Marketing Guides for Small Businesses Marketing Guides for Small Businesses

We talk about the world of mobile optimization and what it means for your website, your rankings, and your business, including:


What does it mean to have a mobile optimized website?What is Mobile SEO and why is it important?What is Google’s Mobile First Index?Google recently announced an upcoming change to their algorithm in the area of page experience called web vital metrics. What is this change and how does it affect small businesses?How should we go about optimizing for mobile?What are some tools and/or resources that can help with mobile optimizationsShould we still care at all about desktop optimization and why?

We talk with one of the real gurus of Small Business Marketing, John Jantsch. John wrote the groundbreaking book Duct Tape Marketing, and also recently published a new book called The Self Reliant Entrepreneur. To find out more about John, visit https://ducttapemarketing.com/


In our discussion we cover:


What is the Marketing Hourglass and why is the concept of the hourglass so important in understanding the customer journey?What are your top 3-5 tips for a small business owner looking to improve their marketing in the current environment?How realistic is it for a small business owner to get their marketing work done on their own / without either hiring staff or contracting with consultants or agencies?What is most important for a small business owner to get done when it comes to marketing strategy?How important is marketing automation for small businesses?What is a total online presence and why isn’t a website or a Facebook Page enough?What has been most UN-changed in marketing for Small Businesses since you first wrote Duct Tape Marketing?What can a business do to vet a marketing agency or consultant?

We talk about a topic that either confuses many small businesses, or can be very difficult to get a grasp on and can feel like just one more thing to deal with - Optimizing your Google My Business - or GMB - presence.


It is an absolutely critical factor in making sure your business shows up in Local Search - or Maps - Search Results.


Why is Google My Business so important for local businesses?How can a business tell if they’ve claimed their Google My Business listing?  What can they do if it’s been claimed but they’re not sure who has access? What should a small business owner think about doing first once they’ve claimed their Google My Business Listing? How should a business think about tracking results and the impacts of Google My Business on their listing?What are Posts on Google My Business?  How should a local business think about using these in their marketing?How about businesses that are “practitioners” within a “practice” - for example, doctors within a practice or lawyers within a firm - how should they manage and work with Google My Business?How should “Service Area Businesses” work with Google My Business?What impacts could this have for Small Business Owners if Google ads a paid option for GMBs ?

We talk about something we get a lot of questions about - Facebook Ads. This could be either one of the best lead generation channels you use or one of the worst most expensive if not harnessed correctly. We provide you with an introduction to the world of Facebook ads. 


What types of small businesses should be using Facebook and why?What are the first steps to getting started running ads on Facebook? There are many different types of ads on Facebook. Which one’s should a small business use and why? What kind of targeting options are available for small businesses? What supporting Assets do I need to have in order to get the most out of my Facebook account?What are custom audiences and lookalike audiences and when should I use them? What are the biggest pitfalls or mistakes small business owners should avoid when starting with Facebook ads?

we are going to talk about how to get the most out of Facebook as a marketing channel for your business, given that things change on Facebook pretty frequently.






Facebook and social media in general is a very common topic when we work with clients. And all of the social platforms frequently change what they use in their algorithms to show visitors their clients. And, like it or hate it, Facebook remains the gorilla in the space with well over 2 BILLION monthly users...so this is where your customers are spending time. So it creates an enormous opportunity to build awareness and convert folks to customers.


When it comes to Facebook, is it worth doing organic posts with no ad dollars behind it?What kind of content or what types of topics should be posted about on Facebook? Should every Facebook post be boosted or advertised?  Also, how should a business owner think about planning a Facebook advertising budget? What is the best way to generate leads directly from Facebook?  How often should you post? What are the best tips / methods for growing a business’ audience / following on Facebook?

We answer the who, what, where, and why of Virtual Marketing Services.


Why you should consider using virtual marketing servicesWhy virtual marketing services might be better for your businessWhat to look for and what to avoid when hiring a virtual marketing serviceDoes it matter where a virtual marketing service is locatedHow to get the most out of using a virtual marketing service