Now that you have made a simple ad in Facebook Ads Manager and you understand the platform a little better, the next step is understanding the purpose of Campaign Objectives. Currently there are almost a dozen different choices, so I’m not going into detail on every one. Instead, I’ll cover common objectives that can help you get started, and in future blogs I will dive deeper into the Conversion objective, at the very least.
Read MoreOne of the huge appeals of running right now (and anytime, really) is that it’s so simple. At the core of running, you can get dressed, throw on a pair of shoes, and start immediately. You don’t have to wait for the gym to be open, travel anywhere (usually), or do anything special to prep. A lot of people (myself included!) don’t even suggest stretching beforehand, so it’s quick and easy to just get out the door. Right now, a lot of people have taken up running and ignited or re-ignited a passion for the simple movement of feet pounding the pavement.
Over time, though, I’ve added quite a few things to my running toolbelt that make life a whole lot easier. At the risk of over complicating something that remains simple, running beginners need a place to start. So if you’re new to running and want to know the best running gear, or if you’ve been a runner for years and are constantly looking for ways to improve, here are my top 10 running gear finds, including the best running shoes (no, I’m not using Nike Vaporflys!) and more.
Read MoreWhile I hope I never get used to being quarantined at home, I have gotten in the swing of things a lot more than at the end of March when every day felt like a challenge. With no people to see and all my events cancelled, I’ve found myself in the push-and-pull of having more time in some areas and much less time in others. Some days I’m incredibly productive, and other days I just sit and read for hours (while Willow sleeps, anyways).
Regardless, there are a few things that have been my lifeline during this time, so I’m sharing them today. There are new finds (a fun podcast, a very simple app) and some of my trusty fallbacks that have been with me for years. Read on for some at-home inspiration, and let me know what YOU can’t live without right now!
Read MoreIf you’ve been reading my blog or following me on Instagram for any length of time, you already know that I’m an avid book reader. There have been seasons in my life of not reading very much (I basically stopped when I had a newborn), but my love of it has never gone away. My usual reads are historical or international fiction novels, but as I look through the best books I read last year, there are three (!!!) biographical-type novels that make the list and are completely nonfictional. So that should say a lot!
If you’re looking for a new book or two, here are my favorites from last year…and if you want to know some favorites from this year so far, click here to find out!
Read MoreIf you have been on Facebook for longer than one minute, I am certain you have seen an ad. These ads can look different - from sponsored posts to videos and more - but they form the backbone of Facebook’s revenue. In fact, you have likely seen an ad for a product you were interested in on a completely different platform, which seems both brilliant and creepy at the same time. For business owners, this should light a spark in your mind to think about how you can capitalize on the incredible tools Facebook advertising has to offer so that you can build your business - whether product or service based.
So how do you get started with Facebook ads? Here are the steps to creating your first social media advertisement…
Read MoreGoogle Analytics. It’s the thing every business owners knows they should be using, and probably has installed on their website, but when it comes to actually figuring out what in the world to look at in the crazy confusion of the dashboard, many of us stall out and close the window. Maybe it feels good to have Analytics installed, but if you don’t know how to use it, it’s not going to help you in the long run!
I can’t possibly cover every aspect of the Google Analytics dashboard in one blog post, but here is a five-minute tutorial on how you can start using it to better your business today.
Read MoreAs I write this, COVID-19 has just been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and last night flights to and from Europe were suspended in the United States. What started as a major issue in China is now spreading to the world, and while I thankfully do not personally know someone infected by the disease, everyone has felt some kind of impact. In fact, many businesses are currently scrambling to make up for lost revenue, ensure cleanliness in their stores, and deal with this crisis in the best, safest way possible.
So as a small business owner, what can and should you do to prepare for the coronavirus and its ensuing effects? Here are a few quick tips…
Read MoreNow that you know why Search Engine Optimization is so important, your next thought might be, “So what do I do about it?” When I first jumped into the world of finding out about SEO, I was admittedly a little overwhelmed. It seemed extremely technical and a bit over my head. Although at first I felt like I would never understand it, and while there is always more I could learn, I can now confidently say I have a good grasp of the concepts and what it means for small businesses.
There are a lot of different ways you can invest time into improving SEO, but the most basic piece of improving your website for Google is simply content. This is both the copy (words) that are on your website and the new content you are producing and sharing online with your audience. Both are foundational elements to creating and maintaining a robust search presence. So let me break that down just a little!
Read MoreAs of today at 10:24am, I officially became a Boston-qualified marathoner. I’ve talked about my journey in running a lot (click here or here for more), so today I’m focusing on exactly what it was like to run the One City Marathon and do it under my goal pace of 3:30. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at running a marathon, I’m breaking it down mile by mile - with all the before and after, too!
The week before the race was taper week, which meant I still ran every day but cut way back on mileage and intensity. All my runs were easy/slow pace, as much as I could hold back. The day before was mostly rest after a 3-mile shakeout run. By the end of the week, I felt completely out of shape, like I had lost all my fitness during this time. I knew this wasn’t true, so I had to fight against it mentally, but for months I’ve been pushing and running hard and increasing mileage, so to cut all that back right before the race was not my favorite feeling. Saturday felt incredibly long, and I just wanted the race to hurry up and start.
Read MoreAs a business owner, you’ve got a million things on your plate…you have clients to keep happy, products and services to create, a thousand emails to answer (per DAY!), fires to put out, employees and contractors to deal with…and it’s already tax season again somehow! When it comes to marketing, the big push is to be visible on social media, and for now even that may feel like too much to handle!
Today, I am making a case for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and why it is even more important than social media marketing. Almost every business has a website, but very few business owners prioritize key updates needed to make their business show up on Google to potential customers. These are the top reasons why SEO matters as you consider your online success…
Read MoreIf you’re like me and almost every single person I know, you spent a few hours this Sunday sitting on your couch watching football…or at least, talking with a lot of people who were there for the purpose of watching Super Bowl 54 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. It’s a day that unites sports fanatics and non-football fans alike and, as with most things in life, it inspired my own thoughts about marketing and search engine optimization.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the Super Bowl and Search Engine Optimization actually have a lot in common. Confused? Don’t worry, I’ll explain…
Read MoreCongratulations! You’ve evaluated your marketing efforts, researched your target market and found out who follows you and what kind of content they’re looking for, and now you’re ready for the final step: actually creating a marketing strategy for your small business!
I hope by now it has become obvious what platforms work best for you, where your time has been well spent (and where you might need to shift away some time), and what kind of content you can create that speaks to your audience. Now let’s talk about creating an actual marketing strategy for the entire year ahead! Grab a year-long planner or calendar (I use this one and love it - plus it has an instant download!) and let’s get to work.
Read MoreNow that you’ve evaluated your marketing efforts, let’s move to the next step: research. Now before you close your browser and go running for the hills, know that this step does not have to be complicated or take a very long time, but it is crucial in finding out where to market, and will give you a clear ‘why’ behind the marketing. You can post on Instagram all day long, but if your target marketing doesn’t live there, it’s not a good use of your time! Regardless of what decisions you make, you should at least know where you can go to reach your ideal customers.
There are a few different types of research you can conduct, so I’ll break down the basics here…although I can’t possibly exhaust every option in one blog post!
Read MoreIf you’re reading this, I know you have heard of marketing before…in fact, you’re probably actively working to market something, whether you are a small business owner or you simply have a side hobby that makes a little extra cash. The key element that so many people are missing, however, is a clear marketing strategy that gives a path forward for what to do and how to do it. Most of our marketing efforts involve wasted time, energy, and possibly even money, and a marketing strategy is the most effective way to prevent this from happening.
One of my main roles is to create a marketing strategy for clients, from a landscaping company to a local day spa to photographers and everyone in between. The hardest part is knowing where to begin, so I wanted to write a series addressing the how-to of creating an effective marketing strategy that will serve you for years to come.
The first step in creating a marketing strategy is looking back at what worked and what didn’t for your business. Let’s break down what an actual business evaluation looks like.
Read MoreA little while ago I wrote a blog in response to an email about how to get started as a wedding photographer. No sooner did I finish that than I realized how many times I get asked about how to start a blog - any type of blog - by everyone from friends to family to new acquaintances! I am pretty passionate about blogging (I truly do consider it one of the best parts of my job) and I have tons of advice for anyone wanting to get started!
If you've ever thought about writing down personal thoughts or turning a blog into a business, here are some great tips to get you on the right foot.
1) Define what you want to do and to whom you want to write.
Read MoreTrust. It’s one of the top factors to getting people to buy your product or service. The bigger the investment, the more trust you have to earn in order to gain new customers. Besides word-of-mouth, one of the best ways to earn trust online is through reviews. Google, Facebook, and Yelp are some of the top platforms that allow customers to review your services, but there are a million more, and many industry-specific sites. I’m certain that your customers have looked at your online reviews at some point, and if there are crickets there…well, it may have ruined a sale or two.
So what is the best way to get online reviews - especially the good ones? It takes a little bit of strategy and a little bit of time, but increasing the trust factor among potential customers is so worth the investment. Here’s what you need to do:
Read MoreThe holidays are coming, and ain’t nobody got time to read super long blog posts! In fact, you’re probably in the car a lot this month between holiday parties and family travel, so what better time of year to listen to podcasts than now? If you’re like me, you like to be productive while you’re on the go, and part of the way I continue to move my business forward is by educating myself through business podcasts.
I am quite the podcast fanatic, so you can bet I’ve found some fantastic podcasts geared towards entrepreneurs and business owners. Here is my quick list of the best business podcasts and why I love them. If you have any suggestions, leave them below - I’m always game to add more to my list!
Read MoreThe title of this post may sound gimmicky, but I’m not into gimmicks…just marketing advice that is 100% true and 100% helpful…yet easy to implement at the same time. That said, let me jump right into the easiest way to increase your Facebook likes for free!
The truth is, as much as it seems like the opposite is true, Facebook wants your business page to succeed. The happier you are with the results you see, the more advertising dollars they get and the more satisfied the consumer (aka anyone not running a business) is, which leads to their own business success. Yes, they have become a ‘pay-to-play’ platform in many respects, but they offer the most options for getting to know who your ideal customer truly is…and reaching them quickly and easily, even if you have to pay a little to do that…
Read MoreYou have 150 characters, and that’s it. That’s all you get to introduce yourself to the Instagram world, and you know you have to make it count. So what in the world can you write?
I know that the same formula won’t work for everyone, but here are a few ideas about exactly how to write your Instagram bio.
Have you ever seen someone ‘check-in’ at a location on social media and wondered how they did it - and why? Do you want to be found when a potential customer is scrolling through Instagram? Here’s how to use location services, geotags, and check-ins on social media to increase your reach!
In short, all three of those terms refer to using a platform (mostly on social media) to indicate where you are at a particular time. On Instagram, the location appears just below the username on a particular picture or video. On Facebook, the check-in appears beside text, images, or videos, and the actual location appears below the title. Below are a few sample images so you can see exactly what I mean…
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