What do WordStream, Google and the White House have in common? We're all championing small businesses this week, as Small Business Week 2014 is in full swing!
In partnership with the Small Business Administration, a series of events, workshops and Q&A sessions are taking place in cities across the country (and at tech companies such as Microsoft and Twitter) to provide proprietors of small businesses with the support, advice and resources they need to thrive.
Small Business Statistics
Small businesses are a big deal. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses make up:
- 99.7% of U.S. employer firms
- 64% of net new private sector jobs
- 49.2% of private sector employment
- 46% of private sector output
- 43% of high-tech employment
- 98% of firms exporting goods overseas
- 33% of the country's total export value
Small Business Week has been observed in the U.S. since 1963, and since the inaugural event, the Small Business Administration has helped millions of small business owners make their dreams a reality. On Friday, entrepreneurs from across the nation will gather in Washington, D.C., to see who will be named the Small Business Person of the Year 2014. Until the lucky winner is announced, let's take a look at how paid search can be a highly effective tool for small business owners.
Sharing Success Stories with Google
WordStream works with small businesses in virtually every industry, and we know the struggles faced by millions of entrepreneurs around the world. As a Google Partner, Google invited our CEO Ralph Folz to its Mountain View, California, headquarters along with Kristi Anderson, VP of Marketing for GetOutfitted.com, for a special Google Hangout focusing on how paid search can really pay off for small businesses.
In the Hangout, Ralph and Kristi spoke with Sher Khan, a Strategic Partner Manager at Google, about how WordStream and GetOutfitted.com began to work together when Kristi won our $25,000 Marketing Makeover competition last October. Kristi explained how running the WordStream AdWords Performance Grader Plus revealed crucial areas of her AdWords account that needed urgent improvement, and the steps she took following the competition.
Before working with WordStream, Kristi struggled to get to grips with AdWords – especially as someone working for a small business (GetOutfitted.com has just two full-time employees and two interns). Many proprietors and marketers in small businesses simply don't have the time, money or resources to figure out paid search, which leads many to believe that PPC simply isn't for them. However, as Kristi's experiences demonstrated, you don't need a vast monthly advertising budget to win with AdWords, but you might need some guidance.
If you want to get the most out of your AdWords account, Ralph advised running WordStream's AdWords Performance Grader Plus to identify areas in which you can take immediate action to improve the ROI of your paid search efforts. Check out the video to hear Ralph's other tips on how to win with AdWords and help your small business succeed.
This post originated on the WordStream Blog. WordStream provides keyword tools for pay-per click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) aiding in everything from keyword discovery to keyword grouping and organization.
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