Now that February is here and the newness of 2017 has worn off, it’s time for entrepreneurs to start digging in and focusing on growth. If you own your own business, and are looking to see growth this year, here are a few tips to accelerate your growth.
Create awesome content.
You need to regularly put out quality content that solves problems and prevents future pain points for your ideal client. You want those reading your content and looking at your social media posts to see you as an authentic authority on whatever it is do. This kind of content needs to be packed with value and information that people want to share with their friends and family. Whether it’s a blog post that gets pinned a thousand times, an Instagram workout that gets saved a thousand times, or a Facebook live video that gets viewed a thousand times, you will be building loyalty among your followers if you regularly provide them with content they want and need.
In addition to that, you want to create a kick-butt lead magnet that you can use as an opt-in offer for your email list. The content in your lead magnet needs to be so valuable that the only natural next step is for your subscribers to hire you. Even if you are working through a network marketing company, a valuable lead magnet will help you separate yourself from the thousands of other MLM-ers.
You can’t build a successful business behind your computer screen.
I’ve actually tried to do this...trust me, it doesn’t work. You’ve got to get to know people, you’ve got to network, you’ve got to get belly to belly with people. This means you need to go to events, get out in your community and pick up the phone. You may not feel like you have a ton of time to do this, but in today’s oversaturated online world, people are craving more. They want to work with a person; someone they know, like and trust. So, you’ve got to do more than just post to Instagram all day. If you are pressed on time, engage with micro-influencers and intentionally build genuine relationships with people who have a significant following. It is absolutely true that your net worth will be directly related to your network, so be sure to get out into the world and build some real relationships!
Do live video.
I am not going to belabor this point, because I talk about it all of the time, but live video allows your ideal clients to get to know you in a more authentic way. If you haven’t started using live video yet, do a test drive. Go ahead and do a broadcast using the privacy setting, “ONLY ME”. This allows you to practice without the pressure of live viewers. Once you get the hang of things, go ahead and make your broadcasts public. The algorithms will love you, you’ll get far greater engagement than with static posts, and you will build credibility and likeability with your ideal clients.
Do professional development everyday.
I truly believe that the greatest door opener in your life is professional development. Whether it's listening to a podcast or reading, doing professional development will keep you from getting stagnant in your career. It will help you better reach clients and better serve clients. It will inspire you, encourage you and help you shift your mindset. You don’t have to spend hours a day on this, but you do need to make it a priority if you want to see growth in your business this year.
Hire help for what you’re not good at.
I say this all of the time, you can either have growth or control, but you can’t have both. If you want to see your business truly take off, you’ve got to know what you are not good at, and hire out. This will give you time to focus on what you are good at, and serve your clients with more energy and focus. Through the Agency Side, we offer design, writing and strategy to entrepreneurs for the sole purpose of allowing our clients to focus on the things that are truly in their wheelhouse.
Simplify and Focus.
Most entrepreneur types have too many ideas floating around their minds. They quickly turn those ideas into streams of income and end up with way too many irons in the fire. If this is you, it’s time to take a few irons out of the fire and start to focus on just a few, solid revenue streams. If you don’t, you end up not doing anything with excellence. Not to mention, you will feel stretched thin and will confuse your ideal clients. Focus, go deep, and build what’s scalable or residual this year.
Take Care of Yourself.
If you’re not healthy, it doesn’t matter how much money you’re making. If you’re not happy, who cares if you’re a millionaire. You’ve got to get enough sleep, eat clean and exercise, so that you have the energy to do all the things required of most entrepreneurs. Without a healthy you, the creative juices won’t flow as freely, and you won’t be nearly as productive. Be sure that your own health is a top priority in your life, or you will find yourself burned out and miserable, which is no way to run a successful business.
There is so much possibility for growth this year. Be sure to invest in yourself, hire out where you can, get out into the world and interact with real people, and create incredible content.