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From MADX contributors
Starting a small business from scratch is the hope and dream of many.
When you have that first idea, most of us do not know quite how much online savvy is necessary to get us started and seen these days. Many people don't have a marketing degree before they set out. And therefore, many make a lot of mistakes. But never fear, we are here to show you all the marketing mistakes that we say you should avoid as a small business.
What we’ll cover:
Branding Mistakes
Small businesses often fail to brand themselves online. When a business has not thought much about its branding, it shows. First on their socials and then on their profits. Think deeply about your branding, research brands and how they work and put some time into reading about it. Naming your business after your dog might seem like a great idea at the time, but what does that word tell people about your business?
Consider your visual brand too. Can people tell what you sell or what service you provide from your logo? Do you have a logo? If not, try a free logo creator like LogoCreator.io. Logo makers are easy to use and ideal for small businesses. Don't waste your money on an expensive designer when you are likely to rebrand in the first year anyway.
Ensure your brand has a tone, a voice. Create it and stick with it. The way you speak to customers and in your adverts. The kind of posts you provide and share. Be considerate of how they will make people feel and create content that is linked to your target audience.
Spending Mistakes
Many small businesses fall pray to online scams and sign spend their limited budgets on bogus promises. Be aware of this but do not be scared. Some are legit and the more you learn about online business management, soon you will be able to spot the fakes in a second.
When you are first setting up your shop online, try not to spend big bucks until you grasp the complexity of your situation. Never buy from the first website provider or eCommerce site.
Once you feel like you understand your needs, find competent agencies and individuals to help you build your dream.
Ignoring Free Resources
Free tools are the small business owner's best friend.
They are easily found online for almost every aspect of traditional marketing like business cards, to social media management, and business in general. Type' free tools' plus whatever kind of tool you need into Google and it is likely it will come up with a bunch that you were never previously aware of.
From website design, to graphic design, social management and email management, marketing and even advertising, there are all ways that you can get these tools for free.
However, the generous nature of internet goes beyond free tools. You can find resources for just about anything if you invest enough time in research.
So, here's a free writing guide that will help you structure and produce valuable content.
Not Having a Blog
Create a blog and get writing; write whatever you want to. It doesn't have to be directly related to your business, just do it. Create a piece to post every day for a month and share them to your social media accounts. See how many people start to follow your blog and check to see if they are real people or other writers. On WordPress you can create a customisable blog site completely for free.
Avoiding SEO
Optimising pages online is a great idea as it drives traffic to your pages and makes you more visible and gradually increases your reach. Don't worry if you don't understand it at first just keep reading. This is a big mistake so many businesses make, just because they don't understand it and therefore ignore it.
Our biggest advice is – don't ignore SEO!
Post written by: Imaani Burns
