i7 Marketing Blog

You have a small business, and it’s doing well. Word of mouth has been good to you. You’ve built a great network from the ground up, and you maintain enough business to comfortably get by. Do you really need a website?

If you aren't using video to help promote your products, services, or to simply engage with your customers, it's time to catch up. Video is a prominently used feature that brings life to your business and helps give viewers behind-the-scenes looks and insight into your business. It's also a great tool to help explain how to use what you have to offer or to answer common questions from customers. 

You’ve initiated your business into the world of email marketing, and your first few campaigns have launched. But how can you tell if people are reading your messages? How do you know if your campaign is truly effective?

You likely have several pictures in mind of your ideal customers (especially if you’ve been diligent with your buyer personas). But are you taking advantage of an easy way to target these ideal prospects with your Facebook or LinkedIn posts?

It is amazing the amount of small businesses who hire outside business consulting firms to help give guidance and ask the right questions. I believe we all have the desire to be told we are on the right track, and, at the same time, we have the sense to know that we won’t be right 100% of the time.

On the next $1,000 you spend on marketing, do you (or your boss) know how much revenue you’re going to get?

Even better, do you know how much profit you’re going to make?

No?

At least you’re in good company; it seems like most don’t know, and I would argue that the lack of a solid number is the greatest self-imposed limit to your company’s growth.

Here’s my logic:

If you’ve had a serious conversation with an online marketing professional in the last two years, you’ve probably heard that more people are interacting with the web using their mobile devices, that mobile is getting more and more important, etc.

We don’t have to tell you that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is vital to your marketing strategy. You already know that everybody’s online, reading reviews on their phone, and locating their next stop on map apps.

In fact, people are even Googling new products and ideas while simultaneously browsing the aisles at a department store. It has become necessary to regularly churn out targeted content to snag the attention of the searchers.

Are you getting the most out of Instagram Stories? Have you experienced the boost in numbers and engagement after posting your countdown offers, behind-the-scenes photos, and 10-second clips?