Background – Why Learn Digital Marketing At All?
Digital marketing is a skill that all small business owners should at least know the basics of. It is more important than the font on your business card and the paint choice for your store front. Its your key to your next generation of customers and keeping your business afloat, relevant and profitable.
The Grind
A lot of small business owners don’t have the time to spend hours listening to podcasts and reading all the latest industry trends on digital marketing. I don’t believe they should either as this is time they could be developing their business, doing whatever it is they do best. That said, it pays dividends to understand the basics of how Google Adwords work and how your customers can be reached through facebook and other social media channels. You don’t need to understand website coding or CSS, but you should know how to edit your website be that yourself or on whom you can call to make those edits in a timely and professional manner. It can be a grind but having your digital house in order will stand to you as other business, the majority of them unfortunately, are not ready for the digital change and climate.
But, Where to Learn?
In no particular order, I recommend the following resources to any small business owner. This isn’t a conclusive list, but its a start and should help you find the areas to kick start your digital marketing knowledge:
Udemy – This is probably the global ‘go to’ site for online learning and has a wealth of resources for those that want to get technical or keep it high level. I’d recommend you browse the reviews of a course before purchasing and watch a lecture or two if available. You want to be sure you understand the lecturer and they deliver in a fashion you can relate to.
Podcasts – There are too many to mention but your sure to find a podcast on iTunes or other providers to suit your work day. Some are less than 15 mins, others can be listened to in chapters and can be a great way to start or round off your day.
~ Updated List Coming Soon ~
Example
Mike’s Mexican is a family owned restaurant in Westdale, Hamilton. They have recently renovated and are now part of Uber Eats. To compliment this, they implemented their own online ordering service and need to promote it. Mike doesn’t have a huge amount of time but each day he has assigned 30 mins, during his drive to and from work, to listen to the latest digital marketing podcasts. On weekends, he is reviewing his chosen Udemy courses, with a goal to complete 1 course per month and align his digital marketing activities with each course.