Let’s take some time to celebrate and reflect on the last year together! This month we’re looking back at 12 months of tips, tricks, and bites of knowledge from 2021’s Hustle & Heart column as a reminder to be proud of what you’ve accomplished and excited for what you’re going to implement next in your business! Cheers to a great next year!
#1 Establish Your Brand’s True North
When creativity strikes, let your brand’s compass determine whether it’s pointing you in the right direction. Establish guidelines by thinking about what you truly want your brand to be known for at the end of the day. Who do you create for and what impact does it make on them? Everything you put out into the world as a brand should come back to this!
#2 Reevaluate Your Pricing When Change Hits
Every market or industry experiences change! Have you seen an increase in similar companies or product providers pop up? Have the supplies you use for your business experienced an increase in pricing or heightened demand? If your industry is getting more competitive and the demand is higher, that may be your green light to increase your pricing.
#3 Make Sure Custom Offers Bring You Joy
There are lots of things you can do as a brand that could make money but make sure it brings you joy. Does the initial excitement over a custom order coming in stay long term or are you quickly met with dread realizing that you have to actually do it? Then again, perhaps it’s giving you the chance to do something new and exciting? Be honest with yourself to find out which one you are.
#4 Curate and Lead with Value-Driven Posts for Social Media
Keep these three types of value-driven content in mind when you are looking to increase engagement. Inspiration: from fashion to fitness and everything in between, users are looking to feel inspired. Discovery: users are searching for and finding new products, services, and experiences. Community: people’s time is spent cultivating real connections and building relationships.
#5 Invest in The Things You Haven’t Tried Before to Move Forward
Are there areas of your business you’re a little “out of touch” with or simply would like to have the added help and confidence around? Maybe you do a good job at keeping up with email marketing, but you feel like it could be easier or more impactful? Hiring a copywriter or marketing whiz may be something new that will feel wonderful to invest in. Going down the road less traveled in your own business can often yield surprising results.
#6 Create a Memorable Customer Experience
The experience your customers have when working with you is one of the most important things to help you stand out. How does your customer feel when they walk into your store? How do you manage clients from start to finish? Take time to create a flawless and intentional experience to make a lasting impression, build brand recognition and increase customer loyalty.
#7 Prepare Your Audience in Advance for Promotions
You don’t have to share the exact details, but create a sense of urgency and excitement with reminders and countdowns when you are dropping something special, similar to how you would treat a launch. Work on building out a marketing and sales strategy that helps you warm up your audience, so they are ready to buy from you!
#8 Address The Fear Behind Pricing Insecurity
That anxiety that sometimes creeps in when speaking about your pricing can come from fear of people’s judgment or objections. There will always be people who will think your prices are too high or too low – those people’s opinions don’t matter. Start viewing your numbers as black and white, trying to take the emotion out of it. Concentrate on the value of what you offer to keep you confident.
#9 Remove Empty Tasks From Your Business
If you’re filling your time with too many tasks that aren’t moving you towards your specific vision of success, that’s when you start to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, insecure, and resentful. By working on the wrong things, you’re working away from money instead of towards it. Avoid “empty” tasks that aren’t serving your bottom line by homing in on the “why” behind everything you do in your business.
#10 Hustle & Heart Challenge
This month, hit the pause button to look at everything you’ve accomplished in your business before moving on to the new year. Setting goals for 2022 is important, but so is reflecting on all the ones you’ve already checked off the list. Step into the new year proud of yourself and ready to conquer what’s next!