Episode 45: Small Business Tips - A great FREE online tool for helping you master digital marketing for your business
It’s another quick tip episode today and if you love all things FREE, then listen to Fiona’s tip/recommendation today. Find out why she wants you to check out Google Digital Garage - an online platform that teaches everyone lessons about SEO, digital marketing, content and anything else small business owners may find useful.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Introduction
Google Digital Garage
What you will learn
How to access it
Conclusion
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Episode transcript:
Hello and welcome to episode 45 of My Daily Business Coach podcast.
If you are a longtime listener to this podcast and by long time, I mean you've been listening in the last few months since we launched, then firstly, thank you, thank you, thank you. And secondly, if you've been listening for that long, you will know from listening that I am someone who likes to learn and I like to share my learnings and kind of share that knowledge and get it out as far and as wide and make it as accessible as possible to everyone that is in small business or thinking of starting a small business.
I mean, that's really a huge part of this podcast, you know, sharing what I can. I'm all about education. It is one of my key values. Even if you look at my about page, you'll know that I grew up in a family where education was key, education and kindness. Those were the two things that my parents really, really instilled.
And I'm all about making that education as accessible and as practical as possible. And in today's TIP episode, I'll be sharing a really simple free (Everybody loves a free thing) easy way to learn and app skills so that you can grow your business (and in particular, understand) digital marketing and just grow your digital knowledge really with ease. And I should also point out that if this is your very first time listening, then thank you, thank you, thank you as well. I really hope you go back after listening to this and you binge on all 44 episodes prior to this one.
So as I said, today's tip, tool or tactic episode is focused on a tool that is really, really helpful and it's free. So what is this free tool? Let's get stuck in and find out.
Okay, so today's tool is one that I've recommended many, many, many, many, many times to clients, to students. I've talked about it at speaking gigs, even to people who've approached me through the DMs on Instagram. I'm just at @mydailybusinesscoach. If that might be something that you want to do, connect with me. Come say hello. So the reason that I've recommended it is because it's just really easy to use and it's free.
Now, if you've listened to the episode just prior to this, which is episode 44, you'll know that I am a huge advocate for education and for training and investing in yourself. And it's something that we can lose sight of, particularly if you've been employed before. And you know, your boss or your company that you're an employee of may have had a training budget. And then sometimes we start our own business and we forget to budget that in. We forget to budget ongoing learning, ongoing upskilling.
But I also know that not everyone will have access to the funds to invest in online course or to do their MBA or to do an eight-week program or to work with a coach. I totally get that. Not everybody has the funds to do that right now, especially in this year.
So in today's episode, I wanted to introduce you to the tool that is Google Digital Garage. And yes, I'm well aware of the issues with Google, but I do think that they put out some incredible tools that really have been the foundation upon which so many online businesses have been able to flourish. I should also point out that just like everything else that I ever recommend on this podcast, I am not getting paid. I'm not getting a kickback. I don't have an affiliate link for this. I'm purely suggesting it because it is helpful.
So what is Google Digital Garage? It's really an online course provider to help you learn about things like SEO, email marketing, understanding data, how to set up an e-commerce store and so much more.
Now, of course, in this, they're going to talk about a lot of their products. You know, Google has thousands of products and obviously we as small business owners may be aware of some - so Google analytics or Google Alert. But Google just has so many different tools that can actually help you. And, of course, they're going to talk about this in Google Digital Garage. This course, you know, this online course provider in their courses, they're going to be pointing you to things that they want you to start using.
So things like Google AdWords or Google Search Console and a lot of other Google products. But I feel that if you just know that from the start, which is why I'm pointing it out and you just accept that, yep, I am going to be marketed to with this free product. And you're aware of that, then you can actually just let that kind of go to one side and really focus on the great information that they're putting out.
Now, this whole thing, Google Digital Garage and the courses within that are particularly useful if you are somebody who doesn't think of yourself as tech savvy or if maybe you've only ever had a physical shop or physical business.
So someone like, say, a personal trainer or a GP or something else like that, and 2020 might have forced you to go online for the first time. And so you're sort of like, “Oh, my gosh. Okay. I've got my website up. Maybe I'm doing Shopify or I've got a Squarespace product, but I'd love to know a little bit more about how this all works.” So it's really helpful for that. But it's also really helpful if you are maybe a bit further along or you've had an online business for a long time, but you're at the point where you're paying an agency to do things like your SEO or to report back on Google search console or content sort of marketing that you're doing. This is really great place to be able to understand a little bit more yourself so that when you're getting these invoices from the agency or when you're working with them. So the initial stages and they're saying we're going to do X, Y, Z, then you know why they'd be doing that. You also know a little about it, maybe not as much as they do, because, you know, hopefully if you're working with an agency, they've got a lot of experience and background. But these courses allow you to know enough so that you know what they're doing, why they're doing it, and importantly, you know what you're actually paying for.
So the way that it works is you literally just Google ‘Google Digital Garage’. And I'm really conscious of saying garage because I had my first four years really in England or the first three or so years. And I grew up with Irish parents and I say garage. That's what I say. I said garbage and I know that all my life in Australia, people have always corrected me. So I'm very conscious of not saying garage. So I'm saying Google Digital Garage.
So the way that it works, you just Google ‘Google Digital Garage’ and you'll be met with all the online courses that they have. So they have things like,
· Fundamentals of digital marketing
· Get a business online
· Expand a business to other countries
· Promote a business with online advertising
· Promote a business with content
· Understand customer needs and online behaviours
· Build confidence with promotion
· Understand the basics of code
· Land your next job
· How to enhance and protect your online campaign.
And you can keep going. And there's just so many.
· How to increase productivity at work
· Effective networking
· Introduction to digital well-being
How ironic that Google is putting that out. Especially if you've watched the social dilemma. You'll know that Google putting a course on digital well-being.
Anyway, business communication, speaking in public, all sorts of things. So there's so many different courses. And when you go through that, you'll be able to see from just, you know, the initial page. How many modules is in that? And most of them will be like a video module. And maybe some questions that you have to answer or worksheets or whatever. And you'll also be able to see an estimated hours that they expect you to have to put in to go through the course in full.
So, for example, where it says make sure customers find you online, which is really about SEO fundamentals, which is search engine optimisation. They've got modules four hours, three or let's say Expand a business to other countries. So say 2020 has been an eye opener for you. And you're like, oh, my gosh, I did not realise that 20 percent of our sales are coming from, say, the US. If you're in Australia or if you're in the US and you're like, oh, my gosh, 20 percent coming from Spain, then you might be like, you know, I really want to expand on that and expand my business to other countries. And so they've got a course for that. And it says modules one hours one. So it's a pretty short course that you could go through.
So really, there's so much there and you'll be able to see an estimate of how long it's going to take and how many modules. Like I said, you'll also be able to see whether or not it's free. Now, a lot of them are free and shout out to anyone listening who works at Google. You really need to update your filter because it doesn't work properly. So if you go in on the side, there'll be a filter. And it says different things like you can choose the course length. You can also choose between categories of digital marketing, career development and data and tech and then certification, free certificate, paid certificate.
If you actually click free or paid, the filter doesn't work. So just don't like side note, little PSA. Don't click on that filter, just work through them. From what I can see, I've gone through a few of them this morning. They are free. So I would say the majority of them are free. But, you know, don't quote me, go through it. But I would say a lot are free, which is why I'm putting it in this tip upside.
So you just click on the one you want and you'll be asked to log into a Google or Gmail account if you don't have one, you know, quickly just make one. You could just use it just for this purpose and you can then access it and then you literally start the course. It couldn't be simpler. And if you don't have time to sit down and do three hours at once, it'll just hold your place and you come back in and start where you left off.
So if you're looking to increase your skills or even just increase your awareness around a certain topic like SEO or digital marketing or all sorts of things, you can. You can just go through the Digital Google Garage and get a really good understanding for free and easily. And, you know, in a very accessible format.
So, of course, we will link to Google Digital Garage in the show notes, or you can just Google ‘Google Digital Garage’ and you'll find it. And I made it through most of that without saying garage.
So happy, happy, alertly look. Like I said, I know a lot of people are not the biggest fans of Google right now. I have watched the social dilemma. I know how much that data they have on all of us. I've worked on Amazon 10 years ago. I'm very aware of the data collection that is out there.
But I also know that this tool in particular has helped some of my students and clients and small business owners just really understand digital marketing or understand the online space in a way that perhaps they may not have the funds to invest in or work with an agency. So if that is you, definitely go and cheque it out. I hope it really helps. That is it for today's Quick Tip episode.
As always, you'll find everything you need to know from today's episode, including a full transcript and any links over at mydailybusinesscoach.com/podcast/45.
Before I go, I would love to remind you that reviews really, really, really help this little podcast get found. You know, obviously I'm not taking advertising for this. This is all a labour of love. It is all to get out as much wisdom and knowledge and information out to small business owners. So in return, if you have found this useful, if you found any of the 45 episodes useful so far, I would love, love, love if you could just take a second to go over and leave a review or just hit the stars. It really, really helps. Thank you so much and see you next time.
Thanks for listening to my daily business coach podcast. If you want to get in touch, you can do that at mydailybusinesscoach.com or hit me up on Instagram at @mydailybusinesscoach.
