
Marketing. We know our businesses need it, but it’s also a strange, mysterious beast that feels impossible to conquer.
I can’t claim I’ve unlocked the secret to successfully marketing your business. My job has given me a good grasp of the concepts, but unfortunately, marketing is not one size fits all. What works for Business A might not give Business B the same results.
Still, seeing how other people market their businesses is helpful. It allows me to glean new ideas or tips I may not have thought of before. So, today, I want to share what my marketing looks like to inspire other small business owners.
As a reminder, these are the things that work for me and my business. Feel free to try them, but don't feel you have to do something because someone else is.
Blogging

Goal: SEO
Time Spent: ~6 hours/month
Writing blog posts is one of my long-term marketing strategies. I put out two posts a month related to copywriting for small businesses. Those topics include:
Content marketing tips and strategies
Email marketing tips
Email copy breakdowns
Personal business posts (like this one)
I started my blog a year ago, and my growth is still slow. But my goal is not to find overnight success. It’s to build a body of work that ranks for relevant keywords so more people can find my website and see I'm an authority in my niche.
My biggest hack for blogging is to work a month ahead. For example, this post was published in September, but I wrote it in August. This way, I always have content in the pipeline and can plan ahead for holidays and such.
Social Media
Ah, social media. The thing we all have a love-hate relationship with. I’m right there with you.
The biggest thing I hate about it is how much time it takes to plan and create content, not to mention interacting and posting. Saving time on that is something I'm still working on figuring out.

Goal: Visibility and connection
Time Spent: 1 hour/month creating content, ~10 minutes/day interacting
LinkedIn is a professional platform, so I use it to connect with fellow freelancers and write small business content. Even though LinkedIn doesn't have many small business owners, I still want to have that content there. Why?
When you Google "Rachel Meyer freelance", my LinkedIn profile is one of the top results. If a potential client checks it out, I want them to see I’m knowledgeable and consistently putting content out there.

Goal: Visibility and client acquisition
Time Spent: 2-3 hours/month creating content, 15 minutes/day interacting
Instagram has recently become a priority of mine. Many small businesses use it, so I want to be there, too. When marketing, it's important to be where your customers are.
My goal at the moment is growing my account, which means posting a lot of reels. Alongside the reels, I also post informational carousels and candid pictures to help with engagement.
I hope to use Instagram as the top of the funnel, getting potential clients interested in me and my services by providing helpful small business advice. Eventually, I hope to turn some of those leads into paying clients.
Newsletter

Goal: Provide value
Time Spent: 3 hours/month
Two months ago, I launched a newsletter to provide value to fellow small business owners and potential clients. It’s still a baby, but I'm working to promote and grow it. (Would you like to subscribe?)
My newsletter goes out once a month and includes an advice section, a resource section, and a little personal snippet. I decided on this formula based on other newsletters in my industry. That’s another important lesson in marketing– learn from what others do.
I want small business owners to subscribe to my newsletter and find value. Then, when they need help with their blog or email list, hopefully, I'm the first writer that comes to mind. But since I don’t have enough subscribers for that yet, I’m working on providing quality content each month.
Other Tactics
Business Cards

I finally ordered business cards in July. They’re simple- designed in Canva and printed through VistaPrint- but that's all I need right now.
It’s great to refer people to your website, but it also helps to give them a tangible reminder of you. Besides handing them out, I hope to start leaving them on public bulletin boards or with local businesses.
Word-of-Mouth
Pitching your own business is challenging. But all you need is a few sentences that quickly and clearly describe what you do. Which is something I'm still working on perfecting.
Besides learning to pitch myself, I turn to others to help spread the word about my business. This includes family, friends, and former clients. It hasn't brought much work yet, but getting my name out there is good.
Networking Events

This is another aspect of marketing I’m working on improving. Networking events are great opportunities to meet other businesses and find new connections.
Even if it doesn’t result in work, it’s great connecting with fellow business owners. I want to build a robust in-person and online network of peers and potential clients.
Online Profiles

Finally, I have online profiles on several relevant sites, such as Upwork and Google My Business. These aren't as much for getting work (except for Upwork, which is a freelancing platform) but to help get my name out there.
I’d love to know what tactics you use to market your business. Drop me a comment below and let me know!
Do you need help marketing your business through blog posts or emails? I would love to write for you! Click the button below to get started today.
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