Many small businesses rely on SEO (search engine optimization) because it’s an efficient way to drive traffic compared to paying for expensive ads. The concept used to be simple: optimize your content for specific keywords and watch the traffic roll in. Well… not any more. Google’s increasing use of machine learning (RankBrain) means small business owners and entrepreneurs need to …
The #1 Branding Mistake Small Businesses Make
What’s the worst thing you can do when creating your brand? Learn the branding secret big-time marketers know that most small businesses don’t. It happens all the time. Maybe you’ve done it, too. You know you need to “brand” your business, so you hire a designer to create some logo options for you. You then show them around and ask …
New Online Marketing Course for Small Business
Blog readers get a special discount if they enroll by January 11th, 2018. You don’t have time. You don’t know which marketing channels are best. And you don’t have money for consultants that overcharge and underwhelm. So how are you ever going to come up with a marketing plan? Well, now you have a new option. One that’s doable, affordable, …
Do You Want to Be Known?
Mark Schaefer released a new book on personal branding earlier in 2017, and it’s one of the best books of the year. Sometimes it feels impossible to stand out. Digital and social media marketing have exploded the amount of information we are bombarded with, and data proliferation has made online tactics very attractive to both advanced and wannabe marketers. The …
#1 Tip For a Successful Inbound Marketing Strategy
What’s the single most important ingredient for a successful inbound marketing strategy? Angela Stringfellow at NG Data recently asked 40 marketing professionals their answer to that very question. It’s a great read and I’m honored that Angela included my answer on the list. Here was my response: The single most important factor in determining your success is actually the exact …
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Entrepreneur: Living in Stress Today, Hoping for Beach Vacation Someday
What it’s really like to be an entrepreneur. When most people think of an entrepreneur, they think of some young, probably sexy, person living a really cool lifestyle—usually in a bustling city. A bit like riding a fun roller coaster. In reality, most entrepreneurs are small business owners riding a roller coaster you wish would just stop. They’re older people, …
New Online Marketing Course for Small Business Owners Coming Soon
Gurulocity is finalizing a new online marketing course for small business owners, launching Fall 2017. 12/12/2017 UPDATE: THE NEW COURSE IS NOW LIVE. YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT HERE: 30 DAYS TO A WINNING SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING MARKETING STRATEGY I’m excited to announce we are taking a crucial step towards helping more small business owners and entrepreneurs take their business …
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How to Gather Competitive Intelligence Even if You’re Small
10 ways to gather competitive intelligence quickly and efficiently, even if you’re a small business with minimal resources. Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t compete. While small businesses may not have the same resources as larger competitors, they do have distinct advantages. Small businesses are often faster and more flexible, able to adjust to changing market conditions. It’s …
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10 Most Effective Marketing Strategies for Small Business
The ultimate list of effective marketing strategies for small business in an increasingly digital world. Learn the best marketing ideas for small business growth. There’s so much written about digital marketing tactics that it’s hard to know where to start. It’s especially true if you are a small business owner without a marketing department or a lot of digital experience. …
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15 Innovation Activities for Novel Ideas
Quit brainstorming and start uncovering novel and useful ideas for your business. Brainstorming stinks. While there are cases where a well-trained brainstorming expert can get a group to come up with something useful, for most people it’s a drag. Most attendees simply dread them. Especially when larger groups come together in corporate environments. The trick is to avoid large sessions …