- BEGINNING YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
The internet can be an intimidating place, brimful of endless possibilities about an infinite amount of topics. However, there’s no obvious way to perfectly begin posting, no guarantee you’ll be granted with swift and overwhelming success. Instead, patience is one of your most valuable assets. If you put in the work, you’ll be able to see the outcomes of such productivity in due time! So, it’s best to start your journey as soon as you feel ready to keep up the regime of maintaining an online presence.
Whether you sell sewing kits of pet portraits or offer a massage service, one of the first things you need to decide on is what you’d like to provide and to whom you wish to provide it to. Although it might seem like offering a diverse array of products is a great choice, it could ultimately hurt your business. Having to consistently upkeep with a large production level, especially when in the beginning stages of your business, doesn’t make much sense when you haven’t even gathered a loyal and equal-sized list of clientele. Think of it
Determining these niches are crucial. Once you’ve settled on them, you’ll be able to concentrate solely on writing and researching them, posting Instagram stories and Etsy listings, and so on. As aforementioned, maintaining a consistent virtual presence is necessary nowadays and so using social media platforms to interact with potential customers is only natural. Figure out and write down an upload schedule for clients to be able to look forward to your posts; trade remarks and answer questions people might ask in the comment section—remember to be as polite as possible! After all, it’s always a good idea to present yourself in a positive light.
- CONNECTING WITH SIMILAR BUSINESSES
Once you’ve determined what your business is focused on, making connections with similar brands is also a good practice. Perhaps you can even collab with someone in order to reach out to their established audience to introduce yourself! Despite holding the common interests of your businesses, the people behind such brands are diverse, and familiarizing yourself with some of your competition can be insightful. Not all productions operate in the same fashion, and sometimes putting the research into how someone else works can lead you to discovering shortcuts or new ideas.
- OFFERING DISCOUNTS, GIVEAWAYS, & MORE
Everybody loves a sale. Having an occasional discount on products can allow those with previous inabilities to indulge in purchasing something from your business. It can also result in a larger ordering of items—people are enticed by the offer of a discount, even if they might not necessarily need the product. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are infamous for this sort of behavior it makes people resort to.
If you’d rather have sales only during certain holidays or times of the year, you can instead try a giveaway. Having rules such as requiring people to follow your page, comment below, or tagging someone else increases the reach of your social media posts. Tagging friends who aren’t familiar with your business can lead to a new interested client, one who might then show others and the line of incoming traffic continues!
- OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
While it’s always great to have a loyal and dedicated following for your business, sometimes you’ll need to spice up your usual posts in order to entice new people. Relying on older customers to refer you to their friends and family can be helpful, but slow and inconsistent, especially when the same customers have ceased purchasing and interacting with your online presence themselves.
Regardless, maintaining a relationship—not necessarily a personal one—with your clients should always be taken into consideration. Sending personalized thank you cards when you mail out people’s orders can leave a positive impression; emailing updates when there are delays or concerns establish a line of connection between you and your customers, letting them know you can respond to inquiries and requests in a timely and appropriate manner.
While going above and beyond your social media posts and online presence seems beneficial and an obvious choice, it’s still important to take an occasional break from the internet and your business. Even if you aren’t able to leave it in the hands of a capable employee or co-founder, being able to take time off both mentally and physically can help prevent fatigue and overworking. When you determine a time for your vacation to the Appalachian Mountains or your trip to your living room for a movie and some popcorn, remember to inform your followers that you’ll be away for that period. Set up an automatic email that responds to customers’ and details how long your absence will be and if there’s something they can do in the meantime, especially if it’s a dire circumstance.
Although it can seem strange to disconnect from the internet, especially from those with whom you’ve now relationships (personal, business, or otherwise), it’s crucial to recuperate and catch up on things in your personal life. You can offer your attention to your family or friends, work on some personal projects you’ve been putting off due to work, and more. Pushing yourself to your limit can only work for so long until you’ve worn yourself down completely, and taking regular scheduled breaks helps prevent this. While you might care for your clients and their thoughts and concerns, it’s necessary to care for yourself and, as a result, your business, too.
