The New Normal. You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it. It’s been rubbed in our face for the past year and there’s no doubt we’ll be continually forced to accept those three frustrating words for the unforeseeable future as we all continue shifting needs to stay afloat in these changing times. Many entrepreneurs, including myself, are grappling with the uncertainty that weighs on all of our minds and are asking many questions. What does the future look like for my business? Will virtual and remote environments continue to exist in harmony with office work lives? Can my clientele still find what they require from me when their own objectives begin to change? How will I keep my business growing once the dust finally settles?
I won’t and can’t lie to you. I don’t have all the answers as I am still seeking some of them myself. What I CAN do is speak to keeping your business rejuvenated, pushing past what would be an easy time to grow stagnant and comfortable. Those that have found success in themselves when the world made it difficult to do so will probably want to cling to that momentum and ride it to the moon, so I’m here to offer some insight on how to buckle up and do just that!
keep your website fresh & spiffy
The worst thing you can do for yourself right now is to settle. It’s always beneficial to have goals in front of you, something attainable with the proper mindset and desire to see things through. Most people decide to work for themselves because of the concept of a “glass ceiling”, so don’t let those exist in the world you’ve created either! If you’ve been around my blog for awhile or look back to some recent posts, you’ll remember me speaking about keeping your website clean and up to date with your goings-on. That ever-changing story of yours deserves the right binding to hold your book, so to speak, and it is as good of a time as ever to evaluate your happiness with what you have.
Maybe you aren’t generating as much web traffic as you thought you would be approaching the midpoint of the year. Maybe you are and you want to not only continue that trend but maximize on it in an effort to bring in even more viewers! It’s even quite possible that web management hasn’t been a priority of yours from the beginning.
One thing you have to remember is that, while you’re debating if change is necessary, your competition is already pivoting and refreshing entire corners of their business to keep up with demand. Their business offerings and goals are clearly accessible, up to date with easy-to-find rates and multiple ways of contacting them for inquiries. Their story is written out and confidently presented to ensure they get the readers they’re looking for. Consider a minor or even a major revamp of your virtual representation. Audit and curate each individual page to ensure your content is still relevant to your own interests, and update to add new things that you would like to offer in place or on top of what you already do.
take it from a blogger: you should probably blog
It’s easy to think that blogging is not a necessity for your brand. You could feel that your personality is shown through your actual product or the direct conversations you have with those that want to do business with you. This may very well be true, but have you considered the additional benefits that come with writing out periodic posts revolving around the field your business is relevant to? Your business may be very labor-intensive and specific to a craft — take carpentry, for example.
Carpenters can build a connection to their clients and the product they make by writing about specific commissions they’ve taken in the past. Supplementing blog posts with video footage of you at work or simply photos of you at work can help make what you do more intimate and personable. This helps bridge the gap between connecting with your customer with free content and encouraging them to reach out to you. Blogging serves a purpose to promote, inform, and connect.
Beyond bringing color and life to the story you’re presenting, you would also be looking at some advantages on a strictly statistical basis as well. Properly written and formatted blogging to include verbiage specific to your field can be one of the easiest ways to attract newcomers simply searching online for businesses such as yours. An active blog indicates to them that you are knowledgeable and eager to show why you’re the right person to fit their needs. A rule of thumb is to have at least one to two blog posts a month. My biggest piece of advice is to utilize questions your potential audience may have: what questions can you expand upon to elevate your business to be an expert in your community?
Blogs can be utilized in multiple ways: from search engine optimization, brand building, social media posts, and strategic storytelling. This is something that may be difficult to find time for, but scheduling time to write blogs truly does help paint the picture of a consistent and collected brand.
realize social media is a necessity whether you like it or not
The presence of social media is everywhere. Even if you think you’ve somehow blocked it out of your daily life, it is probably managing to poke and prod at you anyway. Daily news cycles are impacted by the things popular figures are posting and saying to the masses. Weekly or monthly trends fizzle out like a put out flame only for new ones to arise and take over the internet world. Companies have seen double and/or triple growth and popularity from well-timed campaigns pushed via social media as opposed to traditional marketing/advertising means.
Whether you like it or not, it’s time to evaluate your company’s social media presence. If it doesn’t exist yet, make it so! If you only post every other week or month, it is time to put a duster to use and realize how important of an asset it is to your business. With that being said, a common misconception is that having said social media presence guarantees immediate traffic, revenue and success. That is not going to be the case, and the best thing you can do for yourself is accept that this is a slow burn approach to building yourself up to keep your brand’s name on people’s eyes, ears and lips.
Every post you intend to make should have a mission behind it. Are you looking to build or deepen a connection with a community you have started or intend to start? Do you plan on taking the risk of starting a trend that can pick up virality and reach a crowd that might not normally see you? Is this just going to be a small piece of the puzzle that will eventually form a full picture in hopes that someone is watching from beginning to end? Constant activity, even if it’s a simple check-in or a question of the day to spark conversation, is a must!
And yes, social media management is a time consuming process and often a job of its own if you’re doing it right. Consider assigning the role to someone specific with your business, or if you do not have the means/time, seek a professional who can not only manage but come up with content to keep your presence visible, fresh and relevant at all times.
keep building up your building blocks
By managing to put a spotlight on these three aspects of your brand strategy, you’re able to truthfully continue building on the foundation you started in 2020. With your business pivoting to adapt and survive, it is now time to shift gears to sustain and grow. Your web and social media presence are only one piece of the branding puzzle, but I am here to help guide you in the right direction!
Appointments are available here and consultations can be booked in 30 minute intervals!
