Are you sure you want to read this?
Are you ready for an annoying, inconvenient answer?
OK then, if you’re sure….
The secret is to use the right strategy. I warned you it’d be annoying, but let me break it down.
What is the “right” strategy for a consistently profitable business?
The “right” strategy is your own strategy. The truth is, you probably know the right strategy but the problem is that you don’t trust it.
When you don’t trust your strategy, you don’t give it enough time and energy to work. You doubt it and go back in search of guidance from strangers on the internet. Going back to the start based on exciting new advice means adding more and more and more things to your to-do list which gobbles up your time and energy. With so much great advice available online, ideas, tactics, hacks, and possible paths to success… we end up aiming for many different targets, which is not ideal.
Doing less better – Sarah’s story
(Names have been changed to protect privacy)
Sarah was spending 10+ hours a week on Instagram posting, going live, and engaging with followers. (Not counting the hours of research, scrolling, and understanding the algorithm). While her following grew slowly, very few of her followers were clicking through to her website to book her services. So she Googled it. “How to get more followers on Instagram.” She dutifully signed up for “10-tips” worksheets and free courses.
Months passed and she got more than 100 additional followers, but no new clients even though she was making posts, carousels, reels and stories consistently. She was getting pretty frustrated. All this work and nothing to show for it. No return on her investment of time and energy.
So she got in touch with me and we did an audit of her digital strategy. Right away we saw how much of her resources were being poured into visibility for little or no return. Aside from Instagram, Sarah was working on building a website and had hired an SEO consultant to get her new site ranking well on Google.
So why were none of these efforts paying off? We identified 3 key weaknesses:
- Her Instagram strategy was following algorithm-hacking advice. Her content had become stale and lacked any real value for her audience. Her content was getting seen, but by people who would never become clients.
- No clear calls to action. Again, any attention she was getting on Instagram was going to waste. Her grid and content jumped around wildly in theme and style and messaging. No wonder people weren’t booking her services, they had no idea what her services actually were or how someone might benefit from them. Also, Sarah’s energy had been so drained by all the Instagram content creation, that she held back on inviting people to get in touch or subscribe to her mailing list.
- The SEO consultant was doing a great job of researching and implementing the keywords, but the traffic that came to the site ‘bounced’ away quickly. Getting traffic is one thing. Keeping site visitors’ attention and inspiring action is something else entirely.
This is just the very first step in having a consistently profitable business – Paying attention to where your resources are being drained! Then get to work on creating the right strategy for you.
What are you doing to connect with ideal clients online?
Most solo businesses’ answer sounds a bit like this:
“I’m trying to do regular Instagram posts and videos. Shouldn’t I be on TikTok too? They say list building is the way to go… this free PDF isn’t working so I’m going to start offering webinars, wait-wait, an e-book might be better, hang on, I was also thinking of making a free course and launching a podcast. Actually, I was wondering about creating a cheap service to get people in the door and run ads, should I just focus on ads? Actually, should I should really get started writing my book, shouldn’t I? But I need to change my website first, I’ve been meaning to blog more. Oh and I’m doing a course about SEO.“
Honestly, none of these are bad ideas – UNLESS they don’t suit you. Your temperament, your energy, your current resources, and your ideal clients.
It’s just far too convenient to just Google it. “How do I get clients online?” Or “How to make more money as a (your service)?” You end up with so many possibilities trying to get your attention, so the to-do list gets all cluttered and you feel like you’re working so hard, trying everything, and nothing seems to be working.
Inconsistent efforts get inconsistent results.
Which option would you go for?
Move ten things by an inch or one thing by a mile?
I’d opt for moving by a mile because that means – focus, clarity, measurability, actually starting to see meaningful results, and a greater return on investment on your resources.
Making the best use of your resources
This is my approach as a strategy coach
- Focus on your personal strengths, goals, passions, and values.
- Get to know the people you wish to serve and understand their needs and online habits.
- Use this information to take aligned action and design a path for your ideal clients to find you and get ready to work with you.
- Assess your available time, energy, and budget and understand the optimal way to invest these resources for the best return.
This looks different for every business but when you do this work and establish the path that gets you, clients:
- It’s easier to stay consistent in how you show up and connect with your audience because you know how it works. Bonus: You’re more likely to be in a state of flow so it’s less of a chore to do this work!
- You become immune to “shiny ideas” and the latest new “magic bullet” being advertised to you. Instead, you build up the strong foundations for your profitable business.
- You’ll have less uncertainty about what you need to be doing to get clients and get paid so you stop wasting time and energy on things that don’t work.
If you’re ready to stop “Googling it” and start designing your own strategy toward a consistently profitable business – come grab a free session with me. FREE CONSULT
What happened next with Sarah?
She ditched Instagram and focussed on visibility work that she enjoyed. She began collaborating with leaders who were known, liked, and trusted by her ideal clients. This meant that she was showing up in a way that was more effective, less labor-intensive and ACTUALLY made meaningful connections with the people she’d been trying to reach on Instagram and Google.
We worked on a clearer more consistent brand message and a path for people to get ready to work with her. In the space of a month, she started to get booked by more ideal clients, more often and increased her baseline income from 2k to 3.5K, and the growth continues.
This is just one example of how a strategy that is right for you will help you get more clients consistently. Trying to hack the system with “magic bullet” solutions will just keep you stuck in busy work.
If you’re ready to do this for your business, grab a free strategy call here: BOOK NOW