Hot topics on marketing best practices and tools for small businesses in 2014
What tools or best practices are small businesses interested in? What small business marketing topics are the most popular right now?
At the start of each new year I like to take a look back and see what topics are resonating most with readers. Since many articles on my site have been around for a long time – like Free Annual Marketing Plans or How to Promote Small Business Saturday in Your Local Market – it’s no surprise they are at the top of the list… after all, I have been publishing on this site since 2009! These are topics that will always be popular with small businesses looking for cost-effective marketing ideas and resources.
I also like to look at what new articles are the most popular, so I do a round-up featuring only new posts from 2014 that have been popular since posted… and will likely have staying power in the months and years ahead.
Hot Topics?
Popular content categories continue to be focused on marketing plan strategies, templates and ideas. Small businesses are also interested in advice on the low-cost marketing tools – with emphasis on tools that save time or money.
As a small business marketer myself, I try to focus on topics that I directly have experience with, or have investigated for more information to share. You’ll also notice that in 2014 I started accepting regular contributors to Small Business Marketing Tools that are able to offer a fresh perspective on a variety of business topics.
So whether you are interested in which topics appeal most to small businesses, or you are just looking for some good small business marketing articles to peruse, you’ll want to check out these top 10 small business marketing round-up lists.
Top 10 Most Popular Articles in 2014
#1 – Free Annual Marketing Plan Templates and Resources
Download these free marketing templates, outlines and worksheets designed to build a marketing plan, track budgets, create calendars and implement strategies and tactics throughout the year. >>READ MORE
#2 – Marketing Plan Template Builder for Tactics and Budget Plans
Create a customized annual marketing plan template to plan specific marketing tactics and track budget allocations. The Marketing Plan Template Builder guides you through marketing strategy and tactics options for building an annual marketing plan template. >>READ MORE
#3 – Template for Tracking Annual Marketing Plan Goals, Strategies and Tactics
This easy-to-follow template developed by SBMarketingTools.com will help you define and capture marketing goals, strategies and tactics for an annual marketing plan by simply filling in the blanks. Designed to be a high-level tracking worksheet, the template can be used in conjunction with a full detailed annual marketing plan or annual marketing calendar. >>READ MORE
#4 – Advertising Media Plan Template for Cost Analysis and Annual Calendar
Prepare an annual media plan and budget for print and online advertising with this downloadable worksheet package that helps businesses create a budget, review ad sizes and rates and develop an annual advertising calendar for scheduled media placements. >>READ MORE
#5 – Comparison Chart for Choosing Between Top Social Media Sites for Marketing
Compare Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Google+ to choose the best social media sites to invest time and money in brand promotion, advertising, and communications for your business and industry type. >>READ MORE
#6 – How to Promote Small Business Saturday in Your Local Market
Promotional ideas for businesses and merchants to increase local sales and shopping opportunities during annual Small Business Saturday event. >>READ MORE
#7 – Green Marketing Ideas to Promote Eco-Friendly Small Businesses
Show your business cares about the environment by focusing on green product advantages and eco-friendly business practices in your marketing messages and strategies. >>READ MORE
#8 – Small Business Facebook Page Like Promotion Ideas and Strategies
Facebook’s free page capability is a must-have marketing tool for businesses of any size looking to build customer loyalty and retention. But it is especially useful for small, local businesses looking to create a network of local customer advocates and creating local promotion strategies. >>READ MORE
#9 – Cheap PR Tools for Low-Cost Publicity
Self-serve PR ideas that businesses can use for free or low-cost tools for public relations tactics that deliver big impact results. >>READ MORE
#10 – PR Tools to Toot Your Own Horn Book Overview
The award-winning book PR Tools to Toot Your Own Horn arms you with the practical knowledge and solid advice you need to develop and manage PR for your growing small business. With a focus on low-cost yet impactful ideas, this book is full of straight-forward, easy-to-follow strategies that any small business can use on their own. >>READ MORE
ADVERTISEMENT
Top 10 Most Popular NEW Articles in 2014
#1 – Choosing the Best LinkedIn Profile Photo – 13 Mistakes to Avoid
Maintain a professional image on LinkedIn by avoiding these obvious mistakes with the personal profile picture you choose. >>READ MORE
#2 – Free Worksheet to Create Your Company’s Unique Selling Proposition
As a small business you are often facing strong competition from your local market and from the big brands. If you offer a product or service that may seem like a commodity to some, it can be even more important to differentiate your business from competitors. That’s where your unique selling proposition (or USP) comes into play. >>READ MORE
#3 – End of The Year Marketing Calendar
The approaching end of the year presents a perfect time to ensure that you capture as much business as you can — and to plan for all the opportunities a new year presents. Here a few simple ways to plan a successful year-end marketing calendar. >>READ MORE
#4 – Three Mobile Strategies to Incorporate in Your Marketing Plan
Tips and advice on different mobile marketing tactics you can use that will separate you from your competitors and keep you customers coming back. >>READ MORE
#5 – How to Master Social Media Etiquette for Business
Best practices for posting and engaging on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more [includes INFOGRAPHIC] >>READ MORE
#6 – 3 Direct Mail Flubs Costing You Big Bucks
Save marketing dollars and maximize your results by avoiding these direct mail marketing mistakes. >>READ MORE
#7 – Is a Facebook Business Page Worth the Time and Money?
As the formerly free social media platform turns into a paid site, businesses should reevaluate their Facebook strategy and investment. >>READ MORE
#8 – Free, Easy Tools to Create and Share Infographics
If creating an infographic has been lingering on your marketing to-do list but you thought it was too hard to accomplish, well think again. These days you can create a very effective and professional looking infographic to get your message seen without spending a lot of time and money (a goal for many small businesses). >>READ MORE
#9 – Don’t Build on Someone Else’s Land: Why Email Marketing is Hot Again
Smart marketers are realizing very quickly that email marketing is still the best way to continually communicate with customers and prospects in the long-term. With email marketing you own the customer data and actions associated with each contact (clicks on links, etc.). >>READ MORE
#10 – Marketing Plan Bundle: Marketing Template Builder and Advertising Media Plan
Many small businesses just need a simple, easy to use (and affordable) marketing plan template to help them with their planning needs. A template takes the guess work out of how to build a plan and makes it easy to put your plans to paper (without starting from scratch!) Now, you can get our popular marketing plan templates – Advertising Media Plan Template Package and Marketing Plan Template Builder – for one low price! >>READ MORE
More Small Business Marketing Tools
Stay up to date on the latest best practice articles from Small Business Marketing Tools, along with new featured marketing & productivity tools, by getting our monthly eNewsletter. >>Sign up now!
