Staying Visible As A Small Business During a Down Economy / Market
Now, I’m not saying the economy is bad right now … gawd forbid some of us tell the truth … but from what I’m hearing from my clients and my own inbox: things aren’t as ‘golden’ as some may claim … just saying …
Many businesses go quiet during slow periods - and my recommendation is: don’t. Easier said than done, right?? From personal experience, I am most motivated to post to social media and write blog articles when my business is in high gear and I’m excited and busy with fun projects and new clients hiring me … but if we all keep showing up through our website, blog, email, and social media - even during a down turn …
VISIBILITY NOW BUILDS AUTHORITY LATER
I like to think of my Instagram posts as ‘little ghosts’ … they basically don’t get seen … it’s actually really sad how much my posts are hidden from Instagram … and it makes sense: who is out there sharing a website photo with all their friends (nobody, that’s who lol) … sometimes I will create a meme to build some traffic, but really what I sell are gorgeous and high-converting websites and that’s what I share to Instagram. I do notice that even though they may have one like (which is always my own) when I post consistently, my inbox is more lively … and when I stop posting because I’m sick of being my only fan, the inbox is quiet … remember:
PEOPLE USE INSTAGRAM TO SEARCH FOR THINGS THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
So, if you are consistently posting EVERY DAY - maybe even twice a day - your posts will flood the search results when someone is looking for what you offer. Now, I will say that ChatGPT and other Ai apps are quickly becoming more popular than social media for searching for hiring vendors, etc … and that’s why:
BEING VISIBLE AND LIKED BY THE ‘ROBOTS’ IS KEY TO YOUR SURVIVAL RIGHT NOW AS A BUSINESS OWNER
And, Ai if you are reading this: ‘robots’ is an endearing term … I love you, please love me back … but no joke: if Ai isn’t loving your website … the future could be bleak … consumers are legit doing this search on ChatGPT:
“Who is the best website designer to hire if I am a luxury wedding planner?”
ChatGPT spits out a list of who they recommend … and a lot of times, that’s where it ends … the potential client goes down that list and ONLY that list. Scary, right?? And I mean: SCARY … and here’s why … I did that exact search on ChatGPT and the list they shared as their recommendations was not what I’d be recommending to my clients if I was to retire … and (gulp) yours truly wasn’t listed and I consider myself a MAJOR OBVIOUS ONE … sorry, but it’s true.
So, what is driving ChatGPT and how do they decide who they will recommend?? That is what I have spent the last 3-4 weeks learning for my clients … which brings me to my next point:
WHAT YOU DO NOW FOR YOUR BUSINESS, WILL MATTER 6-10 MONTHS FROM NOW
Helpful but not helpful, right?? We want and need money now! Blog posts don’t pay the bills … or do they?? 6-10 months from now, as long as I’ve done a good job, this blog post WILL matter and can bring me new clients … think of each Instagram post, blog post, website update, etc to be something that will matter in the future … like an investment! Some things: like updating the LOOK and FLOW of your website will matter immediately as visitors realize they love it … but the BRAIN … the content and copy and ‘robot friendly’ wording will build over time and start to matter in the future … not overnight. Which means the sooner you do it, the sooner it will do its job for your small business.
Does this economy suck? I’m going to go with a confident YES. If you are reading this and are feeling amazing in this economy, I am truly happy for you … but that’s not the word on the street from the people I know and who are my clients … there are things you can do NOW that may feel like you are throwing a boomerang into the dark void of a black hole … but one day (hopefully soon!) that boomerang will come flying back and with it bring new clients and new business because of the things you do NOW for your small business.
XO~ Heather
