Investing your time and money into getting your small business started is no small feat. Once you launch, you’re faced with the issue of finding customers. That takes marketing.
Let’s face it, running a small business is a time-consuming endeavor. How will you manage marketing when you’re trying to operate a business at the same time?
This is a common problem among small business owners. In fact, 76% face the same marketing challenges on a day-to-day basis.
Mobile marketing apps allow you to market wherever you are. Keep reading to discover the must-have small business management apps for busy entrepreneurs.
Finding Prospects and Generating Business
The number one task that all small businesses face is finding prospects and customers. Let’s get real. You’d prefer focusing on the core of your business, right?
We get it. But this is one of those required on-going tasks that you cannot afford to avoid, literally.
There are at least 36 different types of marketing methods. However, to make marketing on-the-go feasible, focus on digital methods such as:
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Search Engine Marketing
- Paid Advertising
- Email Marketing
- Public Relations
Take advantage of apps to save time and money while you work on gaining customers.
Social Media Marketing Apps
Nowadays, having a social presence is crucial for any business. Most small businesses don’t have the budget to hire a full-time social media marketing expert either. With the following apps, you won’t need to.
Post Planner
Using an app like Post Planner to help manage your social media posts makes it more manageable.
Post Planner takes your content and posts it on social media according to a pre-determined schedule. With this social media posting app, you create a publishing calendar and let the app handle the rest.
Don’t have a lot of high-quality content already? No problem.
Post Planner has a recommendation engine that lets you find the best content online for your niche. Curate the stuff you like and share it with your social media followers.
It will post to:
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: Starts at $3 per month
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is another social media marketing app. Use it to find, schedule, and track content. You can even monitor conversations about your industry or company.
With Hootsuite, you can post to these social media platforms:
- YouTube
The company has expanded the app to integrate with over 250 other applications for small business as well. For example, add Adobe Stock photos to your scheduled posts from within the Hootsuite interface.
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: They have a limited free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month. There is also a free trial available.
Local Marketing Apps
Wondering how to promote your business locally? Get started with Facebook, Yelp, and Google. This is free advertising for small business.
Facebook Pages
There are over 1.56 billion Facebook users. As you can imagine, many people search Facebook for local business information. Make sure yours is on there.
A Facebook page lets you:
- Send and Receive Messages
- Display Business Hours
- Provide Location Information
- Post News and Updates
- Add Promotions and Pricing
- Develop a Community
Communicating with local customers is easy with the Facebook Pages mobile app. You can also text updates to your page and stay on top of notifications.
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: Free
Yelp
Yelp is a business review site which contains millions of user reviews. With the Yelp app, you can share your products or services with local customers looking for what you offer. You’re also able to respond to inquiries.
If your business is already listed, you’ll need to claim it before interacting with it. If not, you can add it by filling out their online form. Yelp results show up in local search engine results so you’ll want to provide all the information requested, including photos.
Yelp ranks businesses according to customer reviews. The more positive reviews you have, the higher you’ll rank in their internal search engine.
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: Free
Google My Business
Interested in showing up at the top of Google in local search results and Maps? Who wouldn’t be? A local business profile on Google will put you there.
It includes these options:
- Logo
- Cover Photo
- Photo Slide Show
- Reviews
- Food Menu
- Complete Business Information
- Messaging Options
- Welcome Offers
- Local Favorite Badge
- Unique Shortnames
The Google My Business app lets you respond to customers, make edits, view and track stats, and receive real-time notification of user actions.
Google gives you access to in-depth statistic much like those in their analytics product too. Google calls this area, “Insights.” Within it, you’ll learn about how people find you on Google and what they do afterward.
What’s available? Data such as:
- The number of views you’ve had on Google.
- If users are finding you in search or on maps.
- The action that a user takes after finding you. These can include things like call clicks or website visits.
- The keywords used to find your business listing.
- Whether a user searched for your business name directly.
As you can tell, this information is valuable for a business owner. Use the insights you gain for further marketing. There are also more local marketing ideas that you can view here.
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: Free
Education: Learn About Marketing
All these marketing apps are fine and dandy, but if you don’t understand a lot about marketing in general, they’re not as useful yet. Here are a couple of reputable places to learn more about marketing your business.
Hootsuite Academy
Hootsuite also offers online courses in social media marketing. You can take courses through a web browser or their mobile app.
You’ll learn things like:
- Setting up Profiles
- Creating a Strategy
- Content Generation
- Content Curation
- Growing Your Community
- Using Social Ads
Some are free and others paid, but all will earn you a social media certificate after passing the exam.
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: Free
Hubspot Academy
Hubspot Academy is another well-known marketing education option. They too, have courses on all kinds of marketing topics and offer certification.
Course examples include:
- Growth-Driven Web Design
- Inbound Sales and Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Email Marketing
- YouTube
- Lead Management
- Contextual Marketing
All of Hubspot’s online marketing courses are free. If you have downtime to work on courses, this is a perfect option.
Operating System: Android, iOS
Cost: Free
What Now?
Ready to get started? First, figure out which marketing apps will work best for your business. Implement them one at a time while tracking results. This is a learning process and you may need to tweak as you go.
You can never go wrong learning more about business promotion either. If you have time, dig into the educational options listed above too.
Have any more tips for small business owners and entrepreneurs trying to do it all? Let us know in the comments.