A marketing coach is someone you hire to help with your efforts to increase online visibility. Unlike a marketing agency or consultant, I don’t do the work for you; I assess your needs and provide guidance on how to best move forward. I basically function as a teacher. This happily translates into a whole lot less expense than if you were to hire someone to do the work for you – but it also means you need to dedicate time on a regular basis to put the information I provide into practice.
While it makes sense to hire someone for some of the more technical tasks like website design or analytics, there are good reasons to learn to do what you can on your own. For example:
- A business owner or employee is truly the person best suited to market the business. You are more knowledgeable and passionate than an outsider could be.
- The average cost to hire a professional to take over your SEO and social media is $1200-$1500/month.
- The work can be integrated into your schedule in one hour/day increments so why not give it a try?
Marketing and small businesses
Small business owners frequently have very limited marketing budgets and therefore often choose to work to get their name out to consumers on their own – but rarely with great success. Their frustration is palpable; they tell me they write their own great content, upload it to their website and post on social media, yet don’t seem to be able to increase their traffic. I know they spend significant time and effort on these tasks; why don’t they see an increase in followers or hits? There are many reasons this could be the case. For example, some business owners try to do too much online and are not effective in any one area. Others post randomly on social media without a strategy in place, which rarely works. Still others write good content, but do not know how to optimize it to encourage search engines to pick it up. Or perhaps the lack of traffic is because the business owner was penalized by a search engine for unknowingly breaking one of their rules. The list goes on and on.
To complicate the situation, the criteria for various search engines varies, as do the rules for different social media venues. And once you learn what you think you need to know, you will see the criteria and rules change. It’s the responsibility of the business owner to keep up with the changing landscape to keep your brand visible online.
Who needs a marketing coach?
Do you have a limited marketing budget? Did you try on your own without success? Do you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Did you hire a kid at $15/hour to do your social media and find it didn’t work? (I hear that one alot; many people don’t understand that a social media marketing strategy involves different skills than personal social media accounts). Do you have a clearly defined niche? How well do you know your target audience? Are you someone aged 50+ who does not have experience online even though you might have strong in-person marketing skills? Are you unsure how to market your product or service to the senior population?
If the answers to any of the above questions is yes, I can help you. You need to know going in that online marketing takes time and effort. My job is to help you work smart; to teach you skills necessary to see results, so you do not spin your wheels and waste time.
Why hire me?
In a nutshell, because I want to help! I’m an experienced marketing professional that understands the struggle to build a community on a limited budget. I’ve been there myself. Just as important, if not more so, I love working with older adults on new ventures. One of my strengths is the ability to break down the marketing process into manageable pieces and explain in easy to understand language how all the moving pieces work. Finally, I established 50Plus-today less than two years ago; the growth of this online experienced consistent growth with a targeted audience and continues to flourish.
If you have a small business in need of better marketing, let’s talk! I offer one-on-one coaching sessions hourly ($75/hour) or I can create a more extensive package to fit your specific needs. We can work via zoom or on the phone, however you are most comfortable.
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Leslie Farin is the Publisher and Founder of 50PlusToday. She is an experienced communications and marketing professional passionate about working with older adults and their families. She works with a team of writers to provide essential and cutting-edge information related to the 50Plus community.