The last few months have been an era for questioning. Many have taken this opportunity to evaluate how balanced their lives are.
We have recently faced many changes. The obvious has been a change in routine. Our tried and tested lives have been shaken up. There appears to have been a shift in our attitudes towards work.
Some of us have looked at how the ‘9-5’ role works for us. The weeks for many of us became more simplistic. This made room for questioning our worth and treatment within the job industry.
In some cases, this has resulted in many people setting up their businesses. Some workplaces have been exploring new approaches that will improve productivity, such as a four-day week that has been trialed in Iceland with what appears to have been hugely successful. But many have taken the leap…
Let us take a closer look at how things have been changing According to Smallbusiness.co.uk “An astonishing 835,494 new businesses were registered in the UK during the last year”. With “a 72 per cent increase in 16-20-year-olds registering as sole traders against the previous year.” It is not just the UK that has seen individuals register new businesses. Cnbc.com reported that “in the U.S. last year about 4.3 million new business applications were filed in 2020, almost 1 million more than in 2019”. This seems like the era of change and a great time to explore your ideas and develop a plan of action.
Metropolismag.com said, “Creativity spurred success, and the most successful were those who found unique ways to remain relevant in our new, digital world.” And whilst there have been some hugely challenging moments, we have been able to find creative and innovative ways of reshaping our lives for the better.
The 2020 ideas report suggests that 46.4 per cent of individuals are exploring what they want from life. If you, like many others, have identified a niche or need for change we have provided a few ways to become proactive with increasing your visibility.
Here are a few things to consider when building an online presence.
Communication is key:
Sending out a clear message on social media and customers that you have direct contact with.
Customers are seeking more meaningful experiences. maintain a positive approach and tone of voice and spread uplifting ideas.
Share your values and your mission.
Keep your website and social media platforms updated with your work and approach.
Having people contacting you is ultimately one of the goals but try and steer away from the ‘hard sale’ or constant promotions. Mix it up by creating varied and engaging material.
Have a presence:
Subscribe to free advertising directories such as yell.com Being visible on social media is still a beneficial way of reaching your target audience and engaging with them.
People will often have a look at social media accounts to get a sense of a businesses approach and to develop trust.
Not all social media platforms will be relevant to your business. Consider your target audience and the essence of what you would like to communicate.
Don’t be afraid of email marketing, it can complement your social media and website. Someone who is happy to hand over their email address shows positive signs of engagement. You can use tools such as Mailchimp to support you in your efforts.
Your shopfront:
Social media along with email marketing provides fantastic and free ways to reach your audience. However, your website acts as your shopfront. This is a unique place for you to create a strong brand and put all of the information that is useful in one concise place.
Don’t just rely on Social media because if the trend changes or access is made tricky you will have lost most of your means to engage your audience.
Once you have your website and social media set up, you can look at optimising your website thus increasing chances of standing out of the crowd.
Feedback and reviews:
Encourage your clients to provide feedback for business development and to use it as part of your marketing campaign. Online reviews are a fantastic way to promote your business and develop credibility. You can collect reviews on sites like Facebook.
Use your feedback in as many places as possible, including your website.
With all that said, one key thing to remember is that your business plan and business identity will be unique and its all about honouring this. Your approach will be different from others and it’s following your own set of guidelines.
Would you like more support with your marketing or website during these times of transition? Our approachability and experience will help to meet your goals.
