Small Business Archives - Online Marketing Blog

A Dangerous Threat to Your Small Business: Mediocrity.

Lee Odden Online Marketing, Small Business

Einstein

I think it’s safe to say that no one starts a new venture or a business simply to be average. There’s a drive, a passion and a vision of possibilities. There’s also confidence that great things can be achieved.

People who start new companies often risk a great deal with substantial investments in time and money to make their ideas a reality. Having some skin in the game also drives many entrepreneurs to succeed because it’s all they have.

Seasoned employees who join a small business also take some risks. But at the same time, they can have a substantial impact on the company through the investment of their experience and skills.

But what if you don’t have that kind of risk or investment at stake? What motivation is there to rise above the minimum?

A Dangerous Threat to Your Small Business: Mediocrity.

How an Online Marketing Audit Can Help A Small Business Optimize Search, Social & Content Marketing

Lee Odden Content Marketing, Optimize Book, SEO, Small Business, Social Media

An increasing number of companies feel they have a solid content marketing strategy and tactical mix in place. Now it’s time to think about how to integrate an “Optimize and Socialize” approach into the overall online marketing program.

Two key considerations for implementing a scalable “Optimize and Socialize” content marketing approach involve where SEO and social media optimization fit within the content planning and publishing process and the skills of Social Media and SEO content creators. Here is a small business example that uses an Online Marketing Audit to start finding the answer to those questions about process and skills.

Small Business Marketing Problem: No Time For Content

How an Online Marketing Audit Can Help A Small Business Optimize Search, Social & Content Marketing

The Importance of Story Before Marketing

Lee Odden B2C Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business

Tootsie Lou Lou Dolls

Recently my sister in-law, Melanie, shared with me the success of her initial ventures into a new business selling a collection of handmade dolls, stuffed animals and blankets. A successful medical career working at a hospital keeps her more than busy, but the side venture is enabling her to make her creative hobby into something more.

Our recent discussion about turning this venture into a business surfaced many questions that a lot of new business owners face: What might be involved with hiring, manufacturing, logistics, taxes, incorporation and of course marketing.

Melanie has a knack for writing about her creations on Facebook and Pinterest in an enthusiastic, helpful way rather than promotional. But there is something that Melanie, who is a self-proclaimed neophyte to business and marketing, did that the majority of companies do not do that gives her an advantage. This is something many mid-market companies and large enterprises forget.

The Importance of Story Before Marketing

For Small Businesses: When Is the Best Time to Start Building Your Social Networks?

Lee Odden Content Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business

During a neighborhood gathering I met a small business owner and after sharing our respective backgrounds, he proceeded to tell me his troubles with not having the time to keep his website current. Competitors were seemingly overwhelming his category online. He also disclosed that his offering requires a bit of an educational sales cycle and the industry category has had some mixed press.

As we talked, I learned that innovations in the product line have advanced the capabilities significantly, but awareness of those advancements were hardly common knowledge within the target audience. The good news was a significant demand in search volume and conversation on social networks about the problems his product offering solves.

For Small Businesses: When Is the Best Time to Start Building Your Social Networks?

Essential Q and A on SEO & Content Marketing for Small Businesses

Lee Odden Content Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business

SEO Content Marketing Small Business The idea of making online content that is useful to people as well as easy to find and share applies to any organization whether it’s a B2B software company, a non-profit association or a government organization. There’s so much information being produced and promoted plus a growing array options for consuming content that standing out can be a real challenge.

I recently did a Google+ Hangout with a group of Chamber of Commerce executives from all over the U.S. talking about the role of content in marketing for small businesses. We dug into the fundamentals of what to talk about and how it can create a mutual benefit for SMBs and their customers. We also discussed the notion of empathy for our audiences and how important it is to invest in quality content as well as efforts to make that content easy to find and share.

Essential Q and A on SEO & Content Marketing for Small Businesses

7 Ways Small Businesses Can Integrate SEO, Social Media & Content Marketing

Lee Odden Content Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business, Social Media

In today’s age of ubiquitous connectivity, many small businesses have implemented a variety of online marketing efforts to attract new customers and increase overall sales. Unfortunately, results can vary significantly because tools are only as good as the expertise of the person using them.

The lure of the “next big thing” can create online marketing inefficiencies when small business owners try to be a marketing “jack of all trades and master to none”.

For example, the rapid growth and adoption of the social web can be overwhelming for small business marketers. Consider these social network growth statistics:

Google sites handle about 100 billion searches each month (SEL)
YouTube hosts nearly 14 billion videos (comScore)
Facebook is now over 1 billion users (Mark Zuckerberg)

7 Ways Small Businesses Can Integrate SEO, Social Media & Content Marketing

Small Business Blog, Big Business Results

Lee Odden Blogging Strategy, Online Marketing, Small Business

small business blogging Businesses of all sizes often struggle to find high impact, low cost methods of attracting and engaging customers.

While some say social media and SEO have leveled the playing field, blogging is by far one of the most effective ways for small businesses to achieve numerous business objectives.

What can you achieve with a blog? As a content management system that can be optimized for search and social shares, blogs with great content can help a company attract new customers, engage existing customers, connect with journalists and connect with potential new hires. There are many business communication goals that can be realized through blogging.

How? The fundamentals that many companies seem to gloss over include:

Create a hub and spoke framework for blog publishing and promotion.

Small Business Blog, Big Business Results

17 Lessons About Content Marketing for Small Business

Lee Odden Content Marketing, Marketing PR Conferences, Online Marketing, Small Business

For my first liveblogged session at Content Marketing World, C.C. Chapman opened things up with a warning that this is 101 level content and to leave if you know what you’re doing. I think that’s a bit subjective, because the thing most companies suck at is the basics.

While the official CMI session title is: Transforming Your Small Business Into a Content Powerhouse, I’m going to make up my own for the purposes of this blog post:

17 Lessons About Content Marketing for Small Business

1. Whether you’re a big or small business, content is content. Many of the same rules apply. Content is essential for growing your company whether it’s a big brand or a mom and pop looking to expand.

17 Lessons About Content Marketing for Small Business

It’s Like Deja Vu All Over Again: 4 Tips for Improving Marketing for Small Business

Ashley Zeckman Online Marketing, Online Marketing Strategy, Small Business

Marketing Deja Vu Getting You Down?

At some time or another we have all experienced that eerie sense of familiarity where we’ve “been there” or “done that” before. Whether it is an actual memory or simply a “brain fart”, deja vu is an interesting experience.

Let’s assume for a second that deja vu is real. If you found yourself in a situation you knew for certain you had experienced before that had ended badly would you have the tools necessary to change your course of action? Many organizations have faced and continue to deal with “marketing deja vu” or ending up in the same situations over and over again. What can you do to avoid making the same marketing mistakes more than once?

It’s Like Deja Vu All Over Again: 4 Tips for Improving Marketing for Small Business

Want to Have a Larger Impact on Your Organization? 4 Tips for Becoming A Better Influencer

Ashley Zeckman B2B Marketing, B2C Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business, Social Business

How Can You Become A Better Influencer? Tip: You’ll attract more bees with honey than you will with vinegar!

Last week Lee Odden shared a post on attracting the attention of influencers online. Whether we’re talking about influencers with mass appeal, or those that have a closer and more personal relationship with their followers, each person presents an opportunity to learn and grow.

That got me thinking, when it comes to the inner workings of an organization: what makes a good influencer, and would I consider myself an influencer at TopRank Online Marketing? In my opinion, there are some key factors that make a good influencer.