Stay Safe from COVID-19 and Market Your Business From Home
Small businesses all over the country are shutting down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, also known as the “Coronavirus.” Most small business owners rely on day-to-day business to stay afloat. Groups of ten or more are being discouraged, so now small businesses must adapt by strengthening their online marketing. Here are some tips to start digital marketing from home!
I often hear from clients that if they had the time, they would try to learn more about digital marketing. If you’re stuck in the house with time to kill, this may be your best opportunity to learn about digital marketing from home.
Use this blog as a guide and checklist for things you can do to grow your business from home until things get back to normal.
Create a Social Media Calendar
Most business owners don’t have the time to post on social media everyday, though doing so is strongly recommended. While you have time to do some digital marketing from home, you can write and schedule posts months in advance! That way you can give yourself a break from posting on social media to focus on engagement.
Start by creating a social media calendar (we use Google Sheets, for example). In the spreadsheet, include the date of posting, what type of post it is, the copy, any links, and the image/video to be posted with the copy. You can find thousands of free, high-quality stock photos on websites like Pexels or Unsplash.
Once the social posts are all written out, use a tool like Hootsuite to set posts to automatically publish at certain days and times. You can schedule 30 posts to publish for free on Hootsuite, or get unlimited scheduling with a premium account for only $29/mo. In other words, you can schedule posts a month in advance for free.
Lastly, creating a social media calendar allows you to maintain a strong social media presence, no matter how busy your day-to-day schedule is. Social media marketing is one thing that doesn’t need to be put on hold by social distancing.
Learn how to increase social media followers organically.
Start a Blog
A way to start digital marketing from home is by creating a blog. It’s easier said than done, but it starts with a few simple ideas and some time on your hands. While you’re home killing time watching “$5 pasta vs. $1,000 pasta” on Youtube, take a break and create a list of some good blog topics.
A good way to come up with blog topics is and find out what your target audience searches for. Use the Magic Keyword Tool from SEMRush to find a few keywords with decent search volume and low competition. So, you can’t come up with a blog topic for a keyword? Just google the keyword and see what other people are writing!
Then, use your list of blog topics to create a content calendar! A content calendar should include the following information:
What to Have in a Content Calendar
- Tentative title of blog
- Summary of blog
- Target keyword
- Target persona
- Word count
Once your calendar is ready, you can start going through the list and creating blog posts to publish. If writing isn’t your strong suit, create outlines for all of the blog posts in the calendar and delegate the writing to someone on your team.
You can also, of course, reach out to a marketing agency like HeartBrain Marketing that has in-house writers to write it for you.
Get more content marketing tips!
Once a blog post is written, it’s time to find photos. You can either use relevant photos you took yourself or look online for stock photos. Stock photos can be really expensive, so use the free stock photo sites linked earlier in this blog post.
Once your writing and photos are ready to go, you can create a new post in WordPress! If you haven’t published a blog post in WordPress before, here’s a brief overview of how to do it:
- Click Add New Post
- Copy and paste the text
- Make sure the headers are correct
- Add in your photos where appropriate and include image alt text
- Use Yoast SEO and add in the target keyword
- Include the target keyword in the meta data
- Use appropriate categories and tags for the blog post
- If applicable, make sure the featured image is set
- Do your best to get the readability and SEO score to “green light”
If you’re looking for more information on how to create a blog post in WordPress, don’t hesitate to reach me at kelsie at heartbrain dot marketing (sorry bots, you can’t have my email).
Send an E-Newsletter
Another thing you can do from home is reach out to your email list! These are the most qualified contacts. They gave you their information for a reason, so use this valuable time at home to get in contact with them. First, if you haven’t sent an e-newsletter before, here’s what you should include.
Parts of an E-Newsletter
- Your company updates and news
- Industry updates, news, insights, etc.
- Current sales you’re holding (if applicable)
- Relevant blog posts you’ve published
- Links to find you on social media
You can use tools like Hubspot to create stunning email templates and put together your email list! You can get started for free, or reach out to us for competitive pricing (we’re a Hubspot Partner). As a result, you can reach your best leads and stay in touch with your customers.
Online Learning – Courses and Resources
Lastly, you can take advantage of this time to educate yourself on all things digital marketing. These are some of the resources and online marketing courses we use to stay up to date in a rapidly evolving industry!
Online Courses and Marketing Blogs
Hubspot Blog and Free Online Courses
Google Skillshop – Free Online Training
Content Marketing Institute Blog
Learn how to create an inbound marketing strategy, create blogs, perform expert level search engine optimizations, create ads, and more using these fantastic resources for marketing professionals.
Right now it’s a very stressful time in the world. It can be easy to feel anxious and stir crazy. It is our hope that with these tips and resources, you can put this time to best use for your livelihood.
You can still help your business grow from home while staying safe and limiting your risk of exposure! If you have any questions about anything mentioned above, please feel free to reach out and ask.
Kelsie Collins
Project Manager
Kelsie at heartbrain dot marketing
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