Learn from the best and implement these 12 tips from successful small business owners. 

Communication and content strategies that work for small businesses are not always easy to find. What works for big businesses doesn’t always bring great results for solopreneurs, start-ups or small businesses.

Luckily we don’t always have to test everything on our own. I collated 10 proven strategies, tips and lessons learned from successful small business owners. 

Which ones do you want to try first?

Create less content but do it well!

“Be selective and only choose one or two channels that reach your audience. Do those well and forget the rest in the short term.

When you create, milk the topic. Create as much content as you possibly can from the material and use it in different places. 

I find it overwhelming at times to keep up with all the content creation. To help with that I’ve got half a day blocked each month to make sure the posts get scheduled, content created and so forth. I find this more effective than winging it every week.”

Janene Liston, The Pricing Lady

Visualise your vision

“Start from clarifying and drawing your vision. To have a clear picture of what you would like to achieve helps you enormously to curate all your ideas. It also helps you to motivate yourself towards your goal as you are aware that you are working on your dream.

It’s also important to understand your positioning. I call this your ‘magnet’. The magnet is made of your knowledge, your passion, your dream client and their problem, and the service you provide in order to solve this problem.

When creating your communication strategy, focus on what works for you and your clients. Where are you already present? What content do you have? You don’t have to overload your communication.”

Cordelia Oppliger, business mentor, Curating the Difference

Focus on your uniqueness instead of comparison

“You don’t need to look, sound and interact the exact same way your established competitors do. This leads to your potential clients to compare you to the competition, and that is the last thing you want them to do. Sometimes a calculated risk by being different can pay off! Have the confidence to use your own voice, because you are unique. That is literally your selling point, so remember to use it.”

Hayley Payne, Brand strategist and graphic designer, Crafty Chameleon

Ask yourself what your client would google

“Start from your business persona, the avatar of your ideal customer. Make this very precise! You should understand everything about him/her but especially what s/he is going to search on Google. Then, once you have a clear idea of what your Business Persona needs and is looking for online, you can write down many possible titles of blog posts / social media posts / freebies in order to answer these needs.

You can also look at competitors for inspiration. What do they write about and which social media posts get the most traction? This helps you optimise your own content and you don’t lose time on things that don’t interest the audience.

With all your content, draft a conversion strategy. For example asking for an email address in exchange for a downloadable guide is a good strategy to grow your email list.”

Sarah Spagnuolo, MarCom Manager and founder, Artemperature

Know Who and Why

“If you find yourself staring at your screen not knowing where to start or what to write, it’s a clear sign that you need to think more deeply about who you want to write for and why. 

If you don’t know who you are producing your content for, then you won’t be able to create a message that has any kind of impact or meaning. So take some time to think about your audience and what their concerns are. What are they trying to achieve that you can help them with? Then you want to know what you want them to think, feel and do as a result of listening to or reading your message. Write that purpose down in a single sentence of 10 words or less, and use that to guide your creation process and subsequent editing. 

Get clear on your Who and Why, and you’ll find you’ll be able to create impactful content with greater ease.”

Melitta Campbell, Business Coach, Author, Speaker Melitta Campbell Business Coaching

Tried everything but nothing worked?

Sometimes even the best tips fall flat. If you feel you’ve tried every trick in the book but the results still keep waiting for themselves, you might benefit from more personalised growth strategies.

I’d be happy to talk your struggles through and help you map out a way to successful communication that grows your business. 

Schedule a complimentary strategy mapping session with me! During the call, we’ll troubleshoot your problem and work out a roadmap to successful communication.