No matter the journey you are on or the goals you’ve set, if you want to achieve results, you must implement strategy.
Positive change and results happen only when you implement strategy.
Whether you want to start and grow a business or want to change your lifestyle, you need to implement strategy.
Why is it important to implement strategy when you want to start and grow a business?
Because to make an impact or create the results you want, you need a strategic plan to get there. Employing a strategy will help you take intentional effective action to get from point a to point b.
Think about it, you wouldn’t go on vacation without mapping out an itinerary, would you?
Of course not. You’ll create and implement a strategy for how you’ll spend your time, where you’ll stay, your mode of transportation, what you’ll pack, who or what you’ll visit, and where and what you’ll eat.
The same is true for your business and life in general.
Strategy is key for making decisions about systems and processes in your business and personal life.
When thinking about the importance of strategy for results, consider the following areas in which it’s necessary to implement strategy and processes for your business:
- Writing copy and brand storytelling – how you write, your message, how and where you tell your story
- Structuring your website – ease of use, clarity, content, menu, etc.
- Sending emails – email marketing – frequency, content, building your list, nurturing your audience
- Writing newsletters
- Creating calls to action – grow your email list, discovery calls, buy now, etc.
- Building relationships
- Creating demand – what, when, and how you’ll do things to create demand
- Increasing visibility
- Creating a budget – revenue goals, expenditures, charitable giving, payroll, etc.
- Launching a new program – pre-launch, copy, marketing, sales, promotion, content, etc.
- Marketing
- Mindset – maintaining a positive mindset requires daily action – create a strategy
- SEO
- Blogging
- Content creation and sharing
- Evaluation – what went well, what didn’t, and what will you change?
- PR
- Hiring – assigning roles and responsibilities, building a team, salary, etc.
- Sales – how will you sell and to whom will you sell
- Automation – speed, and ease for your clients to work with you, simplifying your business, saving time, saving money
- Tech and tools – which you’ll use and how you’ll use them – simplify, automation
- Creating SOPs
- Onboarding new clients
- Differentiating as a personal brand
Without creating and implementing a strategy for each area of your brand and business you’ll have no direction. In addition, when you have no direction, your soulmate clients will be confused. Implementing strategy comes from a place of clarity. When you have clarity, your soulmate clients will have clarity about you.
Listen here:
How to implement strategy when blogging
The importance of strategy when writing a blog
First, you must decide why you are writing the blog.
What is your goal for writing the blog? Is it to educate, entertain, or inspire?
Do you want your reader to take a specific action upon reading the blog post?
Your content should:
- Relate to your brand
- Be about the problem(s) you solve for your clients
- Give information on what your soulmate clients need from you
- Explain why people should hire you or someone like you
- Differentiate yourself from others in your area of expertise
- Be what your clients expect from you
- Inspire your readers to take action
- Provide valuable actionable tips and tools
- Have a call to action
Secondly, you need a strategy for laying out the content of the blog. The content should be readable and skimmable. Include headers that indicate what the reader will find in the blog post. In addition, the headers should include keywords and key phrases for search engine optimization.
Third, your strategy should include a story that helps readers gain an emotional connection with the blog post and you, as the writer.
Fourth, include a call to action. This may go back to the reason you are writing the blog post. What do you want your reader to do once they’ve read your valuable content?
Fifth, every blog post should have internal hyperlinks that lead your reader down a rabbit hole of valuable content so that they stay on your site longer. This will help with SEO and help you rank higher on Google.
Sixth, use caution with external links. Ensure the source is reliable and the link will not change. It is important to refer to only reliable links. And note that you want to avoid broken links as this can influence your domain rating.
Seventh, a call to action is a necessary strategy for every successful blog post. Don’t leave your readers hanging, guide them by telling them what you want them to do.
Eighth, use at least one image in your blog post that relates to the content. Images are important for SEO. On every image, write alt text which includes your keyword or key phrase, and in the description.
The importance of strategy for collaborations
I recently had a conversation with one of my coaching clients. Susan was excited because she had an opportunity to collaborate with another business owner. The collaboration details included Susan writing a blog post about the product the other business owner, let’s call her Julie, was selling. In return, Julie would do a social media post about Susan’s business.
That sounds like a great opportunity, right?
Wrong.
The collaboration was much more beneficial for Julie, but not for Susan.
Let me explain.
Susan spent time writing a well-polished blog. She even had the SEO for the blog post optimized. However, the product was not related to the service Susan provides for her clients.
What does that mean?
First, it is unlikely that Susan’s soulmate client will be searching for a keyword related to the product. Therefore, there is no benefit to having that keyword/keyphrase on her site. It will confuse Google because it is not aligned with all other keywords/key phrases used on the site.
Second, if Susan’s blog post is listed in a Google search for this specific keyword or keyphrase, it is going to result in confusion because the post is not at all related to the service Susan provides.
Third, it takes seconds to create a social media post and only 2% of an audience will see the post. A blog that is optimized for SEO, has the opportunity to reach masses. The collaboration is not equally beneficial. In addition, Julie’s audience is probably confused as to why Julie is posting about a service that Julie isn’t using herself.
Fourth, when the collaboration doesn’t lend to a valid CTA at the end of the blog, Susan loses an opportunity to engage her readers.
Fifth, Google may flag unrelated collaborations as spam.
Sixth, if the content of the blog isn’t related to your product or service, it provides no value for your soulmate client, doesn’t show your expertise, and may lead to confusion.
Confused people do not buy.
The importance of strategy doesn’t involve flattery
It is very flattering to be asked to collaborate. Even better if the collaboration opportunity includes payment for a backlink opportunity on one of your blog posts.
But if the opportunity is not aligned with your values and services, it makes no sense to participate.
The facts
If the collaborator is not reliable, you could include the backlink and it would be invalid or later break and this influences your overall domain score. In addition, if the collaborator is not aligned with your values or their business isn’t related to your business, you will confuse your audience.
I reiterate, confused people do not buy.
In summary
Implementing strategy will allow you to achieve results faster. Review the list of strategies that are necessary for businesses and identify any you don’t currently have in place.
Create and implement strategy in every aspect of your business that doesn’t currently have a strategic plan mapped out.
When you begin thinking strategically, you’ll see a transformation.
Have questions about your brand marketing strategy and where you can improve it to create more demand in your business? Schedule a discovery call with me and let’s see if we’re a good fit to work together.
