Which Social Media Platform Should My Business Use?

Let’s face it: none of us knew how big social media would become when Facebook first launched its platform in February 2004. Not only did that particular business grow beyond belief, dozens (maybe hundreds?) more have sprung up since then. With the addition of Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and countless others, it feels like there is always a voice in the room telling business owners that if they only did this on this platform, they would be successful.

But we simply cannot do it all. There is no way to run a business and be wildly successful on each social media platform. In the end, it can constantly feel like you are behind because your business is not killing it on _______________ (fill in the blank). Too often I have seen overwhelmed business owners so stuck in this mindset that they decide to forego social media altogether.

That, however, is decidedly not the best solution…

Our Smith Mountain Lake Family Vacation

The last time I went on vacation was a trip to Cleveland, and while there are some good memories and pictures, it was mostly very stressful to travel with a 2-year-old…and in hindsight it probably wasn’t the best idea in the first place. I also haven’t vacationed with my family in a long time, so when my Mom brought up the idea of a summer lake trip with everyone who could make it, I was all in.

A little over a week ago, I loaded up two cars (Nathan and Oscar only stayed for a few days) and headed out to Smith Mountain Lake, a place I spent so many summer Sundays with friends after church playing on zip lines, jet skis, and taking boat rides out for ice cream. Since I moved around so much as a kid there aren’t a lot of places in Virginia that are nostalgic for me, but this one is at the top of the list…

How to Get More Done Every Week

Productivity. It’s a word that can bring up a lot of emotions, both good and bad, that may change from day to day or month to month. When we are at our best and most productive we can feel accomplished, powerful, and efficient. But we cannot live life at the top of our game all the time, and as a result there will be seasons when being productive is not a consistent part of our lives.

I first started this business when I was working full-time at another job, and it didn’t take long to realize that I had to make the most of the limited time I was given each day after work. I tried and failed in a few different ways, but over time I have streamlined a lot of my processes to make sure I can get done what I need to in the time frame I’m given…

Squarespace Website: Element Design New York

The biggest challenge with Chris’ site is the reason we are building it: he wants to start creating a clientele, and have a home for his new projects. Because of this, we had to coordinate as I chose images that represented the work he would be able to do, a clear representation of where he wants his business to go in the future as he continues to provide landscapes, patios, and more in and around Westchester, New York…

How to Handle Bad Online Reviews

Over time, all of us have dealt with customers who, for one reason or the other, were unhappy at the end of our transaction. Maybe they weren’t a great fit in the first place, or maybe something went wrong that was out of your control. Of course, sometimes we make mistakes - we’re all human, after all! - and the experience was objectively negative for everyone involved.

It’s not a great feeling when that happens, and it’s even worse when those particular customers decide to add a negative online review to your Google or Yelp profile. The bad news is that it’s there forever (unless the review is truly spam), and future potential customers will be able to see exactly what went wrong, whether true or not.

Top Books of 2021: Part 1

As an avid reader, I’m constantly looking for book recommendations that encompass business, good stories, or a mix of both. And as I pore through these books, some good and some not-so-great, I want to share the best of the best with you! Whether you want to take your small business mindset to the next level, read a good memoir, or immerse yourself in some captivating fiction, here are the top books of 2021 so far.

3 Things to do Each Month for SEO

The #1 problem I encounter with business owners and their SEO is lack of understanding about what it is and how they can improve their search engine rankings. While I’ve written a lot of content geared towards those issues (click here to see more), I wanted to give a small list of things anybody can do once a month to help their SEO, even if they have no technical knowledge and limited time. Read on to find out exactly what you can do!

The #1 SEO Factor in 2021

While I sometimes wish that Search Engine Optimization was a static factor and never changed, the reality is that Google and other search engines are constantly updating their algorithms. As the world around us changes (think about the advent of mobile-friendly websites!) and customer behaviors shift, it is actually a benefit to your search experience that the factors affecting SEO adjust to match over time.

I wrote about the Google algorithm changes in an earlier blog post, and as this starts to roll out, it’s becoming more clear that there is one factor this search engine giant is paying attention to more than anything else:

Why the 'Boost Post' Button on Facebook is a Waste of Money

Facebook ads are the bread and butter of marketing for a lot of small businesses, especially those who can’t afford to hire a marketing consultant. The good news is that social media ads can be extremely effective and cheap…but the bad news is that most people are throwing their time and money away by not understanding the basics of Facebook advertising. Spoiler alert: clicking the ‘Boost Post’ button for your ad and walking away is almost always a waste of your valuable resources. Here’s why.

How to Set Up Your Website SEO

As I continue to work with business owners to maximize their online impact, a lot of the same questions come up over and over. I plan to address all of these in the coming months - and if you have one, let me know! - but the first and most popular question for small business owners is: “How do I set up my website to show up on Google?”

Truthfully, there are a lot of things you can and should do to improve your Search Engine Optimization (you can read my blogs about the topic here), but there are a few core things to check before you hire someone to run your SEO, or start getting worried that you aren’t showing up in the rankings. Before you do anything else, don’t forget these key things:

SEOMaria Grace PhotographyMarch 25, 2021seo tips, seo, search engine optimization, google, google algorithm

New Squarespace Website: Dr. Pamm, Psychotherapist & Mindfulness Teacher

As much as I love new businesses and working with them to establish an online presence, I also get so excited when an established business owner who has had a website for years decides it’s time to update. This isn’t an easy decision - it’s hard to let go of something you love! - but the world we live in is a mobile-friendly, responsive one that demands a sleek, modern website. So, without further ado, here is the latest Squarespace website launch:

Dr. Pamm, Psychotherapist & Mindfulness Teacher

Lessons from the Virtual One City Marathon

Almost exactly a year ago, I lined up for the Newport News One City Marathon with the goal of qualifying for Boston. This would require a finish time of 3:30, with an average pace of 8:00/mile. My training up to that point told me this was possible, but anything can happen in 26.2 miles, and I was pretty nervous going into it. I’ll spare all the details (you can read more here), but the end result was a Boston-qualifying marathon in a finishing time well below my goal.

And then, of course, everything got cancelled. I’ll skip over 2020 because nobody wants to re-live that mess again, but it’s only in the last few months that live races have started again. Personally, I’m not quite ready to sign up for a mass in-person event (even though a lot of companies have pulled this off safely!), but when the Virtual One City Marathon opened up, I knew I wanted to test my fitness while supporting a great local business (Flat Out Events).

New Squarespace Website: Beacon of Hope Psychological Services

As an avid user of Squarespace’s platform since 2014, I can attest to the fact that it has grown and changed a lot since then - but in a lot of very good ways! In the past year, I have been able to build several client websites using Squarespace, so I thought it was about time to showcase a few of them! I’ll talk about the advantages of building a website on Squarespace a little bit later, but before I get into the technical details, I’m thrilled to introduce:

Beacon of Hope Psychological Services

How to Best Utilize Your Website Pictures for SEO

One huge missed opportunity that I often see in small business websites is optimizing images for SEO. You may not even know this is a possibility, but it’s one of the first ways I jumped to the top of Google search results, so it’s not one you want to skip over! There are a couple of adjustments to make before uploading any pictures to your website, but once it’s done, you’ll never have to re-do any of the steps.

So how can you make the most of your website images to enhance Search Engine Optimization? Here are the two key changes to make…

SEOMaria Grace PhotographyFebruary 25, 2021seo, seo tips, search engine optimization

Reflections on Turning 30

Since this blog is really a resource for small business owners wanting to know more about online marketing, I rarely get personal with my posts - but today, I’m making an exception. Yesterday I turned 30 and yes, my birthday is indeed on Valentine’s Day (and I love it). I also celebrated my 10-year wedding anniversary less than a month ago, and with two big back-to-back milestones, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting about the past, where I am now, and what’s to come.

As I look back on a year I would like to forget in many regards, though, I have come to realize that I am a better human being today than I was even a year ago, let alone as a wide-eyed 19-year-old girl getting married a decade prior. I can’t possibly condense thirty years into one blog, but if I had to give my best advice to a younger version of myself, here’s what I know now that I wish I did before…

PersonalMaria Grace PhotographyFebruary 11, 2021birthday, valentine's day

The Best Online Marketing Resources

One of my goals when I train and coach other business owners in the area of Search Engine Optimization and online marketing is to make sure they have continued resources to rely on past the time we spend together. While I am always willing to answer questions, the marketing world is constantly changing and updating as time goes on. It has not been nor will it ever be something static that can be studied once and forgotten!

For this reason I have several sources of knowledge that I love to recommend for other business owners to watch as algorithms change and the knowledge base shifts. If you are looking for blogs and websites to follow that will help enhance your SEO and online marketing efforts, look no further!

Can I Reach Page 1 of Google?

If there’s one question relating to SEO that gets asked frequently and consistently, it’s this: how can I reach page 1 of Google - and is it even possible? There’s good reason for business owners to ask it. Depending on the source, a good 90% (at minimum) of traffic comes from page one, and few people even make it to page 2, let alone continue to look through pages of search results.

Google, which is prioritizing user experience even more this year, wants you to find the answers to your questions and the solutions to your problem without navigating to another page, or even sometimes without scrolling down! So, as a marketer, it’s good to wonder if you can reach the almighty first page of Google so you can attract the most customers possible.

Reaching page 1 of Google is part of my success story.

The Best Marketing Advice for 2021

It’s the new year (finally) and, like many people, you probably have a list of goals, new habits, and lifestyle changes you want to incorporate for the new year. Even if you’re not a ‘new years resolution’ kind of person, there’s something about a calendar rolling over that makes everything feel fresh, like we have the chance to make some real changes and dream a little bigger. I know 2021 isn’t (yet) the huge relief we are all looking for, but there’s hope on the horizon…maybe, just maybe, things will be different this year.

Regardless of what happens in the area of health and government this year, it’s more important than ever to market your business effectively and efficiently, using your resources in the best possible way to amplify your message. As I think towards what this year will bring, my best marketing advice for 2021 is this:

The Most Important Data in Google Analytics

Almost all of us have installed Google Analytics on our website, or have a built-in analytics tool that we can use to look at website stats and track trends from month to month and year to year. The problem, however, is that almost none of us know exactly what to do with the information - or even what to look at in the first place. So which information is the most important in Google Analytics? Here are a few considerations…

The Best Way to Utilize your Google Business Page

First things first: if you don’t yet have a Google My Business page, click here and get yours set up now. Even if you aren’t a brick-and-mortar store (I’m not, either!), it’s extremely important for Search Engine Optimization AND for business in general to have your page set up. Once you’re done, come back here to learn exactly how to make the most of your Business page on Google.

Now that you have an official Google presence, here are ways to optimize your Google My Business page, increase your SEO, and earn new clients through this simple and free tool…

Beacon of Hope Psychological Services

Maria Grace, LLC
Online Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm

Copyright 2023 Maria Grace, LLC

Beacon of Hope Psychological Services

Maria Grace, LLCOnline Marketing Solutions for Small BusinessesHours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm

Maria Grace, LLC
Online Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm