Free Marketing Resources for Small Businesses

Free Marketing Resources

From the Small Business Growth Strategies Series

Presented by

Introduction Without knowing where to find help, trying to stand out in the digital age

can be an intimidating task for small business owners

Good news: online marketing resources are endless, and

many of them are free.

Introduction

Once you know where to look, putting together a solid

marketing plan will be well within your reach.

Introduction

One of the best ways to make yourself easy to find online is through

local listings.

Easy Visibility

Local Listings

Local Listings Keep in mind that

businesses listed on Google Places also get better search results

and higher rankings on Google Maps.

Social media is another free resource that you

should be using to boost your marketing

Social Media

A social media presence ensures that customers can easily research, contact and

recommend your business.

Social Media

Need a little help to get out of your social media comfort zone?

Here are a few rules of thumb we

covered in a previous presentation.

Social Media Rules

Rule #1 Pick Your Voice

To ensure consistency, it’s best to pick one person or a small

group as the voice of your business on social

media.

Rule #2 Create a Schedule

And stick to it! Make a conscious effort to consistently post. Inactive accounts show a lack of commitment and are far

too common.

Rule #3 Interact With Followers

They followed you because they like your product or service! Show them that you care by taking time to thoughtfully

interact with them.

Rule #4 Don’t Be Overly Self-Serving

It’s okay to talk about your brand, but don’t only talk about

it. Show that you’re more interesting than that by sharing

resources and other news.

Rule #5 Shareable Content is Key

One of the goals of social media, regardless of the platform you’re

on, is having the content you share be shared by others. Use lists and

other forms of easily digestible information.

Rule #6 Use Images

Including images with your posts dramatically increases the chances of them being

liked and shared.

Social Media Resources Buffer & HootSuite

These are two great tools that you can use to schedule future

posts and track interaction. Both have free versions that are great

for small businesses.

Are you surprised to hear that a lot of other

companies want your small business to

succeed?

Free Templates & Advice

Lots of companies dedicate entire portions of their websites to helping small businesses grow.


Even the government offers free online lessons

and templates through the U.S. Small Business

Administration.


Whether you’re a photographer, own an online store or run a

bakery, Mplans.com is sure to have marketing resources that

will help you succeed.

The Small Business Marketing Hub is an excellent resource. Topics range

from basic strategies to sophisticated inbound marketing techniques.

This government resource is by no means confined to marketing. Resources span the

gamut, from business plan templates to loan and grant information.

An effective marketing plan must be aimed at the right audience.

Market Research Tools

Especially if you’re running a brick and mortar (not online) business, you

should be armed with as much demographic data as possible.

Market Research Tools

By simply entering a state, city or zip code, you can find up all kinds of interesting

demographic information.

If you’re a data enthusiast, it can be addicting.

Let’s take a look at Brooklyn, NY.

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Don’t let the poor presentation fool you, BizStats is packed with important information.

For example, here’s an industry-specific cost of

goods sold chart.

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Developing a marketing plan isn’t a responsibility you can put off until you have time to do it, it’s something you

have to make time for.

Conclusion

Thanks to the Internet, there are countless resources right at your fingertips. Now you

know where to find them.

Conclusion

“We hope you found this informa2on useful. If there are any other topics

you’d like to see us cover, please let us know. And if taking this approach helps your small business succeed, we’d love to hear about it. You can reach us at [email protected]!” Acuity Scheduling

@AcuitySchedulin

Acuity Scheduling is an online scheduling platform that saves thousands of small businesses time by allowing their customers to book appointments online, on their own time,

at any time, from anywhere in the world. For more information about services and pricing, visit

AcuityScheduling.com.

About Acuity Scheduling