As this year draws to a close, we thought it would be fun to look back over some of our favorite tips and trends from 2023, and share a recap of those with you here. We have pooled information from our own tips and recommendations that resonated with our followers throughout the year, along with tips or impactful knowledge some of our peers have shared with us.
#1: Optimize your website for success.
Here are three things all website owners need to consider to create a website that is visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for success:
- Design with your target audience in mind.
- Optimize the website for mobile devices.
- Focus on the end user’s experience on your website.
#2: Tell your story, one word at a time.
If you’re on the journey to writing a book . . . keep going and don’t give up! Author Malcolm Gladwell wrote that “ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.” In other words, to become a master of your craft, you must practice it for ten thousand hours. There’s only one way to ten thousand hours—and that’s one word at a time.
Simple ways to carve out time for your writing:
- Write when everyone else in your house is asleep.
- Slip away alone for a few hours.
- Utilize technology—voice memos are convenient!
- Be intentional with small chunks of downtime.
Read more here.
#3: Be recognizable on all platforms.
If you want others to find, recognize, and trust you online, it helps to:
- Have the same username on all your social media accounts.
- Use a tool like Social Media Name Checker or Handle Monitor to help with choosing your username.
- Combine your chosen username with the same profile picture and similar graphics across multiple social media platforms.
This helps establish the brand recognition you need for your business or ministry to grow!
Read other recommended social media updates here.
#4: Make your days more Efficient through habit stacking.
We all know what it’s like to juggle many things in a day! Stacking habits allows you create new routines and habits by adding tasks onto an already established routine.
- Use your old routines as a cue for the new habits you want to build.
- Stack similar tasks together (check your email and your socials in the same 15-minute block of time).
- Take time to clear one day’s task or work before prepping for the next (clear your desk and your computer downloads before shutting down each day).
Associating new tasks with routines you have already mastered will make your days infinitely more efficient!
Read more here.
#5: Streamline your marketing strategy.
No one can show up everywhere and be truly effective in their marketing efforts. It’s important to lean into the marketing channels that work best for you, whether that’s email, a particular social media channel, or in-person opportunities. Ask yourself these two questions:
- Where are your readers engaging with you?
- Which platforms give you the most joy?
Where these answers overlap is where you’ll find the best results!
Read more here.
#6: Grow your reach through genuine connections.
Cultivating genuine community and connections prioritizes relationships over numbers or statistics, and ultimately expands your network in positive and lasting ways. A few ways to create and foster these connections are:
- Ask for help and support in an area you aren’t confident in
- Recommend an insightful course
- Make a helpful introduction
- Reach out with resources that might fill a gap
Read more here, or listen to this great podcast episode with Rebecca George and Courtney Moore.
#7: Invest in yourself.
Self-care isn’t just a trendy topic. Investing in yourself is the best investment you can make. Just like a plant needs water and strong roots before it can bloom; you need nourishment, rest, and a safe space to bring your ideas to life!
Here are four ways to invest in yourself:
- Reach out to a friend or mentor.
- Learn or explore something new!
- Make time to be creative.
- Spend time with your people.
Read more here.
#8: Invest in your business or ministry.
If you begin to fight burnout as a business owner, or if it feels as though your business has become stagnant, it’s probably time to reevaluate and get back on track.
Here are a few things that might help:
- Hire an assistant and outsource some things on your to do list.
- Remember why you started and redirect your focus.
- Refine your strategy and work in some automations.
- Getaway for a weekend and rest your body and your mind.
- Plan a coffee date to connect with a friend.
- Reach out to a mentor and look for inspiration!
Read more here, or listen to Kent Sanders share his story for overcoming frustration and choosing to pivot instead.
#9: Take your writing to the next level.
The best way to write more powerfully is to write with intention. If you’re only putting pen to paper to make money or become famous, you are doing it for all the wrong reasons, and your readers will know. Instead, write because you feel passionately about a topic.
Ask these questions:
- What has God laid on your heart?
- What have you been through that can help others?
- What wisdom do you have share?
- What is it that you need to say?
#10: Complete an end-of-year review of your website and social media.
An appropriate tip to end with as we end the 2023 business year—don’t start the new year without a thorough review of your online presence. While we do offer website and social media audits, you can absolutely address a few things on your own.
For your website, do the following:
- Make a plan for your content in the new year.
- Address—don’t avoid—client or reader concerns.
- Organize or clean up your archives.
- Rearrange your site menu to prioritize services or offerings or improve the user’s experience.
- Create a free printable visitors can download from your site.
- Make sure your subscribe or opt-in forms are readily available.
For your social media and email lists:
- Update your social media bios (be consistent with copy and links).
- Check that your links are correct (link in bio, links to your site or freebies, etc.)
- Ask for feedback and make necessary adjustments.
- Create consistency and improve your brand recognition.
- Provide helpful insight and look for ways to serve.
- Invite your audience to share your posts on social media or forward an email to a friend.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on these tips, to know what resonated most with YOU, and to know what tips you’d like to see more of in the new year! {See what we did there? 😉}
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