Have you ever asked yourself the question if your business really matters?
Do you provide a service or product that makes a different in other peoples lives?
If not… start today!
Most people confuse building a business with building an income. They start off with lots of good intentions and great ideas and eventually get stuck in micro managing day to day activities just to “keep customers happy”. But is that enough in todays market?
The answer is simple: IT’S NOT ENOUGH!
So the question is: How can we build a business that really matters and will keep growing in the long run?
The rules have changed in the “new economy”. Cold calling does not work any longer (in most cases). Print media like the Yellow Pages are slowly dying.
Customers don’t want to be sold, they want to make informed decisions. Because they have plenty of choices.
One thing hasn’t changed though… Consumers still LOVE TO BUY!
So how can we start a business that follows the “new rules” and gives us the opportunity to go out and do business the smart way?
3 Steps to Building a Successful Business in the 21st Century
Step 1: Connect with your Audience
Be where your customers are. Where do they spend there time online? Are they on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube?
No matter where they are, the easiest way to get in touch is just to be there too! Social Media has become one of the easiest ways to get in contact with your targeted audience.
Times have changed and will continue to change. Facebook and Twitter get more traffic than Google these days. But do you still remember MySpace???
Who knows if Twitter will still exist in 5 or 10 years. But that’s not the point. If it doesn’t, there will be something new. And you can be there too.
This is not about methods. It’s about a long term strategy. Connecting with your audience is only the first step. And it’s a very important one!
Social Media is not a place for selling. Don’t make the mistake and try to promote your business on social sites. Because social sites are called social for a reason… not commercial!
People are already talking about your topic, your market, your products and services. All you need to do is connect, engage and be of help.
Step 2: Be helpful
I know what you think… yeah…yeah… I know, being helpful is a good thing. But do you know how many businesses out there are actually doing it? Well… not many!
Being helpful can be as easy as answering questions on your topic on sites like Twitter. Or question and answer sites like Yahoo-Answers.
You can literally find thousands of places where your potential customers go and look for help. Are you there to help them?
Engaging and interacting with people will not only increase your brand awareness but also grow your following on social media sites.
Now… does that generate instant business? No. But what if someone is actually looking for a service that you offer and finds you “out there” helping others?
Who will they buy from when they need your type of service/product?
The answer is simple. They will buy from the person that helps others. They will buy from someone they feel they “know” already. Even if they don’t really know you at all!
Just being there and helping others makes a HUGE difference! And by the way… Google can see those things too and will happily support your rankings! 🙂
Step 3: Do it Often!
Rinse and repeat! The more you engage and the more you help the more your business will grow. It sounds simple… and it is. As so many things in live.
Does that mean it’s easy to do? No. Will that make you rich tomorrow? No. But if you keep doing it for a long enough period of time you will see your business grow to dimensions that you have never dreamed of being possible.
Now if you have read the tag line of my blog you already know what this blog is going to be about!
Connect with your audience.
Be Helpful.
Do it Often.
Let me know what you think in the comments! Any questions? Remember: I’m here to help 🙂