This time of the year is for breaking out the vision boards to set our intention and map out goals.  And there can be no doubt that a vision board is a powerful way to see our future and affirm what you wish to achieve.   Paint, draw, cut out images or words from magazines.
​
This is part of the creative feminine way.  Vision board are fun and they invite you to dream.  Dream big and put that vision on paper in whatever creative way you are called, for your personal life and your business. 

However attractive images, positive affirmations and dreaming does not constituent achievement.  Achieving takes action.  Masculine energy is responsible for action. 

Taking action moves you beyond the vision.  This means working out your marketing plan.  Assuming you already know your business, your story and have a grasp of who is your ideal client, growing your business from your vision board will be an easy progression.

Your vision board should have your intention for the year ahead infused into it.  It will also lay out your goals.  From here it is important to make your goals measurable.  If you have a vision to grow the number of clients you have on your database, it is recommended that you establish how many you wish to be connected with over that 12-month period.  You may even like to break it down into smaller blocks of how many you will sign up each month or even each week.  Work out what you can commit too.  Remember the SMART* rule and keep it realistic.

The next step in bringing your vision off the board and into an actionable plan would be to establish how you will reach that outcome.   Sticking with the goal of growing the number of clients in your business, this would mean working out how you will find your clients and what steps you will use to engage those clients.  These are the true actionable goals of a vision board. 

These actions may be based on an already existing marketing strategy or they may include new initiatives to communicate with your clients.   Keep in mind strategies will change depending on the current environment your business is sitting.  Relevance is the key here.  Communication strategies that worked a few years ago may not be relevant today.  And even in some industries particular methods of communication will have more impact than in another.  Perhaps a bit of research may be needed.

While I type this, I am reminded that a lot can be achieved just by displaying your vision board.   Visualisation is a powerful method of manifestation.  You are what you think.  However, I have come to learn to be a co-creator with the Universe.  Not only does action let the Universe know I trust in myself but it reminds me I take responsibility for my own life.   Dreaming and moving towards our vision through action also sends a clear message to the Universe.  And dreaming and action is the balance of the masculine and feminine aspects of our business working together. 

Balance leads to manifestation.  So, my message to you is dream it, create it, plan it and take action.   Meet Yin with Yang.  This is your year.

*The acronym SMART in goal setting stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic (some also call this relevance) and Time Bound.

Learn how to engage with your ideal client using social media without being concerned about algorithms while building your credibility and audience.
​

Social Media is a pertinent part of any business marketing strategy.  Relying on it as your sole method of communicating with your audience is a risk many businesses take.  Not only are you at the mercy of changing algorithms, you are leaving control for online access in the hands of the social media conglomerates. 
Mitigating the risks means creating a diverse marketing plan that uses multi-channels strategies.  However the impact social media does have on reaching potential clients cannot be underestimated.  The added bonuses of social media are that it can give you a platform for building credibility, adding value and directing your clients to other channels where you can capture their attention using other means.
​
And this is the importance of multi-channel marketing strategies.  You can use one channel to feed your clients to where you really need them to be so as to grow your business.

So lets look at some key ways that you can utilise Social Media to funnel your clients where you can grow your business:

1. Encourage sharing and commenting
   Create a conversation by wowing the reader with interesting and engaging content.   Headlines that grab their attention, followed by content that has value (or even explains your values) to your audience.  Add information that demonstrates your knowledge and, if it feels right for you is unique, has original “shock” value, truthful and to the point.  Always end with a call to action – maybe it is as simple as asking them to share the post if they agree, make a comment or contact you.
   
   
2. Join groups that are relevant and places where your potential clients hang out
   Groups are great ways to build communities.  You can either create your own group where you add value-added information for your clients or place where you create conversation that builds your profile with your clients.  You may even want to find groups where your ideal clients might naturally hang out.  If your ideal client is pregnant women, you might join a few different mother’s group.  But if you join community groups, make it count, comment, build a profile and always follow the rules of the group.  I am big in believing in yourself but ensure that if you are contributing within these public community groups it is relevant and demonstrates you as an authority on the subject being asked.  And it possible cannot hurt to have people who are part of your advocate team.  They will go in and ‘bat’ for you, call you attention to something that you might be able to help with and be willing to support you on a topic if needed.
   
   
3. Don’t be afraid to recommend yourself
   This has been a hard one for me to do but within those public social media groups it is okay to recommend your services.  When I do tag my own business or make my own personal recommendation, I add little disclaimers.  I am absolutely open and honest that I am recommending my own business and standing by own skills to be able to support the person asking for the recommendation. 
   
   
4. Use a variety of different posts
   Images count – this is one of my favourite tasks in developing social media.  Sourcing the best images that tell a story and evoke an emotion that the client will respond too.  Remember though, while it has to be memorable, it also needs to be relevant to your audience and the topic.
   Videos count – probably the hardest thing is to get over ourselves and do more videos.  With social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram constantly changing algorithms it is difficult to find the perfect ‘formula’ for attracting clients to your page.  However videos have consistently seemed to be effective at attracting client attention along with people, such as the director / owner and well recognisable staff.  Therefore if you are finding a blockage in getting yourself out there on social media, start practicing and show the world what makes you (and your business) amazing.  So amazing that they become your client.
   Educational posts -probably my favourite because this is the value-added content clients love. This is the FREE stuff you can offer.
   Keep your posts fun, fresh, relatable and truthful.  Some would say stay positive and be witty but I believe honesty trumps all.  There are some topics that are just not positive.  Sure it may be possible to find a positive spin on just about anything and if that fits your values and brand, do it.  Naturally it might be difficult to come up with fresh ideas, so why not ask your audience.  Check in with what they want to see.  Start a conversation and plan a round of posts on a topic that seems to be popular.  Start observing what themes are popping up around you and use that to develop new posts.  But don’t forget the relevant rule.  If the topic is a week old – maybe leave it for now until it comes up in media again, unless you really have something useful and of value to contribute once the news becomes too old.
   Know your story and present it in different ways but stick to your values.  There is nothing wrong with reusing content and retelling your story in different ways.   Often recycling content will have a different feel and look and ideally you might transport if across a variety of other media. 
   
   
5. Utilise social media that fits your brand
   Know what is out there and utilise it appropriately to get your message across. Tik Tok might not be appropriate for your brand and the audience who utilise the platform might not even be who you want to be attracting to your business.

 
At the end of the day the take away messages are not to rely solely on social media, use multiple platforms, keep all content relevant and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in new, fresh ways that portrait your businesses message.  And probably most importantly give a call to action for your ideal client to reach out to you.  Tell them how to contact you or where to find more information either on your business or on the topic you are using to reach them.
If you want to learn more about Mindful Marketing or to have a free social media check up reach out via my website or call 0438 264 354.
 
W: https://www.mindfulmarketingmatters.com.au/
M: 0438 264 354