If you're a small business owner, you know how important it is to be efficient with your time. The days seem to go by in a flash. While you know the benefits of marketing your business online, you might not currently have the time to do it yourself. As owner of a marketing agency, I hear from small business owners such as yourself all the time. That is why I've put together this list of the top 5 tools to help you market your small business online.

1. HootSuite Having a social media presence can be tough but many small businesses just don't have the time to invest in it. This is where social media management tools such as HootSuite can be a lifesaver. It gives you a dashboard that combines all of your social channels, making it easy to post all at once, schedule posts, and reply to others. 2. Google Alerts One of the simplest ways to manage your online reputation is by utilizing Google Alerts. Just type in all the different variations of your business name and it will send you an email alerting you if anyone mentions your on the web. While you're at it, you should add your full name to the list to make sure no one is talking about you on the internet behind your back!

3. Local Directories Adding your business to local directories is a great way to increase your visibility online. Be sure to completely fill them out - don't skimp on the "About" section - because potential consumers want to learn everything about your business before making a purchase.



4. Google My Business As one of the most underutilized tools, Google+ and Google My Business are amazing resources for small businesses. Have you ever typed in a query into Google and seen local results come up? They have their phone number, address, and sometimes even reviews. The way you get your business into these local results is by "playing nice" with Google and filling out a company profile on Google My Business.



