Known as a local social media influencer and consultant, I often get questions about how to market a small business. Here are my top tips for keeping things real and focused!

~ Write down your goals for your website and social media (ie. Any presence that you have online). Is it to sell, to drive donations, get people to your events, or maybe it’s just to grow your brand awareness. Knowing your goal will focus you on your content and your calls to action, in other words, what do you hope people will do when they see your website or social media?

~ Create a checklist for yourself for everything you’ll do each day. How many posts a week will you plan to do on Facebook? Have a checklist that you can mark off when you’ve done them.

~ Check your messages on social media and respond! There’s a difference between Trolls and actual customers who want answers. I’ve seen businesses ignore questions from customers and then lose that customer when all they had to do was give an honest answer. Also, more and more customers are turning to social media for customer complaints instead of the phone.

~ Don’t buy follows for your accounts. I’m sure you’ve probably already heard that before. The reason? Social media isn’t a quick fix to find an audience for your brand. It’s a way to authentically connect with people who are interested in what you do.

~ Above all, make sure to have an email marketing plan in place. Have a link on your website where people can sign up (If you use MailChimp, they have easy ways to connect a pop-up to your website) . Give them a reason to sign up like offering something for free that can help your target audience. Then, don’t forget to send them emails at least once a month (something else to go on your checklist).

There’s a lot more to consider, but these five steps should get you in the right direction in how to market a small business.

Options for small businesses in Albuquerque

If you’re in Albuquerque, I have a special Small Business Marketing Workshop coming up. Tickets on sale until June 15 or until 12 participants sign up. If you’re interested, I suggest getting your tickets soon.

Happy Marketing!