Blogging & Social Media Marketing Course for Small Businesses

Need to increase the number of leads into your business?

Want to out-rank your competition on Google?

Ready to position yourself and your business as an authority, leader and expert in your field?

Blogging + Social Media Marketing = Your online effect, magnified

Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth Blogging for Business & Social Media Savvy courses:

Brisbane Blogging for Business: August 8 & 9, 10am – 5pm.

Melbourne Blogging for Business: November 22 & 23, 10am – 5pm.

Blogging for Business and Social Media Savvy are a dynamic duo of courses, over two consecutive days, designed to pack a one-two punch. Especially crafted for small business owners who deliver professional services (rather than sell goods).

With or without a big marketing budget for advertising and public relations, blogging and social media marketing as the best darn effective techniques for digital marketing today. Together, they are more than the sum of their parts, encompassing email list growth, email marketing, Public Relations, search engine optimisation and reputation management.

People expect way more information from businesses than ever before. Blogging for business enables your business to be found by new people, and to educate your prospects on why they need what you’re selling, and what makes you different from your competitors. Google’s most recent algorithm updates preferences fresh, new, relevant and quality content.

Old SEO tricks just don’t work anymore – regular, strategic, focused business blogging is the best way to ensure your website ranks on Google. Google’s customers are people – who are right now searching for help with the very problem that your business solves.

Blogging for Business course covers:

  • Key topics and burning questions
    Figure out what your prospects are searching for right now so that you can answer their questions and spark inquires.
  • Search engine optimisation essentials
    Understand how to make your website more visible to Goole and how to blog in a way that helps you rank for the most profitable key phrases that your prospects are using.
  • Establish and grow your professional reputation
    Use your business blog to expand your network, publicise your business and attract PR more easily.
  • Fuel your creativity
    Even when you’re feeling as inspired as cold toast, creativity is a key business skill that goes far beyond words and imagery.
  • Creating anticipation, intrigue and desire
    Connect the dots between where your prospects are and where they want to be, so you can ask for the sale without coming across like a cabaret singer jumping out of a giant birthday cake (surprise!!!).
  • Ninja editing tips
    Anyone can turn their writing from ‘meh’ to ‘wow!’ quickly and easily.
  • Headlines and hooks
    To stop the scroll and make clicking (or opening) inevitable.
  • An insider’s look at my actual writing process
    I’ll show you exactly how I write step-by-step (feel free to steal!).
  • Building your email list
    Your business blog should grow your email list with prospects waiting for the right time to buy.

Highly-practical, no-fluff courses

Nobody’s got time for fluff. All information I share is completely up-to-date – every single time I’ve run these courses over the last six years, I’ve updated them – that’s how quickly things move in online marketing.

And I’m not teaching hype-filled, unworkable techniques that are relevant for two minutes. Every technique discussed has been personally road-tested, not only by myself in my business, but also by my clients in their businesses.

Social Media Savvy course covers:

  • Instagram marketing How to stop the scroll and create consistently good images designed to tell a story.
  • Facebook organic marketing How to increase engagement and visibility while acting as customer service.
  • Facebook advertising The hallmarks of effective Facebook advertising that go way beyond the boosted post.
  • Facebook Live video marketing Why live video offers the biggest opportunity for small businesses and how to do it well.
  • Basic graphic design Where to find and create new promotional image for social media marketing.
  • Storylines and ideas We brainstorm strategic stories and savvy topics to use in your e-newsletters, websites, blogs, articles, and social media.
  • Social media scheduling Systems, tools and short-cuts to promote your business without getting sucked into the Facebook-time-space-vortex.
  • The hows, whys, whens and whats of social media And especially, how much is enough to be effective, while still having a life away from the screen.
  • Growing your email list through social media Learn how to migrate social media followers into email subscribers
  • Hallmarks of a shareable post To break through the clutter while making your business’s point-of-difference and unique value clear, without getting all self-consciously stiff-under-the-collar.
  • Laser-like focus Avoid wasting hours looking at photos of your ex-husband’s new wife’s daughter’s wedding).

Caroline Giles“I felt like I knew Brook before I walked in the door – that’s how effective her writing and marketing is. This course gave me a head full of new and different ways to get my unique message out there. My first blog post after the course had my largest reach and response ever! I wish the day was longer.”

Caroline Giles, Experience Yoga

Jo Jarvis“Brook’s course gave me surprisingly more insight, confidence, tips, and ideas than I could’ve thought possible in one day, especially as this was a new world to me. There was plenty discussed about business that went beyond blogging. Anyone in small business can learn this. Get in there!”

Johanna Jarvis, ABC Radio

Richard Woodward“Brook’s course on Blogging for Business was a really worthwhile investment of time and money. The day was practical, fast paced and delivered lots of ideas that I could apply immediately. I recommend it!”

Richard Woodward, Business Development That Works

About the presenter, Brook McCarthy

Brook McCarthy blogging for businessHi! I’m Brook McCarthy. I started creating content online on behalf of clients back in 2005. I’ve worked closely with clients that range from large multi-nationals to one (wo)man bands, specialising is the health and creative sectors (though I was also editor of the Australian Builders’ Association magazine for a period, and know far more about white goods than I care to admit).

I’ve started more Facebook pages and groups for business owners than I care to remember and wrote and executed the Twitter strategy for Australia’s first daily deals website (until they were sold for a reputed $40 million 14 months later).

Since 2012, I’ve run face-to-face courses on digital marketing for business owners across Australia. I equip and empower participants with the tools, knowledge and perspective to combine creativity with smart business strategy. Digital marketing is particularly accessible for small businesses without large marketing budgets, to define their difference, stand out, and to reach far more people with low- or no-cost tech tools and tactics. See more about my writing here, or check out my business blogs here and here.

Milly Dabrowski“Our business blog has been flailing for some time and no-one in the business was confident to do it. I had a friend who did Brook’s Blogging for Business course who spoke very highly of it. I could also see the changes my friend began implementing straight after. I also liked the voice behind the business – Brook’s marketing feels real and approachable as well as knowledgeable and experienced. She was all of those things in reality, as well as a great teacher and entertaining too! Since the course, I feel savvy – it’s suddenly become a whole lot easier. The course was inspiring, tightly presented and full of useful and unique insights and information I hadn’t previously come across. We came away feeling inspired and have reworked our business tasks across the management group to give the business blog a far higher priority. Now that we’ve got so many headlines and topic ideas to work with, writing feels far easier.”

Milly Dabrowski, Fertile Ground Health Group Co-Director

Common questions

 

“Who comes to these courses?”

Small business owners and sole traders, typically from the health and creative sectors. Past participants hale from industries far and wide, and include stilt dancing, music, creative marketers, yoga and Pilates, personal trainers, psychologists and therapists, copy writers, photographers and graphic designers, trainers, speakers, authors, coaches and consultants. We do have marketing professionals who are seeking a jolt of inspiration and to upgrade their skills in this fast-moving environment. While most course attendees are business owners, some are employed and charged with digital marketing within their organisation.

“Will blogging help my search engine ranking?”

You better believe it! Strategic and smart blogging for business is a great method to increase your search engine ranking, and I’ll show you how. Not only will we explore how to find out what your prospects are already searching for, but I’ll show you how to enhance your ranking after your post is published by making it irresistible to others who want to link to it.

“I can’t write. Is there hope for me?”

Strike “I can’t write” from your brain. I’ll show you the quickest and most effective brainstorming and writing techniques known to humanity. And let’s remember, we’re blogging for business. We’re not writing The Catcher in the Rye. There’s a tried-and-tested formula, which can be taught. Your ideas are far more important than your technique. And no, you will no have to share your writing if you don’t want to.

“Will you show me how to set up a business blog?”

No, we’re assuming you already have a website and blog set up and running. However, we will be talking about the pros and cons of different blogging platforms, so if you don’t yet have a business blog, you’ll gain invaluable insights to get started the right way.

“Can’t I just skip blogging and focus on social media instead?”

Sure, if you want to risk losing everything. Concentrating just on social media marketing to the detriment of developing your own website through business blogging and using blogging, SEO and social media to grow your own email list is like building a house on land you don’t own. It’s risky. As the rise and rise of Facebook advertising shows, you can invest considerable time into a free social media site, only to have it change into a paid platform with a social context, which effectively cuts your business’s access to your hard-won fans. Blogging for business also helps make your social media marketing far easier, more effective and strategic.

“I don’t have a lot of time. Will you teach me short-cuts?”

Yessir. In the last 12 years that I’ve been working in digital communications and the last nine years of self-employment, I’ve learnt plenty of short-cuts for creative brainstorming and quick content creation. Your blogging and social media marketing doesn’t need to take any more time than what you’re currently spending answering queries from potential clients and should significantly reduce your need to respond to customer service inquiries as well as prospect calls.

“Will I be put on the spot, forced to share my writing at the front of the room?”

No way! This is not a real life nightmare hangover from school. Nobody will be reading from the front of the room except me. You will, however, have ample opportunity to get feedback on your writing and editing, but this isn’t mandatory.

“Will you teach me how to monetise my blog?”

No. This course assumes you already have a business, with services or goods for sale. I teach people how to use business blogging as a marketing technique, to build your authority, inspire trust, enhance credibility, improve your website ranking, increase your brand visibility and, ultimately, sell more effectively. There are plenty of courses that teach you how to monetise your blog but this is a different business model from what I teach.

Emily Becher“I could read Brook’s personality in her writing and got the feeling that she would deliver the information in a way that I could enjoy, relate to and really benefit from. The day was fantastic. Brook’s teaching pace was perfect, class participation was encouraged but I never felt like I was put on the spot so there was no anxiety. Brook’s knowledge on the topics covered was amazing and up-to-date with current trends. Throughout the day, Brook was put on the spot with questions specific to different people’s businesses and she’d quickly come up with a new approach to use for each scenario. I realised I do have interesting things to write about that will intrigue my audience. Blogging is essential for a small business like mine. I still have so much more to implement from the course but even after the first few blogs I’ve written since, I’ve had many people contact me personally and tell me they really enjoyed reading them. It’s reignited my writing passion.”

Emily Becher, Emily Becher Jewellery

Kelli Howard“I got so much more than I expected from this course! Inspiration to write, to be daring, insight into exactly who I wanted to attract to my business, and contacts to help me beyond the course. This course blew my mind and has me excited about the future of my business.”

Kelli Howard Yoga & Massage

Shakti Burke“I just saved myself about five years of fluffing around on the web by attending Brook’s two-day intensive marketing & blogging workshop. Hallelujah! Already I feel more confident online and am opening to possibilities I hadn’t imagined. Excited, a little overwhelmed, and will be taking it one day at a time.”

Shakti Burke, Joyful Mind

John Wilson“What a great day! I gained a lot of knowledge and I now feel much more confident in marketing my business through social media. Thank you Brook for a very well-organised and professionally presented course. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in gaining market share through social media marketing.”

John Wilson, Peninsula Yoga Central Coast

Upcoming courses

Brisbane Blogging for Business: Wednesday August 8, 10am – 5pm.
Brisbane Social Media Savvy: Thursday August 9, 10am – 5pm.

Melbourne Blogging for Business: Thursday November 22, 10am – 5pm.
Melbourne Social Media Savvy: Friday November 23, 10am – 5pm.

Cost: Both courses (two days): $770.
Brisbane participants: save $110 when you book and pay by July 9.
Melbourne participants: save $110 when you book and pay in full by October 23.

These courses are also sold separately. Click here to view and book just Blogging for Business. Click here to view and book just Social Media Savvy. To encourage you to come to both courses, there’s a discounted price on paying for individual courses. Please note that the discounted price is for one individual coming to both courses over two consecutive days. Numbers are strictly limited to ensure these courses are as personal, highly interactive, and valuable as possible. Includes full day catering, course materials, homework preparatory task and follow-up resources.

This is perfect for you if:

  • You need to increase the number of leads and inquiries into your business.
  • You want to tap into your empathy and creativity to make your marketing way more effective.
  • You want to reduce the number of go-nowhere conversations with prospects who ask a million questions but don’t buy.
  • You want to build and strengthen your professional reputation and exposure without engaging an expensive PR agency.
  • You want to share your opinions online in a way which is relevant, compelling, provocative and eloquent.
  • You don’t have time for hype and fluff and want to learn from a seasoned professional.
  • You have a website (or are in the process of getting one).
  • You’re ready to grow your business.

These courses ARE NOT for you if:

  • You want to learn blogging or social media for personal reasons only. This course is for businesses and organisations.
  • You’re a bit of a luddite – your internet connection is dial-up, you haven’t heard of WordPress, and you only just registered for a Facebook account.
  • You’re looking for a secret formula to grow your business quickly, without any additional effort.
  • You’re looking to give away responsibility for your business failures and successes.
  • You’re a social media skeptic, you hate to write, you rarely read anything, and you’re looking for entertainment (I recommend going to the movie, going to see a play, or having a barbecue instead).

Book Now:

Enter your email address below to start the registration process

<form id="subForm" action="https://yogareach.createsend.com/t/r/s/iidyhji/" method="post"><label for="fieldEmail"></label> <input id="fieldEmail" name="cm-iidyhji-iidyhji" type="email" placeholder="Your Email" /> <button class="orange-button" type="submit">Book</button> </form>