We all:

• Know how important it is to have a marketing strategy in place well in advance. 

• Intend to focus on our marketing strategies so we’re prepared for upcoming holidays.

• Know that often, the day-to-day makes putting a firm plan into place a difficult task.

There’s no time like today to start planning for a successful business year. Whether you’re an organization soliciting donations, or a business wanting to increase revenue, or grow your customer base - planning ahead allows you to be strategic with your time and resources. 

LinkedIn has become one of the key social marketing tools for business owners who want to connect with their peers. Small business owners have a wide range of tools at their disposal that they can explore as they work to build their businesses.

LinkedIn is easy to navigate and provides you with the ability to broaden your network connections and give you a chance to build better business relationships. It's a great place to meet and connect with other professionals and share ideas or just discuss general issues.

Small businesses are expected to thrive in 2022 and beyond. A 2021 New Business Insights report by Intuit predicted the formation of around 17 million new small businesses in 2022.

As small businesses continue to play a critical role in the local and global economies, competition in the space also increases. As a small business owner, effective marketing is crucial if you seek to stay ahead of the competition. Below are the top small business marketing trends to stay on top of in 2022.

Instagram Live has become a mainstream method for businesses to connect with those interested in their products and/or services – while generating more business sales.

Small and community-based businesses whether product or service based, can benefit from promoting their business on a weekly Instagram Live.

People are:

• Looking for relatable companies they can directly interact with.
• More apt to buy from businesses they can regularly connect with online.
• Expecting to be able to find businesses they buy from on social media.

Instagram Live lets businesses:

• Interact in real time with customers and potential buyers.
• Promote time-sensitive content, promotions and events.
• Show people a more authentic side of their business, while building relationships and trust.

Do you “TikTok?” The latest stats show this viral video app boasts over 689 million views. And if you’ve ever taken the plunge onto the app, you’ll see why.

Loads of people use TikTok for promoting their small business. And lots of new content is posted each day. This platform is a sure-fire one to add to your bucket for  keeping up with your ongoing marketing efforts.

A TikTok business account is very easy to set up. You simply download the app, create an account or login to an existing personal account, and switch your account type in the “manage account” section. You’ll only be allowed to have one type of account, so choose wisely! 

Once your business account is up and running, you’re ready to go. Here are 5 easy ways to use TikTok to market your small business online.

As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to bring visibility, build contacts, and increase sales.

Ever wondered how you might be able to get your business and/or website into Google News?

Did You Know?

• Globally, millions of people view Google News each and every day.
• Google News is open to all websites, not just big business or big publications.
• Visibility on Google News opens sites to a broader audience, and can exponentially boost visibility and traffic. 

For some business owners, posting content that draws in new followers can be challenging. Just when you think you've identified what type of content resonates with your existing audience - you see a trend where your page remains stagnate, and isn't growing.

The trick is to balance content geared toward retaining existing followers while bringing in new followers.

As a business owner, do you want to grow your customer base and generate more sales?

Coupons are highly effective and there’s no simpler way to get coupons to those who’ll use them - then sending one through email.

Did You Know?

• A recent survey found that 82% of shoppers redeem coupons within a week of receipt.
• Over 150 million U.S. shoppers have used digital coupons during 2021.
• The digital coupon redemption value is projected to reach 91 billion by 2022. 

A good chunk of customers wait to shop until after the holiday rush is over.

Statistics show:

• 92% of those within the U.S. shop online post-holidays.
• 31% say they shop online within a few days of a holiday.
• 34% say they shop online during the month of January. 

Did You Know?

• People are much more likely to buy after receiving an email or a text message from a brand than seeing them through social media.
• Social media is most valuable when combined with other marketing efforts.

A recent report from Constant Contact (a leader in automated email marketing) focuses on helping small businesses understand how their customers are changing and how businesses should adjust to meet those expectations.

The data, and trends show a huge gap between what small businesses think their customers want, and what consumers are actually looking for.

Let's look at a few areas where this disconnect is most apparent - with ways small businesses can alter their marketing strategies to start driving better results.