So your website’s live and you’re ready for the visitors to start flooding in! Time to crack the bubbly and sit back and watch them roll in!
Right? You know it’s wrong. You know your job has only just begun, and that this is just the first step!
So what now? What’s the second step you should be taking?
Well, actually these aren’t really consecutive steps, and the steps following can be done while you’re getting your website up and running..but just say this was a journey of steps…this is what the next ones would be:
- Get connected
- Get people on your list
- Get producing
- Get out there
Today, let’s talk about the first one:
Get Connected.
Successful business has always been about relationships, but if possible this is even more important today.
Chances are you aren’t out to be the next Nike or Amazon, but you sure want to make a difference in your niche, and build a business that brings you your version of success*.
With the explosion in technology and networking platforms in the past few years there’s never been a better time for you and your business to do this! Which is awesome, and exciting, and sometimes, quite frankly, a bit overwhelming. So, where should you start?
Choose how and where to connect
- Who’s your target audience, and where do they hang out online?
- Which platform/s will work best for your product or service?
- Which platform/s will you feel most comfortable with, and so actually use?
Then choose 1 or 2 platforms based on the above, and put your time and efforts into building relationships there. (No point spending all your time on Twitter, if your audience is all on Facebook, and vice versa.)
Let your personality shine
No one likes a phoney! And if you’re trying to present a false front then people will quickly see through you! (You can’t keep that false smile on your dial forever!)
Be yourself! Which by the way, you know how to do better than anyone else, so less practice, research and effort involved!
If you’re a joker, share the jokes. If you like a witty turn of phrase, use them when you interact with others. If you’re a caring, sensitive soul offer words of kindness and encouragement.
What are your relationship skills?
Are you great at connecting people? Then put people in touch with each other. Are you a social butterfly? Maybe you could host meet-ups (online or off). Do you prefer the buffer of a computer to build your relationships? Do you love meeting people face to face? Get yourself to the places where people in your niche hang out.
Whatever you’re natural inclinations, use them, so there’s the least resistance to taking the steps you need to take.
Why do this?
Connecting online is about letting people get to know the real you! Just like forming any kind of relationship:
common interests + genuine interest + generosity of spirit = a great online relationship
- For your sanity: it’s about sharing your journey (warts and all) with like minded spirits who will be only too happy to cheer you on, and give you advice, and a kind word when you need one.
- For your spirit: it’s about finding people you can help, opportunities for you to share the kind word or raise the cheer. For you to give tips on how you did such and such, and so on.
- For your bottom line: your friends are your biggest supporters, so make genuine friendships & your friends will think of you when they next need something, or meet someone who does.
Successful people want others to succeed, and are generous with their time, knowledge and expertise. So be generous, be open to new opportunities, and be on the look out for those you can help, for no other reason than it feels good to do so!
Find out more
Know you need to network with people, but not sure how to do this without coming off all fake and salesy?
Check out these 8 great tips from Marie Forleo – networking without being fake >>
* Measuring success by whether or not your business allows you to achieve your goals, particularly for lifestyle. ie: you may consider your business wildly successful if it allows you to drop down to 3 days per week at your ‘regular’ job. Someone else might consider their business a success if it allows them to work from anywhere in the world. Others might measure success by arriving at the point where their business has replaced their income. It’s not all about cracking your first million!
