Audrey Rawnie Rico

Creating a Google Business profile or page is one of the most underrated marketing strategies I always recommend to small business owners—especially if you’re just building your online presence. A Google Business page helps people in the local community discover your business online. More than that, it gives you a way to collect reviews and…

You’re planning to start a blog. Next question: What’s the best blogging platform? It all comes down to your needs, what you want your blog to look and feel like, and your overall objectives. A creative, very visual blog will require very different features from a B2B lead generation blog, for example. I’ve been blogging…

Getting BBB accredited can open doors for your small business. A BBB accreditation (aka a Better Business Bureau accreditation) is a certification from the Better Business Bureau that shows customers you’re a credible, good-standing business. While it isn’t a requirement, it’s something to consider setting your sights on for building your long-term brand reputation. And…

We all know Google—and being in digital marketing, Google’s constant algorithm and feature changes are things I always keep watch of because they carry significant changes for any website looking to get discovered. It’s no secret that Google is the top search engine in the world, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. To help…

When you think of the best TV commercials, what you’ll probably remember most are their sense of humor or emotional pull, or maybe that they had a clever execution. That’s the best thing about video—it’s the best way to fully and creatively express your unique brand identity. And, in recent years, TV commercials have expanded…

Press releases play an important role in getting the word out about your business but they don’t just grant you wide visibility, they also help build your credibility as a brand. When people read about your business in the paper or see it in the local news, it significantly increases your credibility and gets more…

If you’re an artist or creative looking to build an online presence, you’ll need a website. And not just any website—a good one that can showcase your work properly and even support your ecommerce should you ever start selling online. Coming from a writing background, I know firsthand the importance of having a good portfolio…

Writing an AP style press release is your best guarantee of securing coverage from the media for your story. This is because the Associated Press (AP) style has been the most established standard for all things journalistic writing for nearly 200 years (trust me, I studied journalism in school). Keep reading to learn the basics…

Your website is your brand’s primary representation in the online world. It’s likely the first stop potential customers will visit when researching your business, which is why it’s essential that it leaves the right impression. And part of that is choosing the colors for your website. To get started with some inspiration, I rounded up…

When people ask me for a good website platform to build their small business or personal brand’s website on, Squarespace is always one of the first I recommend. It’s super easy to navigate—even for beginners—and has some of the best design tools you’ll find on a website platform. In this Squarespace review, I’ll dive deep…

In a world inundated with digital screens, flyers give you a more personal and local feel—helpful if you’re marketing to your local community. Good flyers need to be well-designed enough to catch the attention of passersby. For instance, you can explore hand-drawn illustrations to stand out, offer coupons, or insert QR codes. Regardless of the…

For small businesses in any industry, one of the most effective yet underrated marketing strategies I always recommend is collecting Google reviews. If you’ve ever Googled a local business and decided to try it out because it had dozens of positive reviews, then you know just how powerful reviews can be. They instantly make a…