Almost 16 years after its launch, Facebook is still the largest social media network, with 2.32 billion monthly active users. Due to its reach across the globe, the social platform is a marketing powerhouse. However, due to the constant changes made to the Facebook algorithm, organic reach is becoming harder and harder to earn, which is why it is important to consider the other marketing options available, like paid ads.

The good news is, once you get the hang of it, Facebook ads are easy to create and generally inexpensive. In fact, some advertisers who use Facebook ads have seen their cost of new customer acquisition decline by as much as 73 percent.

Hiring a business or marketing coach could be the smartest decision you’ve ever made. A coach can make you work harder and progress faster than you ever would on your own. With all their experience, a business or marketing coach will push you outside your comfort zone where you’ll find yourself moving forward by leaps and bounds instead of baby steps.

Sound good? You’ll need to check your ego and take these 5 critical actions to make the progress you want, progress that you hired the business coach to help you make.

The holidays are approaching and although it can be difficult for entrepreneurs to unplug and unwind, it’s vital for your health and the success of your business. So, plan out your vacations now and then reap the benefits of some time off:

Social media is an invaluable marketing tool for your business because it allows you to reach out to, and interact with customers, gain exposure, push traffic to your website and discover market trends. Most business owners realize that they need to be on social media, but a lot of them don’t know which platforms to focus their energy on.

Did you know that your business owns marketing gold, and that it’s in plain view? All of that content on your website, blog and social media pages were time-consuming and costly to create. So why not repurpose it and earn a higher level of return on your investment?

Here are a few reasons why it might be time to revisit the content you already have, instead of spending more time and money on new material:

As back-to-school items fly off the shelves, they’ll be replaced by Halloween décor, Thanksgiving essentials, and finally, a Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s explosion. The holidays are coming, whether you are ready or not. And even if you’re not ready, your marketing plans need to be. Here are a few tips to get you started now:

Plan early.

This is the golden rule of holiday marketing. Dedicate your summer to your Q4 marketing plan and solidify your strategy now. Advertising becomes more expensive and more competitive during the holiday season, so preparing ahead of time is key.  

Entrepreneurs are the backbone of every company ever created, and according to Chris Kuenne and John Danner, entrepreneurship professors at Princeton University, the personality those business starters have is the most important factor in determining their success.

Together, they studied the motivation and self-identity of 450 entrepreneurs whose companies made at least $3 million in annual revenue and had been around for at least 3 years. Through their work, they discovered that these entrepreneurs all had one of four personalities:

If you thought direct mail was dead, think again. It is still a powerful marketing tool, especially when paired with an email campaign, and can help you gain more valuable customers. So, in this week’s installment of our 6-Part List-Building Series, we put together five tips for using direct mail to build your email list:

The holidays are over, and you may have over-indulged. May have??!!! Who can resist Grandma's apple pie? It's no wonder you may notice a little post-holiday bloating and weight gain.

But we've got you covered with these ideas to get your workout back on track!

Time management is an essential skill for anyone whose goal is to run a successful business. So, we put together a list of time management apps that really work and will help you to become more effective, efficient and happier (because all of your work will be done).

When you hear the term “social media,” you probably think of all the big names—Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and maybe even Pinterest. But did you know that there are actually hundreds of social media platforms available to you?

Most of them probably won’t become big names like the ones listed above, however, if your job requires you to specialize in social media, audience growth, online engagement, or any type of marketing, really—or if your company’s audience includes Millennials and Gen-Zs, then you should probably keep tabs on what is out there.

If you’ve decided to take a leap and create a membership site, the next big decision you need to make is whether or not you should include a community. In most cases, a community is a great idea, but there are a few things you need to consider before making a final decision. Here are the pros and cons:

Did you know that including a video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80 percent? Or that 55 percent of people watch videos online every day? We’re in a video marketing revolution, and if you haven’t joined in yet, you should… and quickly! Here are just a few more reasons why you need to get into the video marketing game now:

Appeal to all ages.

Members of Generation Z aren’t the only ones watching videos online. Millennials, Gen Y and Baby Boomers are also seeking out quality video content from the businesses they purchase from.

Nope, you’re not seeing things and we’re not crazy. Making a pie is just like starting a business and we’re going to explain how:

Determine the need for pie.

When you decide to make a pie, it’s because you’ve determined that there’s a need for a pie. Maybe it’s Thanksgiving or another special occasion, or maybe your child or spouse just REALLY wants one. The same applies when you decide to start a business: you’ve determined that there’s a need for the product or service that you’ll be offering and you commit to doing something about it.

In the last installment of our 6-Part List Building Series, we’re going to explain how you can use other people’s lists to build your own. And no, this does not mean buying email lists… that’s always a bad idea! However, collaborating with other businesses to promote each other, a technique known as co-marketing, is a great way to gain subscribers.

PRO tip: Always, yes ALWAYS, have a call-to-action so ‘other people’s customers’ can opt-in on YOUR list for something free or paid. That’s the secret to using other people’s lists to grow your own.

So here are five ways to collaborate with another business and use their list to build your own: