We have been asked why we keep telling Sarasota businesses how to do things on their own when we could make a lot more money charging people for the service. Technically that is true, but in reality it is not. The Sarasota economy is a 
nightmare and businesses are cutting back on marketing and printing to try and stay afloat. They let employees go and they hope they can make it three more months. If we don’t help local businesses stay alive other businesses will suffer and as a result we will as well. So, you can see why it is more beneficial to educate.
Our Idea – Educate Sarasota Businesses and We Can Help Stabilize the Local Economy
If we help businesses learn how to handle certain marketing campaigns themselves we save them money. We can also help them bring in more work which could help them stay afloat or keep an employee. Every single person that loses their job in Sarasota hurts our entire county. It is like a ripple effect…it is far reaching for each person that loses a job.
We feel our classes can help the small businesses the most and whether you think they are important or not, we need them. Individually-owned lawn, pool, cleaning and home repair businesses should be thinking about how some affordable, but effective Internet marketing could help them. Medium to large business can also benefit, but often they are already doing their own email marketing, blogging and local search implementation.
EXAMPLE – I always get these business cards on my door for pressure cleaning. I keep them, but I always lose them. Sadly, I can’t google them and find them. They don’t have a site that I can find, because I would recognize the logo if they did. If they can’t afford a site they could use other free Local Search options. Being visible and accessible on the Web is really important (and can be easy). If these businesses were educated and marketed online I would be able to find them and then they would have another client.
What Should Your Business Think About?
Are you marketing at all? If you cannot afford traditional ways than you can afford online marketing because much of it is FREE, you just need to take them time to discover your options! Blogging, Email Marketing and Social Media are all options and you could get many benefits from spending $20 a month on these options. Just skip a couple of fast food restaurant visits and you have it paid for.
SEO Aware educates because we want people and businesses to do well. We are NOT doing it just for money. If that were the case we would charge the $1,000 we usually do for clients instead of the $100 we are for the class.
Melissa Fach – See upcoming classes
Below we have some links to articles we think can help you assess which marketing options you should pursue.
How to Cross-Market Your Blog and Your Business, Promoting Each to Each Other’s Audience
Business Blogging – “What Should We Write About?”
Some Things To Consider When Establishing a Budget For A Web Site
Two Online Tools to Find out Who Is Talking About You On The Web
The 3 Trust Factors of Web Sites and Their Design
Let’s Talk About the Many Jobs of Your Web Content
Why Businesses Should Include Their Phone Number(s) in Their Optimization
You Now HAVE to Sell Through a Computer Screen to Be Successful
SEO…What Is It? Why Do You Need It? Part 1- Local Search
Easy Way to Add Business Videos to You Tube and Your Web Site
So, What Really Is Important to a Business? SEO? SMO? SEM? Clients? An Effective Web Site?
SEO…What Is It? Why Do You Need It? Part 3, SMO- Social Media Optimization
Some Basic Web Site Psychology to Consider When Designing a Web Site
SarasotaPartyPlanning.com.