4 online marketing tips small businesses can do today (for free)!

A jab or a right hook?

Some people may think Tyson or Ali. Or perhaps Rocky & Creed. However, in marketing, the terms “jab” and “right hook” were made famous by Gary Vaynerchuk. GaryVee (as he’s known) built a marketing concept that focuses on education first (jab, jab, jab) and then once you had an audience captive, you sell to them (throwing the right hook). The whole system is built on authenticity and trust. Not slimy “buy now or regret it forever” tactics.

At WCG, we build authentic relationships with our clients, we lead with education, and when and only when a client understands the process, do we “sell'“. In this blog, we want to jab—at least four times. Our hope is that as a small business owner, you can take away four (or more) actionable things you can do online. We’re not only going to give you the “what” but also the “how”.

[1] Google My Business

Google My Business (GMB) is emerging in 2020 as one of the undervalued platforms small businesses aren’t using well. Everyone is familiar with the Google My Business profile layout even if you’re not familiar with the name.

GMB is a key tool businesses use that can help them get “on the map” and demonstrate their services for people who are actively looking for that industry. Here are four things you need to be aware of when it comes to GMB, think of this as a checklist:

• Create a profile and optimize it

  • If you haven’t done so, here’s a tutorial.

• Ensure that your service area(s) are accurate (you can add up to 30)

  • In Michigan we are spread out geographically; most service-based industries don’t serve just one area; here’s a tutorial on how to update/change your service area.

• Add multiple specialities

  • At WCG, we do websites, videos, marketing, advertising, podcasting, and content creation; all of those don’t fit under “marketing” so we ensure that all of those services are listed on Google. What about your company? Here’s a quick guide on how to update your services.

• Post content (add photos + make updates)

  • This is what most small businesses pay us for when it comes to Google: adding photos and making posts. Google My Business has a “social media” feed of sorts that you can post to and people can see. It’s important to update that at least weekly and also add new photos. Here’s the guide for uploading photos; and the guide for making posts.

GMB is powerful. Businesses love what we’ve done and recently, we wrote up a small post detailing how we were able to get one of clients seen 325% more than their competitors. Imagine having 300% more awareness than you local competitors.

[2] Index Early & Often

This one is quick, but incredibly powerful. It’s like the crane kick at the end of Karate Kid.

Staying in the Google Suite of Products, we are going to turn our attention over to Google Search Console. This is a great tool that Google uses to index your websites. An index is simply Google’s reading of your website based on keywords and image data that is found in your website. Most companies are indexed on Google, but it may have been a while since Google has crawled your website. Resubmitting your sitemap is a great way to ensure it’s checked—especially as your making updates!

Bonus tip! Make sure you update your website with new content at least once per month, so Google doesn’t think your website is stale and never-changing.

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to get setup on Google Search Console. Also, here’s how to reindex your website. Happy indexing!

[3] Quick Website Fixes

A website in 2020 is powerful. Don’t let hipsters tell you otherwise. A website is your first impression and like any impression, you want to make a good one. However, in this tip I am not talking about redesigning and updating content (although you should do that if you feel your website is out-of-date), I am talking about two things: (1) broken links and (2) SSL.

Let’s start with broken links. A broken link is simply a link on your website that is either internal (linking back to your website) or external (going to another website) and no longer works. There are a ton of free tools, but the best in our opinion is linked below.

Super free & fast broken link checker!

Next is your SSL (secure sockets layer—boring term, but super important). About 50% of the websites we audit are not secured. This is a big deal. Basically, this is a layer of security your website needs that is beneficial for protecting data and your search engine position. Google down ranks websites that don’t have proper security.

If your website is on WordPress, you can search for SSL plugins and install, but to be safe, contact us and we can point you in the right direction during a free consultation.

[4] Make a Map; Create a Strategy

We started this blog by talking about punches. Businesses without a marketing strategy are throwing punches in the dark. Just blind haymakers they hope will land, but probably won’t. I encourage all businesses to create a marketing plan, but many times they don’t know where to start—so they call us. But if you want to take a crack at it on your own, here’s a few tips & tricks I’d recommend to get started:

• A: Create a list of all the websites your currently on (yelp, Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc)

• B: Think about the platforms you want to be on and the ones you have time for that are going to serve you best

• C: Eliminate all the platforms you don’t want to be on (an inactive platform is worse than not being on it)

• D: Think about opportunities for advertising that may benefit you (Facebook Ads, Google Ads, etc.)

• E: Create a content strategy that involves a personal weekly post to each platform you’re on (Don’t forget about Google My Business)

• F: Track your return-on-investing and customer acquisition cost

  • Basically, “For every dollar I spend, how much do I make?” and “How much does it cost to get a new customer?”

• G: Constantly evaluate your strategy

There you have it. Four actionable tips that most businesses can knock out in less than 48 hours—all for freeeeeeeeee. One thing we didn’t talk about was a typical strategy for a small business, so here is what happens when most companies start working with us and maybe this will help you with where to start:

1. Evaluate website (update or overhaul)

2. Update GMB, Google Analytics, Search Console, and other web tools

3. Create content strategy for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and GMB

4. Create advertising strategy for key platforms and execute

5. Monitor & evaluate

6. Track ROI

7. Pop champagne

8. Repeat steps 3-7

At Wayne Consulting Group we believe in working with our clients to help them grow. When they grow, we grow. But we also want to be seen as a utility for businesses that may not need or can’t afford an agency. That is why we have a blog, podcast, and resources section of our website to help our SMBs.

What’s more, is that we put our services and pricing on front street for everyone to see. No behind-the-scenes pricing based on your budget. Only clean and concise communication with a great strategy.

Thanks for taking the time to read, catch you in the next one!

Rob