Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur is hard! Running a business demands a variety of skills and substantial effort. Besides producing a product or service, you must also be an accountant, public relations specialist, and savvy marketer. The rapid rise of social media in the last decade has changed the landscape of modern marketing, further complicating the enterprise of effective brand visibility.
To learn about business marketing essentials, I interviewed Kayla Almon, a social media marketing manager with five years of experience in the field. With the help of her graphic design degree from Augusta Technical College, Kayla has worked with a plethora of businesses to achieve consistent brand presentation across platforms and meaningful social media engagement and growth.
Here are Kayla’s top five recommendations for brands to market more effectively.
Claim your Google Business listing. Having a Google Business listing means that when people search Google with terms related to your services/products, your business will be suggested. Be sure to add (and verify) your contact information, business hours, and website! You can also add photos to highlight your services or products.
Hire a professional photographer. Attractive, quality photos of your products, services, and staff are basic marketing materials that can be utilized in many ways! Effectively representing your brand and attracting new customers is hard without beautiful brand imagery on your site, socials, and advertisements.
Maintain a strong social media presence. Your clients are on social media, so your business should be too. Kayla says “Pick the [social media platforms] that make sense for your business and do them very, very well!” Kayla recommends choosing at least two platforms, posting consistently, and using one platform to drive traffic to your other platform(s) and website. Kayla noted that having professional photography is key for creating engaging content for your social media platforms.
Start a blog and post consistently. Maintaining a blog for your business is an effective way to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Blog posts can be used to anticipate and answer your customers’ questions, lending the author credibility and relatability. Bonus: blog posts can be used provide content for your social media and to bring traffic to your website!
Utilize user-generated content. When someone tags your business or uses your brand’s hashtag, be sure to engage and re-gram/re-tweet/share! This is free advertising and a golden opportunity to familiarize people with your brand.
Marketing your small business effectively may not be easy, but it is possible with dedication and the help of other professionals!
Although Kayla is not taking new clients at this time, she is always up for a brainstorming session and would be happy to answer your marketing questions! E-mail her at kaylaalmonmarketing@gmail.com.
If you are looking to maximize your brand’s online impact, I would love to help you do that! Click the button below to find out more about my branding services.
– Elizabeth A.