Why I Love Small Business Marketing

So I get asked this question a lot - "How come you only work with smaller local business websites?"  

Well, I was not sure how to answer that at first.  Then I thought about it and said, "Because I don't like to help big businesses."   Now, what I mean by that is bigger companies or corporations are less significant to me because they don't usually need help with their marketing efforts.  The larger companies are still relevant, just not my focus.  Dumb logic on my part but that is how I look at it.  If I were to take a job and market with a big company, I would be just another number.  That's not to say that being a full-time employee of a large business wouldn't be stable and fulfilling.  It would not be as fulfilling to me.  As a marketer, I have to be able to react quickly when a client asks how many site hits did they get last month? Or what is the main affinity category of their customer? Or what can we do differently from the competition?  Answers.  That is all people want, solutions to their problem.  With the current state of marketing, the game has changed so fast that I want to be able to share that with smaller businesses.  Everyone has a blog, or a vlog or a Ted Talk or whatever.  Every one of them does not need business on a regular basis.  My clients do. Their businesses usually require daily customers, meaning lead generation.  Without leads, there are no sales. Without sales, no business.  They are the backbone of our country, and they need the trust of a marketer that is not in it just for the money.  Don't get me wrong, my bills have to be paid, but I like the satisfaction of coming in, finding holes in their existing digital strategy and then helping them grow.  I know what I do works because I have seen it with my own eyes. 

Sins of our father

I have made plenty of mistakes in past business.  I used to think errors were the end of the world.  At one point they were.  But then I woke up and realized that the mistakes I made ended up being an experience.  The experience that allowed me to grow in my life and skills.  Instead of just trying to take care of myself at work and doing a job, I could take what I learned and use it to help others.  Kind of like the Robin Hood of digital marketing.  Many SEO/digital marketing companies charge a significant amount of money for work business owners can't do.  These companies know this, so they charge for their time, which adds up.  As the client pays them, how do they know they are getting their money's worth?  Well, you don't.  Business may increase but what is it costing?  Am I measuring and testing enough?  Am I checking the proper analytics?  Are there technical issues their website has?   That is what I try to show my clients; what they are getting for their money.  Why not?  Everyone else wants to get famous or wealthy in a hurry.  I get it. I wanted that too back in the day.  Now, as I have gotten older, I find it better to focus on strengths and not waste time doing things I don't want to.  And the main thing I don't want to do is help someone who doesn't need it.  I want to focus on my clients who are "smaller" than the big guys and help them make a dent.  Could I charge more?  Sure.  Easily.  Would I like to sleep at night?  Yes.  That is why I only take on a few clients at a time.  So they get the attention they deserve.  They are investing in my reputation when I help them.  Having a good reputation pays off in more ways than you can believe. 

PS:  This website is not geared toward maximum SEO rank and optimization.  It is a reference tool for current and potential clients.  Referrals are the best measurement of my success in solving my clients' needs.