13 Marketing Resources You Can’t Live Without

In today’s world, new and innovative marketing approaches seem to develop almost daily. Trying to keep up with all the different tactics, tools and resources can get a bit mind-boggling for a small business owner whose time is already at a premium. While there are far more than 13 places to get great marketing ideas and tips, below are 13 marketing resources you can’t live without. They’ll save you money and time while helping you get your small business marketing on track.

Marketing Strategies Resources

If this isn’t the first blog post of mine that you’ve read, you’ll notice a pattern in almost every article I write. Start with a marketing strategy. Enough cannot be said about having a well-researched plan, sticking with that plan, and measuring the results. Please, before you jump into marketing efforts, create a marketing strategy or have someone create one for you. Need some ideas on how to create a strategy? Here you go:

• MPlans Free Marketing Strategy Examples – this site provides numerous marketing plan examples by industry, including restaurants, real estate offices and more. Peruse the collection to find an example that works for you.
• Vital. – How to Write a Marketing Plan: A Comprehensive Guide – this is a great little guide and it provides a few templates that you can use to write your own marketing plan
• Strategic Marketing Services – looking for someone to create a marketing strategy for you?  Strategic Marketing Services offers marketing strategy creation for small businesses.

Content Marketing Resources

Content marketing is a critical component of an effective marketing strategy. Check out the below resources to learn more about content marketing, or find a professional to execute a plan for you.

• Content Marketing Institute – this website offers practical, how-to guidance, as well as insights and advice from the experts, and an active community for discussing the latest news, information, and advances that are moving the industry forward. It’s a fantastic all-in-one resource to learn about content marketing.
• 44 Must Read Content Marketing Resources – OK, I kind of cheated here, offering a list of resources in my list of resources, but these are all fantastic and you should check them all out.
• Vertical Measures – content marketing is hard, but the payoff is fantastic. If you feel you don’t have the capacity to do content marketing the right way, contact Vertical Measures. They wrote the book (actually two books) on content marketing. They can do free guides, blog posts, case studies and a lot more, or they can train your team on content marketing.

SEO Resources

SEO is not the mysterious black magic many people would like you to believe. It’s a fundamental component of digital marketing. It’s important to understand how good SEO can impact your online presence, so learn the basics to get better informed.

• Search Engine Land – Search Engine Land is a leading daily publication that covers all aspects of the search marketing industry. They have exceptional articles in particular about SEO, written in easy-to-understand language. Take the time to peruse these articles. They’re well worth the read. Check out their “What is SEO?” guide too.
• Moz – The Beginnner’s Guide to SEO – this is good stuff, people!  A handy guide that you’ll find yourself referencing often. Yes, SEO can be very technical, but this guide will give you a basic understanding of SEO, the do’s and don’ts, and what to do if you have an SEO issue. Check out their list of recommended SEO/web marketing consultants, firms and gencies.

Email Marketing Resources

Email marketing is a great way to stay in front of prospects, clients and strategic partners, but you need to do it right, or you’ll end up with little or no results.  Review some of the resources below to get better informed about email marketing.

• Constant Contact – Not only is Constant Contact one of the more widely used email marketing programs around, they do a great job providing information on how to best use email marketing. They provide newsletters, webinars, seminars and other tutorials on how to execute a strong email marketing campaign. Check out their website for some solid information.
• HubSpot – 9 Email Marketing Best Practices to Generate More Leads – a great little post with some handy tips to get you started on the right path for your email marketing efforts.
• MailChimp – Email Marketing Field Guide – this is a fantastic guide that covers how to create an email marketing plan, designing an email, and how to measure results

Social Media Resources

Yes, there are more and more social media platforms popping up every day and trying to do them all would be impossible and not a good approach to your small business marketing. Take the time to understand the different platforms and learn about the benefits of social media in general by checking out these resources

• Social Media Examiner –  Social Media Examiner helps businesses discover how to best use social media to connect with customers, drive traffic, generate awareness and increase sales. A great resource to reference often to learn about all things social media.
• Hootsuite – this is a great tool to help you manage your social media efforts, but it’s also a great resource for information about social media. Check out the “Hootsuite Academy” for helpful information and training options, or check out their blog for tips on social media as well as industry trends.

Take the time to review these must-read resources to start building your small business marketing plan, and you’ll be well on your way to growing your small business!