DIY Digital Marketing for small businesses
I wanted to start off by saying this is NOT a blog post to HIRE ME. We all know that most small business sometimes don’t have the time or the money to invest in a marketing person much less a team. But none the less, MARKETING is still vital for your business to grow. Now a days its even harder to cut through the noise with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat and what’s the new thing the kids are using nowadays?
Let’s face it, marketing your business on social media can be a full-time job: Post 3 times a day, don’t forget to take a picture of that, upload this before its old news, Boost that, what filter should I choose? And the tasks go on and on. I’m here to tell you to STOP, take a breath. It doesn’t have to be so hard. Here are a few tips, so you don’t get overwhelmed by all the FREE advice out there.
1. I recommend grabbing a calendar, hard copy or digital depending on your preference. I love digital but obviously still a die hard for a hard copy. Be like the big box stores and look out for the next three months. Highlight/ type or post, all the big holidays that your business would benefit, or some cases avoid.
2. Set realistic expectations. We have all seen or heard about that kid on Youtube that made a million dollars just by posting funny videos. The truth is their situation is different. Yes, it can happen, but more than likely not. It can be very hard to go viral. So don’t be surprised that your very first posts don’t get any likes, loves or any reactions at all. It’s recommended by the social gurus not to even go look at statistics in the beginning.
3. Brain Storm. Set time aside from your day and dedicate some time to thinking about what you are going to post. Try to set a schedule for a Sunday afternoon. Pull out some paper, jot down any ideas, no matter how silly they may seem. Sometimes the best ones are by accident or a combination of a couple ideas.
4. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It doesn’t have to perfect. Remember “The worst decision is indecision”. Get started by posting a pic of your product or service. If your comfortable being in front of the camera, post a video talking about yourself or your company. In the beginning you don’t have to worry so much about lighting. The important thing is to get started. Slowly you’ll build some confidence and experience and build that momentum.
5. Be Consistent. Just like everything else, practice makes perfect. Make time to post, on Tuesdays or whatever day fits your schedule best. Remember, it still needs to get done.
After reading this, you might say to yourself “I don’t have time for all that” and perhaps it’s true. But that doesn’t change the fact that your business needs marketing to sustain itself. You can always start with 15 minutes a day. If you still feel that you don’t want to do it, then perhaps it is time to start looking for someone to help you. And that is a whole another conversation. Either way. Keep moving forward. Cheers!