It used to be that marketing meant grabbing a megaphone and
garnering the attention of as many people as possible. It used to mean buying
newspaper ads, and placing your business in a prominent spot in the phone book.
Clever TV ads meant to reach a wide audience were a necessity. Not anymore.
As a small business owner, you need to be a jack of all
trades. You need to be a master of accounting, as well as a master of the arts.
You can add one more talent to the list of things that a small business owner
must be. Like it or not, you will need to be a proficient writer, or hire one. Social
media, websites, and blogging all mean content.
If you are the DIY type, you will need to write about your
company—a lot. That’s going to mean a few things for you. For one, you’re going
to have to start thinking about the big picture for your business, and how you
want to communicate your message.
What’s your business’s story? How can you tell it in an
engaging and entertaining way? How can you distinguish your business from your
competition? In order to answer these questions you’ll need to be familiar with
your competition and what they offer. You’ll need to be consistently reading
industry related magazines, books, and blogs to keep a good log of what is
going on.
One thing writers always say is to read good writing. I’ll
take it an additional step. Read writing that will push your boundaries. Don’t
just read business books. Read books about creativity. Read some fiction and
non-fiction. Read some books you might disagree with. The important thing is to
just read.
From there, it’s time to put your own stamp on the material.
Keep a notebook of ideas. Don’t be afraid to tweak your website content. Blog
about your business as much as you physically can. And engage with your friends
and followers via your social media channels.
When you do these things right, they’re not just good
internet marketing, they’re good marketing. So open up your word processing
software, brush up on your grammar and dive in. Do things right, and it can pay
off to write about your company.
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