Welcome to Day 6 of our business planning series for the new year! Catch up with yesterday’s post on why you should be writing down your business goals.
Today – Business Growth!
Can you think back on a time of real growth, be it in business, in your personal life, or anywhere else? More than likely, you had to step out of your comfort zone for that growth to happen.
Yes, we can make progress by doing what we’ve always done. But it will be slow and more importantly, by staying within your comfort zone, you are limiting your potential growth.
It’s when we step out of that zone, try something new, take a bit of a risk, and allow for personal and professional growth that we start to see big changes for the better.
Here are some examples:
Tips to Break the Comfort Zone for Real Business Growth
Let’s say your goal is to grow your reach and get out in front of a larger audience. Maybe what feels comfortable is writing a blog post a week and then sharing it on social media.
Yes, some readers will find you. Yes, if you double or triple your efforts, publishing more posts per week and sharing more often across all your social media accounts, you will see some growth and engagement.
But you’re staying in your comfort zone. (I am speaking to myself here too!)
- What if, instead, you used the time you would have spent writing another blog post or two per week and promoting it on Facebook, you took the time to write a guest blog post for someone else’s blog with a bigger reach?
- What if you sat down and recorded a fun and informational video that you can then share on YouTube, imbed in a blog post, and, of course, share via your favorite social media outlets?
- What if you used the time to set up and tested a Facebook ad that continually sends new leads into your funnel? Or maybe did some Facebook or Instagram lives to show who you are and what you do?
- Maybe even a Zoom session for a specific niche you want to grow?
If those things are new to you, that may seem like a pretty scary proposition. But getting uncomfortable and doing it anyway can have some huge rewards.
Here is why –
Writing and submitting the guest blog post can give you a lot of added exposure by allowing you to get in front of an established audience.
It also gives you the chance to start a relationship with a fellow blogger that may lead to all sorts of other opportunities and collaborations.
Recording a series of videos gives you the opportunity to reach a completely different subset of your target audience. There are plenty of people who prefer video content to written posts and articles.
There are people who spend hours each day watching YouTube videos who would never stumble across you and your blog otherwise.
Spending money on paid ads can sound like a scary proposition, but once you crack it and find something that converts well for you, you will get a steady stream of new leads in front of you without any added work.
There is a saying in the business world, “Do It Scared” that seems very apropos right now.
Just in case I haven’t convinced you yet that getting out of your comfort zone is something you should be doing regularly, know this.
You won’t stay uncomfortable for very long.
After recording those first few videos, submitting a couple of blog posts, and spending those first few dollars on ads, you start to get comfortable with the processes.
Before you know it, they become second nature and yet another tool in your virtual tool belt. Once that happens, you know it’s time to explore some other marketing strategies and ideas.
Join me tomorrow for our last article on business planning and how to create explosive growth. Make sure you are on the email list for all of my small business marketing info
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