Why You May Not Be Getting Growth In Your Small Business.
Let me start out with, no one likes to be told they are doing something “wrong”.
Yet as a business owner who is trying to grow, it feels worse spinning your wheels, correct?
In this article we will discuss the THREE main aspects of what I like to hammer into my clients (especially my new clients), which make up their Foundational Work.
During our first couple of Porch Talks we dig deep into these THREE main aspects which then pave the way for all the other things, like planning a social media marketing plan. A simpler, more effective, targeted social media plan.
No more random posting and accepting bread crumbs of engagement.
Let me backtrack just slightly, A Porch Talk is simply an in-person (if my client is local - meet me on my porch!) or a virtual call to break through any challenges and create an action plan to create more growth in their small business.
I believe wholeheartedly that a Good Porch Talk can pretty much solve all of the world's problems! Or at least any business and/or personal challenges you are experiencing right now.
I myself have had my greatest conversations with the most important people in my life on the front porch, hence how the name was created.
Back to Foundational Work, this is the key to everything, including getting your specific message out there to the right people at the right time and simplifying your methods (like your social media posting) to have continuous and purposeful growth in your business.
First …
1. You Are Not Clear On The Problem You Solve.
You may know what you can do for others, but here is the thing, they might not.
This maybe the number ONE reason your posts are getting grazed over, hear me out.
Our world is busy and we see A LOT in one day, especially scrolling through Facebook & IG feeds, it’s estimated that we see thousands of ads per day, crazy right?
Well our brains have to compartmentalize what we see or they will explode (just kidding! But it might feel that way sometimes).
The compartmentalizing is done by what we NEED most at that very minute (entertainment, answer to a question etc etc), if your post does not serve a need at that moment, it will not be view, simple.
Not to mention we are also working against the fun algorithms. But, if someone was to share, comment or engage with your post then it might boost that algorithm just a bit.
Your post needs to reflect the problem for them that you solve. You need to be the answer to their prays etc etc.
In order to do this you have to be able to clearly explain the problem YOU solve.
The problem comes when we are too vague or general, we then just get lost in all the noise.
Other things that get lost in the noise is saying you're a Wellness Coach or Motivational Specialist for example, because everyone in their mother is claiming to be these things, society has learned to filter these right out without a second thought.
Yes, riches are in the niches, but it’s even more than that, niching down is good but even that can be too general.
You need to speak to the actual problem you are solving and what is YOUR solution and why it’s different from Johnny Smith down the road.
This process can be frustrating for my clients (but oh so enlightening in the end!) because most of the time they think they have already explained this, yet are still getting “crickets” when posting.
The truth is they haven’t explained it in terms that their ideal clients get or understand to be helpful to them specifically, as the created my clients are too close to the material.
Having an outside person with professional experience in marketing messages (Me!) looking at everything from the outside really helps determine if the message is clear, too vague or just down right confusing.
2. You Do Not Know Exactly Who You Are Talking To.
OK, great you have got your problem you solve, it’s down solid. It has a clear beginning and end point. You know how to articulate it over and over again in a consistent manner. Awesome!
Now, do you know WHO you are telling this too?
Not just people or everyone on your friends list. WHO specifically are you talking to? Who would benefit the MOST from the problem you solve?
This is where the magic of Personas Creation comes in.
I have clients first help me create at least 1-2 (maybe 3 if needed) Personas to start out with (more on this in the next critical aspect).
Ever heard, ”If you're helping everyone, you're helping no one.” You need to know who you're helping so you can … well … help them.
So, within our first couple Porch Talks my clients and I hash out the WHO in super fine detail. Demographics to psycho-graphics, basically who they are inside and out.
The more you know, the better you will know how to talk to them in an authentic and empathizing way to then be able to show them you are the one that can help.
This brings me to my last point …
3. You Don’t Understand How To Talk To Them.
Now let’s summarize, you know the problem you solve and the people that you know you want to help.
Last not certainly not least, you need to know HOW to talk to them.
This is the fun part and where I see my clients light bulbs come on and start to put it all together.
We take the Personas we just created and do a major deep dive into them.
We figure out where our ideal client is in their “buying in” journey, the beginning or flirting with the end.
For example - Persona #1:
Could be someone that has no clue about the problem you solve, yet you know you can help them. They need to be FIRST educated on the problem BEFORE you throw the solution at them.
For Persona #1, you are in it for the long haul. You are educating upon educating to help them get to a point where they even think of your solution as valuable to them.
During this process you are forming the Know, Like and Trust factors, what we all should be striving for in our business messages.
For Persona #2
This may be someone that knows about the problem you are solving and is actively searching for the solutions.
Your job here is to educate them on why YOUR solution is the best, what sets you apart from the others they come across.
In Conclusion:
Posting more isn’t going to help grow your business engagement unless you have done your Foundational Work, there are very few products and services that “sell themselves”.
Also a business can not sustain with random sales. It needs constant, steady sales from the right customers.
You do this by being clear with your business message, problem you solve and why your solution is the best for them.
