trial, error and too much coffee) and I’m happy to share.

Follow these tips to get your campaign off to a flying start – without the sky-high costs.

1. Get a website that beats the competition

You don’t need to spend a fortune on flashy graphics to have an excellent website.

Think of your favourite website, and chances are it’s clean, simple and easy to use. You can create a website just like this using a free builder like WordPress or Wix. You don’t need any coding skills (phew!)  and most templates they offer are fast to load and responsive across different screen sizes – a must for today’s smartphone-addicted world.

Read more5 ways your new business will pack a punch online – for free