There is no shortage of companies asking small businesses to shell out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to promote themselves. But if 
you’re like most small business owners, you could really use some free tools to jumpstart your marketing. That’s why we’ve begun a weekly blog series featuring free tools for SMB owners to help you with your various marketing needs.
You know that marketing is important. You also know where to look for things like marketing, blogging, and social media glossaries to break down confusing marketing terms. But you’re not really sure how to put it all together and find yourself asking someone to break it down even further. If that’s you, then you might benefit from Google Primer.
Google Primer is just what it sounds like, a marketing primer published by Google to provide the basics of marketing for startups and small businesses. Both a website and an app for Apple products, Google Primer could be a good marketing tool for your your small business.
Google Primer at a Glance
Google Primer is a new marketing app that has recently been covered in the news as a resource of marketing lessons. Although it’s still in development and there isn’t a lot of content on it, Google Primer is simple and easy to use and worth checking out. Lessons currently include content marketing, PR & Media, and search advertising.
All of these are great topics for a small business owner.
How does Google Primer Work?
We tried Google Primer on both the iPhone and the website and found that it was simple and easy to use. Just visit the website or download the app for marketing lessons on the go. With a few clicks or taps, you’re set to begin your first lesson.
Each lesson took about 3 minutes to complete and offered basic information to explain content marketing, PR & Media, and search advertising. This information was very basic and involved a quiz at the end which was both fun and easy to use. The graphics were visually appealing and the quiz provided enough engagement to make the useful information entertaining to understand.
What does Google Primer Teach?
Google Primer teaches 3 subjects: Content Marketing, PR & Media, and Search Advertising.
Content Marketing covers the definition of content marketing, providing an example of a small business owner who owns a fitness studio and how she can use content marketing for her business. The primer explains the difference between content creation and content sharing and tools that you can use for each.
PR & Media explains how to get people interested in your content marketing and how to make your story or business stand out as unique. The primer suggests using emotions and fun facts to engage your audience and get your story out.
Search Advertising breaks down how you can pay to get better Google rankings and is a soft pitch for Google AdWords and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. For those unfamiliar with search advertising, it does a good job of explaining it. While paid search advertising is one way to rank higher on Google searches, working on increasing your website’s SEO with these 5 minute tips is a cheaper alternative.
Google Primer is still being developed, so if you like it, make sure to check back for more topics in the coming weeks!
