This is Day 2 of "5 Ways To Grow Your Business Faster" series. (Go to Day 1)
In order to figure out why you're stuck, it's mighty helpful to know what trap(s) you've fallen into in order to get out and get your business moving forward, faster.
Every business owner falls into one of 5 main "traps" that keeps them from getting to that next big goal. If this is you, you're probably wondering what happened to all the momentum leading up to this point.
Well, it might just be...
Trap #2: Tunnel Vision
Your ability to focus has gotten you this far in your business. Congratulations! But did you know that same laser focus can derail your growth after a certain point?
Things are different now than when you started your business. Externally, there are all kinds of new ways to get attention, and myriad micro-tweaks to things like Facebook advertising, for example.
On the topic of email marketing, there's new regulations like the "General Data Protection Regulation" (GDPR) out of the European Union. And deliverability tricks and tactics change with the wind. (Have you even checked your deliverability, open rates, and clicks lately?)
On top of all that, what worked to get you here might not work the same way to get you where you want to go. And if you still have your head down, working your business the same way that got you here, there might be a problem.
Solution to Tunnel Vision: Take a day off, or at least a few hours, and look around a bit.
If you are subscribed to newsletters and blogs that help with marketing and getting attention online, skim through some and check out what people in your industry are doing to get attention today.
You're already doing it! No matter what prompted you to arrive here today, reading this blog post probably wasn't scheduled. That's good. Keep going.
Business owners, whether you are a coach, consultant, ecommerce pro, affiliate marketer, or a local business, simply must take time every so often to figure out what's going on with the channels you use to get attention.
It also help to find out what you're missing since you last popped your head above ground to get a feel for what's happening.
Resources
- Facebook marketing groups: There are key marketing groups on Facebook you should belong to. For my industry, Internet Marketing Super Friends is a good example of a lively, very helpful group of people from all kinds of niches and businesses. Do a search and find some niche-specific marketing groups as well, if you can.
- A couple of blogs I always hit up when I'm wiping the tunnel vision from my eyes are Moz (for Search Engine Marketing) and Neil Patel (for a wide range of marketing intel I find invaluable.)
There are, of course, many more resources. But you're not here do get a bunch of research dumped in your lap, right?
Higher Leverage...
The fastest way to get up to speed is to talk to someone who already is. Let an expert keep up with all the latest news and subscribe to all the right blogs and lists. Then simply pick their brain.
If you find the right expert, they will bring both the resources and the experience to give guidance tailored for your situation. All without having to luck upon the answers yourself.
Now might be a good time to schedule a "Jam Session" with me, if you're inclined to leverage this last tip. You'll find I'm one of the rare "share-y" marketing and business leverage experts in the business!
Slowing down to take a look around and assess your current marketing strategy for adjustments can seem counter intuitive.
Yet, seasoned growth-masters understand that stopping to smell what's cookin' in their market yields really big returns.