Robert JanisSo you’ve started your own home business. Congratulations! Becoming an entrepreneur is an exciting moment, whether you’re a stay at home parent looking to make a little extra money, a twenty-something just out of college with an idea that can’t be beat, or a retiree who is looking for a change after years of nine to five. Once you’ve hit post on your first website, or created your first online item promotion, how do you get the word out regarding your business?
SEO? Tell me more!
Whether you’re updating on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or a blog, optimizing your content for search engines, or SEO, is an important detail. You can only run your business with your friends and family for so long; at some point, you need to increase your exposure to those who know your business, but not your name. SEO changes rapidly, and websites are rewarded for different strategies as the big players in the search engine world (basically, as of this writing, Google), push for better, higher quality content. You can learn about SEO and manage this piece yourself, or you can choose to contract out to one of the many media companies that specialize in helping small businesses learn how to maximize their Internet visibility.
All About That Guest Post
The guest post has been the key to search engine rankings, then much less useful, and now is once again considered crucial, as long as you do it right. It used to be that you could write one blog post and get it placed on a dozen sites to see your search engine rankings sky rocket. That is no longer the case at all. If you want to see a CEO who is an expert at the guest post, search for Margarita Hakobyan. As the CEO and founder of Movers Corp, Hakobyan posts in a variety of places about many different topics. While not all of her posts are directly about her business, a link to her business is generally included in her profile. This means increases in thought leadership for her company, and increases in views to her company’s website as well.
Create a reasonable budget, and stick to it
For a brand new business, it can seem like the only solution to the marketing exposure problem is to throw a bunch of money into Facebook ads and other paid exposures. While that is a method that can garner you some new followers and customers, if your budget can support it, not everyone needs (or wants!) to start at that level. I suggest that businesses that have a low or nonexistent marketing budget start getting their names out into the world, and begin drawing in customers.
Tap into your location
In business, as in real estate, location, location, location is key. Although some businesses may choose to move from one location to another, at some point, based on a variety of factors, most businesses pick a location and stick with it, unless they experience unanticipated growth. Therefore, for an up and coming business, it’s important to tap into your location as you plan your marketing. Look around you community to see what already exists that you can build on.
A home based soap maker, for example, could look for a local farmer’s market or craft fair where they could rent a table, while a home brewer might want to connect with locally owned pubs or restaurants to discuss offering seasonal brews. You can also look for events to sponsor or fund, such as a local carwash event at a high school or sports team.
For many businesses, choosing how to manage marketing can be one of the more complex business decisions that you make. Don’t rush your decisions, but do make them. Decide what you want to do, commit to your marketing plan, and take your business as high as you can.
What tips helped your business to succeed? Tell us in the comments.
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