At GBW, one of the things I’m constantly struggling with is working in the business instead of on the business.
Making the transition from writer to manager has been smooth. There have been times when I’ve done little writing and times when I’ve done much of it, but now the transition seems to have some legs.
It took some help from friends and advisors to help me understand the importance of focusing on managing the company instead of doing the work. I had to trust the workers on the team. They’re great, but I had to give them more freedom to succeed and to create amazing articles, which they’ve done and continue to do.
This should help GBW grow in many ways.
Something I realize now is that while you’re working in the business you are too busy to pay attention to certain things. I thought it might be helpful to share some of the things I see that small business owners may miss because they’re busy.
1. Watch Out For SEO Scams
There are a lot of SEO scams out there.
Webmasters, hosting companies and marketers sometimes pitch SEO scams. Some don’t even realize that what they’re pitching is bad advice.
Article spinning, guest posting and really anything to do with link building is generally a scam. It may work in the short-term and the SEO advisor will seem like a hero, but even if it’s semi-questionable the engines will squash in at some point. Your site will be hit and your advisor will just blame the engines.
Don’t fall for SEO scams while you’re busy.
The best way to improve you rankings is to consistently create good content while building your overall brand reputation.
2. Online Video May Not Be Optional
It’s crazy how fast online video is growing. It’s high on my list for GBW and Country Music Life. People are watching more video every day and it’s especially popular with mobile users.
Since young people are accessing the Web only with their mobile devices it’s important to note the importance of online video and pay attention so you can keep growing your business with online initiatives.
3. Social Media (And All Marketing) Is About Profit
There is such pressure to be involved in social media that many businesses are hiring social media companies. This can be great because the business can build its reputation online, which can help to get new customers and build brand reputation.
But be sure to keep focus on profit. Social media, like all marketing, is about generating profit and new business. It’s easy to get caught up in vanity metrics like engagement.
Make sure those likes lead to sales.
4. Inbound Marketing Is More Effective (And Cheaper) Than Outbound Marketing
Advertising can be very profitable for small business. I remember a local company that did short radio ads all the time and it really helped them build the business.
But inbound marketing presents a great opportunity for businesses that don’t have big marketing budgets every month.
Look at things like blogging, social media and online video to help bring in new customers. You can spend on advertising, but if you ever stop the traffic and flow of new customers will stop.
When you create a blog post that post lives forever for people to find.
5. Smartphones Are The Only Way Some People Access Your Website
I mentioned this above and it’s really important.
People – mostly young, but also some that are older – only access the Web from their smartphone. It’s crazy for those of us that sit at computers all day, but it’s important to realize that your online experience should be optimized for the smartphone experience.
There are five things you might miss if you’re busy working in your business. Hopefully you can find some time to look into these things.
I get caught up in my business all the time. I’ve missed a lot of things, but hopefully I’ve turned it around enough to pay attention to what’s coming in the future.
Image: Pete