5 MARKETING IDEAS YOU SHOULD DO TODAY

If you have a lot, some or just a couple of hours of marketing resource in your business, or you do it all yourself, you should be giving consideration to doing some or all of these marketing must-haves.

Marketing resource and the time to do it in Micro's and SME's can be tight, even more so during these difficult times, so getting the most from the time you have is vital. Whatever you do with your marketing time these five things could add real value, helping with engagement, brand awareness, conversion and measurement.

1. List Your Business on Google My Business

If you haven't already get your business listed on Google My Business and Bing Places for Business today.

It's quite straight forward to do simply enter Google My Business on your device then follow these very easy steps to get started.

• Sign in to your Google Account, or create one.

• Enter your business' address.

• Choose how your business will display on Google Maps.

• Search for and select a business category.

• Enter a phone number or website URL.

• Upload your logo and a header. Google gives options for interior images too.

Bing Places for Business is a similar process but once Google is set up Bing can pull the information in to its own platform.

Listing on these platforms will help your business appear in general search results for business in your area or category.

2. Use Google Search Console to Improve SEO

Google Search Console is part of the Google family of support tools and will help you identify issues with your sites ranking. If you haven't already set up a Google account and go to Search Console. You can check security issues and "manual actions" that have been identified and add your websites sitemap.

Importantly every time you update a page on your site you can resubmit it for ranking which will ensure your pages are up to date and all those great bits of new content can add value to your SEO ranking quickly.

3. Ensure You Have Individual 'Alt Text' on Your Images

One of the biggest errors with over 40% of websites is the lack of attention given to the use of 'alt texts' on all site images. Your website CMS will give you the option to add meta tags and descriptions to help Google rank your rich content when people are searching for things. For instance, you may be a London based retail store selling kids clothes. Your images should state you business name, location and a description about what you sell. That way when someone searches for "kids clothes in London" your business will have a better ranking than if each image was left with its original file name.

4. Try Email Marketing To Target Your Data

Even today email marketing still gets results. If you have never tried it or gave up after a first attempt you should take another look.

A big point to remember is never go in for the hard sell. It doesn't work. Give your audience some "free stuff" to get their teeth in to. Blogs are a great way to add SEO value to your website and the content is great for email campaigns.

When done regularly it can build up trust and ultimately lead to conversion and new business. But pause first and consider who you are going to talk to. What customer and prospect data do you already have? Remember to make everything GDPR compliant. Opting in is now your biggest consideration when using someone's data.

A final word would be to make sure your emails are created in your company branding and look amazing. No images taken on your iPhone unless they look brilliant!

5. Give Good Old Fashioned Networking A Go

These days we all know networking is via Zoom or Teams and it can be a lot of fun when done right. Dusting off your elevator pitch (a quick summary of your business) and talking to like minded business people will create potential new opportunities.

Make sure you choose the right networking group that will suit you and your business. Some start at 6.30am, some during the day and some during the evening when it's alright to have a glass of wine! The right mix of businesses, tone and style of the meeting should all feel right for you. Because you can't just do it once. Networking is a commitment! When done well and consistently it will grow your reputation and help increase awareness of your brand. People generally buy from people and you are one of your businesses best assets.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Moore FCIM, is a former Strategic Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director, currently living in beautiful Suffolk. He has been writing about marketing developments for 20 years with articles in The Metro, City AM, Fresh Business Thinking, AllWork, The Marketer and Marketing Week.

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