By TE Cunningham & Sofia Thompson Social media can seem overwhelming to the small business owner just starting out. If you don't have a marketing employee to take the reins for you, here are some brief guidelines to get you started. Create your Instagram profile and fill out every possible field. Choose all tabs that make sense for your business to have the most robust page possible. Make sure all graphics, especially your Instagram profile pic, are consistent in your branding. We recommend a logo bug for the profile pic; make sure your entire logo shows in the box if [...]

By Shea Eckert Digital marketing has become more prominent in the business world, especially for small businesses. Many business owners heavily rely on digital marketing to help promote their company, because their budgets are limited and only allow for nominal marketing expenditures. Your online presence can create brand awareness and drive sales if managed correctly. Due to evolving technology, digital marketing is constantly changing, but here are a few critical takeaways of items you want to manage in your digital footprint. Search Engine Optimization Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, is a tool available to businesses to promote and [...]

By TE Cunningham & Shea Eckert Social media can seem overwhelming to the small business owner; even worse, it can be time-consuming. If you don't have a marketing employee to take the reigns for you, here are some brief guidelines to get you started. Create your Twitter page and fill out every possible field on your profile. Follow additional accounts that relate to your business to have the most robust page possible. With Twitter, there is sometimes a quid pro quo effect, and people and accounts will often follow you back. Be consistent in your branding and make sure all [...]

By Shea Eckert Since the world wide web was first invented in 1990, the world has had growing, high-speed access to information on any topic one can imagine. People across the globe have become more reliant on the internet for everyday tasks such as driving navigation, communication and shopping. Since our business is so tied to online activity, today is an important day for the entire TLC Marketing Consultants team to share some info about keeping you and yours safe online. Today, Feb. 8, is Safer Internet Day and is observed annually to raise awareness of safety precautions that should [...]

By TE Cunningham & Sofia Thompson Social media can seem overwhelming to the small business owner just starting. If you don't have a marketing employee to take the reins for you, here are some brief guidelines to get you started. Create your Facebook page and fill out every possible field. Choose all tabs that make sense for your business to have the most robust page possible. Be consistent in your branding and make sure all graphics, especially your Facebook cover and profile pic. We recommend a logo bug for the profile pic; make sure your entire logo shows in the [...]

By Sofie Thompson Marketing on an SMB limited budget can be a challenge for business owners. There is an almost unlimited number of choices for your marketing and advertising efforts in today’s world, and many of them are significant in cost. That said, you can do things to get the word out about your products and services even on the smallest of marketing budgets. Here are just a few ideas to get your company noticed this year. Tag other brands/companies in your social media posts and use hashtags! Doing these simple things on your platforms is an easy way to [...]

By Shea Eckert As we enter the last month of the year, it’s a magical holiday season for many, but for SMB owners, it’s also leading to the most dreaded - tax season! Tax season can be highly stressful if you do not prepare properly and stay organized throughout the year. Procrastination in this area is not your friend! If you take the initiative to keep your tax documents organized and safe now, you will have a more peaceful and efficient tax filing process. Here are five simple things you can do to prepare for the upcoming tax season: 1.     [...]

By Sofie Thompson As small businesses are still financially recovering from the pandemic, supporting them is more critical than ever. This weekend, you can celebrate Small Business Saturday, a nationwide event where business owners, civic leaders and shoppers come together to support communities and the local businesses that make them so unique! Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is intended to support small businesses by encouraging consumers to shop locally and get more customers into smaller stores. This event reminds consumers of the vital role their participation plays in the community. Some of the benefits of supporting [...]

By Shea Eckert When starting a business, SMB owners often struggle to find their business’s correct target market in the early stages. What is a target market, you ask? A target market is a narrowed-down audience by which each company is most likely to impact or attract. Members of each market are typically classified by specific factors that distinguish them from other groups. The target market of a small business should be the primary reach of each marketing campaign; however, each campaign should not entirely exclude other existing markets. Discovering your target audience is one of the most important things [...]