I don’t know about you, but I LOVE hearing the good, bad, and ugly of other people’s business-building efforts.
Today, I want to share with you the one thing I think I got right when starting my business.
There were a lot of things I got wrong and I share those pretty openly over on Instagram.
But I’m proud of this one thing I decided on as I built my small business in its first year. It was this: I focused on building my small business exactly the way that I wanted. Which I guess in theory sounds easy, but in reality can be really hard to do. We, as female small business owners, have a tendency to look around at what others are doing and we mimic their business. Or sometimes we try to model our business after someone in our industry who appears more successful. And another common one is building our business the way that content-creating mentor on Instagram built hers.
But I think the key for me was authenticity – and the key to authenticity is this- keeping the blinders on.
I knew I needed to approach Instagram differently …
There were soooo many Instagram coaches telling me to do things that just did not feel authentic to me. I just am not the type of person who’s going to create an Instagram reel simply to go viral. I’m not the kind of person who is going to use sleazy strategies to try to increase watch time. In the very beginning, I knew that so much of the advice out there was not going to serve my audience … it was just going to serve me. So I ignored it.
I focused on (very slowly) building the business that I wanted instead of one that came from a podcast episode or a book recommendation or some creator that I followed.
This is one of the powerful things about being a midlife entrepreneur. You’re more comfortable in your skin. You realize that just because everyone else is saying to do something, you actually don’t have to do it in order to be successful.
And if you are a person of faith, you see your business as a calling and a purpose – not just a way to make money. Which means you don’t have to rely on gross growth tactics at all. But rather you show up and serve. You work hard and let God do the rest.
I grew slowly but with content that reflected who I am and what I believe in.
One thing that is performing well for business owners on Instagram is relatable content. It’s getting a ton of shares. So, naturally, 95% of business owners are showing up and just trying to create content that they think their ideal customer would share with her best friend.
To me, I don’t understand that strategy at all. If the point of this space is to serve others and reach the right people, why would anyone create content that is meaningless? Just to grow? I can tell you, it leads to a lot of followers … who buy absolutely nothing.
To me, that’s a lot of work for very little reward.
I grow very slowly. I grow by people sharing my stuff and tagging me. 1 follower or 5 will come on over. And they are engaged. They trust me straightaway. Because they trust the person who sent them over to me. This to me is the smartest way to grow. There is a great reward for work that feels easy, fulfilling, and purposeful.
My advice for anyone using social media for their business …
If I could give you one piece of advice, it’s this: be yourself on social and don’t change your entire strategy just for follows. You will end up being very frustrated by your community.
So if I was starting my business over again from scratch, I would essentially do everything the same. I would think about what serves others well and feels authentic to me. And everything else in the business would be birthed from that core concept.
What’s something you’ve gotten right in your business? I’d love to hear.
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Disclaimer: While Kelly is a certified business coach this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as financial advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace legal or financial advice. Always check with your own legal or financial team before trying or implementing any information read here. As an Amazon Associate Kelly also earns from qualifying purchases.
