1. Google My Business (Maps)

I have written a few posts on the value of optimizing your listing on Google My Business which is the same as Google Maps. This is becoming a very important channel for many companies. See: Google Maps is Amazingly Useful - 15 Tips

2. Search Engine Optimization for Website (SEO)

If you haven’t optimized the pages of your website, connect with me, and we will help you. This is the single most important thing that you can do to get free visitors to your website. Do it - now. See: Sophisticated SEO and Beyond

3. Blogging and eNewsletter

If you have a website with just a few pages - under 20 - then you should start a blog. It takes a bit of work but writing helps you to clearly articulate all those ideas in your head. Getting started requires a kick in the pants (ask a friend to remind and maybe reward you) and keeping up the pace requires motivation. 

I started writing blog posts for our company on a regular basis about 2 years ago. I write every 2 weeks on Mondays (even holidays like today). We have automated MailChimp to grab the content and send it out as an e-newsletter to all our subscribers. Figuring out how to automate this was tricky. Contact me if you need some pointers. See: Using Google Analytics to Track Sessions from Email

That reminds me, I keep a list of ideas for blogging and I need to add that topic to my list. Done. 

4. Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok

Being active on social media works. It keeps you and your company “top-of-mind” which is not easy these days because so many people are active. Pick your favourite platform, learn how it works, and then be persistent. 

I like LinkedIn because many of the people that I want to communicate with are on LinkedIn. I have been on this platform since 2004 - that’s about 16 years. Wow, hard to believe. See: Tips and Tricks for Using LinkedIn

5. Online Reviews

The beauty of online reviews is that your customers do all the work. They create the title, write the content and add photos. How easy is that? Okay, you may get a few crappy reviews but, honestly, a few negative reviews add an element of reality and perspective - no one is perfect. And the feedback can be valuable. See: Dealing with Negative Reviews - 9 Ways.

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

I still talk to people in marketing and sales who aren’t using software to help manage relationships with potential and current customers. A customer relationship management system could be as simple as a notebook but more often it is web-based technology. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships. A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability.

I use Copper because it integrates well with Google G-Suite but there are endless options. There are numerous articles and reviews on the best type of CRM. Try this article by PCMag for starters: The Best CRM Software for 2020

7. Video

I use videos, especially for how-to instructions, all the time. But I don’t make many videos. I might start sometime in 2020. Maybe. No promises. See: Stretching Sour Dough

8. Track Performance (ROMI)

If you aren’t tracking the return you are getting on your investments in marketing, you should. The formula we use is (Revenues - Investments) / Investments and we express the result (a multiple) with a $ sign. If the number is $12 then this means that for every $1 that we spent on marketing, we received $12 in Revenues. BTW, that’s a good number - the sweet spot is between $10 and $20. See: Should ROI for Marketing be High or Low?

If you aren’t calculating ROMI on a regular basis, contact me, and I’ll get you started.

9. Google Ads

Google is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenues of $160,740,000,000 for a reason - the service (advertising) works. Set up an account, pick your geographical target area, pick the best keywords, pick your landing pages, set your budget and let er rip. However, be careful, if you don’t know what you are doing you can spend an awful lot of money with minimal results. If you want help, contact me. See: Eight Reasons to Use Google AdWords - Now Rather than Later

10. Ads on Social Media Platforms

The same thing is true with Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. These are big companies with lots of revenue because people find what they offer as useful. Again, if you are going to advertise, learn how first, then set up a test campaign. If you need help, contact me. 

This is the most popular blog post on our website: Export Contacts and Email Addresses from Your Facebook Account