The end of the financial year is not just about making sure your taxes are in order; it’s also a good time to review the story you are telling your customers. We all start the New Year full of promise, eager to kick some goals and very clear on how we want the next 12 months to unfold. Now, six months into that year, it’s time to review how you’re communicating and see if it matches your expectations from the start of the year. Are you actually communicating? You may have achieved some incredible things so far in 2015, but have you told your prospects and customers? It might seem a silly question, but it’s surprising how many business owners keep plodding away in the background and don’t share their news. So if you’ve updated your website, established a newsletter or launched a new product or service ask yourself if you’ve told the people who most need to know about it. News like this should be shared, not kept secret in your head, so prospects and customers can see you’re a leader in your industry. Are you following your content plan? Remember that content plan you painstakingly put together while enjoying the summer sun in January? Have you stuck to the blog posts and social media updates you planned so you’re keeping your audience informed about your business throughout the year? Not only does this content update your prospects and customers so your business is top of mind, but they also position you as the go-to person in your sector. It’s time to dust off the plan, see which posts and updates can still be used, add new content and inject some energy into your communication. Are you stuck for words? I was at a writing workshop recently and the subject of writer’s block came up. The author made some suggestions to kick start the muse and I’m now passing them on to you. Try one or both of these: 1. Stream of consciousness – Choose a word, set a timer for 10 minutes and write whatever comes into your head. Done think, don’t edit, just write. You’ll be surprised at how ideas start forming once you’re writing. I know, because I use this technique by challenging myself to write with words I don’t normally use. 2. Interview yourself – Ask yourself a series of questions to create new content, such as:
- Who are you?
- Where do you come from?
- What is your experience in this industry?
- What do you do well?
- What is your business goal?
- hat do people ask about your business frequently?
- What do you do in your spare time?
The answers to these questions can form the basis of a series of blog posts, social media updates, or even an article you could pitch to the media. Now you’ve reviewed your business story, how are those taxes going?
