Here's how you can expand your small business's online presence and reach a wider audience.

Level up my online presence, level up my biz! Here's the plan: Content creation champion: Blog posts, social media shares, engaging videos - I'll pump out valuable content to attract new audiences. SEO superhero: Research relevant keywords and optimize my website to rank higher in search results. Get found by the right people! Social media savvy: Actively engage on relevant platforms, join conversations, and run targeted ads to expand reach. Collaboration is key: Partner with other businesses for cross-promotion and tap into their audience base. Win-win! Local love: Claim my Google My Business listing and optimize it for local searches. Target my neighbourhood!

Optimize Website: Ensure your website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and SEO-optimized to attract organic traffic. Engage Socially: Maintain an active presence on social media platforms relevant to your audience. Post regularly, engage with followers, and use social media advertising. Utilize Email: Develop an email marketing strategy. Send newsletters, promotions, and personalized content to keep your audience engaged and informed. Leverage Content: Create high-quality, valuable content. Blogs, videos, and infographics can drive traffic and establish your business as an authority in your industry.

The #1 thing for marketing yourself and your books? Have a website. Make sure the style represents you and your brand. Extra content can be fun, but the number one reason they come to your site is to learn more about you and your books. Make it easy to navigate and try not to have a lot of outside advertising clogging up the pages. Also avoid auto play sound features like music or videos. You want readers to be able to find the information they need in a non-intrusive environment. Everything you want readers (& media outlets) to know will be centrally located in one place, and everything you do–inside the books, advertising, chats, blogs, vlogs, social media bio pages, etc–can point to that central location where you control the content.

Let's maximize the USE of social media for our business! It's the perfect way to connect with our awesome community and spread the word about what we do. What should we do? Be. There. We post on the platforms where our ideal customers hang out, sharing updates, pics, and even fun behind-the-scenes stuff! We also respond to EVERY comment and message - gotta build those relationships, right? Think of it like having a virtual coffee shop for your fans. The more you chat and engage, the bigger the party gets!

As a business owner and educator, I know that maximizing social media platforms is not enough. Building your mailing list is another avenue to reach your customers. It's one of my company's secret weapons for reaching our peeps! We offer exclusive discounts, juicy industry news, and even sneak peeks at new courses or services - all through email! The best part? We personalize every message - gotta make those connections, you know? Building an email list lets us chat directly with our superfans, keeping them in the loop and building loyalty. It's like having a digital VIP club for our awesome customers!

Please don't mistake this for a conversation about cold emails. Absolutely not! In fact, AI has only made it worse, with everyone sending "highly personalized" robotic emails like: "I've seen and I'm shocked how great..." Instead, try leveraging community-building tools. Consider a newsletter, using platforms like Beehiiv. Or create community channels in Circle, Slack, and similar platforms. Engage authentically and build meaningful connections.

A few tips for small businesses that want to experiment with digital ads. - Focus on one channel to start, typically one that already works for you organically. - Determine a realistic budget, starting too small is sure to drive underwhelming results. - Set a dedicated amount of time you plan to stick with your advertising test no matter the performance. Be prepared for it to start slow. - Seek out expert help to get started so you can avoid as many early pitfalls as possible!

Loosen up your approach to content on social media... try different things. Invest some time in understanding what content gets traction on your platform of choice. Do some marketing research into what your customers care about. Create content that aligns with what they care about. Analyse what content does well, and why you think it did well. Do more like that. Put advertising spend behind content that does well to reach a wider audience. Keep experimenting.