Marketing Your Small Business - Problems, Solutions, and Options

Marketing Your Small Business, Problems Solutions and Options

By Alan L Tarr, Master Copywriter

You own a small business – or you’re about to open one – congratulations on both counts.

“But”…you say, “it’s hard to grow”. Welcome to the club. Over 7-out-of-10 small businesses are experiencing just what you are, in some degree. Small businesses and non-profits are struggling to generate more leads, more conversions, and turn a decent profit. So WHY the struggle? Is it the economy? The lingering effects of the pandemic? Who can we blame for the difficulties in marketing your small business?

I blame me.

Was It Really My Fault?

Well…partially – as a speaker and coach, I…

Gave 18-30 presentations, seminars, and workshops a year since 2010...and during the pandemic - none.
Worked with or spoke to, and coached over 3,000 small business owners in that pre-pandemic time.
Looked at over 1,000 websites and did evaluations of over 240 of them. With the objective data I collected, my internal survey showed over 83% of those websites as “seriously flawed” – with 77% rated as “dangerously inefficient”.
In other words, people who visited these sites left quickly and, since they were searching the internet, probably would up at a competitor’s website.

Fortunately for my clients, I developed ways to solve these problems.

Then Came The Pandemic

When in-person seminars and workshops ground to a halt, I was no longer able to help you. And you are my favorite people – writers, entrepreneurs, and non-profit leaders. I loved seeing the progress you made in marketing your small business by acquiring a sound basis in the fundamentals of copywriting, marketing and website science.

To tell you the truth, I found I’m not real keen on “webinars”. I can't see or hear the attendees and I loved the audience reactions, questions, interplay of a live presentation. For all, I think it’s a much better experience. Here’s my workaround.

Updated all my presentations – plus new material – into 15 online multi-media Courses, Tutorials, and Toolboxes in Write Like A Madman University.
Made over 180 of my original works available free (or in a very few cases, for the outrageous price of $1) through Facebook, Linked-In, and Instagram.
Made myself available to answer general questions by email…and for personal, one-on-one, Zoom coaching.
Set up a LinkTree page with every important link to my pages, blogs, etc.

This is my solution to the pandemic – and to out-of-state clients.

Now Let’s Get Back To Solving Your Problem

If you have a little patience, I’m going to:

State the common problems
Break down your solution options and
Clarify things so you can pick the path that best suits you.

Simply stated, small businesses are challenged with generating enough revenue to cover costs and create reasonable profits – most fall woefully short.

Marketing Your Small Business - Common Problems

Here’s what the research showed.

Little or no real, been-there, done-that marketing and writing skills in the owners or key people.
Can’t afford the $5,000 - $50,000+ price tags of talented consultants, agencies, or new hires.
Limited understanding of how to
- Create unique and winning marketing messages and campaigns
- Communicate those messages to prospects through websites, emails, social media, advertising, and content.

Please… don’t be insulted; these are the facts for over 7-out-of-10 small businesses – but there are solutions.

Marketing Your Small Business - Solutions

Here is what most businesses need to create, rethink, or rework to grow – listed in order of priority.

Create marketing messages and materials using those messages.
Conceive, write, and build - or redesign current site into a world-class, small business website and landing pages.
Create content for website, email and advertising campaigns.
Map out, implement, and write content for an automated email marketing system.
Optimize social-media presence, increase connections, friends and likes, and post frequently.
Decide on, create, and implement your advertising mix (i.e. digital, email, direct response, print, radio/TV, signage, point-of-purchase, etc.)

Now, the only question left is who, how, and at what cost, you can accomplish these six critical steps.

Marketing Your Small Business – Options

Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of small business marketing success by laying our alternative ways to deal with and solve the problem.

Outside Experts can do much, if not all, of these things. They have networks of specialists on call – copywriters, graphics, social media and digital ads, and email system certified experts. Price is based on how many of these items you need help with, and whom you choose to do it.
Hire Individual Contractors – Somewhat less expensive than hiring a consultant or agency, but the trade-offs are:
- You do much of the searching for the right person or firm. This takes time and a decent amount of knowledge about the work to be done which many business owners do not possess. Plus (speaking from experience) if you're handling a designer, a copywriter, and a graphics person...and something goes wrong, each of these contractors have a tenancy to blame the others.
Do It Yourself – The frugal way to go, but most often costs more in lost opportunities, ramp up time, and time away from running your business. Most entrepreneurs are experts in their respective businesses – but NOT necessarily in marketing. Either get help or get some good training.
Comprehensive Training – There are numerous copywriting, marketing, and social media courses available at different sites over the internet. HubSpot, Kate Toon, Udemy, and Write Like A Madman University are four prominent ones. Look for ones that can supply you with all the courses you need…if all you need is copywriting, fine. Look for courses you can take at your own speed...ones that publish sessions every week or two can bog you down for months.
- If you need or want marketing, website science, and more, your choices will be a bit more limited. Prices can range from under $100 per course to several thousands.
- Free courses are also available. Keep in mind though, the free and inexpensive courses are useful to a point, but tend to be less detailed and somewhat incomplete.
- Comprehensive Training providers that can offer an unlimited subscription membership to multiple courses, tutorials, toolboxes, case studies and even some live, personal coaching – gives you the best of three worlds.

Make sure you check out all the alternatives; your business deserves nothing less.

TRANSPARENCY Statement

I am the creator and sole content writer of Write Like A Madman University (WLAM U). I designed it specifically for copywriters, entrepreneurs, and non-profits. My passion is to make WLAM U unique among its peers. My preference for Comprehensive Training did not, I think, color this report in any way. But that’s your call to make.]

Your Reward

I hope this article has given you ideas, insight, and incentives to go out and market your small business like a pro. To help in that regard, here’s a couple of those free items of which I spoke earlier.

Download one of my most popular Check Lists, 15 Action Steps VITAL To Small Business Success.
Read my recent article, It Won’t Work If You’re Missing This One Vital Element.

Learn and Prosper

Listen, I know how many emails you get every week telling you they have the magic bullet that will solve all your business problems - because I get them, too.

I’ve been at this game long enough to know there ain’t no magic bullet. I’ve written copy and devised marketing strategies for huge international ad agencies as an employed copywriter and a freelancer. My words have helped generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. I’ve also spent the last 20 years working with over 3,000 small business persons as a speaker, consultant, author, and coach. Plus, I owned and marketed four successful businesses of my own along the way…including Write Like A Madman University.

I sell courses, yes. Also, to the best of my knowledge, I also give out more free items than any individual marketing copywriter on the web (over 180 Guides, Check Lists, Videos and Audios). All original, written and/or edited by me.

Dig Deeper

If you’re interested in learning more, I invite you to visit Write Like A Madman University. To gain more insight, take the Virtual Video Tour, and even sit-in on the first video session of my copywriting course, Write Like A Madman and Make Money Like Crazy.

# # #