business

30-Minute Day-to-Day Marketing Plan for Busy Solopreneurs

Craig De Borba

* Important note before your start reading: The points we’ll cover aren’t your run-of-the-mill marketing tips. Despite you being able to the execute the marketing plan within 30 minutes, I promise you that IF you take action on the tips, then you’d be able to garner fantastic results out of these strategies whether you’re trying to get more traffic, leads, or sales.

I get it: Being a solopreneur is no cake walk. Not only would you have to produce your actual products/services, but you’d also have to take care of your accounting, inventory, and client management (among other things).

With all the hats that you’d have to wear, you can’t help but set aside some aspects of your business to do your online presence management.

For most solopreneurs, marketing is the one aspect that they choose to neglect. They do this with a sting in their heart since they know full well how their ability to find and get more clients (more money) is tied directly to their internet marketing efforts.

And so the question becomes: How exactly are you supposed to find time to market your business, if you’re dead busy with all the things that you have to do as a solopreneur?

I’m glad you asked.

I’m going to share with you a 30-minute marketing plan that you can use daily. As I mentioned earlier, if you’ll stay committed to using them, I promise you that you’ll get amazing results out of these one way or the other.

Do you like what you’re reading, so far?

Let’s hop right in.

1. Offer to repurpose other people’s content.

Here’s how the process looks from a 30,000-foot perspective:

Step 1: Look for articles with a decent amount of traffic or shares.

Step 2: Reach out to the author of the articles. Thank them for sharing the helpful tips which they shared in their article, then offer to create an infographic version of the entire piece (for free).

Step 3: Wait for their reply. Once they say “yes,” ask if you can contribute to their already published article. Since you’re going to create a free infographic for them, their chances of accepting your offer and giving you a link drastically increase.

Step 4: Get someone to create the infographic for you.

Step 5: Send the author the free infographic and your contribution to their tip.

Looking at the steps that I shared above, I’m sure you can see how self-explanatory and easy they are to execute. You don’t need to learn any new fancy (let alone complicated) social media tools or to spend countless hours writing an article.

You just need to reach out to writers who wrote amazing content pieces, offer to create an infographic version of their content, then create a 1 – 2 paragraph write-up (with your website’s link in it) that the author can insert in their write-up.

To help you with finding the content pieces that have a significant number of shares (and their authors), you can use Buzzsumo.

When you have these details readily available, you won’t have to spend minutes looking for the high-quality articles that have garnered several shares. You can immediately proceed with sending outreach messages to the authors.

To help you with the infographic, you can hire someone from Fiverr.

Just enter the keyword “infographic” in the platform’s search box, so you’d be able to see all the sellers who can create the infographics for you.

If you scroll some more, you’ll find several more graphic designers who can create the infographics for $5.

* Bonus tip: Use a customizable outreach template. That way, you won’t have to keep on writing your outreach messages from scratch.

2. Connect with influencers through Twitter.

Before I go into the details of this strategy, I want to remind you that Twitter has limits when it comes to their daily following, the number of tweets a user can publish daily, or the number of daily direct messages that can be sent (among other things). That said, I urge you to be mindful of their guidelines lest your account gets suspended.

You can read about Twitter’s limits here.

This marketing strategy is pretty straightforward:

Step 1: Use Twitter’s search box to find the influencers within your niche.

Step 2: “Follow” the influencers.

Step 3: When they follow you back, send them a private message thanking them for the follow, then ask about what they do.

Step 4: After they tell you what their job or business is about, look for opportunities on how you can strategically pitch your services.

Through this marketing strategy, not only will you be able to grow your Twitter followers (which is always a good thing), but your chances of being able to find new customers, co-author a new ebook, or contribute to other people’s websites (and much more) drastically increases.

When using this strategy, remember to use Twitter’s filters so the platform will only show you the user profiles and not videos, photos, or news (among others).

Here’s how the search results would look if you don’t click the “People” filter.

If you click the “People” filter, however, you’ll see nothing but Twitter profiles that are relevant to your keywords.

When you’re on this page, you’ll find it a lot easier to follow other users.

* Bonus tip: Don’t pitch your services on the first direct message that you’ll send to the other user. Ask about who they are first, what it is they do, or if there’s anything you can help them with. Doing so will show the other person that you’re genuinely interested in them and are even willing to help them in any way you can.

In a lot of cases, I find myself offering my services on my 3rd or 4th reply to the user.

What’s next?

Here’s the thing, while the strategies that I shared are tried and tested to work and will help your web growth, none of these will do you any good if you don’t look trustworthy enough. That being said, before you even attempt to use any of these strategies, please make sure that you have a professional looking website, email signature, and social profiles (among other things). That way, when your audience starts to do their homework by digging you up on the internet, they’d be more inclined to trust you with their time (and money), since you look like someone who can provide value.

If you found the 30-minute marketing plan that I shared to be useful, then please take three seconds of your time to share the post. Cheers!

Tips For Launching A Sacramento Business

Craig De Borba

Internet marketing could be the key to achieving a sustainable startup business in the area, no matter which industry you have chosen. But before you dive headfirst into a marketing initiative, begin with the knowledge of local laws, regulations, and guidelines and a solid plan for addressing each.

Launching a Sacramento Business

You’ve developed a great idea for a product or service. Now is the time to act on that idea! You might be anxious and think that Sacramento internet marketing should come first, but it’s more beneficial to work through the steps below. After all, skipping past key business laws could be a financial nightmare that stifles business success.

1. Assess Your Needs – Create a business blueprint that maps out every need, potential risk, and route for growth. Who is your target audience? Analyze the best location to fulfill the needs of that target demographic. If your business doesn’t have a physical location, Sacramento internet marketing will be even more crucial for exposure. However, you should still follow the other guidelines below.

2. Establish a Legal Structure – If you yourself are not familiar with business law, that’s okay. You don’t need it to run a business. What you do need, however, is a team of people who are familiar with the legal needs of a business. Consider hiring a business attorney and tax consultant who can help you build a legal structure. Depending on how you establish your business, they might need to assist you in registering with the Corporate Legal Unit.

3. Check Zoning Regulations – Check with the City’s Community Development Department before finalizing a location or signing a lease to ensure that the location is zoned for your type of business.

4. Finance Your Business – If you cannot finance your startup through personal savings or family support, you can utilize the Small Business Administration as a resource for other financing. You may also consider finding donors and investors.

5. Register a Name – Name your business and file a fictitious business name (FBN) statement with the Sacramento County Department of Finance.

6. Obtain a Business Operations Tax (BOT) Certificate – All businesses that operate within the city of Sacramento must obtain a BOT to pay a business tax.

7. Review the Hiring Process – Get a Tax Identification Number and an Employer Identification Number from the IRS prior to hiring. Contact Social Security to prepare to pay Social Security taxes. Obtain worker’s compensation information. And finally, register with the Employment Development Department after hiring anyone to figure out disability insurance, unemployment insurance taxes, employment training taxes, and income tax withholdings.

8. Obtain Permits – To comply with local and state business regulations, you may need permits that show compliance with building codes, fire inspection, and revenue.

9. Networking – Regardless of what industry your in networking has always proven beneficial for growing and developing business. Sacramento has a variety of networking events that allow for making the right kinds of connections. You never know who you will meet!

After finalizing the legal details above at the Sacramento city hall, you’re ready to pursue a SEO marketing plan, one which should always include a Sacramento SEO company. For most business startups, that means you’ll be hiring a local Sacramento marketing company with the experience and knowledge needed to capitalize on your specific industry within the organic local business map market in Sacramento.

Internet marketing that isn’t optimized for an area can be worthless, depending on your product or service. Keep that in mind when creating a marketing plan. For instance, if you own and run a startup landscaping business, you don’t need to reach internet consumers in other cities and states.

OnPoint Internet Marketing can ensure your business is reaching your target audience through quality website copy, SEO, social media marketing Sacramento CA, and online advertisements. We can build a Sacramento internet marketing plan that unifies your brand and funnels in new traffic for new opportunities. Business growth begins here. Call us today at (916) 293-0512.

9 Tips For a Better Stronger Logo

Craig De Borba

A logo is far more important than many people may think. When properly executed, it can be an abbreviated look into the business, and intrigue viewers to want to learn more about the brand. But what makes an effective logo? Here are 9 tips to get you on the right track!

Understand the brand. First and foremost, understand your brand. An effective logo demonstrates the vibe and tone of the brand. Are you selling surfboards, offering business consulting services, or are you an upscale restaurant? Make sure that your logo demonstrates the brand correctly.
Avoid cliches. Do your business a favor and avoid falling into the trap of creating a cliche logo. Learn from what’s trending, but don’t latch on to the same template that new businesses are currently using. Cliche logos can become old and tired rather quickly.
Choose clever symbols. The symbol, shape, or emblem can be a defining part of your logo. A clever symbol can help your logo stand out on your website branding, while a cliche symbol will make it forgettable. Think of products like Apple that don’t use a computer as their logo, which is what you may expect from a computer-based company.
Choose the right colors. There is a lot of psychology in colors that many people fail to recognize. Colors express the brand personality without needing words. For example, the color red is typically used to make a bold, energetic statement, while the color blue is generally used in a more professional, B2B, networking, or medical logo. Research colors and how they connect with users when designing your logo.
Make it digestible. How long does the viewer need to look at the logo to understand what’s going on? Your logo should be creative without going over the top. The average person will only glance at a logo for a few seconds. Make yours clean and easy to understand.
Make it memorable. Some of the most successful businesses have memorable logos that people recognize, even out of context. Take a second to brainstorm how you can make your logo memorable.
Give it a story. People love hearing the meaning behind a brand’s logo. When you create yours, find ways to incorporate meaning. Do three brothers own the business? Perhaps incorporate a three-part logo. Think outside the box and get creative by bringing the business history into the picture.
Be unique. A cliche logo may look hip, but you’re doing your business a huge disservice by looking like everyone else. Imagine other businesses in your industry. If you put all of their logos on a sheet of paper, what would separate your logo from theirs? Try different fonts, colors, and styles to give your logo a fresh look.
Ask for help. When it all comes down to it, your best bet may be to hire someone who is seasoned at logo design. You can try to handle it on your own, but a graphic web designer who has created logos in the past may be able to offer valuable design expertise. Be sure to express your business objectives and personality so they can capture the proper tone.

The right logo can be a focal point for your brand while building familiarity, recognition, and loyalty among your customers. With the millions of businesses online, the right logo, along with strategic marketing can help you stand out from the crowd and capture an audience. For help contact us, are you reaching as many people as you would like?

Building Buzz For Your Sacramento Business

Craig De Borba

You had a great idea and started a business. You went through all of the work that comes with setting up and preparing a business for launch. You know there are people who want and need your business. So why is no one calling? Possibly, to the dismay of Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, building a business does not mean customers will come. Even the best business in the world will fail if no one hears about it. So how do you build buzz?

Build an online presence using social media

The Internet is where most people turn today when researching new products, services, and solutions. Creating an online presence is an important part of building a business today. You first have to make sure that your website is professional and communicates what your company and brand offers. Then you need to get that website found in Sacramento using social media and that involves hiring a Sacramento social media agency to make sure you’re content is getting attention, being shared and linked to by authority resources online.

You’ll also want to pay attention to business listing sites, such as Manta and the Yellow Pages. These sites can serve as a source of website traffic, so make sure the information they have is accurate.

Paying attention to online reviews is another important part of building your online presence. If someone is complaining about your business on Yelp, for example, make sure you go in and respond to them. While you may not be able to make every customer happy, you do show potential customers how professional you are, even in the face of negativity. That can help build a positive perception of your brand, even if there are negative reviews about you online.

Social media platforms are another element to a strong online presence. By developing and creating profiles on a few of the major networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Google+, you have the opportunity to control what people find when they search for your business. For more information about how to create an effective social media presence, read our post, “7 Things to Avoid for Social Media.”

Understand What You Do – And Tell People

In order to explain what you do to other people, you first have to understand your own business. You need to be able to answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences:

What does your business do?
Who benefits from your business?
Why do you stand out from the competition?
How are you preparing for the future of your industry?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you can describe what you do consistently and concisely. This is commonly known as “the elevator pitch” and it should take about 30 seconds to describe. When someone asks you what you do, make sure you are hitting the key points described above. You never know when you may run into a potential customer or brand evangelist.

Be Active

Staying active and present in your industry and your community can be extremely useful in helping to build buzz and spread the word about your company. Joining a board, volunteering, or being generous with your time can all pay off down the road. Not only do you have the opportunity to build connections and increase exposure for your brand, but you can also present your brand as responsible and positive. That will make people more likely to engage with you, refer others your way, and maybe even become customers.

If you need additional help and insight into how to build buzz for your business, you are not alone. OnPoint Internet Marketing has helped hundreds of businesses improve their online presence, increase leads, and grow their business. Contact us to learn more!

Social Media For Businesses

Craig De Borba

With the rise in consumers turning to social media for opinions about companies, it’s is important that businesses are paying attention to their social media presence. The first thought of the business owner is always “where am I going to find the time for yet another task?” With a little upfront planning and some careful time management, you can get a lot of mileage out of your social media time. Check out these tips on creating an effective social media presence for your business.

Choose Your Networks Wisely

It’s tempting to start a new profile on every single new social media site that pops up. While it is a good idea to reserve the names for pages you may think you want to use in the future, it’s important to carefully select the networks you will invest the most time and energy. Typically there are about 2-3 social networks that will work best for any given business. For example, if you sell physical products, you should consider sites such as Pinterest and Instagram, which are highly visual and well-suited for products. If you sell your services or time, Twitter is a great place to strike up conversations and promote your expertise. Check out our previous blog for more on choosing the most effective platform for your audience.

Plan Your Presence

It’s important that you have a plan in place when you set off to start your social media presence online. It can harm your business if you begin posting with gusto and then drop off. Failing to be consistent reflects poorly on your brand and can cause problems in the future, particularly if people are trying to reach you through social media. No one likes being ignored. By spending a few minutes each month, you can plan the things you will talk about, which sites you will post them to and how you will position yourself. Then when it comes time to post your content, you’ve already done the heavy lifting!

Schedule

Another great way to build a presence of your business is to schedule posts. Preparing what you post in advance will ensure that you are sending out social media content regularly even if you find yourself in the middle of one of those extraordinarily busy weeks. Those busy times happen to all of us, but planning ahead and scheduling posts ensures you have social media content going out even during those busiest of weeks. Sites like buffer allow you to load up relevant articles and content for posting at a later date. HootSuite is a free tool that is great for scheduling out content you’ve created yourself, such as blog posts and tweets.

Check In!

If people are visiting you on social media networks and leaving feedback, it is important that you acknowledge them. Did someone review your business? Great! Make sure to thank them for their time in doing so. If they left negative feedback, use it as a way to improve your products and services. Also, make sure that you acknowledge the negative feedback. Responding to even negative comments can be an opportunity to repair a relationship or show a future customer how professional you are even in the face of adversity.

Adjust As You Go

You may discover that your audience loves a certain type of content. Or, you may find that a new and emerging social media site gets the best results for you. It’s important to watch for these trends and to adjust accordingly. The scope of media changes frequently, so it’s important to keep up with the industry changes.

If you need help managing your social presence, OnPoint Internet Marketing has a variety of options designed to help you make the most of your online presence.

If you liked this post be sure to read business social media posting.