Do we really need one more blog post that lists the small business marketing solutions you just gotta use or your entire business will fall into an abyss of nothingness.
Yeah, maybe.
That’s because most of those articles have two main flaws:
- All the small business marketing tools they suggest are super-obvious (Eg: “HootSuite is good for scheduling social media…and social media is…like…important”)
- Most of the small business marketing problems these tools tackle are obscure and not something every business owner needs on a regular basis (“You definitely need BagelIQ for all those conference bageling needs”)
Instead, I offer my five favorite small business marketing solutions that I use EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Some are FREE or cheap. Others are a little more spendy.
But all of them, I have found can be like caffeine for your small business marketing. (Without the shakes.)
5 Small Business Marketing Solutions That Don’t Royally Suck
Solution #1: Keywords Everywhere (FREE)
The browser extension known as Keywords Everywhere is FREE. But as much as I use it, I should probably be paying for it.
Here’s how it works:
- Install the extension
- Do a simple Google search around a term or phrase
- Keywords everywhere quickly grabs the search volume, CPC and competition level for your phrase
- Keywords everywhere also grabs the search volume, CPC and competition level for related phrases (This be huge)
What’s really nice about this tool is that all your keyword research can be done without taking a step inside the Google Keyword tool. I know expensive SEO experts who use this over much-more expensive software.
Solution #2: Canva for Business (FREE and Business Version $10/month)
Chances are you’ve tried Canva or at least heard of it, the powerful graphic-design, web-based tool that lets you do all kinds of things that make you look like a pro graphic designer, even when you ain’t.
And that’s where the power of Canva comes in.
First off, it gives me a great look at what designs are possible and which ones I like and don’t like. (Key when working with design creatives.) I simply download the templates and send ’em to my designer and say: “I want it like this but with a warmer font.”
Secondly, it lets me create placeholder content. In the past I would have to “wait” until I heard from my designer and they got around creating me something like a sidebar ad for my website or a Facebook cover photo.
Now, I just choose the kind of template I want, plug in the new text and upload it. Until my designer has a chance to make it better.
Now, is the business account level worth it? I used to say “no.”
I used the FREE version, for years, thinking I was pulling a fast one over the company. Yeah, that was dumb. Turns out I was missing out on the two biggest features of all:
- The ability to upload my own fonts. This meant all my creative would match that of my brand. Big time- and money-saver.
- The ability to “resize” any image.
I know that last one, the ability to make an image instantly bigger or smaller doesn’t sound like much. But one of the big issues with Canva is when you export an image and it looks pixelated and fuzzy.
But not if you can resize it.
Now, I can take any image – such as a featured image in my blog – and instantly resize it for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest in just a matter of a few clicks.
Not bad for $10/month.
Solution #3: Meet Edgar ($50/month for 25 accounts)
Two of the big reasons I left HootSuite behind as a social media scheduling tool was:
- They didn’t integrate with Facebook pages anymore
- You had to keep re-scheduling content if you wanted to repeat stuff later on
This is where Meet Edgar kicks serious butt. (Especially if you run multiple social media accounts.)
You sync up your social accounts with Meet Edgar and then schedule your tweets, post and whatever else you want. And then Meet Edgar can publish your social media activity on a rotating basis.
For example, if you want to promote that juicy piece of content you wrote on Twitter and Facebook every two months or so, you can do with Meet Edgar. (I like to promote each piece of content 3x on Twitter and 1x on Facebook, every 3 months.)
I also use it a lot when asking for reviews and/or testimonials. (“Hey, I’d love to hear what you think about…blah….”) These sound pretty innocuous but can make a huge difference on sales pages. And I find this pre-scheduled activity brings those reviews and testimonials in consistently.
And then there’s just those tweets and posts that share interesting tidbits you think your audience would appreciate. People love ’em…but using them just once is a waste. Using them this way lets you get more bang out of your promotional buck.
I don’t know Edgar is or where the name comes from. But I don’t care. This is a fabulous tool and one I use in constant rotation when developing programs that really boost my efforts in inbound marketing for small business.
Solution #4: Ad Espresso (FREE Trial; $70/month)
I hate espresso. Tastes too much like chalk. But I love AdEspresso.
That’s because one of the most annoying things when advertising on platforms such as Google, Facebook and Instagram, is you have to a) bounce back-and-forth between the two and b) you have to enter the clusterf$#@ that is Facebook Ads Manager. (Sorry, guys, but it ain’t user-friendly.)
AdEspresso is the opposite.This powerful dashboard tool lets you:
- Create all your ads in one place, with numerous variations
- Set-up automating and timing rules (such as every new post on Facebook gets an automatic “boost”)
- Automatically sync new leads into your CRM
- Optimize your campaigns quickly with AdEspresso’s AI that will let you know when to run your ads and where
Now, if you’re not spending over $250 a month on advertising, this tool ain’t worth it. But if you’re spending serious money on Facebook and Google and feel like you could get better results, grabbing this tool is like hiring an agency to do your advertising, at intern prices.
What’s Your Take on Small Business Marketing Solutions That Actually Work?
Do you have some small business marketing solutions that have worked for you? Or ones that totally ripped you off? Let us know in the comments below.
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