Michael Levitt's Blog, page 118

4 Businesses That Still Profit Through A Pandemic

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When looking at different business ideas, we usually take various factors into account when judging if they’re good. Nowadays, it’s reasonable to say that we’ll add pandemic-proof to the list of factors! After seeing the damage a pandemic has done to the economy, it makes sense to seek out business ideas that can survive these testing times. To do this, we need only look at what businesses have continued to profit throughout 2020.

eCommerce

The majority of eCommerce businesses have profited and gone from strength to strength during this pandemic. It’s clear to see why - people are shut indoors, and most shops have closed down, so buying online is the only option. This is reflected in the stats, with this report showing an increase in 5 billion average website visitors per month since January. If you want a business that not only survives a pandemic but thrives, eCommerce could be the option for you. 

Delivery services

While global trade may have slowed down, the logistics industry still survived this pandemic and saw some growth. Mainly, this is down to local couriers delivering things around the country. Delivery services were seen as essential work, probably because shops were shut and people needed to buy things! It’s no surprise that both eCommerce and delivery services saw some success during this time. Also, this takes into account food delivery services as well - the likes of Deliveroo and UberEats benefitted from restaurants closing down and only offering takeaway orders. 

Farming

Where does all of our food come from? That’s right, you can almost always trace the source back to farms. Obviously, everyone still needs food during a pandemic, so farmers played a key role in keeping up the supply chain to grocery stores. In fact, it was almost hard for them to keep up with the demand after everyone was panic-buying. Starting an agricultural business will always be a good idea if you have access to enough land. If you go down this route, remember to get your hands on all the necessary equipment to make your life easier. You can discover more here, but the right machinery won’t just speed up your work, it can also help you save money on some operating costs. 

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App development

With so many people stuck indoors, it goes without saying that people were looking for entertainment. This is where app development thrives as more people download games and applications across various devices. Certainly, it seems many people I know have taken up a favorite mobile game in a pandemic. Plus, with companies shutting their physical locations, some have looked to develop apps as a way of staying in touch with customers. All of this means that app developers can continue to thrive. Also, take into account that developing an app can be done from home, negating the need for office space. 

What should you do with this information? Well, if you’re thinking about starting a business or looking ahead to the future, keep these ideas in mind. This year has taught us to expect the unexpected, so you need to choose business ideas that can survive under the harshest of circumstances. 

Anything You Can Do, Tech Can Do Better

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A lot of people will say that tech is dangerous because there is so much to do. In a way, this is true, because anything you can do, tech truly can do better. It’s the way it was designed, and we don’t get to be surprised now. But, tech comes in handy when it comes to a business because it means that if you’re investing in the right technology, your company is going to soar. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that tech can do better than any human, so keep reading down below if you’re interested in finding out more.

Reliability

The first thing that we’re going to look at is reliability. Now, we know that tech can crash and reboot at the most inconvenient times, but it is still more reliable than a human. There are far more variables when it comes to human reliability, and that’s what it comes down to in the end. For example, tech doesn’t get sick; the closest it comes to getting sick is when it gets a virus. Viruses can be fixed, often within a couple of hours, but it’s never possible to know how long someone is going to be sick for, or how bad it is going to be. This isn’t the case with tech. Really, you should be able to tell what the damage is or what it could be pretty soon after the virus has been noticed.

Overall, tech is a far more reliable option than a human. When it comes to people, there are always going to be circumstances that mean that the job can’t be done, but with tech, this isn’t the case. That’s why if reliability is important, then tech is going to be the better option for you.

Efficiency

The next thing that we’re going to look at is efficiency. Tech is faster than humans and does a better job, which leads to higher levels of efficiency. We know that as a business owner, you want your business to be as efficient as possible, which is why you need to embrace the tech side of life. What a human can achieve in a number of days, tech can sometimes achieve in a number of hours. The difference can be massive for your business, which is why you’ve got to think carefully about what tech you are using. For example, use appointment scheduling software and it will be booked within seconds, compared to minutes for a human. It might not seem like much, but it all adds up.

Productivity

Finally, when it comes to productivity, you need your business to be able to keep up with or surpass the others on the market right now. This is usually going to be down to your employees and how well they are performing at any given time, but when tech is involved, you’re going to open yourself up to a whole new world of possibilities.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now understand some of the things that tech can do better than any human when it comes to business. Good luck, and we hope that if you’ve not already invested in the correct tech, you will do so now.

4 Steps To Ensure Your Business Is Compliant With Data Privacy Regulations

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Customer data is a very effective tool that your business should be taking advantage of. All of the information that you collect about customers can be used to improve your targeted marketing campaigns and create a personalized experience for the customer. However, you are responsible for keeping any data that you collect very safe. There are a number of different laws in place about data security and the rules are different depending on which industry you work in, which means that data security compliance can be very complicated. Unfortunately, you don’t have any room for mistakes because you could find yourself in some legal trouble if you don’t meet your responsibilities. If you are concerned about data protection regulations, here are some simple ways to ensure that you are compliant at all times.

Understand The Law 

You can’t follow the law if you don’t understand it, so make sure that you spend some time getting to grips with the regulations and understanding which industry specific ones apply to you. For example, if you work in the medical industry, you must follow the guidelines set out by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has a different set of guidelines to follow if children use your business website for any reason. If you are selling products or services in the European Union, there is a different set of laws there as well. As our understanding of data technology evolves, governments are always updating the laws to keep up, so make sure that you are always checking for any new regulations so you don’t get caught out. 

Use A Third Party Expert 

Even if you understand the laws, that doesn’t mean that you are necessarily the best person to make sure that your business is compliant. If you want to be sure, you should have an it risk assessment company perform an audit of your business. If there are potential data privacy compliance problems, they will soon identify them. They will then be able to help you update your systems and processes to rectify the issues. 

Create A Culture Of Security 

Many people assume that cyber attacks are the main cause of data loss, but human error is a huge factor. When employees are careless with data and do not take the necessary steps to protect it, they make it easy for breaches to occur. That’s why it’s important that you create a culture of security in the business. Provide good data protection training and make sure that your employees understand just how important it is, so they don’t start to cut corners. 

Put A Disaster Recovery System In Place 

Even if you do everything right, there is always a chance that your systems will be breached by a cyber attack. That’s why every business needs a disaster recovery plan in place. As long as you can secure your systems and recover lost data quickly, you can limit the damage and ensure that you remain compliant. 

Data privacy compliance laws can be very confusing, but if you follow these steps, you can avoid any legal pitfalls in the future. 

How Can Artificial Intelligence Improve The Hiring Process?

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Artificial intelligence technology has improved so much in the last few years and it is fast becoming an important part of our everyday lives. Machine learning technology has so many different applications, especially in the business world. It can be used to manage large amounts of data and improve marketing strategies and it can boost customer service through the use of chatbot software, but have you considered the impact that it could have on your hiring process?

Finding the right team is vital to business success but the hiring process can be long and expensive for businesses. However, there are some incredible AI tools out there that you can use to streamline the hiring process and find the best candidates. These are some of the ways that artificial intelligence can improve the hiring process. 

Finding The Best Candidates 

Getting the right people to apply is the first big hurdle that you will face. Writing a detailed job advert and posting on the right platforms is important, but when you are deciding on a platform, you need to consider the role of AI. LinkedIn is one of the most effective places to post your job adverts because it leverages artificial intelligence technology to connect the best candidates with jobs that they are a good fit for. The Vice President of Engineering at LinkedIn, Dee Agarwal, is responsible for implementing all of the AI technology that the site uses, and he is an expert in his field. Through his innovation, LinkedIn has created one of the most comprehensive AI systems for matching candidates with the right job, so you should always take advantage of the platform when you are advertising a role. 

There are also other artificial intelligence tools, like Textio, that can help you to write the perfect job advert. This incredible piece of software will assess the writing in your job advert and suggest changes based on the kind of applicant that you are trying to attract. For example, it will tell you whether the language is likely to appeal to men more than women and help you change it so it appeals to everybody. By running your job advert through this incredible piece of AI software, you can make sure that you are attracting the right audience. 

Automating Manual Tasks 

Many of the time-consuming manual tasks in business can be avoided by implementing automation software, and it can make your hiring process so much more efficient. Automated resume checkers are used in the majority of large companies and they can make things so much faster. Instead of having somebody in the HR department read through stacks of resumes, you can automatically search through them for keywords and skills. If a resume doesn’t have any of the necessary experience or qualifications listed, you can immediately discount it. During the later stages of the hiring process, you will need to read resumes in full, but the automation software can help you to thin the pile out beforehand. Automated chatbots can also be useful if candidates have simple questions about the job because you don’t need somebody to manually reply to the same query over and over. 

Improved Candidate Experience 

Many businesses don’t consider the importance of the candidate experience during the hiring process. If a candidate has a good experience with your company, it will make them want to work with you. This is especially important when dealing with top candidates that may have more than one offer because you need to convince them that your company is the right fit for them. 

If a candidate applies for a position and then gets a poorly constructed automated email in response and nothing else, that doesn’t look good. It gives the impression that your business doesn’t really care that much. However, if they are provided with a lot of information and they can use chatbots to find out more about the position if they want to, this gives a much better impression of your business. In most cases, poor communication between businesses and candidates happens because the recruitment team is overloaded with work. But if you make use of all of the AI tools available to you, that workload is reduced and the recruitment team has more time to communicate effectively with candidates. A poor candidate experience can damage your ability to hire in future because people will tell their network that your company is unprofessional and they shouldn’t apply for a job with you. 

These are some of the most important ways that artificial intelligence software can improve your hiring process, so if you haven’t implemented any AI tools yet, you should seriously consider it.

How to Find the Perfect Office Space for Your New Business

Thanks to Austin Distel for sharing their work on Unsplash.

In the United States alone, over 600,000 new businesses start up every year. Thanks to advancements in technology, many of those businesses are “at-home” or able to survive remotely. 

But, there are so many startups that need a more concrete place to call home. So, it’s important to know how to find the right office space for your business, no matter what it is you do. 

Finding an office space for rent might seem like the easy part, but there are so many things to consider before you sign an agreement and move into a location. Unfortunately, if you let yourself get too overwhelmed by the office-hunting process, it can become a bit stressful. 

So, take a deep breath. Let’s cover a few tips on how you can find the perfect office space for your business venture. Doing so can help you to start off on the right foot and focus on growing your business from the ground up.

Pay Attention to the Space You’ll Need

You might be a small business now, but do you see yourself always being that way? Do you want/need room to grow? How many employees do you plan on having? What do you want your office culture to look like? 

Those are all questions you should be asking yourself when it comes to space. Everyone who works within your office space should be able to freely and comfortably move about. 

A 1,000-square foot office space is great for anywhere from 4-6 employees. But, if you plan on growing and hiring more people, you will want to take that into consideration before you decide on the perfect spot. No one wants to be cramped or feel like they don’t have enough space at work. 

Work With Someone You Trust to Find a Place

One of the best things you can do to make sure you find a great space is to talk to other business owners you know. Ask who they worked with in order to find their current space. If they have a particular real estate agent in mind, you can feel more comfortable using that person. 

Many times, finding success in any industry depends on who you know. If your fellow business owners or someone you trust has a glowing review of a specific agent or agency, you can feel better about working with their recommendation. 

It’s never a good idea to start looking for office spaces blindly, with an agent who has never done commercial real estate before. Working with someone who has been in the industry for a while will help to ensure you that you’re looking at the best possible locations with the best prices. 

Thanks to Dane Deaner for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Set Up a Co-Working Space

Most business start-ups don’t have a huge budget for things like renting or buying an office. But, that doesn’t mean you need to compromise on a safe, quality space for your employees. One way to be able to afford a great space is to turn it into a co-working building (often called a co-op). 

When you choose to start a co-working space, you can open up your options for the type of building you choose. You can even design the outside of your office to reflect that you’re a co-working space and that you’re open to other businesses joining in. 

In a co-op, multiple businesses work under the same roof. You might have closed off spaces for each business, or one giant, open space where everyone does their own thing. The beauty of a co-working space is that all of the businesses that use it contribute to things like rent and utilities. It’s a great way to save money while working in a quality space, especially when you’re just starting out. 

Think About Your Employees

If you’re starting a business with a small, core group of employees, think about their needs and wants when you’re first looking for an office space. Choosing a central location for your space will make it easier and more convenient for your employees to get to work each day. 

Though finding a space off the beaten path can often save you money, it also shows that you aren’t keeping your employees’ best interest at heart. In fact, one way to make sure everyone is happy with the space is to include your employees in the search or have them go along with you to look at potential options. 

Everyone will always have an opinion, and it’s important to take those into account while you’re choosing an office space. Starting off your business with happy, content employees will make it easier for them to want to put in the hard work so your business sees growth. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate

Have you found the perfect space, but it’s a bit out of your price range? 

Don’t be afraid to work with the owner or landlord to negotiate a better deal. Many times, especially when a place has been on the market for a while, people are willing to negotiate back and forth. After all, receiving some payment is better than letting a space sit vacantly and not getting paid for it at all. 

Try to aim for lowering the rent anywhere from 5-10%. That might seem like a lot, at first, but you might be surprised at how easy it is to get landlords to go down if you have the right negotiating skills. Come prepared to talk about why you feel the rent should be lower. Maybe the building is in a non-marketable neighborhood, or maybe you’ve researched what other buildings in the area are charging for rent space. Whatever the case, be sure to back up your request with facts and figures. 

Finding a new office space for your business should be exciting, not scary! It’s another positive step forward to really getting your business off the ground. So, keep these suggestions in mind as you start your search for the perfect space. By staying focused on the things you know you want and need for an office, the whole process will be much easier and less stressful. 

Freelancer? How To Protect Your Business From Legal Disasters

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When you run a business, you’ll undoubtedly want to keep your operating costs down to the bare minimum. That’s also very important when you’re a freelancer because you don’t have the resources to pay for teams of employees in a slick city office block.

One of the areas where freelancers fall afoul is when legal issues arise. These might relate to anything from contracts through to copyright law, especially if a freelancer does creative work such as graphic design.

You’re likely reading this article today because you’re a freelancer and you don’t want to end up exposed from a legal perspective. You might not realize it, but there are many simple (and affordable) ways to protect yourself and your business legally. They are as follows:

Get your clients to sign contracts

The sad truth about freelancing is you’ll encounter some situations where a client complains you haven’t delivered what they wanted. The cause might be down to miscommunication between you both. Or, your client could be trying to scam free work out of you.

A simple yet effective way to lay down your terms of work and detail what you’re going to do is by getting your clients to sign contracts. Each contract should be tailored to each client and project, and you shouldn’t do any work until each client signs them!

If you’re unsure what to write in your contracts, check out https://www.legalscrolls.com. Alternatively, ask your peers online for help.

Take out appropriate insurance

Another essential thing you need to do as a freelancer is to take out appropriate insurance coverage. There are many policy types that you can get, depending on the products and services that you offer.

Irrespective of your industry, it makes sense to take out professional indemnity insurance. That way if someone tries to sue you, the insurance policy will provide you with legal advice and representation.

Check out https://www.aig.com for some examples of the different types of indemnity insurance you can buy.

Keep clear and concise records

When you run a business, whether you’re a freelancer or not, you’ll need to keep records of sales and expenses for tax purposes. It’s also essential to do that in case of any legal claims brought about by your clients.

For example, your client may demand a full or partial refund because they feel you overcharged them. By keeping clear and concise records, you’ve got the supporting documentation you need to defend any legal claims.

Ensure your website has clear terms and conditions

Lastly, problems might arise not from anything you’ve done but from the fact you haven’t set clear terms of business on your website. It can be a real problem for freelancers that deliver their services directly through their website.

Be sure to have clear terms and conditions on your site, and check that they’re easily accessible to the public. You can buy terms and conditions for your business site from websites like Rocket Lawyer.

Freelancers: Here Are 4 Reasons Why You're Overworked and Underpaid

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Being a freelancer is a great way to earn a living. You get to earn a crust on your own terms. You can plan your working activities around your life, rather than the other way around. You can escape the politics, bureaucracy, gossip and relentless micromanagement that you experienced in your day job. However, the habits you develop early in your career can go on to define your working life. And if you’re not careful, you can find yourself overworked, underpaid, chronically stressed and on a fast-track to burnout. In short, you could end up living the exact kind of life that you became a freelancer to escape. 

If you want a sustainable and prosperous career as a freelancer, you need to address these 4 reasons why you’re currently overworked and underpaid...

Your online presence doesn’t represent your true value

New clients may well find you through your online presence. This might include your website, your LinkedIn page or even your Twitter account. But if your online presence doesn’t represent your true value, you can’t expect higher-paying clients to reach out to you. 

Invest in a professional call answering service. Use a professional to design your website rather than a Wix template. And make sure new prospective clients can easily access samples of work you’ve carried out previously. Make sure that clients can see you’re a professional rather than a gifted amateur waiting for their opportunity to turn pro.

You’re charging too little

You may think that affordability is a USP. But in the world of freelancing it’s far more likely to work against you rather than for you. Plus, there’s always someone overseas who can do it cheaper than you! Trying to undercut your competitors on price means you’ll always have to work harder than them for less. And because you won’t want to risk alienating clients, you’ll be afraid to hike up your prices as you grow in ability and experience.

You’re afraid to let bad clients go

It’s totally understandable that you feel the need to cling to clients. Nobody wants to turn down paid work. But when you shackle yourself to the wrong kind of client, it can result in tremendous opportunity loss. You shouldn’t be wasting your time and energy working to unrealistic deadlines of chasing up unpaid invoices. Part of being a freelancer is knowing when to let a bad client go. 

You’re looking for work in all the wrong places

Finally, there are a number of places online where freelancers can find job postings. But the problem with platforms like Fiverr, Upwork and People Per Hour is that the work they offer tends to have crippling effort / reward ratios. These are international platforms, meaning that freelancers in countries with lower living costs can bid on work for far less. As such, clients have come to expect a lot for a little on these platforms. 

Instead, try approaching clients directly, forging links with agencies and attending networking events (yes, they’re still happening). You may well find that these options get you a payday that better reflects your talent and experience.

5 Unique Ways To Supercharge Your Marketing

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With so many brands competing for success, great marketing is the difference between success and failure. Mike Volpe once said, ‘don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with your marketing.’ Originality is indeed the best way to stand out in the business world. To help you to get creative, consider these five unique ways to supercharge your marketing.

1. Get Personal

Personalized marketing is a fantastic way to appeal to consumer values and drive leads. According to Instapage, ‘Marketers see an average increase of 20% in sales when using personalized experiences.’ Their data also indicated that ‘59% of customers say that personalization influences their shopping decision.’ There are several different ways that you can create personalized marketing campaigns, including:

Create 1:1 videos to send to clients and potential customers.

Use algorithms to recommend products based on tastes and preferences.

Send birthday Ecards including data about consumer likes.

2. Create interactive content 

Interactive content is a fun way to engage your audience and boost conversions. Popular interactive content styles include quizzes, tests or polls. Interactive content is also a great way to gather consumer feedback; people are often more willing to engage if the experience is fun. To create interactive content, try tools such as:

Content tools: Using this software, you can create interactive content such as infographics, quizzes, maps and more.

Thinglink: Thinglink is a top tool for making interactive content; you can create 360-degree media and videos, attachments, audios and links.

3. Industry-specific marketers

Each year brings us new marketing trends, yet marketing is not a ‘one size fits all’ industry. What works for one industry won’t necessarily work for another. With this in mind, it’s useful to work with a company who can provide an industry-specific marketing service. Med USA RCM offers marketing for medical services, as well as medical billing support and credentialing. Working with professionals with industry-specific experience will allow you to improve your marketing and take your company to new heights.

 

4. Customer-generated content

Customer-generated content can be a fantastic way to supercharge your marketing.

CGC content essentially means content that customers have created themselves, whether it’s a photograph or a video. Authentic content which shows people enjoying your products allows you to gain higher levels of trust.

5. Heatmapping Analysis

To improve your marketing, try using heat mapping analysis tools to gather valuable data. Heatmapping tools can help you to find out how people are using your site, including which sections are popular, and which are not. Data like this can help you to boost your conversion rates and make improvements where necessary. A few of the best heat mapping tools include.

Hot Jar: Using HotJar, you can test your pages, track user behavior and gain feedback. The software includes polls which target the right users and collect their opinions.

Crazy Egg: With this tool, you’ll benefit from features like heatmapping, interactive analytics and an ‘origin tracker’ (to see which sites your users came from).

4 Reasons Why Every Small Business Needs A Line Of Credit

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay 

Small business owners are naturally cautious about borrowing money, which is a good thing. Getting into a lot of debt in the early days of a business makes it incredibly difficult to start turning a profit because so much of your money is eaten up by loan repayments each month. However, borrowing can also be an asset to your business as long as you use credit in the right way. A line of credit is a very effective borrowing tool for small businesses but many business owners don’t take advantage of it because they are concerned about debt. If you haven’t got a business line of credit already, these are some of the main reasons why you need one. 

It Gives You Quick Access To Cash 

A business line of credit works differently from a standard loan. When you take out a line of credit with a company like Cardiff.co, you don’t get a lump sum that you then have to pay back. You agree on an amount, and you can take funds as and when you need them. If you have a slow couple of months and you are struggling to pay your overheads, you have instant access to cash so you can still meet all of your financial obligations. 

You Only Pay Back What You Have Used 

The best thing about a line of credit is that you only pay for what you have used. Say, for example, you have a line of credit for $10,000 but you only need an extra $1,000 to make ends meet at the end of the month, you only have to pay back the $1,000 that you have used. The other $9,000 is still there as a buffer if you need it, but nobody is forcing you to use it. You only have to pay interest on the $1,000 that you have used as well, so it’s much cheaper. If you took out a loan for $10,000 and realized that you only needed $5,000, you would still be stuck paying interest on the full amount, making it much more expensive than a line of credit. 

A Line Of Credit Can Be Unsecured

Secured loans can be very risky for new businesses because, if you get into a tough financial position, you risk losing a lot of assets. However, a business line of credit can be unsecured, so it is far less risky. Even though it is harder to get into trouble with a line of credit, there is always the chance that you will be unable to make the payments, which is why unsecured credit is the best option. 

It Helps To Sustain Rapid Growth 

Sometimes, businesses experience rapid growth when they are not really prepared for it. If your latest marketing campaign is a huge hit and all of a sudden, you are getting a lot more traffic to your website and orders are coming in faster than you can deal with them, you may find yourself in trouble. You need a quick cash injection to keep up and capitalize on that growth but taking out a loan is a long process. However, if you have a business line of credit in place already, you can easily manage that rapid growth. 

Even though it is important for small business owners to be sensible about borrowing, a business line of credit benefits you in a lot of different ways and if you set one up now, you will be prepared for any difficult times ahead.

12 Ways To Improve Your Marketing Strategy As A Small Business

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If you’re looking for ways to improve your marketing strategy but don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, you have definitely come to the right place. Whether you’re a new business or you’ve been running for years, you need to be sure you’re doing all that you can to market your business successfully. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you can do exactly that. From hiring a marketing consultant to taking professional photographs of your products, the more you’re doing to grow the better. With that in mind, here are 12 ways to improve your marketing strategy: 

Set A Marketing Budget 

One of the first things you need to do when it comes to improving your marketing strategy is to make sure you’re setting yourself a marketing budget in advance, as this will help to ensure you’re not spending more than you can afford. Although you may not know exactly how much it is you’re going to spend on your marketing efforts, having an idea of what you want to allocate is a good place to start. From the cost of hiring marketing professionals to the cost of spend on a PPC advertisement, you need to think of absolutely everything. For tips and tricks when it comes to setting a marketing budget, you can visit this site here. 

Hire A Marketing Professional Or Consultant

If you don’t know where to start or you think you still have a lot to learn, one of the best things you can do for your business is to hire a marketing professional or consultant. 

If you’re hiring a marketing professional, they will be able to help you put together a strong strategy, as well as help you implement it over a period of time. They will be able to focus on the marketing of your business, while you focus on other important aspects of your business. 

When it comes to hiring a consultant, they’re usually there to help you put together the perfect plan, but they won’t be there to help you implement it. For some businesses, a mixture of both is the best formula for success. 

Put Together A Step By Step Strategy

The best way to improve your marketing strategy, of course, is to create a detailed step by step strategy. This means thinking about the marketing methods you’re going to utilise, how much budget you’re going to put behind them and how often you’re going to be using them. It can take some time to put together an effective plan but if you’re serious about your marketing strategy, it’s the best way to stay in focus. For a guide to creating a marketing strategy, you can visit this site here. 

Consider Your Target Audience 

Another great tip to bear in mind is that when it comes to a marketing strategy, having a target audience in place is one of the best ways to ensure you’re reaching the right people. When thinking about your target audience, you need to ensure you’re asking as many questions as you can about them. From the places they like to shop to the location they live in, the more questions you’re asking about your target audience the better. If it helps, you may want to consider building a customer avatar that represents your ideal customer. 

Focus On Their Pain Points

When thinking about your ideal customer, you also need to think about what their pain points are, as this is where you’re going to be able to help them. Whether they don’t have enough time to focus on something or they’re lacking a particular product that will help make their life easier, it’s important you’re thinking about what you can do to help ease their pain point. If you don’t know what their pain points are, you need to delve deeper into what your ideal customer looks like. 

Choose The Best Social Media Platforms For Your Business

Another important thing to consider when it comes to creating a target audience for your business is what social media platforms they are going to be using the most. Once you know this, you will be able to decide which social media platforms will best suit your business, giving you an idea of which ones you should be signing up to. If you think your target audience is likely to be on all platforms, you need to think about which ones are going to be most beneficial to you. Although you can sign up to every single platform, chances are you’re going to do a lot better if you focus on one or two at a time. 

Post Consistently 

Once you have signed up to the social media platforms you want to use, you then need to ensure you’re posting as consistently as you possibly can. Whether this means posting once or twice a day or posting several times an hour, you should know what your target audience wants. If you think you’re going to struggle when it comes to posting consistently, social media scheduling tools can be a great way to schedule the content you have you have over a short period of time. Alternatively, you can hire a marketing or social media professional to run your accounts for you. This means they will not only focus on scheduling your posts but engaging with your customers too. 

Consider Using Pay Per Click Advertising 

If you’re struggling to reach people on social media and you don’t know where you’re going wrong, you may want to consider using pay per click advertising to gain a little bit of attention. Whether you’re directing them to your social media accounts or you’re directing them to your website, putting a little bit of budget behind your posts can make the world of difference. 

Invest In Product Photos Or Photography Equipment

For those that want to ensure their social media posts are always high-quality, you may want to consider investing in product photos or photography equipment. By hiring a photographer to take your product photos for you, you can be sure you always have a bank of photos you can use when you’re promoting what it is you offer. If you buy the photography equipment yourself, you can ensure you always have photos to share of your products. From drones to cameras, there are lots of tools you can invest in to ensure you’re taking high-quality photos. For more information about drones, you can visit this site here: https://www.drdrone.ca/

Make Use Of Video 

As well as using photos, video is a great way to show what your products and services are really about. Whether you film them yourself or work with a professional team, they can really help your business grow, especially on social media. 

Consider Going Live

Speaking of video, going live is another great way to help your business go From giving a behind the scenes look at your business to launching new products, you may be surprised at the difference it can make to your engagement and following online. 

Look At What Your Competitors Are Doing 

Finally, you need to ensure you’re looking at what your competitors are doing. Although you can’t copy them, you can see what is working well and what isn’t. 

With lots of great ways to improve your marketing strategy as a small business, you can be sure you’re doing all that you can to succeed. What else do you need to do? Did we miss anything off of the list? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.