It’s true. Business has become more and more competitive.

Small businesses are increasingly competing with other, often larger entities. It’s becoming more and more difficult to differentiate yourself in a “sea of lookalikes.” And, of course, there is the issue of time. When business is good, it’s hard to find the time to market. When business slacks off, it is hard to start from scratch.

Fortunately, there is hope…and help. Today’s automated marketing tools and processes can help you stand out in the crowd and effectively market yourself. That’s what “BIG Marketing for SMALL Businesses,” a WICademy professional development series, is all about.

Here’s how it works. Industry experts lead 3 talks, covering information you need to successfully market.

The Marketing Automation course will enable you to reach more potential customers with less effort, through web design, SEO, online advertising, and marketing automation tools.

Each lesson will conclude with an actionable assignment. If you participate fully in this course, you will emerge with an actionable Big Marketing plans for your small business, with the skills needed to implement them.

Three Session Series:

SEO – It matters to you!

There is an art and science of making your website visible to prospective buyers through search engine optimization (SEO). Unlike search engine marketing, which relies upon paid advertising, SEO is an organic process that relies upon well-constructed and purposeful website content and relevant links. Massimo Paolini will share some best practices and SEO techniques you can implement directly, such as using meta tags on a website’s content, find out what Google thinks are your keywords and on which pages. To best put these concepts into practice, participants should have back-end access to a live website, and its corresponding Google Analytics and Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) accounts. Your assignment will be to identify search phrases that will help searchers find YOU, and once they arrive to your website, determine how to best convert them into qualified leads.

Online Advertising – I couldn’t! Or could I?

Have you ever wondered if you could afford to advertise on the web? And if you could, how on earth you would go about it? Massimo Paolini of The Spectrum Group Online will tell us just that. Learn what online fundamentals you need to have in place before spending your business’ hard-earned money on online ads. They will introduce the elements of effective online advertising and the equation to figure out if it’s a winning proposition. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, will be to research your first advertising campaign and determine a realistic budget. To best put these concepts into practice, participants should have access to a Google AdWords and Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) accounts.

Distilling Dollars from Data

There’s money hiding in your email address books, piles of business cards, and dusty contact lists. Kathie Sherman of TenFour Marketing shares how to use today’s cheap-and-easy online tools and other helpers to create organized prospect and customer lists. Transform the information you already have into a valuable marketing asset. Walk away with a simple monthly marketing plan that hits the bull’s eye with your customers, prospects, and referral network.

Existing Members or Enrollees:

If you are already a member or have enrolled, login for access.