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COVID-19 and Effective Social Marketing Strategies by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor

Social Networks, Marketing and a Global Pandemic

The world is nothing like it used to be at this moment in time. The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything everywhere for the time being. The reality is, too, that things may never go back to the way they used to be. This influences all aspects of day-to-day existence as well. It has even had a massive effect on how businesses approach digital marketing. If you want to master social media marketing for the pandemic and beyond, then you should look into these strategies as soon as possible. You should approach marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn nowadays with all of the caution and smarts in the world.

  1. Focus on Audience Targeting

If you want to track down leads and strengthen engagement in a big way, then you should take the time to focus on audience targeting. It can help to turn to devices such as the Facebook ads manager. If you utilize this, then you’ll be able to track down an audience that’s practically tailored to your specific preferences and wishes. If you want to figure out who exactly needs to see your latest advertisements, then you need to make in-depth targeting one of your top aims.

  1. Help Social Network Users Get Breaks From the Harsh Realities of Life Nowadays

There is no disputing that life nowadays is difficult and unpredictable for so many people all around the globe. That’s the reason that it can be such a good idea for businesses to help social media users get welcome breaks from all sorts of difficulties. People more than ever need pleasant distractions that can put genuine smiles on their faces. It can be an intelligent idea to integrate joy into news pieces. If you want to post a relevant story for your audience members, then you should think about possibly implementing fascinating video clips. You should think about possibly introducing them to other things that may pique their interest levels as well. Virtual tours of intriguing destinations may just do the trick.

  1. Zero in on Context

It’s critical to zero in on context. There’s no arguing that this pandemic has influenced people all around the planet. There’s also no disputing that its effects in many cases hit close to home. That’s the reason that the smartest businesses out there should study up on how it has affected cities, towns and communities all over the map. If you want to avoid doing anything insensitive unintentionally, then you should make a point to study up on regional matters that may change how you approach your social network “voice” during the pandemic. If you hear about a small town close to you that has experienced particularly significant job loss as a result of the pandemic, then you may want to reconsider how you handle your posts that are relevant to all of its locals.

  1. Evaluate Things Over and Over Again

Nonstop reevaluations can do wonders for businesses that want to approach pandemic social network use intelligently and sensitively. Markets are evolving more rapidly than ever these days. That’s why you need to go above and beyond to reevaluate matters with significant frequency. You should reevaluate your marketing campaigns. You should reevaluate your rules as well. Things that you implemented a month ago may no longer be pertinent or appropriate. You should realize that the only thing that you can actually predict is that situations will never be the same. Reevaluate how you move forward with blog posting times, video clips, response times and beyond. Something that may have been acceptable or perhaps even beneficial half a year ago may be completely out of touch nowadays.

  1. Analyze All of Your Creative Choices at Length

It’s critical to meticulously analyze your creative choices that involve social networks. Think about the tone you use any time you caption Facebook or Instagram posts of any kind. Think about your keyword selection. Think about your blog subjects. It can even help to think about the images you choose to adorn your sites. It may not be fitting to take things too lightly at this moment in time. If you want to approach social network use sensitively, then you may want to limit your jokes for a while. People aren’t exactly in the mood to be rolling around on the ground laughing. Although you shouldn’t rule out humor entirely, you should make a point to approach it both delicately and sensitively.

Consider human contact as well. You may want to stay away from any and all references to excessive touch. Showing images of people embracing passionately may not be something you want to do for quite a while.

  1. Concentrate on Expanding Your Social Networking Accounts

If you want to approach social networking intelligently during the pandemic, then you should concentrate on account expansion. You shouldn’t concentrate on conversions. Your digital marketing style should not revolve around motivating audience members to complete sales. It should revolve around expanding your audience in a considerable and meaningful way. Don’t forget that your audience members do not have a lot of cash to spare right now. They can usually only set aside funds for the basics. If you want to come out on top when all is said and done, then you should put a lot of energy and time into making your Internet following a lot more rock-solid for the future. Aim to release content that offers tangible value to people. Aim to give people access to content that’s actually vital. It can be smart to give your followers suggestions regarding all of the things that they can do to look after themselves while in confinement. It can be smart to give them suggestions that relate to getting more done while working remotely as well. Practicality is of the essence these days.

  1. Team Up With Influential Figures in Your Field or Industry

It can be highly intelligent to network with people in your industry or field who are particularly influential. You may want to join forces with widely known “influencers.” Ask an influencer if you can pen a guest blog for him or her. Ask an influencer if he or she may want to pen a guest blog for your official website. If you do this, then you may be able to gain the interest of brand new consumers. Teaming up with influencers can be a speedy and effective way for businesses nowadays to up their social network marketing strategies. It can be a win-win situation as well. That’s because you may be able to help influencers strengthen their already robust Internet followings.

  1. Get Deeply Acquainted With Your Target Audience Members

People have more time on their hands in recent times. That’s why it may be a terrific opportunity for businesses to get even more acquainted with their target audience members. It may be a fantastic idea to conduct surveys of your audience members. Take the time to discover all of the things that truly make them tick. Zero in on your audience members’ deepest emotions, too. Ask them about the things that give them fear. Ask them about the things that may give them hope for brighter tomorrows. The more “in the loop” you are with your audience members, the simpler it will be for you to please them at later times.

  1. Be Selfless

Businesses that are intelligent should aim to come across as being selfless. If you want to come across that way, then you should start by actually being that way. Do not fixate as much on your business and its aspirations. Concentrate on your audience members above all else.

  1. Test Brand New Concepts Out Right Now

Businesses in this day and age should be more fearless and bold than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic is a terrific “excuse” for businesses to test out fresh new concepts as well. It may be brilliant to test out concepts that are totally unfamiliar to you. You may want to play around with social media posting times. You may want to try new avenues such as giveaways, competitions and contests in general. Things aren’t the way they used to be. That’s why it can be a pretty safe time to do things that make you feel a bit uncertain. You should test out things that involve image selection, video clips and more.

Designing Your Website for Your Customers by @DONNAAMOS

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Designing Your Website for Your Customers

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Now that your business is up and running, it is time to go about designing your website so that it is both awesome and effective to help get the word out about your brand as well as attract prospective customers.

In fact, an effective website, which is one that puts you right in front of your target audience, helps you stand out among your competitors in online searches, thus also helping to increase the chance of conversions due to the number of quality visits.

However, as a new business or a business that is new to the online world, knowing the various elements that go into effective web design can be difficult without prior training and knowledge.

But the following information, also used by professional marketers themselves, will help provide you with the training tips and resources you need to help take the guesswork out of what makes a website effective and propel you towards success.

Begin With Your Target Audience in Mind

Contrary to popular belief, a business website is less about what the business wants the customer to know and more about what the target audience wants to accomplish, which helps decrease the bounce rate, or the rate of visitors who enter your site only to leave before viewing the site in its entirety or making a transaction.

In fact, research shows that more and more customers are turning to the world wide web as their source of information and even research a company’s website before making a purchase decision online or in person.

Therefore, to be without a website, let alone one that fails to cater to your customers, can cause you to miss out on valuable leads, which can be detrimental to your sales and cut into your bottom line.

Some ways to ensure your website is customer-focused include:

Make It Personal Yet Inclusive

For customers to appreciate and find worth in a product or service, they need to feel as if it was designed with them in mind.

Therefore, the general notion that your visitors are a part of your business should be built into every aspect of the user experience, so that they don’t feel alienated but instead like they belong, which helps build strong, long-lasting relationships that can ultimately lead to repeat business, as well as other potential customers in the future.

On the other hand, it is also impossible for your business to cater to every customer and every need, so before you begin, identify your target audience, as well as what your product or service will do for them to help make your marketing efforts and web design even easier.

You should begin by learning the main customer groups that engage with your site, and why, which user research and testing can help you do. Using this customer insight will help you plan the most effective web design and features, thus easily safeguarding against any factors that may hinder the goal of your site.

Focus on the Content Before the Web Design

The content or message of your site helps set the stage for all else that follows; therefore, it is important to develop your content or message before the actual web design.

However, when it comes to content, quality is key because it plays a major role in the user experience. In other words, it adds value to the user. When done right, it can even capture the attention of future users, which in turn also helps increase your sales leads; therefore, it pays to carefully plan it out.

To help develop quality content, after you have conducted thorough research on your target audience, next consider the goal you hope to accomplish from conveying the content to your audience and then create a strategy to display it on the web site.

You can also hire a ghostwriter to do it for you.

Provide Factual Information

In the era of search engine rankings and social media popularity, unfortunately, many websites have turned away from being customer based to solely focusing on SEO

rankings, likes, shares, and Tweets, etc., which has caused them to resort to various questionable tactics, such as publishing misleading content, in hopes of going viral or to increase their ranking in major search engines.

However, this does not add value to visitors, which can not only cause you to lose credibility as well as sales in the long run but also land you in hot water with the powers that be.

In fact, as of recent, various social media entities, including Facebook and Twitter, have incorporated several measures to prevent the sharing of false or inflated information, including having content checked by independent fact-checkers and then boldly labeling the content as false if it is found to be untrue.

Meanwhile, Google also has various penalties for publishing false or misleading information, which can not only cost you search engine rankings but, in some cases, even cause your page to be blocked or removed altogether.

Therefore, rather than just focusing on short-lived fame, you should instead aim to provide information that is both useful and fact-based, which can actually help grow your business in the long run.

Some ways to help show your visitors that your site contains factual content include:

  • Clearly state whether the content is sponsored – If your website contains sponsored content, don’t try to hide or disguise it. Instead, label it as such. It should also be displayed in your design work, such as using larger fonts for the title and making sure the author’s name is obvious, which provides visitors with someone to follow up with for greater assurance.
  • Use reputable sources – Using or linking to reputable sources in your content encourages readers to consider the weight of your sources, which also helps boost your credibility. You might also consider linking to or listing author credentials to also help build trustworthiness.
  • Incorporate related content – Linking related content using an encouraging heading, such as You Might also Like, provides users with additional information and contrast, which enables them to conduct their own research and reach their own conclusion. It also makes your content look unbiased, which helps build trust.

User-Friendly Digital Trends

Today’s consumers are consistently looking for ways to be awed by added convenience, sans the gimmicks; therefore, as part of your customer friendly web design, you might also consider incorporating, or at least checking out, some of the latest technological trends that promise to do just that.

Some digital customer experience trends for 2020 include:

Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design is and will continue to be a growing trend as customers are always looking to access the internet on the latest device.

This type of design, which a professional web designer can help you achieve, enables websites to look good across all devices, and it should also include fast page loading times to help enhance the user experience, which helps reinforce your professional image.

Voice Commerce

Voice assistant technology, think Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant, is another growing trend in 2020, as it enables customers to activate a device or make purchases hands free while they go about their daily routines.

In fact, research shows that voice shopping is expected to rise from the current $2 billion to $40 billion in 2022.

However, companies can also develop their own eCommerce experiences using their own platforms, which will enable their customers to also interact with their brand through voice.

Omnichannel Delivery

Omnichannel delivery enables consumers to start their interaction with your brand from one touchpoint and then pick up where they left off another, which essentially turns more objects into connected devices.

To utilize this function in your own website, you will need to incorporate a  headless content management system , which an experienced web designer can also help you do.

Web Design That Works

Gone are the days of slapping up a website that just looks nice, in today’s world, it must also actually function as an effective marketing tool to increase the chance of conversions, which means you must put in some work.

Simply begin with customer research, which can be easily done using customer surveys and more, to gain valuable insight about key customers that can then be used to help make designing your website much simpler and your campaigns more effective.

Meanwhile, web analytic tools, such as Google Analytics, can help track customer behavior, such as page views and bounce rate, etc., once your site is launched, which can also be used to help improve your focus.

 

How to Stand Out As a Solopreneur by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Building a business as a solopreneur can be fun, yet overwhelming. The most important job you have is working to stand out among the competition. This requires the right amount of focus so that you are continuously working toward more leads and sales inside your business. Here are tips that will help you build a larger business year over year.

Stay Consistent

Stick to the plan you’ve laid out for your business. Get ready for being challenged on your journey and understand that a business owner’s path is never a continuous upward climb. You’ll encounter difficulties and challenges on your way to the top. There will be times when it feels as though nothing is working. That’s when you need to be consistent in your effort to identify what works and what doesn’t. Course correct and continue onward from there.

Develop New Skills

Work hard to develop new skills that help build your business. For example, you need to become good at the following skills as a business owner:

  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Copywriting
  • Content creation
  • Networking
  • Consistency

You’ll discover that your business profits will increase the more you broaden your skillset.

Attend Networking Events

When things return to somewhat normal then get back out there. Attend local events to meet and network with future customers. Use your Chamber of Commerce to find out about the various events happening in your local area. Many virtual events are available now. Check out Meetups and begin building your network. Practice your what you do dialogue and get it down to 30 seconds: who do you help, what is the problem you help them with and what are the results after working with you.

Would you rather build your business entirely online? Try the hundreds of Twitter chats that occur each day. As your Twitter account grows, start your own chat and get conversations going that eventually end up with bringing new customers on board.

Use Testimonials Effectively

Nothing stands out better to potential customers than seeing what your current customers say about you. Testimonials are social proof in a world where people need to see that others are happy with your product or service. Get creative in the beginning by capturing screenshots of nice comments customers have made on Facebook or Instagram. Ask those people if you can show their headshot and comment as a testimonial to others.

Join Facebook or LinkedIn Groups

Take the time to build a reputation as an expert inside LinkedIn or Facebook groups. Don’t overtly promote and sell in these groups. Instead, offer tips and expertise that show that you’re there to help others. Do the following inside these groups:

  • Contribute to the threads
  • Answer questions
  • Engage with other members

You’ll soon be an expert authority in that community. Opportunities to do business will arise when others in need of your help start reaching out to you personally.

Stay In Contact With Customers

Use snail mail or email to stay in contact with former and existing customers. Nothing stands out more in today’s world than a simple thank you. Thank them for being a customer and ask how you might help going forward. Mention any special offers you have at this time, as well.

Consider a quick video message using a tool such as Loom. Send a thank you note in the mail. Anything you do to personally connect with customers will go a long way in gaining their business again and again.

Create a Facebook Business Page

Create a Facebook page and become active on it. You can get comments, reviews and messages from leads and customers on your page. Use various forms of content to connect with prospects, such as:

  • Videos
  • Quotes
  • Mini-articles
  • Ads

Use Facebook Live to periodically get yourself in front of followers. More people will show up for these sessions as your number of followers grows because Facebook notifies them when you start a new Live session. Use your Facebook Live sessions to:

  • Provide helpful tips
  • Inform leads about sales and promotions
  • Use it as a selling webinar

Use Instagram Effectively

Stand out on Instagram by using images effectively. Make sure your profile is completely filled out with a link back to your most important URL. Use a high-quality profile picture and research hashtags that are relevant for your business.

Use stories to engage with your fans. Post excellent images on a daily basis with the correct hashtags so your core target market can find you. Convert your account to a business profile after reaching 10,000 followers so that you can add links to the stories that you post. This will increase the amount of traffic over to your email opt-in landing pages.

Stand Out With YouTube Marketing

People are increasingly consuming video content online. Start a YouTube channel and publish weekly video content to it. This is one of the most effective ways to stand out as a solopreneur if you work at your channel consistently. Your subscriber base will grow steadily if you post great tips and ideas and encourage viewers to subscribe.

YouTube videos will help your website search engine rankings improve as well. The reason is that you can embed your videos on your site’s pages. As your visitors watch these videos, Google notices that they’re on your site for a longer amount of time. This is one of the metrics that helps improve your overall search rankings.

Don’t forget to optimize your videos for quality rankings in the YouTube search engine. Optimize by using:

  • An attractive video thumbnail
  • Detailed descriptions
  • Keywords
  • Linking to other relevant resources

Stand Out With Your Website

One of the best ways to gain customers inside your small business is getting good at attracting prospects who are further along the buying cycle. Some people are online searching for general information around your topic and niche. Others have done their research already and are now just about ready to buy.

You want to create content on your website that attracts both types of people. However, the more you can attract the people who are ready to buy, the more effective your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts will become.

Your website will stand out well if you focus on putting out excellent content that informs and educates. Do keyword research and find keywords that have the following words in them:

  • Buy
  • Review
  • Top
  • Comparison
  • Price

These terms indicate that your visitor is looking for the best company to buy from. If your content gets found in the search engines for those types of terms, then you will notice an increase in the quality of your site’s visitors from a purchasing standpoint.

Don’t forget to also create “how-to” content to capture visitors just starting down their research path. You’ll have the ability to capture them as leads and nurture them into buying from you later.

Use Email Marketing Intelligently

Your ultimate goal to stand out as a business owner should be to build an email marketing list. An email list allows you to market to your prospects over time until they trust you enough to buy your products or services. Work hard to place strategic ways for people to become email subscribers on your website and social media channels.

Send out weekly or bi-weekly newsletters that provide helpful content for your subscribers. Educate them and help make their lives better. Link them to your new blog articles or social media posts. Send them to your latest YouTube video. Ask yourself how you can best nurture them along so they come to trust you enough to buy from you.

If you take the time to build a large email newsletter list over time, then you will discover that you can often create revenue on demand by sending out the right offer or discount at the appropriate time.

Standing out as a solopreneur isn’t as difficult as you might think it is. Yes, the marketing world is a noisy one with many business owners trying to get their messages out. Your job is to use the above tips in a way that resonates well with your target market. Teach them something valuable first. They will notice that you’re different from your competitors and will buy from you.

 

Social Media Trends to Watch in 2020 by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

There are trends that are occurring in social media that business owners can take advantage of to help them grow their businesses. As changes take place on platforms, it may benefit business owners to stay current on the changes so that you don’t use outdated practices that no longer work on social networking sites.

Growth of Tik Tok

This site has gained popularity as a social networking site for business owners. Tik Tok is a social networking site that has become very popular with Generation Z.

Individuals who are micro-influencers have gained popularity on this social networking video app. Influencers are aware that using the site to promote video can benefit small businesses because it’s not geared towards traditional sales. The lack of hard sales on the site is popular with users. By connecting with followers through good video content, it will help small businesses expand and provide opportunities to sell products. It’s expected that one of the social media trends for 2020 will include the expansion of Tik Tok to allow platform users to shop online like other social networking channels.

Increase in social shopping

Entrepreneurs can benefit from using social shopping on their company sites because of the growth of e-commerce. During the past decade, social networking sites have contributed to the growth of e-commerce. It’s now the norm for social shopping to occur on social networking channels. Customers enjoy connecting with brands and building relationships with them on social networking sites. Consumers enjoy having access to brands without leaving platforms to purchase products and services. Entrepreneurs can look to expand social shopping on their social channels.

The rise of small business owners as influencers

Small businesses can benefit from the increase in popularity that they have experienced as influencers. Users on various social platforms desire to connect with small businesses rather than huge companies. The ability to connect with an audience on a small-scale is something that small business owners can take advantage of because they have a unique following.

The use of social media to develop consumer confidence

Small business owners can benefit from using their social platforms to develop a relationship with followers that are based on trust. Followers can develop relationships based on the quality of content that is promoted that informs followers about the value that a business brings into the market. By having real conversations with followers and connecting on a human level, companies establish relationships on a much richer level because of the connection that is made by showing the company as a place where real people work.

Use of LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful social platform because the site is geared toward business professionals. Business owners can reach decision-makers on LinkedIn to grow their businesses. If a company has products and services to sell and its budget is limited, being active on the platform can help generate sales and gain the attention of decision-makers.

Fewer boundaries between personal and professional lives

Social media trends include witnessing fewer boundaries between the professional and personal lives of business owners. Small business owners can grow their online audience by interacting with followers and showing them aspects of the personal and professional lives. Sharing unique content that shows followers portions of the daily lives allows followers to connect with business owners on a genuine level.

An increase in the number of brief posts

Businesses are posting new content that is online for a short amount of time, and this will continue to increase in 2020. These posts occur on sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and Tikk Tok. The time-limited posts are primarily videos and allow businesses to share content that may be more personal and allows business owners to share special offers of their products and services.

Increase focus on customer interaction

Brands are working to focus more on customer responses in 2020. By responding to customer service issues that arise, businesses can learn what is necessary to meet the needs of their customers. Small businesses can gain attention from their followers by working to connect with followers and meeting the needs they address about the products and services they desire to purchase.

Expansion of the use of storytelling

Companies have increased their use of storytelling on social media sites using different types of media such as video and written content. By sharing what a company represents, it allows businesses to reach followers and potential customers. Business owners can engage with their audience telling stories on different social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Increase in video content

There is an increase expected in the amount of video content that brands produce in 2020 on social networking sites. Small businesses can increase their number of customers and followers by producing content that is appealing to followers. Business owners can determine which platforms work best for their followers and provide content that is based on what works best for their audience.

More social messenger apps

Small business owners can benefit from using social messenger apps to connect with their customers. The top messenger apps are used primarily by millennials. The top messenger apps include the following.

• Messenger
• WeChat
• Viber

There are over 2 billion messages sent on Messenger each month from businesses. The app is on over 1.2 billion phones. The potential exists for greater customer experiences to occur because of the growth of the social messaging service. Messaging apps that were developed using artificial intelligence have improved customer engagement. It’s expected that the customer experience will continue to improve because of the unique way that companies can improve the artificial intelligence they use to have more unique engagement with customers using social messaging services.

The use of messenger apps outranks the top social networking sites which include the following.

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Small business owners can work to expand their businesses by using social networking sites and social messaging services. By working to create personalized experiences with customers and potential customers, businesses can expand and provide their customers with good experiences. Having an awareness of what their customers desire will help small businesses grow and effectively market to customers of all ages.

5 Lead Generation Strategies for Solopreneurs by @DONNAAMOS

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5 Lead Generation Strategies for Solopreneurs

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

There are tons of ways solopreneurs can make money online and offline, thanks to powerful digital technology, affordable mobile devices and the internet. And many of these micro-businesses can be started on a shoestring budget of under $1,000 – or even under $100! As long as your lead generation efforts are bringing in new customers, there’s virtually no limit to how quickly you can scale your side hustle into a full-time business.

You might be a blogger and vlogger, creating content for your subscribers on your website and social media accounts, making money through ad revenue and affiliate marketing.

Or perhaps you could do freelance work offering B2B services to local small businesses.

Or you might run a small brick-and-mortar biz out of your garage or public storage unit, selling products via online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Craigslist.

You can also provide services directly to consumers as an independent contractor and through online apps like Uber, Postmates, Rover and TaskRabbit.

As a solo entrepreneur, you have tons of options today. But whichever path you choose for your lifestyle business, you will need a steady flow of new customers coming in every month in order to be successful.

So with that in mind, here are five lead gen tips to help you get more clients and more sales this year. Most of these methods are designed to bring in new leads online, but there are also some offline guerrilla marketing tactics here that still work really well for certain types of solo businesses.

1. Optimize Your Website to Capture Leads

Before you start investing time and money trying to scrape up traffic to your website, first make sure that your site is ready to receive those new visitors and convert them into subscribers, leads and paying customers.

Give your website visitors and blog readers plenty of opportunities to subscribe to your mailing list and receive free blog content, updates, and promotions. You should have subscriber boxes and contact forms on every page of your site. In fact, having multiple forms on each page isn’t a bad idea. Make use of your site’s header, footer and sidebar areas along with including custom lead capture forms on landing pages and service pages.

You should also have free lead magnets set up on dedicated landing pages in order to build your email list. These lead magnets, such as ebooks, infographics, and reports, are powerful tools for quickly grabbing new subscribers.

Then you could also segment your list based on reader interest and engagement and set up custom email funnels for each group to minimize unsubscribers and spam reports.

Remember, it’s not always about the hard sell. Sure, some people on your site are ready to buy, so you should make it easy for them to do so without having to click on a million links to find the “Buy” button. But most of your site visitors aren’t yet ready to whip out their credit cards – they’re just browsing or killing time on their lunch break.

So if you can catch their interest, offer some free value with your blog content and lead magnets, then you can at least get them into your email funnel and social media channels to start building a relationship with them that will eventually pay off for you and them.

2. Buy Ads on Google and Social Media

Compared to old-school marketing strategies like TV and radio spots, billboards, magazine ads, and late-night infomercials, digital ads on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google are way underpriced.

Unlike “Big Media” advertising in the old days – when national ad campaigns could easily cost millions of dollars per month – you can start running social media ads for a couple of hundred bucks.

And if you target those ads effectively, you can actually start seeing results in no time.

3. Collaborate to Build Authority and Reach

There are tons of ways to build relationships with other influencers in your niche and piggyback your brand message onto their content and vice versa in order to rapidly expand your audience, brand recognition and industry authority. Here are just a few ideas on how you can get started:
– Guest blog posts
– Podcast interviews
– Youtube video collaborations
– Live local meetups
– Online hangouts
– Charity fundraisers

By offering time, content and value to other influencers, charities and brands in your industry and related industries, you can quickly reach new markets and new customers who have never even heard of you but are part of your target market.

The secret is to choose influencers that are a good fit and then give plenty of value first before asking for something in return. Don’t just spam a bunch of influential bloggers and brands who are light years ahead of you and expect them to jump at the chance of featuring you on their blog or podcast. Reach out and spend some time becoming a part of their communities. Contribute first – genuinely and sincerely – before asking for anything for yourself.

If you give and give and give some more, and assuming you are building a great brand that offers tons of value, you’ll find plenty of collab opportunities eventually beating down your door. That’s when your reputation and reach will begin to expand exponentially.

4. Go Where Your Clients Like to Hang Out

The tricky thing about the internet is that you can reach just about anyone and get your brand and your content in front of them – but you have to know where to look.

Facebook ads can be super-effective, but only if your target customers hang out on Facebook every day. If they’re usually on TikTok and Youtube but only have a neatly-scrubbed-but-never-used-dummy-account on Facebook to please their nosy parents, then you’re wasting your money on all those Facebook ads.

Once you’ve located your target market and the platforms, forums, subreddits and social media groups where they spend their time, you can then start pouring your ad spend into the places that make sense.

But don’t think that you can’t reach them without paid ads. Joining those groups and forums and contributing helpful ideas for free pays off too. You just need to follow the rules and avoid coming across as spammy and overly-promotional. If you take your time to build relationships and offer value first, you’ll get plenty of chances to slide into those DMs and actually pick up leads that convert.

5. Pass Out Flyers and Business Cards Like Crazy

While the internet is all the rage these days, there are still some very effective ways to grow your solo biz and get sales without plugging in. Yes, we’re talking about flyers and business cards. It turns out that people still use them. If you’re operating a business that sells to local customers, then door-to-door flyer marketing might work really well, and it’s great because you can target your location easily.

And of course, no matter what kind of business you run, you should always have a few business cards in your pocket. Because every conversation is a chance to grab another subscriber and work on converting them into a customer.

Here’s an example.

If you’re starting up a lawn care company like this kid, with a few bucks you can have someone on Fiverr design a 8.5” x 5.5” flyer. Make sure it has a distinct discount coupon code to distinguish it from other deals you are offering through online ads or other marketing methods. Then email the file to your local print shop, go pick up the flyers and hire someone on Craigslist to pass them out to every house and business in your service area.

Solopreneurs have so many options for creating online and offline businesses today, and the low cost of entry makes it ridiculous for anyone to not take a shot and start one – or two or three. As long as you’re offering a product, service or content that helps people, you’ll be able to grow an audience and make money by selling to that audience. If you’ve already got your biz up and running but aren’t getting a lot of clients, try these five lead generation strategies so you can get more sales.

Video Marketing Strategies for 2020 by @DONNAAMOS

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video marketing 2020

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

The video revolution has completely transformed how we consume content. Now, information is delivered in a visual, entertaining, and even interactive manner that engages users better than any other medium. Video is also a natural storytelling medium, making it both compelling and persuasive. These combined elements are why video advertising is so successful.

Let’s look at some facts:

  • According to a Hubspot study, 96% of consumers between the ages of 18-34 watch videos several times throughout the week, and 75% of millennials watch at least one daily video.
  • 64% of consumers claim that marketing videos have had an impact on their purchasing decision.
  • 45% of people watch more than an hour of video on Facebook and YouTube each week.
  • 90% of video viewers say that product videos are helpful in the decision-making process.
  • Videos are shared on social media 1200% more than images and text combined.
  • 85% of Facebook users watch videos with the sound turned off.
  • Videos in Instagram get twice the engagement of videos on other social platforms.

Statistics are from this link.

Using Video Marketing for Your Company

Of course, to be successful using video marketing, you will need to perform some preliminary work. Just creating and posting random videos will not bring leads pouring in. Use the following steps and linked resources to craft an overall approach to video marketing for your company.

  1. Research your target audience. Who is your target audience? What type of video content to they prefer? What social platform do they use most to consume video content? When are they most likely to be watching online video? What are the most effective types of video for reaching this demographic?

Resources:

  1. Outline a Plan for Sharing Video. What types of video will you use? What social platforms will you use to share your company videos? Will you need to craft specific videos for each platform? When is the best time to share video on these platforms? How often should you share video content? How often should you repeat the same video content? How much budget is available for paid video ads and promotion?
  2. Determine Who Will Create Your Videos. Do you need a professional media company? What types of video can your marketing team produce in-house? What do they need to produce quality videos? How much budget is available for creating custom videos? What is the best balance of video types for your company?

Popular Video Strategies for the Coming Year

As you formulate a plan for using video content in your company marketing, consider these types of video and how they fit into your overall plan. We give just a brief overview of each type.

Live Streaming

Live streaming on social platforms is a free, no-frills, personal method of promoting your company messages. Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live all help users feel like they are being spoken to directly. This feeling of intimacy encourages engagement since they know that their questions or comments can be answered in real time.

You can use live videos to promote practically anything, including:

  • New products
  • Announcements
  • Product demos
  • Webinars
  • Question and answer sessions, FAQs and SAQs (Should-Ask Questions)
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Tips
  • Testimonials

These are a great way to start because they require no editing, special studios, or preproduction efforts or costs. Just go live with your phone and create great content.

Video Podcasts

A video podcast, or videocast, is simply just an audio podcast that you record on video. As popular as podcasts are today, an occasional videocast will allow viewers to see who they regularly hear, and observe the behind-the-scenes goings on while the podcast is being recorded. It’s a great way to make users feel more connected with your company spokespeople or podcast host.

Video Tutorials

Tutorials and explanatory videos are highly sought-after content (remember the stats from above). Many consumers search for how-to videos for DIY projects or using certain products. You should have a video tutorial for each of your products. Even if you only provide serves, some video tutorials explaining how you provide those services, especially in certain situations or for particular needs, can be great tools for users. These can be professionally produced, created in your own setting, or done over Live Streaming video.

IGTV and Vertical Videos

Users spend more time consuming video on smartphones than over tablets or desktop computers. This has led to the rise of vertically formatted videos and IGTV, Instagram’s TV-like channel for users and brands. Now, vertical videos can be viewed on Facebook and YouTube. Vertical videos are easier to watch on mobile devices, meaning that your video is more likely to be watched and remembered.

Shoppable Videos

Shoppable videos allow consumers a direct way to make purchases and be redirected to product pages. On shoppable videos, users click on a hyperlink and go directly to the online shopping process. Every social media video should contain a shoppable link.

Testimonials

Testimonial videos are one of the strongest types of videos. They show past or current satisfied customers talking about their positive experience using your product or service. Honest personal feedback from a customer is stronger than anything you could say about your own company. Customer testimonials are usually between 30 seconds and two minutes long and can focus on one happy customer or several.

What kinds of video do you use in your company marketing? What level of success have you enjoyed through video marketing? Share your thoughts and insights with our readers in the comments below.

20 Business Ideas for Solopreneurs by @DONNAAMOS

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biz ideas

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

According to Startups.com, 73% of all US-based businesses are solo, or solopreneur, businesses. TaxFoundation.org reports that there are over 23 million sole proprietorships currently operating in the United States, making it by far the most popular form of business ownership. And that number is reportedly on the rise as more people become disenchanted with the typical corporate structure and its undependable reputation for stability and longevity.

However, many huge corporations actually began as solopreneur enterprises and grew into other business structures. Some of the most famous include:

Whether or not you plan to go big in the future, a solopreneur business is a great way to begin. In fact, thanks to the Internet, there are many ways to launch a solopreneur business remotely, right from the comfort of your own home. Many of the examples below are Internet-based businesses. Others may require more human interaction.

Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing allows you to share links to specific businesses or products and then earn a portion of the sales you direct to those companies.

Blogger

If you’re looking to build a business around your writing skills, you can start your own blog and manage it on your own, then make money through advertisements or sponsored content.

Bookkeeper

For another profitable opportunity to work with business clients, you could offer bookkeeping services for businesses looking to outsource that function. Many small businesses need this service but cannot afford to pay larger services for it.

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants handle various tasks for businesses like email, payroll, transcriptions, scheduling, and social media management. It’s something you can do on your own from home or another remote location.

Consultant/Coach

Consultants or coaches specialize in a service or career type and then teach others how to succeed in their specific niches. If you have many years of valuable experience, you can pass on that wisdom to others through group or one-on-one coaching.

Social Media Manager

For social media savvy solopreneurs, you can offer your services to other businesses to schedule social media posts and manage their accounts. This can be very lucrative for the knowledgeable solopreneur.

eBook Author

You can also focus on writing more long form content and then self-publish your own eBooks to sell. Many self-published authors are very successful. This business takes time to scale into a full-time income, however.

Freelance Writer

Offer your writing services to other businesses looking for blog posts, ghostwriting, sales emails, or other types of content. There are many branches, or niches, for freelance writers.

Copywriter

Copywriting is another popular writing business. You can specialize in writing copy for websites, product descriptions, or even advertisements. Copywriting is more about sales and harvesting leads than regular topical writing.

Graphic Designer

For design savvy solopreneurs, you can start your own graphic design business and work with clients on a one-on-one basis. Many small businesses could benefit from this service, and cannot pay large firms for it.

Translator

If you know more than one language, you can start a business as a freelance or contract translator. There are many opportunities for this online.

Podcaster

Podcasting is easier than ever to set up on your own. You can host your podcast, build your website, and make money through advertisements or affiliate sales.

Event Planner

If you enjoy organizing and working with different vendors, you can set up your own business as an event planner. You can even niche into only weddings, corporate events, or other types of events.

Online Course Creator

Another way to share your knowledge with others, you can create your own online courses and then sell them to students so they can work on their own time. This can involve personal calls, video, audio, and print products, or require no personal involvement.

House Cleaner

Build up a base of regular clients and specialize in house cleaning services. Complete cleanings for new construction can be a lucrative offer for approaching home builders.

Lawn Service

For those who enjoy working outside, you can start your own lawn mowing service where you provide weekly maintenance during the summer. Consider offering fall leaf and winter snow removal, also.

Gardener

Specialize in setting up or maintaining gardens and more intricate landscaping projects. A variation of this is to raise and sell fresh produce at farmer’s markets in season.

Party Entertainer

You can use a number of different skills, from music to juggling to face painting, to start a business as an independent party entertainer. Specialize in birthdays, holiday parties, or whatever you like best.

Personal Trainer

For athletic solopreneurs, you can start your own business as a personal trainer who works with clients one-on-one. Sometimes, local gyms can help you promote this business and even send you clients.

Yoga Instructor

Offer fitness and wellness classes to bigger groups of customers. Yoga and Pilates are popular choices for women.

What about you? What is your best idea for launching a solopreneur business in the new year? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

 

How to Prospect for New Clients by @DONNAAMOS

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How to Prospect for New Clients

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Prospecting for new clients can be a difficult task for solopreneurs or small businesses, especially when your company is brand new. But even old hands mostly admit to struggling with getting new clients. While no business or solopreneur ever admitted to having enough or “too many” clients, most still struggle to prospect for new clients and avoid salesy marketing ploys.

But prospecting for clients effectively is something you can learn and incorporate into your regular business routine. Indeed, it should be something you always strive to improve, since your business depends on a steady supply of needy clients. Prospecting for clients takes time, but it needs to be one of the regular, systematic functions of your business. And since many potential customers or clients won’t buy or book a service on the first contact, you also need to develop a plan for staying in touch until they need what you have to offer.

Identify Your Target Market

It’s a no-brainer that you’ll save time and money by marketing to people who not only want what you’ve got, but also are willing and able to pay for it. And so, the first step in prospecting for new clients is to define the most likely buyer of your product or service. How old are they? What gender? What is their socio-economic background? Knowing who your market is, makes it easier to find them and deliver messages that entice them to check out your product or service.

Take the time to understand who your target market is so you don’t waste your time or money finding and selling to the wrong customers and clients. The best way to do this is to perform the necessary research and create buyer personas that represent each type of person in your target audience. Then you can tailor your prospecting and marketing messages to specific types of clients.

Begin Building a Potential Client List

Do you plan a party without a guest list? Likewise, you can’t start or run a business without making a list of potential clients. Listing people you know is a good place to start as you can make a quick sale and get referrals. But there are other sources from which to start your potential customer list. Here are some great places to start:

Personal Contacts: Your friends and family are the most likely to purchase something from you, even if they’re not your target market. Or, maybe they don’t need your product or service, but know someone who does or would be willing to tell others about it.

Existing Customers: If you’ve already made a few sales, call upon your existing customers to see if they need more of your product or service. Selling to an existing happy customer is easier than generating a new one. Also, ask these clients for referrals. Offer an incentive for clients to provide referrals. Word of mouth is still a great marketing tool.

Trades Shows or Local Events: Shows and events are great ways to network with other businesses that may fit your market (in B2B) or generate new customers and prospects through an exhibit if you sell to the end consumer (B2C). Even if you don’t make a sale, events can allow you to build your contact list. Ask show or event participants to register for a drawing and be sure to give away a spectacular prize as an enticement.

Social Media: Many service-based businesses find social media one of the best places to connect and build relationships with potential clients. Do you have social media followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, or LinkedIn? Interact and converse with them to build a relationship. Seek to establish a reputation as an intelligent and thoughtful friend. With this foundation, you can offer advice from your expertise and even share the occasional sales message.

Contact Prospects

Once you have a list of prospects, it’s time to reach out and make connections. There are many ways to do this, and each one requires something a bit different. One thing remains the same – be genuine and kind in every mode of contact. Respect people’s time and attention and don’t be pushy if they aren’t interested. Popular methods of contacting prospects include:

Phone: Use an easy flowing, conversational script to introduce your product or purpose for calling. Asking questions and presenting your product or services’ benefits turns the focus of the call onto them instead of you. Be sure to ask for something: a sale, an email for more info, or a referral.

Email: Email is less scary and often a great way to introduce yourself. And email marketing works. The trick is to not simply send a “buy” email, but instead, offer something of value. Give a brief explanation of who you are, then provide a coupon or a free article on a relevant topic. Remember to only send a one-time communication unless you have permission to send repeat emails, such as to a list where the recipient has subscribed to receive emails from you.

Text Messaging: It is said that 98% of text messages are read within 2 minutes. The availability of text messaging is part of its power. Most folks with a cell phone are within arms reach of their phone 24 hours a day. Although texting is convenient, you can’t conduct entire prospect conversations via text. But it does pave the way for phone calls and sales meetings. Texting is a great follow-up option once you have the prospect in your pipeline.

Direct Mail: Direct mail is still effective, which is why we all still receive so much of it. Create the piece you plan to send and be sure it doesn’t appear to be junk mail. Bulk mailing services can save you time, and even a percentage off postage.

Social Media: This can be a great place to build relationships so that you can move prospects on to your calendar or to purchase your widgets. Requires effort such as identifying prospects, commenting on their posts, share content of value with them, tag them in posts when appropriate and share their content all before trying to sell them anything.

Continue Your Follow-Up Efforts

The fortune is in the follow-up. Research demonstrates that 80% of sales are not made on the first, second, or even a third contact! It can take five or more contacts to achieve a sale. The trick is to have a non-annoying system of follow-ups, such as a regular email list or an agreement to call again in six months. Solopreneurs and small businesses can keep track of various leads and prospects by using some sort of CRM software tool and database. Many have free options and calendar reminders that signal you when to follow-up with different classes of prospects.

How do you prospect for new clients? Which method has been the most successful? Share your tips and experiences with our readers in the comments below!

 

Influencer Marketing for Solopreneurs by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Word of mouth marketing is still a powerful method for a single reason: it works. Consumers trust the word of other authentic consumers about what they have bought and used or services they have enjoyed. Influencer marketing is based on this fact. And because the average online user suffers through approximately 3,000 brand messages each day, people don’t trust brands. They know brands are out to sell them something.

Influencers are not just celebrities, whom people are trusting less and less. They can be anyone who has earned a certain authority in some area. They are open to trying new things relating to their area of expertise, they share an honest appraisal, and they are motivated to serve the public. Because of this, they have earned the right to be heard and believed.

Why Influencer Marketing?

I remember my father driving into town and doing business on a handshake with people he knew. Because they had an established relationship, he knew he could trust them. He also told me of the businesses in town that could not be trusted, and why. I grew up learning an important lesson: only do business with people you can trust.

Trust is still an important factor in marketing and sales, even more now in the realm of digital marketing. I cannot see and shake hands with the person I’m doing business with; I have to take the word of what is printed on his or her website. So, I really don’t know who I’m doing business with; I and most people don’t like that.

But grasp this important statistic: 70% of millennial consumers are influenced to purchase by recommendations of their peers. Enter Influencer Marketing. An influencer is a person who has worked to gain the trust of a large audience. They are viewed by their followers as a trusted peer, and they have tremendous persuasive power. Their word can be trusted.

Is influencer marketing really a thing? Can this method of marketing really work? Absolutely. Imforza reports that “86% of the most-watched videos on YouTube about beauty were made by influencers, compared to a mere 14% from brands.” This is just in a single industry. Where brands focus on promoting why you need their stuff, even if you don’t, a trusted influencer will allegedly tell you the truth about a product or service and leave the decision-making up to you.

The Best Influencers for Solopreneurs

Now as a solopreneur, it is not likely that you can convince a celebrity influencer or popular author to review and recommend your business; nor could you probably afford their fees. Solopreneurs can still benefit from influencer marketing. But we must choose a level of influencer that will reach our target audience and fit our marketing budget.

For example, you may benefit from a local influencer if your business is primarily targeting a local audience. This could even be a popular TV personality, radio personality, or some such person whom the public trusts. Sometimes, the influencer may have a local TV or radio program of their own where your business could be featured if you meet their standards and criteria.

Some authority figures are on a level where they could reach your target audience, but not be so influential as to demand a national audience and a corresponding astronomical fee. Some authors fit this bill, as would hometown sports heroes or favorite sons. These will also usually have a strong social media following, which is an added benefit if your audience is not limited to a certain locale.

Micro-influencers have a social media following around 10,000, which is large enough to have influence, but small enough to be within a solopreneur’s reach. You can do some research on Instagram and/or YouTube for influencers in your particular niche and quickly locate some on this level.

How to Select and Engage the Right Influencer for Your Solopreneur Business

As you research micro-influencers or local influencers, try to determine if they have supported solopreneurs in the past. Some may have a proclivity for solopreneur businesses and this can help you make a connection. Also, some may be against solopreneurs, and so knowing this and steering clear of them will save you time.

Ask yourself some questions when choosing the right influencer to approach:

  • Are their followers the right audience for my business?
  • Is there high engagement between the influencer and their followers?
  • Does the influencer have enough followers to be worth my efforts (minimum 5,000 and maximum 10,000)?
  • What are some other businesses they have endorsed? Do I approve or disapprove?
  • Do I find them honorable, trustworthy, and yet informative and entertaining?
  • Can I trust them to give an honest appraisal and represent my business well?

Here are some suggested actions to engage with influencers:

  1. Start by interacting on social media so they can get to know about you. If they are not responsive to comments on their posts, find another influencer who engages better with his or her audience.
  2. Be genuine with your engagement. Follow them on social media channels, like their posts, and offer intelligent comments. Share their posts, videos, and other content. Look for common ground in their content that you can talk about in your responses.
  3. Give before you take. Share a popular piece of their content on your own media channels or in an article. Drop them a personal email to let them know and express appreciation for the information in their material. Share genuine appreciation for their work and influence. Good influencers that you want to work with will have worked hard to earn their reputation, and they will appreciate you recognizing that fact.
  4. After establishing a relationship of mutual respect in this manner, formally approach them and ask about their influencer relationships and how you might apply. Be sure to express respect for their opinion and efforts.

Solopreneurs can profit from a relationship with the right influencer, or influencers. Just be sure to take the appropriate amount of time establishing a relationship of mutual respect before making an offer or request. A minimum of six months of researching and cultivating an influencer should give you an idea if the time is right.

Are you a solopreneur who already benefits from influencer marketing? How did you get started? How did you choose the right influencer for your business? Share your counsel and suggestions in the comments below!

 

5 Productivity Tips for Busy Solopreneurs by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

First of all, let me correct the title of this article. “Busy solopreneurs” is completely redundant. If you’re a solopreneur who is not busy, the word to better describe you is BANKRUPT. The very word solopreneur means“entrepreneur who does it all.” But we all know that solopreneurs can use help with increasing productivity and efficiency.

The fact is, no one can do it all. Even solopreneurs need help. You may be the solitary person responsible for everything in your business, but that does not mean that must perform every task. In fact, that is a sure prescription for burnout and failure.

So, in your few free moments to read and invest in YOU, here are five tips to help you be more productive without robbing you of even more time for personal needs.

 

Set Priorities

It’s important to take time each day to prioritize tasks. Rate each task by its due date and level of importance. Then, arrange them in descending order of importance for each day. Now you can focus on completing each task one at a time. There is a distinct pleasure in checking completed tasks off your list.

Studies reveal that multitasking reduces your productivity. Besides, multitasking really just means switching your attention between tasks, which increases the risk of making errors and slows you down as you realign your thinking to each task.

Determine when you are the most productive, and schedule important tasks for those blocks of time. During each block, focus on one very specific task and ignore everything else. For example, if you’re most productive in the mornings, use that time for creative work and save responding to emails for the afternoon.

 

Schedule Tasks

Following a schedule makes efficient use of your time. Schedule business hours and work diligently during those hours. Schedule everything, including working times and breaks. Appoint mundane tasks to be completed at the same time each day, and save your best hours for creative client work.

This is different from simply blocking out hours of the day for certain types of work, discussed above. This is setting your regular working schedule for every week. Of course, sometimes projects demand overtime or weekends; that is inevitable. But with a regular schedule in place, if something demands overtime, you can more easily charge overtime costs for the extra time you work outside your normal working schedule.

 

Use Tools

There are tools and apps for everything, and a wise solopreneur will make full use of them. Consider utilizing efficiency and budgeting software to cut down on end-of-the-month tasks. Download a scheduling app to use with your working schedule. Join it to an organization tool and input your daily task list to stay on track throughout the day. Apps like this cut out paper lists that can be lost, and will even provide timers and reminders.

Your particular industry will determine what tools and apps will best help you with productivity. Keep that in mind. Just because everyone loves a certain tool doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Software and apps that help you write better are popular, but if you don’t create copy in your business, why do you need it?

 

Delegate Tasks

As a solopreneur, you’re likely accustomed to doing everything. But there are probably some tasks that you don’t enjoy, perhaps even absolutely loathe. Like bookkeeping, or transcribing interviews, or writing sales emails. Don’t be afraid to delegate those tasks to someone else, even another solopreneur with skills in those areas.

You can increase productivity by focusing on your strengths and delegating other tasks to people who possess strengths in those areas. This doesn’t have to be a paid gig. Sometimes, family or others around you would be happy to help out just to learn about your business or help you out. Besides, you can always review the work (and you should) to ensure it meets your quality and accuracy requirements. There are also options for finding a marketing apprenticeship like GenMwhere you can pay $150 for three months and get help for up to 10 hours per week.

 

Schedule Time for You

Solopreneurs can easily work themselves into the ground. And no one is around to warn them about hitting the brakes. So, this is your warning. Just like you schedule time for working hours and completing certain tasks, schedule time for you. If you don’t schedule it like a business appointment or task, you will allow something else (like a business appointment or task) to bump it from your schedule.

Eat healthy foods and incorporate exercise into your daily activities. Make sure you get adequate sleep. Take the time out to rest and rejuvenate. Schedule exercise, meal, and vision breaks into your daily routine. Scheduling time for yourself (and taking it) is the best way to honor your business and your clients. If you do, you’ll be able to give the business your all and even more when it demands it.

Schedule and invest in a vacation away from work demands, if possible. Pay into a vacation fund as if it were an actual monthly expense. Get away from where you normally work and relax, eat out, have fun, and celebrate your solopreneur freedom and accomplishments. If you plan ahead for a vacation, budgeting finances and time for it in advance, you can do it.

If for some reason you cannot get away from work, at least travel to a relaxing destination and work from there. In your off hours, you can still eat great food, visit beautiful places, and engage in relaxing or fun activities. Even working from an exotic or fun location can be invigorating and refreshing, just the thing a busy solopreneur needs.

What are the best productivity hacks that work for you? Share them with our readers in the comments below!