Perhaps you’ve had your business for a while, but you’re well aware things could improve.

Maybe you haven’t had your business for all that long and you’re hoping that this could be the year things really take off for you.

Below, you’ll find plenty of advice that will help you to ensure this really is the year your business grows into something you can be proud of:

1. Make Sure You Know Who Your Audience Is

It doesn’t matter whether your business has already launched or whether you’re currently building it – knowing your audience is the key to your success.

You need to know who you’re targeting so you can create ads and use a voice that resonates with them.

You’ll be able to streamline your products, ensure your marketing budget is maximized, pinpoint the sections of your audience that show the most potential for growth, and ensure you build brand loyalty.

Once you’re sure you know who your audience is, you can create consumer profiles so you can envision speaking to them when you write content and create other marketing materials.

How old are they? What do they do for a living? What is their family situation like? Knowing as much about them as possible will help you. 

2. Focus on Building and Defining Your Brand

Branding is also extremely important. However, 86% of people admitted that authenticity is a key factor for them when deciding whether to work with a company or not.

How do you know if you’re authentic or not? It’s a case of whether the brand’s projected image matches what the brand actually does.

Can you say that that is the case for your business? If not, it’s time to make some changes. 

You need to make sure that you are coordinating your branding across all of your channels, and that your messaging is on point also.

This includes your logo, brand voice, colors, and other aspects. Try to stick to a visual style and color palette in harmony with your established branding.

The work isn’t done once you have launched, however. You need to continue building your brand and staying conscious of what your audience expects from you. 

Of course, your branding won’t stay the same forever. It will evolve and change over time as your business and the business landscape changes.

Remember that marketing materials are expensive, so you should be happy enough with your brand for the next few years at least!

You don’t want to have to redo your website, business cards, and every single other branded item you have every year. 

3. Utilize Social Media Marketing

Putting your brand on social media isn’t exactly an innovative tip. But it’s a tip that could make the biggest difference to your business and helping it to take off.

50% of the world’s population uses social media every day. This means that you could be missing out on a huge chunk of your audience if you don’t currently utilize social media.

You can’t deny that it’s a huge resource for marketing, and many of the things you can do to promote your business are free– although you can choose to pay for ads, too. 

Social media users can be broken down by demographic, which makes targeting them even easier.

Many people use social media to exclusively research brands before they decide to work with them.

Gathering reviews on social media and making sure you keep your information up to date across the board is essential for this reason.

As a small business, social media is crucial. It has a big impact on your brand awareness and loyalty. You can build a community on social media that will help to sustain your business in the long run. 

Have you ever logged onto Youtube and spotted videos labelled ‘storytime’? Those videos are not only useful for influencers that people want to know everything about, but for your business, too.

Every company has a story.

It might not be a showstopping story, but you can embellish it a little, make it intriguing and something your audience wants to invest in, and use it to create a connection with people.

This all connects back to authenticity and helps you to get your audience on side.

Telling the story of your business is, without question, one of the most effective things you can do if you want your business to grow.

Small businesses often find that this is the best way for them to create that all important personal connection with their consumers.

If your customers like your brand then they will invest themselves in it. Notice we say brand, not just products. It’s the whole brand that people invest in! 

On your website, you can include a well written, touching, and heartfelt version of your story.

On your social media, you can use quotes and snippets to get people interested in how your brand came to be.

Letting people see behind the brand this way will help you to create genuine connections with people that last.

Read also: How I Increased Traffic by 778% in 2 Months

4. Act Like a National Business 

If you’re playing small, then you can’t exactly expect your business to take off.

Act like a national business and you could gain even more traction this year. You can start by getting a 1300 number from a place like Zintel.

This will give your audience and the people you call the impression that your business has a large office space, even if you are just operating from your bedroom!

You can also give yourself a different title. You don’t have to give yourself the title of CEO or creative director. Giving yourself a pared down title could give people the impression that there are people above you, making the business look more successful.

Of course, finding the balance between this and authenticity is important.

Read also: How to Start an Online Business (Tips for Bloggers, Coaches and Influencers)

5. Focus on Your Customer Service 

Your customer service should be the absolute best it can be.

People expect amazing customer service from small businesses as they have higher expectations. They are well aware that the stakes are higher.

You have to fight to hold on to your customers, and you want to make the best impression imaginable. If anything goes wrong, you want to ensure you rectify it as best you can, too.

You can’t risk a disgruntled customer telling other people not to work with your business, and it’s far easier and more effective to keep customers than it is to try to gain new ones all the time.

Did you know that disgruntled customers tell far more people about their experience than happy customers? It doesn’t seem fair, but that’s the way it is! 

Providing an unexpected solution to any customer issues can ensure your customer service has the most impact.

Train your customer service representatives to think outside the box. Work with staffing agencies or a Temp Agency to help you find the best representatives to elevate your customer service and avoid any problems, human errors, or lapses in judgment that will affect the customer experience.

Customer happiness should be your main goal, not just satisfaction. Make sure you also offer bonuses, incentives and rewards to your loyal customers. Show them how valuable they are to you as often as you can! 

6. Stay Adaptable 

Adaptability is a must – it’s one of the most important things businesses learned in 2020.

Being able to go with the flow, whatever happens, expected or not, will do your business the world of good.

You can’t get too attached to the way you do things now, as they won’t always be the most effective ways to do things. Knowing when to make changes is a skill, and holding on to your old ways for too long could hinder your business.

7. Pick Just One Goal to Focus on for Now

Rather than focusing on 100 things at once – which is all too easy as a business owner – pick just one goal to focus on for now.

Simplicity can make reaching your goals even easier. Picking just one goal should make everything feel lighter, and you can ensure that the majority of your activities revolve around you achieving a single goal. 

There are so many methods and techniques that can be effective for goal setting and reaching goals, so of course, this may not be the best way to make things work for you.

However, if you’re the kind of person who is easily overwhelmed, picking just one goal and putting all of your focus onto it can be the best thing to do.

The one goal you choose will be unique to you, but it must be something very measurable and as accurate as possible. Vague goals are easier to forget about and harder to measure.

Do you want to have a certain number of people sign up to your online courses in the next 6 months?

Do you want to gain a certain amount of clients for a specific service in the next year?

Having specific numbers and timeframes and making sure the goal resonates with you on a deep level is a must if you’re going to reach it. 

Are you ready to make this the year your business takes off?