Seven Steps To Business Success In 2018

Have you planned for Business Success in 2018? We are well into a new year and ideally your business goals should be well documented with plans unfolding to implement your new year strategies.

Of course, your main aims for Business Success in 2018 are to increase profits and to expand your customer database and we’ve come up with a few tips to give you a head start on your competitors.

Sales & Marketing Expert, Chris Lowe’s Shopper Anonymous, shares his Expert Opinion on what drives business success

Of course, your main aims for Business Success in 2018 are to increase profits and to expand your customer database and we’ve come up with a few tips to give you a head start on your competitors.

Whilst you may not want to know that hooking into social media is integral to your success or that dropping the banner of reserved and unsociable leader/manager will be imperative to your community influence, you can at least focus on the areas you know you are particularly deficient in.

Focus on one, two or all of the suggested tips for business success and watch your business grow in 2018!

1.   Hire The Right People

Your amazing business plans, your fantastic social media campaigns and your new customer journey focus will be completely ineffectual if you fail to employ the right team to help convey your message. If your team are not ‘singing from the same song sheet’ as you, how can they prioritise your own attitudes and policies within the business?

Hiring the wrong people can sabotage all your great intentions – unless you oversee every action they make – whereas hiring the right people not only reinforces your vision, it makes your job so much easier in the process.

2.   Humanise Your Business

People are far more likely to trust a brand that has a personality behind it.

Being professional, having a polished image or an impeccable reputation will matter less this year than being approachable. Customers are no longer fooled by glossy marketing campaigns, false promises or competitive tactics.

The customers of 2018 will be seeking a meaningful relationship.

This doesn’t mean you must send flowers or personal notes – it does mean you must show your intention to be loyal, to listen and to communicate with your customer regularly on many different platforms.

3.   Get Social

Business leaders will no longer be able to avoid social media or the fact that most of their customers use social media to learn, to buy, to communicate and to share. (Obviously, if you are in the business of selling retirement holidays there may be a large proportion of your customer database who do NOT use social media in the same way that the millennials do…….)

The social media world is ever-changing but certain platforms remain consistent and popular; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Managers in 2018 could become the company’s biggest marketers by engaging with customers and allies more regularly and showing more of the human side and ‘behind the scenes’ views, which will increase sales and brand advocates.

4.   Create Amazing Content

Once you have established a great relationship with your customers you must continue to offer them value. Not in the product sense, but in good content; information that they relate to and that resonates with them. Everyone likes a story and everyone likes to read about information and ideas or tips that may improve their own working or personal life in some way.

The advantage to content is that people will share it. It helps you stand out in a noisy world where everyone is marketing. It elevates you to ‘thought leader’ status. Content marketing is a slow burn though, and it could take a while before your message starts making headlines; be regular, be consistent and be visible. Some of the most profitable and well-known brands in the world are expert at content marketing and time has proved the power of great content.

5.   The Vibrancy of Video

Whilst there may be fluctuations in popularity and new channels on offer in 2018, one element is tipped to thrive – video. Facebook’s ‘live’ option will gain fans as will Instagram video and, of course, YouTube continues to host everything from ‘how to plant your spring bulbs’ to one of my personal favourite political broadcast moments:

Here are a few moments to keep you entertained for a quick laugh:

Use any platform to create a video in which you show something that is about to occur or perhaps a ‘behind the scenes’ activity in your business. You could create excitement around an imminent launch or occasion or even ask questions and involve your customers in a game, competition or event.

If you don’t start using video in your content mix this year you will miss out on those ‘thumb-clicking’ moments as people scroll through their feeds. Start including video in your customer engagement this month and, once you’re accustomed to the format, jump in and try ‘live’ video. It will be everywhere this year.

6.   What’s Your Community?

Top businesses realize that building great communities engenders long-term brand loyalty. Nothing drives strong communities better than in-person and live interactions. Be involved. Do you notice what goes on locally, do you use local businesses yourself? Do you promote or link up with community events? Businesses who support or engage in local fundraising or charitable events are automatically endearing themselves to the people who could become their next customers.

Get to know your locals. Spend time interacting with the people who respond to your posts/newsletters/ feedback surveys. Align your values and views with your community and watch as your status changes from ‘business’ to ‘partner’ or trusted ally.

7.   Are You Helpful?

Customers want solutions. In a sea of data they want clarity and they want accessible options. When was the last time you walked the customer journey and viewed your whole engagement process through the eyes of the customer? Doing so might reveal clues as to how you can surprise your customer with ways to make their life easier, or, at the very least, remove obstacles that may be preventing your customer from becoming a raving fan.

Be helpful. Be kind and be honest. In our ever-transparent world, fakes and false promises are the biggest turn offs for the savvy 2018 customers.

Start with one of the above tips and create strategies for incorporating the idea into your business immediately. Or, if it doesn’t resonate with you, use one of your loyal team to launch some initiatives. This is the month to get started! You may be grateful you did come December.