5 Goals to Increase Brand Visibility
With it being another new year, reaching your brand goals is most likely a priority for you as you look ahead this year, but figuring out how to get there can make it difficult to start.
If you’re anything like me, maybe the word “goals” makes you squirm and you don’t even have a 5-year plan. Or maybe you feel like you should be further along in your plan or goal-setting than you are. Maybe you’re frustrated with yourself for abandoning your New Year’s business resolutions by mid-January, so you don’t even see the point of goals.
Stay with me, here, because I have good news: Whatever is giving you stress right now about your brand’s path forward can be resolved. With the right approach and a few helpful tips, you’ll realize you’re making progress toward your goals – without the added pressure.
Instead of overloading you with stress-inducing brand goals like “increase revenue”, “track metrics”, and “network at least once a week,” …
Here are 5 stress-free goals to increase your brand's visibility this year.
Whether you’re looking to boost engagement, increase website traffic or gain more followers on social media, these low-pressure goals can help you get there.
Let’s dive in:
Scrap the 5-year Plan
Let’s start with the most important one. Okay, I’m NOT saying you shouldn’t have a VISION, but I AM saying, “Maybe don’t try to plan your life away...”
I believe in the power of “vision.” I much prefer it to concrete plans and restrictive resolutions. Besides, I think this focus on "new year's resolutions" and "5-year plans" is particularly unfair and unrealistic for us business owners – especially when so many of us are just trying to get through the day.
Unmet or unrealistic resolutions can drain the energy right out of you. 5-year plans can take up space – space that could be filled with surprises! And no matter the length of the plan, you’re likely to be left feeling let down if/when things must change.
Because things change. They always do! Who the heck knows what they're doing in 5 years!? (Confession: sometimes I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. And as a kid, I haaated when teachers would ask us these types of questions.)
So take a deep breath and change your approach. It won’t happen overnight, but as you learn to let go of “plans” and embrace “vision” you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
2. Reiterate Your Why
Maybe you were too busy starting a business to dig down deep and discover your “why” behind it all. Or perhaps you have…but you’re realizing it has begun to evolve.
Whichever applies to you, this year is an excellent time to discover (or rediscover) your “why.” Because if you’re continuously compromising your values in your decision-making, you’re in danger of experiencing burnout or disconnecting from your target audience who value and trust you based on your authenticity – perhaps more than you realize.
In one survey, 90% of customers credited their buying decision to the perceived authenticity of the brand.
The thing about authenticity is: you can’t fake it.
To truly create an authentic brand, you’re going to participate in reflection. Your brand has a unique “why” - and it’s something beyond making money. If it helps you can think of your “why” as your core reason for starting the business in the first place (though often that “why” will change over time. Mine did.)
Your “why” is what keeps you going when things get tough and it guides every move of your brand, from your messaging to your goals. But it also matters to your overall energy and well-being.
One study found that entrepreneurs driven by their intrinsic values – rather than extrinsic values like money – experienced greater well-being.
Another study, done by Northwestern University, found meaningful work - work that aligns with one’s clearly defined purpose — vastly improves overall happiness and productivity.
Feeling inspired or motivated directly relies on working toward something that matters to you.
How To Find Your Brand’s “Why”
Finding your “why” is more than writing a statement you think your audience wants to hear. And it’s certainly more than copying the other “whys” out there that seem to get a lot of traction.
Audiences are not easily fooled, and they’ll notice when your words and actions don’t always align with your so-called “why.”
Rather, unearthing your “why” is a deeply vulnerable and personal process – and therein lies its power.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
Why did you start your business? Why this industry? This niche?
What is your brand’s vision?
What does your brand stand for?
What is your brand’s unique perspective?
How does your brand do things differently?
How does its work change lives? The marketplace? The world?
How To Share It With Your Audience
Once you know your “why,” it’s time to tell your audience and to remind them often. Embrace it. Write it. On your social media pages, your blog, and your website. Tell your story to your audience again and again.
At this point, you might be saying, “But I don’t have a story, Alicia! How do I find a story?”
Take a deep breath and realize that every brand has a story. You have a story, and, best of all, genuine stories of imperfect people often make the best ones.
Scientists found that these stories trigger different parts of our brains than other forms of communication. Storytelling connects with and engages your audience on a powerful and emotional level – one that can never be reached by simply sharing logic and facts.
Stories are personal, compelling, and better remembered than any other form of communication. So don’t fear telling your story.
Once you know your “why,” allow your brand to embody it – without apology.
3. Work at a healthy pace
Don’t neglect yourself as you grow your business. As a business owner, it can be easy to get caught up in the fact that you want to achieve as much as possible in a short amount of time. (Trying to do *all the things* solo, lacking sufficient resources, and trying to keep up with Instagram’s hustle culture certainly don’t help.)
One study found that entrepreneurial women frequently carry a workload that is equal to that of three full-time jobs – while making an amount that is roughly 50% of one full-time job.
I probably don’t need to tell you, but that isn’t sustainable. Many of us are barreling toward burnout.
But burnout is not unique to entrepreneurs. It’s experienced everywhere. To combat corporate burnout, many companies today have begun instituting practices and routines that better support their employees’ well-being and mental health.
But here’s the thing: We entrepreneurs lack that support – and it shows.
According to studies, entrepreneurs often experience certain mental health symptoms at higher levels than the general population.
It’s up to us to make our mental health a priority.
I recently learned this the hard way. Purchasing a studio and starting a second business created one of the hardest seasons in my entrepreneurial journey. I was working longer days than ever before just trying to make a dent in my to-do list. Add to that exhaustion the slow-downs and contractor delays (for things I was hoping to have done months ago), and my stress was off the charts. I had to make some changes to prioritize my mental health and find a healthy balance between working hard and taking time out for myself.
Here are some ways to practice working at a healthy pace:
Break down each of your goals into smaller, more manageable tasks.
These micro steps will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed, while still allowing you to progress toward your goals.
Prioritize your basic needs.
Sleep, healthy meals, time spent outside – all of these non-negotiables must move to the top of our to-do list and be protected at all costs.
Add working breaks into your daily schedule.
Get up from your desk and move around. It doesn’t have to be a whole exercise routine. A 5-minute walk once an hour can work wonders!
Set boundaries (and stick to them.)
This means “leave work at work” and it can be hard as hell, but try it. When you’re home with your family, out with friends, or vegging out alone, give the experience 100% of your attention.
Lean into your natural energy cycles.
Circadian rhythms vary from person to person, but we all have energy peaks and lulls. Discover yours and then plan your day accordingly to capitalize on your periods of peak energy.
4. Do something good for someone else
Next on our list of stress-free goals to increase your brand's visibility this year, try doing something good for someone else.
This can be anything from volunteering with a non-profit to mentoring others in your industry to donating a portion of your profits to a cause that you’re passionate about. In doing so, you just may gain a new perspective on your business. When you shift your focus away from yourself, your outlook will inevitably change. You might just begin to see areas for improvement that may not have been obvious before.
But that’s not the only way it will help your business.
Giving back will likely also impact your bottom line.
According to one Forbes article, “we’re in the middle of a do-good renaissance” where customers not only appreciate but expect the brands they support to give back in some way. Another study found that 70% of consumers say they buy from brands that seem to reflect their own values.
Ahem. We’re talking about your “why” again.
5. Stay Open To Opportunities
If I've learned anything in the last 6 months, it's that plans can be kind of pointless and incredibly frustrating. But in a way, that’s good news. Plans can have you spinning your wheels unnecessarily and wasting your valuable time and energy on things that never come to fruition.
Letting go of plans means making space for unexpected surprises.
As a business owner, you never really know which opportunities are going to knock on your door, and by keeping your mind open, you’ll be able to make the most of any situation that comes your way. This can, in turn, help to increase your brand’s visibility you never could have planned for.
So instead of planning our lives away, what if…we simply stay open to possibilities? What if we practice saying “yes” to new opportunities that find their way to us? What if we try walking through open doors?
It can adventurous and freeing to:
follow inspiration wherever it may lead
explore pivots and forks in the road
chase a wild idea a little – just to see if it'll stick
Starting my newest VENTURE has been nothing short of an ADVENTURE, but it has been so worth it. There is immense magic in trusting your gut and saying yes to new possibilities.
BONUS Goal: Find Your Community
As someone who values community, I couldn’t have had a complete list of stress-free goals without adding this one.
When I founded my photography business ten years ago, I never felt more alone. I’d reach out to other photographers who were much further along and… get ignored. It felt like no one wanted to help.
So I did what I had to do– which was everything. By myself. And that made business ownership feel hard and lonely. I thought, “If I ever make it… I want to make sure I remember this feeling.”
Well, reader, I did make it.
Holding on to that feeling is what led me to found Alight Collaborative and because I also remember something else…
the way my life lit up when I connected with a few business owners who were in a similar place
the relief I felt from having someone who would listen to my worries and talk me through the tough days
the “not-so-aloneness” I felt when we shared "intel" and perspective among ourselves
Most importantly, I realized I don't have to do it alone.
By connecting with others, you can find support in your journey, gain insight from others who have been in your shoes and have succeeded, and create a space for yourself where you can be inspired and motivated regularly.
Your brand will naturally elevate as you draw upon the insight and advice of others who are more experienced than you.
Next Steps:
At Alight Collab, we’re building an authentic biz community of people just like you.
We invite you to join us by following along on our Instagram page or by subscribing to our newsletter. We’re better together.