Marketing your business can be challenging at the best times - so much to consider from consistently developing ways to engage, communicate and promote your brand through to implementing, managing and measuring your campaigns. 

There are a plethora of tools available to help reach your objectives - some paid and some free. None replace a solid marketing strategy and human interaction, but each can help manage the stress and strains of planning and running  your marketing campaigns.

Here's my top 20 FREE tools for creating and managing your marketing campaigns:

Ubersuggest

UberSuggest is a free marketing tool that provides you with essential marketing data such as - Keyword ideas, content ideas, web traffic, SEO difficulty and much more. Created by the Search Guru - Neil Patel, this tool will help you to optimise your website and get ahead of your competitors.

Buffer

Buffer (an alternative to Hootsuite) is a software application for the...

In light of the current situation regarding Coronavirus, many business owners, coaches and consultants will be feeling anxious and discouraged about investing in their marketing activities. 

This can lead to a detrimental effect on their business, causing more stress and anxiety.

However, marketing doesn't need to cost a fortune, in fact there's much you can do which costs very little - apart from your time and application.

Here's my top 10 tips to market your business without spending a penny:

1. Review your marketing plan – now is the time to take action!

What's working and what’s not?

Can you diversify? Offer something better or more efficient than your competitors?

Consider new markets - new products / services - can they be delivered online?

Download my free planning guide here - when you subscribe to my weekly update.

2. Build a FREE website and email marketing campaign using MailChimp.

3. Network (Online) - over 250,000+ social media groups -...

Every business out there needs a great marketing campaign and a fully thought out online marketing strategy. There are many social media platforms, they are all different and each need their own processes.

Instagram is fast becoming the most popular social media platform.

In fact, it was the most popular site in 2019, and this trend is expected to continue into 2020 and beyond.

Instagram is growing rapidly, with over a billion active monthly users, of which 72% have admitted to buying an item they originally saw advertised on Instagram.

Instagram not only provides you with the perfect platform to showcase your products in all their glory, but it also has an extremely large number of ready, willing, and engaged users.

This means there is great scope for you to use Instagram in the day-to-day running of your business. You need to learn how to utilise this free source of advertising to maximum efficiency. Don’t miss out. This page is designed to help you create your very own...

‘To blog’ seems to have been a marketing term which has been around for years and yet, its surprising how many businesses still don’t understand what they actually are and how they can add real value to their digital marketing strategies.

Blogging is an essential way of reaching out to your target market and should be the foundation of any social media strategy. They provide something of value before asking for anything in return.

What is a blog?

A blog (or weblog, from where the name originated) is basically an online journal, discussion or diary located on a website.

Unlike the more traditional media stories and press releases, blogs aim to engage in a more informal way, providing a more authentic form of communication.

Blogs can contain a wide range of information and data, which can also be supported with images, videos and animated GIFs.  

Why should a business start a blog?

• Blogs engage with your desired audience in a more informal way, driving...

Ahhh!! Competitors!!!

They’re everywhere – doing their thing...

Marketing and selling their products and services in front of your target audience – yes, OUR target audience!!

It’s so frustrating – right?

Well, actually... competitors can also be good for OUR business...

They can be an invaluable source of information and inspiration – and ultimately help us plan our marketing and sales strategies!

How?

To begin, we need to consider who exactly we're competing with...

Initially it may seem obvious who your competitors are. But it’s not always straightforward as so many factors affect customers’ purchase decisions.

For example... thinking like one of your customers, what are their options? Say they work long hours, yes they could purchase from you – but who else offers the same solution? Who offers more? Your competitors may not be the same as you first thought.

If we then take a closer, more in-depth look at which...

If you’re not using video yet as part of your online marketing strategy, you’re in trouble.

Video is the most popular and effective technique your message across to your audience. Failing to use it is a missed opportunity of the highest order.

The good news is that implementing video marketing is easier than ever before. Platforms like Facebook and YouTube actively encourage it. Marketers have never had so much support.

Knowing where to start, however, can be a challenge. In this guide, we’re going to take an in-depth look at the tips, resources and strategies you should use when embarking on any campaign.

Want to learn more? Read on!

The Importance Of Video Marketing

In case it wasn’t clear from the introduction, video marketing is important. It’s so important, in fact, that Facebook’s EMEA vice president Nicola Mendelsohn has come out and said that he expects video to be the ONLY way that marketers will advertise on the platform by 2021.

Just...

The prospect of marketing your business can be overwhelming, especially when your budget is tight.

But don’t despair! Often the most simple and cost-effective ideas can produce the best results.

Here are my 10 quick and easy tips to spend less and market more!

1. Blog – Still one of the most effective ways to share your knowledge and expertise as well as position your brand and extend your reach. Engage with your desired audience in a more informal way - search engines love them too!
   
   
2. Network (Offline) - People buy from people! It’s a two-way process - making connections and building mutually beneficial relationships.
   
   There are plenty of local and regional networking events from BNI to Network B2B, Chamber of Commerce to FSB. If you can’t find a suitable networking event – why not set up your own?
   
   
3. Network (Online) - Currently over 250,000+ social media groups - region, sector and...

STOP!

Before you spend a penny on your marketing...

How about doing a quick marketing audit?

Marketing can be an expensive activity for your business, so it's good to know what's working and what isn't long before you invest your hard earned cash.

For a small business, a marketing audit doesn't need to be too in depth, just concentrate on the important factors which have a big impact on your business operations, resources and spend. Such as:

Your target audience

Your proposition

Your marketing channels and tools

Your measurement and control

Do you know what your ‘customer journey’ looks like?

Or how many touchpoints your audience experiences from being a cold prospect to a warm hot lead?

The customer journey refers to the process someone goes through, from being a member of your target audience to becoming a customer/partner.

And, every person who has an interest in your product or service, will experience that 'journey'.

As business owners, we need to consider each time a person has any form of contact with our brand - more commonly known as a ‘touchpoints’. Research tells us that the average number of touchpoints someone undergoes before they become a customer is eight.

The more targeted touchpoints we can create – the better!

Brand touchpoints can include a wide range of marketing activities including:

The list doesn't need to be too exhaustive, just consider your target audience - who they are, what they do and their pain points (this is where you can offer a solution) and more...

Your content: it’s your brand voice and how you speak to customers. More than that, it determines how customers see you and is the ultimate decider of if they continue to engage with you and make the decision to purchase. 

Q: What’s the secret of great content that engages, nurtures and communicates with your target audience?

A: It isn’t about you. It isn’t even about your products and services. It’s about one thing: the customer. What are the benefits for them? Why should they use you? Why are you a better choice than the other options available?

Content is...

Any form of ‘created’ communication – whether written or visualised – with the aim of attracting, acquiring, engaging and communicating with a clearly defined and understood target audience.

Content comes in many forms:

Video     Infographic          Competition      ...