Four States Small Business Blog

Brett James

Recent Posts

Growing Your Business Online: Post About Projects

Posted by Brett James on April 25, 2023 at 7:00 AM
As more and more business is done online daily, building a competitive website is increasingly important. For the next three weeks, we'll examine some excellent content strategies to improve your website for potential customers and move up on the search results page for strategically important keywords. In our first installment, we will talk about the value of posting about completed projects for service businesses.

Businesses That Should Post About Projects

Generally speaking, service businesses such as roofers and landscapers benefit most from posting about completed projects. Here are some types of companies that can and should promote their business by sharing completed project details:
  • Homebuilders
  • Car Detailers
  • Clothing Designers
  • Home Decor Creators
  • HVAC Installers
  • Landscapers
  • Gardeners
  • Roofers
  • Event Venues
  • Caterers
Other types of businesses can also benefit from posting about projects, too. For example, a restaurant may want to post about the creation of a new menu item. Getting creative typically pays off!
 

5 Tips for Creating Project Posts

It can be a challenge to start writing. So let's look at some tips for crafting project completion posts to boost online engagement and search engine optimization. 

1. Get Customer Consent

If you're a service business, such as a car dealer, be sure you have customer permission to use pictures of their property, their name, or any other identifying information. Consider offering incentives to customers who agree to be used in your promotional materials and blog.   

2. Ask for Reviews

High-quality reviews are essential to the success of small businesses, especially online. Project completion posts are much more effective if your customer is willing to write a review for you to include in your blog. Again, consider offering incentives, such as discounts, coupons, or small gifts, to customers that agree to take some time to write a quality review. 

3. Use Multiple Quality Photos

Nearly all smartphones can take quality photos suitable for your website. So, when you're on the job site, take pictures at the start, throughout, and at completion. If possible, avoid taking dark pictures; more light is almost always better.  
 

4. Know Your Keywords

When writing about a project, remember that you're not merely writing for human audiences. Search engines are incredibly important for your business. Know what keywords and phrases your potential customers are using, and write your post to satisfy the search intent of those terms. A great way to start is by finding questions people ask Google and answering them directly in your post.

5. Use Social Media

Social media can be an important tool for drawing traffic to your website. Be sure to post about each new project blog on your social accounts, but make sure it's just a teaser. Consider putting in a short quotation from the post and a single picture, and encourage your followers to see more on your website.

Get Started

You've got everything you need to start creating quality content for your website, and there's no time to lose. Websites that go without regular updates appear defunct to search engines and are unlikely to show up often in search results, so it's important always to be broadening the content on your website. If you can do that and engage the curiosity of web visitors, you're in the sweet spot!

Blogging Services by Zimmer Marketing

You've got a business to run. That's why we offer complete blogging packages at Zimmer Marketing. Our team of experienced web writers can help you create content to lift your website on the search results page and bring in more leads!

Learn More About Zimmer Marketing Web Services
 
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Improve Your Radio Advertising with BrandsFormation

Posted by Brett James on February 7, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Local radio is one of the most powerful tools small businesses can leverage to advertise their products and services. It's cost-effective, broad-reach, and the broadcast area of a given station is often consistent with the region the business serves. On top of that, the format of radio stations does a good job of sorting people by interests, age groups, gender, or other group characteristics, making it easy for businesses to advertise their products to valuable target audiences. So, why do some companies struggle to get the most out of their radio advertising? The answer usually boils down to branding, or rather the lack of branding. 

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Topics: Radio Advertising, BrandsFormation, Branding

The Power of Running 3 Radio Ads Per Day

Posted by Brett James on January 17, 2023 at 7:00 AM
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Topics: Radio Advertising, Marketing Strategy, BrandsFormation, Branding

Website Not Generating Sales? Check Your Calls to Action

Posted by Brett James on November 8, 2022 at 9:49 AM
A business website is one of the most critical components of a thriving company. It can help people find your physical location, buy online, or help you gather the valuable contact information of potential customers. And driving all of this is the humble call to action. Frequently abbreviated as CTA, your website's calls to action will greatly determine your success online. So, it's important to get them right. 

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Topics: Website Design

4 Ways to Build a Long-Term Marketing Strategy

Posted by Brett James on October 18, 2022 at 7:00 AM
As we move into the holiday season and, ultimately, the new year, now is a great time to take stock of your business and marketing goals. Whether this is your first time marketing your business or you've been at it for many years, annual vision casting and planning is a necessary and rewarding event. To aid in the process, we want to offer some tips to get you started on your marketing strategy creation or renewal. 

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Topics: Integrated Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing ROI, Branding

Ad-Based Streaming Continues to Grow In 2022

Posted by Brett James on September 27, 2022 at 7:00 AM
As shifts away from traditional viewing habits continue, we wanted to check in on recent trends in the streaming market. For small businesses, it's a constant effort to look for advertising platforms that offer the best value for marketing budgets. Ad-based streaming services are some of the more attractive options currently available. So how are ad-based streaming services fairing in 2022?

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Topics: Marketing ROI, Digital Marketing

Get Clarity on Your Business Growth Plan at BrandKamp Fall 2022

Posted by Brett James on September 13, 2022 at 7:00 AM
In a difficult business environment, it is more essential than ever to have a solid branding plan. Branding allows you, as a small business owner, to take control of your messaging to maintain steady growth even during tight and uncertain economic conditions. That's why Zimmer Marketing is hosting BrandKamp this fall.

Save the Date
Tuesday, October 4th
Time: 11:30 am
Where: Joplin Holiday Inn

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Topics: Small Business Resources, Marketing Strategy, BrandsFormation, Digital Marketing, Branding

Train New Hires Faster with Orientation Videos

Posted by Brett James on September 6, 2022 at 7:00 AM
As a small business owner, you've doubtless felt the crunch of the current labor market. It's hard to find qualified employees right now. Many small businesses have increased their recruitment marketing efforts as an important first step to navigating this difficult business climate. But what comes next after successfully hiring new people? Onboarding can be a taxing process and deserves some consideration and forethought. 

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Topics: Small Business Resources

Fallow Boutique E-Commerce Case Study

Posted by Brett James on June 7, 2022 at 8:45 AM
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Topics: Website Design, E-commerce

The 3 Phases of Building a Website: Development

Posted by Brett James on May 17, 2022 at 8:16 AM
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Topics: Website Design