7 Things I Did Differently In My Business This Year
There are 7 things I did differently in my business this year, so I wanted to share them. But better yet- I wanted to share the lessons learned and my best advice if you find yourself in the same spot, and just encourage you by saying, “These things can be done, and maybe you can do some of them too.”
My All-Content Planner Template may be just the thing you need after going through this post. It’ll help you plan all the things, in one spot. I’m talking an overall schedule for videos, podcasts, blogs, emails, and even social media. Head to the show notes to grab yours today!
Alright, I’m going to jump right in because this is a lot – here are 7 things I did differently in my business this year:
#1. Blogged More Consistently
Previously, I was not creating content and blogging as consistently as I knew I should. I knew that I needed to up my content game in order to create authority online, increase web traffic, up my SEO strategy, and ultimately have something to point my audience to that told them I knew what I was talking about.
I needed credibility and brand awareness.
To start to change this, I created a content plan using my All-Content Planner Template, and began making blogging more of a habit.
To be honest, I didn’t post every week this year. I posted about every other week, which is what I found worked for me. It’s what helped me keep the habit – and that is probably the most important lesson that I learned: I knew that if I posted 2 blogs every week, that my traffic would increase exponentially. But I also knew that wasn’t sustainable for me. So I did what I could keep up with.
Now I’m on post #21 for the year so far, which is more than I’ve ever done before in one year. That number is pretty good, all things considered, and I count it as a win.
For me, blogging was another creative outlet. It helped me stick to doing something regularly, strengthening my writing muscles and consistency skills. I can say I’m getting better with each post, and I even need to go back and edit some of my older posts to make those ones better, too.
Besides that, I know that blogging has in fact helped me create authority for my brand, and allowed me to build up my SEO strategy.
Along with all of the other things I’m going to talk about today, blogging made me a source of advice to my ideal audience when it comes to their branding and brand strategy. I have seen growth this year because of my efforts and it’s exciting and promising!
Want to try blogging?
If you want to see if blogging can produce some of the same results for you, the very first step is to have an idea bank to pull from.
I’ve talked extensively about my 48 Content Ideas Exercise, so head to podcast episode #6 and #7 for more details on that.
Once you have your 48 Content Ideas document ready, you can then use a blog writing template or framework to help you write out your content. I recommend the Pillar Piece Content Writing Template by Ashlyn Writes – it’s what I’ve used over and over again and it was WELL worth the purchase.
#2. Updated My Website
I’ve managed websites for others for years, and because of that, I know that my own website isn’t exactly perfect, or how I’d like it to be.
The problem? I’m not going to spend money on building a custom site and hiring a web developer to handle all of that for me at the moment.
So instead, I decided to take what I’ve learned over the years and apply it to managing my website, blog, and online shop myself.
In an effort to streamline my website with the new content I was making this year, I knew I needed to make some necessary changes. I started by making a list of the things I wanted to change, and then I did a ton of research and learned how to write website copy for sales pages, your about page, home page, and product pages.
It’s still a work in progress, but so far I’ve added a new free resources page, updated my homepage and some of my sales pages, and I added new products to my shop like my All-Content Planner Template and my Brand Strategy Framework Template.
I didn’t buy a new website theme – although I really wanted to – but I did update my color scheme to match my brand, and edited the way I set up the pages within the template I already had, just to give them a fresh look.
Updating my website is really not my favorite thing ever, but it is something I can do fairly easily because of my experience, so I did.
I learned some functionality within my template that I wasn’t aware of before, and all in all, I made some necessary copy and design updates to align with my evolving brand and offerings.
Want to refresh your website?
If you’re in the market for website updates or a refresh, I recommend starting like I did by creating a list of all the changes you want to make, from new pages to copy and design updates.
Even if you’re not going to make the changes yourself, you still need to know what updates you want to make, and having a list will be super helpful for whoever is tasked with the job.
If you can do it yourself, you’ll need to set aside time to get it done. That’s probably the hardest part – it was for me! Then, tackle your list from the most important to the least.
If you need to hire someone to help, you’ll want to have your list ready to hand over to them so they can get started.
If you need copywriting updates, I highly recommend having those written out in a simple document before you hire someone to update your website, so that the process goes quickly and smoothly.
Sometimes web developers can help with copywriting, but a lot of times that’s an extra cost, so just be aware that you may need to hire a copywriter in addition to a web developer, if you’re not planning to do any of that yourself.
Lastly, if you are going to do some writing yourself, I highly recommend the templates from The Copy Bar by Ashlyn Writes, as well as all of the free videos on her YouTube channel, to help you with your landing page copy, sales page copy, and more. Seriously, go check her out, she’s the reason I feel confident that my own copywriting is actually working for my business!
#3. Started A YouTube Channel
I started a YouTube channel! It’s funny to think about now, because I haven’t kept up with it, but it is something I tried, so I wanted to mention it.
The reason I started a YouTube channel was to create another form of content. My blog was going great, and I wanted to diversify that with offering videos.
I don’t currently have any full-length videos at the moment, but what I did do was post YouTube Shorts. I was trying to see if I could only make short-form videos for YouTube, to see how they paid off in traffic to my website.
Now, I’m not a YouTube Strategist, so this was just me researching what other YouTubers had done, and trying it for myself. I think what I learned ultimately is that I do need to post long-form videos, not just Shorts, in order to be successful.
Because of that, I found that I actually don’t want to dedicate time to YouTube right now! Filming, editing and posting videos takes a LOT of time. Those Shorts that I posted are nothing special (because I was just trying things out) and they STILL took a lot of time to film and edit.
For me, right now, I just want to focus on other areas that I know are working better for me and put YouTube and other video platforms on the backburner.
Want to grow on YouTube?
However, I know YouTube works. So, if you want to try it to see if it will work for you, I recommend heading over to Trena Little’s channel. There you can dive into all of her helpful videos about running a YouTube channel and what to post in order to grow as a business owner. Another channel that I’ve learned a lot from is Modern Millie – she gives some really great tips for YouTube Growth and a free guide to getting your channel set up, so go check her out as well.
#4. Stepped Back On Social Media
If you take a look at my social media profiles, you can see that I didn’t get very social this year – but that was on purpose.
I specifically chose not to spend my time and energy creating a social media schedule, taking photos and videos for reels or creating graphics for posts and carousels.
As someone who manages social media for other businesses, I didn’t want to be glued to my phone, more than I already am, to post real-time stories or worry about analytics and audience growth for my own brand.
I chose to let social media slide this year because I had other things, like the things I’ve already mentioned in this episode, that I would rather focus on. It was just one of the things that I had to let go…
But believe me, it wasn’t easy.
I KNOW that social media is important, and that it does in fact work for brand growth. But there has to be a strategy behind it and posting has to be a habit.
I want to get there, but if there are only a few things I can focus on at a time, this isn’t one of them right now.
If I were to choose a platform to focus on, and I might end up doing that more next year, it would be Instagram and/or LinkedIn.
That’s just me. For you, it might be completely different.
Want to grow on social media?
If you want to up your social media strategy, I have a few blog posts and my All-Content Planner to help you out. I also love following Jasmine Star for all the best social media tips AND business growth advice, so visit her website as well.
#5. Restarted My Podcast
I started a podcast in 2022, and then took a break because I couldn’t keep up with posting weekly episodes. At the time I was also throwing spaghetti at the wall and trying a bunch of other things, way too many things, so it was too much to add to my plate.
This year, when I was revisiting the idea, I had basically stopped everything else but my blog posts, my Pinterest, and my emails. I had paired everything down because it was too many things for me at once to keep up with. But, I found a cadence and habit with everything and I thought, “What if I made my posts into podcasts and tried to diversify my content again?”
At first, it was one of those things that I was trying to decide – is it worth it for me? Will it actually help me move the needle? Do I want to do it, am I excited about it, and can I do it consistently and sustainably?
After waffling a bit on it, I finally decided to give it a solid college try, and I can say that, so far, after just 6 episodes since October 2023, my email list has added more subscribers and my website is seeing more traffic.
I know this is in combination with some of the other efforts I’ve been focusing on this year, but I’ve seen the quickest growth in the shortest amount of time with posting consistent podcast episodes – which means this podcast is promising and I’m planning to keep it up!
Want to start a podcast?
If you want to start a podcast of your own, I highly HIGHLY recommend listening to other podcasters talk about starting one. Just search “start a podcast” in your favorite podcast app or on Google or YouTube.
Besides learning from others, I’d say the two most important things you can do is to first make a content bank for yourself so you don’t get stuck, and secondly, get into the habit of creating content regularly (like a blog or weekly email or whatever that looks like for you).
A content bank and the habit of making content is really the only way I’m able to keep this whole thing going – and not have to scramble to figure it out the day I’m supposed to release a podcast.
I also took Jenna Kutcher’s Podcast Lab, which has been very helpful for everything from setup, to recording and editing, to promoting my podcast. Check that out if you’re interested!
#6. Focused Email List Growth Efforts
Previous to this year, I had started an email list with a few pages on my site leading to it, but that was it. I didn’t have any lead magnets to speak of, and I wasn’t sending out regular emails to point to my content.
However, I knew that I needed to change that because getting into my audience’s inbox will significantly increase my chances of online business success.
According to Hubspot, 50% of people buy from marketing emails at least once per month. That tells me that half of my email subscribers might buy something from me at least once a month. That’s insane when you think about it!
Knowing this, I started sending regular emails out to my list. I also made several lead magnets to attract new subscribers, and I revamped my email templates and sequences inside my email marketing platform to better align with my brand and offerings.
I currently have 5 lead magnets to help attract subscribers – and not just any lead magnets, but those that align with my brand, what I currently sell, and what I plan to sell.
BTW, a “lead magnet” is just a fancy word for a freebie that offers value to your audience in exchange for their email.
I could probably do a whole other podcast just on this, but I quickly wanted to say that it’s really important that your lead magnets align with your brand and what you offer, and that they offer value so that your audience actually wants to give you their email.
Creating the lead magnets along with the landing pages for them, the email sequences that go with them, and everything else I needed in order to get them LIVE and out there for my subscribers was a lot of work.
But, so far, it’s paid off.
Not to mention, it’s taught me that when you put all of the right pieces together – like blog and podcast content, a Pinterest strategy, and consistent emails – that something will come from it.
This is not done perfectly, by any means, but when you do the work and put it out there, and stick with it, you’ll start to see results.
I’m still learning how to grow my email list to the hundreds, but I have a good grasp on it and will continue my efforts to build my list next year.
Want to build your own email list?
If you want to build your own email list, the first thing you need is an email marketing platform to help you manage your subscribers and your emails. I currently use MailChimp, but I’ve heard great things about ConvertKit and Flodesk and others out there.
It’s hard to know what’s going to work for you, especially if you’ve never tried it before, so my advice is to just pick one that you can afford at the moment, maybe do a free version or free trial, just to get you started. These plans might not have all of the best bells and whistles, but when you’re starting at a list of zero subscribers and you’re learning as you go, that makes it really easy to pick a platform and just get it off the ground.
I recommend you do some research, pick a platform to use, and then make a lead magnet to start attracting your ideal audience to subscribe to your list. If you need help with any of this, do a quick search on YouTube and you’ll be sure to find the tips you need.
#7. Upped My Pinterest Strategy
In lieu of spending a ton of time on social media, I’ve opted for a more strategic plan on Pinterest. For me and what I offer, this has worked 1000x better at sending traffic to my website and my podcast than social media ever has.
I began posting to Pinterest with my very first blog post in 2019, and have kept it up since, although kind of sporadically, through trying different things like starting a podcast, growing my email list, and other goals.
Previously, I was posting pins only when I had a new blog post. I didn’t make any more than 2 pins per blog post, and I wasn’t scheduling them out or making fresh pins to continue to point to my content. I kind of just forgot about the post once it was scheduled.
However, I knew this wasn’t the best strategy or use of my content for long-term growth. I knew that I was missing out on traffic because I wasn’t focused on a strategic plan with Pinterest.
So this year, I decided to try to change that.
I began creating and scheduling out 10 pins every time I had a new blog post or podcast episode go live.
Then, I continued to make a new set of 10 fresh pins to drive traffic to each and every post I have (even the oldest ones from a few years ago). I schedule those out every week, so that I have 1-2 fresh pins going live every single day that point to at least one piece of my content.
When I did this consistently, I started to see results.
My website traffic increased, and in the last 90 days, almost 9,000 pinners have seen or engaged with my content, and the outbound clicks to my website is up by 287%.
Now, if you know anything about Pinterest or website traffic, these aren’t totally amazing numbers. BUT they are FOR ME. It’s WAY better than what I was seeing before starting this strategy. And knowing my numbers and tracking my progress tells me that what I’m doing IS actually working, and to keep it up.
All that to say: There is a purpose behind this madness, so if you’re interested in my Pinterest strategy and want to learn more, let me know by sending me a message on Insta!
Want to start Pinning?
If you want to start your own Pinterest strategy in order to increase blog traffic, podcast listeners, grow your email list, and more, here’s what I recommend you do first:
Create 10 pins per every piece of content you put out.
That means every blog post, every YouTube video, every podcast episode – you’re making 10 pins per one piece of content, and each of those 10 pins will have a slightly different design and slightly different headline.
Again, there’s strategy here: You want each pin to look slightly different so that Pinterest recognizes them as “fresh pins”.
Then, schedule them out, at least 1 or more per day. Keep doing this consistently over time, and see if you gain anything from it. I’m guessing, based on my experience and the experience of thousands of others, that you will.
And again, if you want me to dive deeper into my Pinterest strategy, let me know!
Main Lessons Through It All
Like I mentioned at the start, the main point of this episode was to share what I tried, what I learned, and encourage you to do the same – to TRY something new, learn something new, or even just refocus and give attention to the things that need it.
All of these things I mentioned are great to do for your business, but ONLY if you can do them habitually, whatever that looks like for you.
And of course some things might pay you back more than others, and some things might pay you back quicker than others. It’s all part of the game of marketing and selling.
I tested things, I pivoted, I made some new habits, and threw out the rest. I did what only I knew I could. So my advice to you is to start and do what you can stick with – and only you will be able to find and decide what that is.
Until next time, thank you for being here – now go out and make your brand and NEXT YEAR a sweet one!