#02: Produce Valuable Website/Social Media Content

The expression “content is king” has been around for a few years, but it is increasingly true as we enter 2019. Nearly 80% of small businesses do not invest in content marketing, according to research from Clutch. This is a startling statistic because great content marketing can be the best source for high-quality leads.

> Write A Blog

If you don’t have a blog, then 2019 is a great time to get started. A consistent stream of content on your website will draw in visitors and will make search engines very happy, which will only bring in more visitors. Make blog content part of your budget, and see how it helps you to market your small business in 2019.

> Be Active On Social Media

This is one of those tricky areas. We all use social media, but when it comes to marketing ourselves it can be very difficult. No one wants to be the person posting about themselves, and no one wants to see it every day.

Having a presence on every major social network like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. can be overwhelming. Here are a few things to try:

• Don’t let your accounts go dormant.
• Make an effort to post something once a week, then try twice a week, etc.
• Show people what you do behind the scenes
• Let people see who you are
• Offer solutions to common problems

> Be An Expert And Win Trust

Be open and freely help others. Join some niche groups and share valuable advice and helpful content. Soon you will become an expert and win the trust of those who see you interacting, and ultimately you will win their business.

#03: Advertise To A Target Audience

As technology is advancing, it is becoming easier to target specific people with your ads. This is an extremely effective way to market your small business in 2019, and is only getting better.

> Use High Converting Landing Pages

Gone are the days of hoping people will find your main website and buy your products or services. The use of a separate landing page will increase conversions and allow you to convert visitors into customers without the distractions of your whole website.

> Be Specific With Who You Want To Reach

The beauty of marketing today is the ability to narrow down your audience to exactly the type of people you want to see your ad. For example, you may want to target rich people who have an interest in pottery and love cats and live in Pennsylvania.

> Retarget

Another effective strategy is to send ads to people who are already interested in your business or have visited your website in the past. For this, you need to be sure to have the proper code installed on your website. 

> Use Email Automation (see next section)

A landing page will not be effective without proper email automation. This is useful in many ways. For example, if someone subscribes in exchange for an ebook, the email program will take care of the delivery for you. After that, you can set up a series of follow up emails to prompt them towards your goal, whether that be buying a course, a product, etc.

#04: Automate Your Emails

Another way to market your small business in 2019 is to use email marketing effectively. Most of us get tons of emails every day, and some of us send just as many. So how can you stand out and use it to your advantage?

> Segment Your List

Be sure to organize your email contacts appropriately. If a customer buys a product on your website or signs up to your email list for a specific reason, then the person will probably not appreciate getting generic emails blasted at them randomly. If someone buys a product from your store, send them an email specifically related to that product: ask how they like it, ask for a product review, or send detailed instructions.

> Personalize Every Email

This one goes along with segmentation. As you organize your email contacts into groups or tags, be sure to also include very personalized copy. Talk to them in common language. Use your own voice, not corporate sounding jargon.

> Use Automation

Why waste time when you can automate? That concept may sound scary if you may feel like you need to write and read every email that you send or receive. The great news is, with email automation, you can! When you set up the automation, everything is in your control including your message and tone of voice.