The important things for small business owners to have This week, Damashe and Michael are talking about the three most important things for a small business to have. We’re talking the foundation of your business from a technical standpoint, and why you should make sure these things are in place. It seems obvious to some of us, but one thing you should have is a website. Having your own site allows you to control your branding, your message, and the experience that your website visitors have. Also, having your own site gives you control of the content you create, like the site that hosts these show notes. While you could be reading this in a number of places, it all points back to Your Own Pay(http://yourownpay.com). The second key piece we think you should have is an email list(http://yourownpay.com/dm5/). Having an email list gives you that direct communication with your customers. An email list also gives you a way to capture leads, and can enhance your marketing. Whether it’s announcing a new product, or sharing free content, being able to communicate directly with your following is absolutely priceless. And the third key piece for your small business is to ensure a strong social presence. This doesn’t mean join every social network in existence; but research the networks where your target audience can be found, and establish your presence there. Interact on each platform that you join, in the best ways for that platform. Investigate the available tools for each social network to maximize your reach and effectiveness. Maybe you use hashtags and direct messages to get feedback from customers on Twitter, and throw a few dollars in to a Facebook ad campaign. Or maybe your strategy should to share valued content on linked-in and have existing connections make introductions to their connections. As always, you can follow us on Twitter, @damashe(https://twitter.com/damashe) and @payown(https://twitter.com/payown), or leave a comment below. Links for this Episode
- DM5: Email Marketing Automation(http://yourownpay.com/dm5/)
- Facebook Business(https://www.facebook.com/business/overview)
- Twitter ads(https://ads.twitter.com/mobile/v1/getstarted)
- Facebook Ads(https://www.facebook.com/business/products/ads)
- Linked-In marketing for small business(https://smallbusiness.linkedin.com/small-business-marketing)