From Our Community: Secret Weapons for Successful Businesses

Running a business is no easy task. But you can make it just a bit easier on yourself by using the right tools. From applications to books to hiring the right employees, members of our small business community have found their own secret weapons to running successful businesses. See their favorites in the list below.

Use Google Apps for Business and Sales

Google provides so many different tools that businesses can use for various functions. If you’re unsure about exactly how Google Apps can benefit your business or increase your sales, take a look at these tips from David George on the Cirrus Insight blog.

Don’t Forget to Add Yourself to Your Content Marketing

When creating content for business, some entrepreneurs tend to forget one crucial element — themselves. In this post from The Savvy Copywriter, Kimberly Crossland shares why that’s a mistake. And BizSugar members share thoughts on the post here.

Use Facebook Messenger for Business

Facebook Messenger recently updated its service in ways that could make it easier for businesses to use it. If you’re still unsure about how your business could benefit from this platform, check out this post by Kristi Hines on Social Media Examiner for some tips.

Understand the Power of Video for Growing Businesses

There are plenty of different formats you can use for sharing content with your audience. But you shouldn’t discount video, as explained in this SMB CEO post by Jenna Cyprus. You can also see more thoughts on the post from BizSugar members here.

Try These Customer Support Hacks

Providing customer service and support online can seem like a burden. But it’s so important to keeping customers happy. In this post on the Web Design Ledger blog, Richard Long shares some customer support hacks to make the process easier.

Consider Starting Your Own Podcast

If you’ve never thought about starting your own podcast, you might want to reconsider. Podcasts can actually serve as a secret weapon for kickstarting your marketing efforts, according to this post by Lyndsay Phillips.

Use This Guide to Create Killer Content Marketing

You need great content if you want to really draw in potential customers online. But if you want to truly take full control over your content, you might need this King Henry VIII Guide to content from Shannon Willoby on the SEMrush blog. You can also see discussion surrounding the post over on BizSugar.

Take Advantage of These Adobe Marketing Cloud Updates

Adobe recently announced some updates to its marketing cloud platform. You can learn more about those updates and what they might mean for your business in this Marketing Land post by Barry Levine.

Find the Work You Were Born to Do

Some entrepreneurs find their calling easily. But others might need a little extra help or insight. In this Duct Tape Marketing post and podcast, John Jantsch talks with Chris Guillebeau about his new book, which centers around finding what you were meant to do.

Focus on Creating Happy Employees

Happy employees can be great assets for your business. To learn the importance of happy employees along with some tips for keeping them happy, check out this LivePlan post from Matt Rissell. And then see what BizSugar members are saying about the post here.

If you’d like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to:  sbtips@gmail.com.

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This article, "From Our Community: Secret Weapons for Successful Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends