Can you believe this year is coming to an end? What things did you accomplish for you personally and professionally? This year I made massive changes in my business that helped me grow so much. I’m so happy I figured out these strategies because now I can share them with you to help your business grow too! Here are 5 business growth strategies to try in the new year.
Sometimes it’s hard to take the time to look back and reflect on how far you’ve come. I am an enneagram three which means I’m always thinking about the next thing I can check off or accomplish. I have to make myself take time to see how far I’ve come, and as I’ve done so I realize that reflecting on the past can help light the future.
Are you at all like this too? We get so caught up in the next things we “should” or want to be doing that we forget to celebrate what we’ve already done. This practice is more important than you think because it gets you in the habit of staying positive and being nice to yourself–two things that help you run a business more efficiently. While emotional intelligence is a huge help in running and growing a business, actual strategies are a key component as well. Here are 5 business growth strategies that I used to double my business revenue this past year (even with a rough start).
Business Growth Strategy #1: Use the Instagram growth formula.
About a year ago I had about 20K Instagram followers and had a couple of reels go viral. Since last December I’ve had between 1 and 5 million views on Instagram every month and now I have over 170K followers. I do not take that for granted because there were years of struggling. And the best part about this is that I didn’t just figure out what works for me, but what can work for you too. I know it’ll work because I was able to duplicate my strategy for my clients and they have had the same success.
Part of the Instagram Growth Formula is creating content for people who do not follow you. There needs to be a percentage of content you create that attracts new people, a percentage that nurtures the audience you already have, and a percentage of selling content for your die-hard followers. I talk more in detail about this growth formula and how to implement it HERE.
Business Growth Strategy #2: Identify your main marketing arm(s).
As you look at what you want to prioritize in the new year, think about what your main marketing arms are. Is Instagram one of the main ways you market your business? Is it YouTube or TikTok? Whatever it may be, think about how you can double down on your efforts and really learn that platform to grow your business.
I put TikTok on the back burner in order for me to grow on Instagram the way I did. Doing so gave me the time to really learn how Instagram works and have now become an expert in it. I figured out the algorithm and I’ve learned how to create and market content in a way that helps me grow faster than ever–and even teach it to other people who have already had amazing success with it.
Think about what things you could say no to temporarily in order for you to have more time to commit to your main marketing arms. Go all in with those platforms and start having more fun as you create and figure out how it works and the place your business has in it.
Business Growth Strategy #3: Pivot if needed.
I made some big course changes in my business this past year. One is the closing of one of my main offerings–my Money Makers coaching program. This program allowed me to coach over 100 women about how to grow their businesses. While it was so sad to leave my lovely group of business owners, I realized that Money Makers had run its course. It was no longer accomplishing what I wanted to do anymore.
Since shutting down Money Makers, I launched my 8-week intensive course, Grow the Gram, and my second product, Insta Social Society which is a membership subscription. Each has incredible value and allows me to teach at a much deeper level on focus on a more specific problem to solve. I am blown away by the incredible growth of people who have taken the course. This confirms to me that the strategies I use do not just work for me but for anyone who applies them.
With that being said, don’t be afraid to pivot–even if you have a product that you’re getting paid for. I was really nervous to shut down Money Makers because it was a regular moneymaker for my business. However, I knew I needed to adapt it and my business is booming even more so now because I took that leap to pivot.
Business Growth Strategy #4: Invest in yourself as a business owner.
I participated in a 12-week coaching program (which I did not foresee happening at all) that certified me as an emotional intelligence coach. I learned all about how to think through problems, create an intentional identity and vision for your business and life–and so much more. Taking this course has helped me grow so much as a person and CEO and has helped me break down mental walls that had been there for years and years.
Check out THIS blog post where I interviewed my emotional intelligence coach where you’ll learn her 7-part framework for shifting your mindset so you can finally start accomplishing your big business goals.
Business Growth Strategy #5: Take the next step.
Alright, I shared with you the three big things that happened in my business this past year and how they can help you too. Now, it’s your turn to put in some work to get this growth journey started. Think about what you really want. This may seem like a simple question, but the more I ask it the more I realize how loaded of a question it is.
You have to work to understand what you want. Most of us have an inkling of what we want, but we’re scared to say it out loud. We’re so afraid of even dreaming because we are too focused on messing up. This is not going to be you anymore, my friend. Just so you know, I mess up all the time. It’s part of life and part of growing a business. Don’t run away from discomfort because it’s actually those moments where you get pushed beyond what you normally would that the growth comes.
To help you develop this mindset, you are going to write every morning as your three years from now self. In this journaling session, you are writing things down that are in your control, personal to you, and are in positive language. E.g. do not write “I will not eat candy for three months.” and instead write, “I eat healthily and have a strong body.”
Although you are writing as your three years from now self, write as if it is all happening right now. Think about what you want to be happening and write it down as if it is. And no self-editing! Do not stop yourself because of mistakes or doubts that pop into your head–just keep writing.
5 Business Growth Strategies To Try in the New Year
Alright, those are my 5 business growth strategies to try in the new year. I can’t wait to see the growth you have this coming year. I know it’ll be so great. If you want some personalized coaching and special insider tips and strategies, make sure to check out my Grow the Gram Course and join my Insta Social Society! And of course, make sure you’re following me on Instagram @iammichellegifford.
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