Let 2021 be a year of reinvention and hope for a brighter, better, and more successful future for your business!
Establishing a successful small business is not easy. But after the world took a hit due to the pandemic, it seems even more difficult to grow a business these days.
However, do not let the timing hold you back. While there may still be more challenges this 2021, it’s also ripe with new opportunities. So, to ensure that your business continues to grow and take advantage of the ever-changing tide, here are 5 ways to accelerate the growth of your company.
- Get Found with SEO
Short for Search Engine Optimization, SEO is still the best way to drive organic traffic to your site this 2021. It employs several strategies including the use of relevant keywords, optimizing your site, and link building in order to rank higher in search results.
It helps in building brand awareness, trust, and credibility. If you have a physical store, you should also consider listing your business on local directories and citations. This way, you are visible to your local area and attract relevant customers near you.
- Create Direct Connections
Communicating your brand identity effectively and promoting your services and/or products on social media is no longer just about advertising and regular posting. Direct communication and engagement should be your focus, alongside content creation and a keen eye for relevant content.
One way to meaningfully connect with your audience and customers is through direct messaging outreach on social platforms, particularly Instagram and Messenger. Instagram DMs and Messenger are as common to look at as text messages. In fact, data shows that 50% of millennials use messenger, while 47 percent use Instagram as a messaging app.
Other than direct messaging, responding to outreach and engaging in comments on social media is crucial. There’s a positive experience and even greater appreciation for a brand when a tweet or comment was acknowledged or responded to. Failure to follow up on engagement reflects badly on your brand and may even pass up on potential opportunities.
- Consider Guest Blogging
A positive way to grow both your site and brand is to write guest posts for other publication sites in your niche.
“It’s already hard writing an article for my site, why should I help others and give them free content?”
Well, by offering to collaborate and contribute with a brand that is similar to your own, you are exposing your business to a new audience, similar to your targeted customers. This can also work for guest podcasting, getting involved in an online summit, being interviewed on a video, or speaking at local networking events.
Not only that, but you’re also building and establishing some great relationships with peers in your industry along the way. Over time, this can help grow your network, which is a positive thing for your brand.
- Take Control with Email
You can’t control every detail of a PPC ad campaign. You do not own your social media profiles. You can never predict when and how Google and other search engines will change their algorithm.
However, there’s one common platform that provides more control than you thought— email.
You can use email to send out promotional or commercial messages. The best part is that you can personalize a message you send to a specific group of customers. Plus, emails not only for targeting new customers; it is also valuable for remarketing and retargeting your existing customers or cold leads. This can help in generating more leads while staying on top of the minds of your audience for their future shopping needs.
So, make 2021 the year to finally prioritize building an email list.
- Give Stellar Customer Service
This is another key aspect to grow any fledgling business.
Customers expect good service from any business, but they have higher expectations from small businesses.
With that said, it is not always a case of empathic listening. A customer service representative that provides an unexpected solution has the most impact. So, train your representatives to think creatively in making customers happy, not just satisfied.
And it’s not just about calming down grumpy customers. You should also reach out to offer incentives, bonuses, discounts, and rewards to loyal customers. Never miss an opportunity to show how valued they are.
Conclusion
Last year was an intense year. It was particularly turbulent for the business owners and entrepreneurs. Your small business likely had to contend with major stressors, challenges, and upheavals.
But your business is still here! So, let 2021 be a year of reinvention and hope for a brighter, better, and more successful future for your business!
Join the conversation!