There’s loads of free advice, information and tools out there online for small business owners to take advantage of. In this special feature, we’ve gathered together a few things we love from around the web – some of the resources have been referenced by us previously here on marketing.yell.com, while some are free, third-party resources that can help make life a little easier.
Using Twitter for your business
Wondering about the best time to tweet from your account? Should it be on weekday mornings or will your messages have more of an impact at weekends? Answer these questions easily with a free tool called Tweriod that we just love. This gadget analyses your profile, looks at when your followers tweet and works out what the peak times are for you.
Looking for some hints and tips? Check out this article around using Twitter for business, which features SME users themselves passing on their advice to others in this situation. It looks at how to behave on the social network, and one word cropped up more than any other…
Dan Martin is editor of BusinessZone. We think there’s a lot to love about this video he stars in on using Twitter to promote your business.
How about this for something a but more ‘fluffy’… have you seen Baker Tweet? It’s a handy device that lets customers keep up-to-date with their local bakery. Basically, stuff comes out of the oven, bakery hits the tweet button and tweet goes out, customers come through the door to get the fresh produce. Currently being used by @AlbionsOven in London.
Great examples of Facebook pages run by small businesses
Each week, we throw a spotlight on a great Facebook page run by an SME in the UK. These aren’t pages with tens of thousands of fans but ones that are doing something – or, more accurately, lot of things – right. This feature’s called Star Facebook Page of the Week. Take a look at why we thought pages from Thurlby Motors, Donna Makes Cakes and Blue Lights Photography were worthy of winning. We think these pages deserve some love!
Writing a business blog
Thinking of starting up a blog for your business? Have a look at these handy tips on writing a business blog submitted by SME bloggers themselves. They reveal what can turn people off, what to bear in mind before you get going and why it helps to think of your blog as a ‘dress down day’.
PGS Plumbers is a London-based plumbing firm that uses social media to bring their business closer to customers. Here, Guy Andrews from the company explains how they look at whether the time they spend promoting themselves through social networking is worth it. Find out how they use their blog to build trust and gain leads. We love what they are doing!
Freebie business plans
Smarta hosts a great resource on its website – 500 free business plans. These are broken down into categories – from pet services to wedding and event planning – and can be used for inspiration when writing your own business plan.
Infographics
We’ve gathered up a few social media, web design and SEO-flavoured infographics on Pinterest boards. These are packed with stats and info that can help you form your opinions and gain a better understanding of the topics. View our social media Pinterest board.
