“Any great and inspiring leader or organization that ever existed set out to do something completely unrealistic.”
Simon Sinek
When I read this quote it struck me, as I am one for seeming at times “unrealistic”. I cannot count the times in my life that someone told me something was not possible, that I lived in a fantasy world, that my I needed to be “realistic.”
What is realistic anyway? Is it not in the eye of the beholder? I wonder what would have happened if some of the greatest leaders, athletes, scientists and educators listened to the naysayers. Our world would not be as rich, that I know for sure. The greatest inventions, cures, technology and businesses have been born out of awesome people not listening to those who say it’s not possible.
A quote I shared last month has become my mantra, and possibly my next tattoo. It speaks so much to this principle of “realistic”. The quote from Rose Etheridge begins with “Follow Your Inner GPS…” That is so powerful to me, as I believe that we each have our own reality, our own dreams and desires and nobody can tell us if its right or not.
Each of us possesses within us great abilities to make amazing things happen. And so many times, our light is dimmed by someone who does not dream as big as we do.
If I had listened to the naysayers I would not have:
Gone to college
Dropped out of college
Gone to beauty school (did not drop out, did awesome instead)
Worked for one of the greatest professional haircare companies in the world
Become VP of Marketing for that company
Gracefully walked away from “the greatest career in the world”
Started my own business
Began writing a book with the dream of being a published author
What “unrealistic” things have you done that make your heart smile? What would you do if anything was possible?
Next time you have a thought, idea or plan that feels right to you, and you have gathered all of the tools and resources you need to make it happen, remember to follow your inner GPS.
“Be human. • Be aware. • Be honest. • Be respectful. • Be a participant. • Be open. • Be courageous.”
Brian Solis
By now, most businesses have some type of Facebook presence, but there is still a long way to go to be able to turn that presence into a tool to engage, build meaningful relationships and deliver value to your community.
Think of it this way: If a human walked into your place of business, would you say hello? Would you answer their questions? Would you say thank you when they gave you a shout out? Of course, the answer is yes. Guess what? That is exactly how we want to engage with humans on Facebook.
Engagement on Facebook is measured by the amount of Likes, Comments, Shares, RSVP’s to an event or Answers a Question you posted as a poll. You can see this “measurement” right next to your Likes number, it’s called “Talking About This.”
Here are 5 Steps To Increase Engagement 1. Post Consistently
The more consistently you post, the more likely you will show up in the News Feed and the more likely people will engage. Consistently means at least one post per day. Remember, you can plan your posts and schedule them, click here to see our post on how to schedule a Facebook post.
2. Post and Share Relevant Content Now I know what you are saying, what exactly does relevant mean? Well, you know your community better than anyone. And you know your brand, your story and your goals. If you are not sure, engage your team, think about your focus in your salon or business, and come up with some ideas around those focuses such as before and after images, team shout outs, inspiration, new products and services, etc. To learn more about content creation and curation, click here to view our webinar.
3. Respond to Comments, Messages and Posts to your Wall This is a biggie. Like I said in the beginning, if a human walked into your business, would you acknowledge them? Of course you would. Facebook is no different. Your community wants to know you are listening and you care. One way to show this is by being an active participant on your own page. Think about it. Click here to read our post on the importance of social customer care.
4. Make Use of Tabs for Online Booking and Events There are so many free tabs available to use on Facebook. And while many of them are not viewed as often your actual Timeline, they are there for a reason. Consider offering online booking, and be sure the platform you choose offers a Tab that you can easily install on Facebook. This way, your clients and potential future clients can make an appointment right on Facebook. Convenience at its finest and for sure a must do for the connected customer. We love Schedulicity for online booking, they offer all that and so much more. Click here to learn more and sign up. They have graciously given us a special offer we get to pass on to our community, a FREE 60 day trial. How awesome is that?
And remember, if you are having an Event such as a Grand Opening, a Product Launch, a Fundraiser, etc to make use of the Events tab. We have found it to be one of our most engaging Tabs.
5. Ask Your Community to Click on Get Notifications and Show In News Feed Many of us have heard about Facebook messing with what shows up in the News Feed. And yes, its true. Each social platform has a formula they use for search and discovery. So its our job to figure out how to “be seen” in spite of the formula so to speak. Now what we know for sure is if you do the four steps above, you will for sure be seen more often in the News Feed. However, there is a simple way to ensure your community sees your posts more often and gets notified when you post to your page. Click here to see our simple step-by-step on how to make that happen.
Where Am I Going To Find The Time?
So there you have it, 5 simple things you can do to increase engagement. So now I know what you are thinking; where am I going to find the time to do all this?
Here is my answer. Make time. Social business is our new reality, we can no longer choose not to engage. Well, actually, we can, but I would not recommend it. In order to grow, to become a more discoverable business, its time to re-think how we spend our time and what activities we are spending it on.
Make a commitment to spend 30 minutes a day on your social pages. That is it. And if you have to, wake up a half hour earlier. Schedule yourself in the salon. Do whatever you have to do. If you want it bad enough and it’s important to you, you will find the time. You always do.
One-On-One Mentoring
If you want to learn more about engaging in the social space and creating a plan for your business, I offer one-on-one mentoring to help you craft the ultimate plan. Click here to reach out and we will decide together if this is the right program for you. I look forward to connecting with you and helping you realize your dreams.
“Brands are either part of the conversation or they’re not and as a result, they’re either part of the decision-making cycle or they’re absent from the heart, mind, and actions of the connected customer.”
Brian Solis, author of Engage and The End of Business As Usual
As many of you know, I spend a ridiculous amount of time on the web. I have a healthy obsession with engaging and listening because I care about you and want to help you and your business.
Recently, I have seen a lot of chatter on Facebook about the ROI (return on investment) of engaging on the social web, and how it really is just a big waste of time. What that tells me is there is still a BIG misunderstanding of these platforms and how important they are to the future of business, both big and small.
Engage.
These online platforms are no different than our offline platforms (i.e. the salon) when it comes to business. They are designed to allow us to engage with current and future customers in a meaningful way. To listen, to have two-way conversations, to solve problems, to build relationships, to create and deliver value. How in the world can someone not see the ROI in that? SMH.
Listen.
I overheard a conversation a while back from a business saying “If we have a business Facebook page, then customers will want to talk to us and ask us questions, and that is a lot of work.” My response was simple: What could possibly be more important than engaging with and listening to your customers? How awesome is it that they care enough to engage with your business and buy something from you? Think about it.
Care.
I love this infographic that illustrates the trend of the connected customer when it comes to expecting customer care via social platforms. By 2014, refusing to communicate with customers via social channels will be as harmful as ignoring phone calls and emails. WOW. Take a moment and let that sink in.
(infographic discovered on Google courtesy of Bluewolf)
Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics said it best…”The ROI of social media is that your business will still be around in 5 years.” I could not have said it any better.
So remember. Engage. Listen. Care. Three simple yet powerful words to remember, both online and off.
If you ever have any questions for me regarding my blog posts, feel free to post questions to Facebook or email me by clicking here. I will always respond, both online and off. Because I care.
“An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.”
Charles Bukowski
I have always been one to keep things simple. And by simple I do not mean easy. There is a big difference. So I guess that makes me an artist, one that is able to make hard things simple. Awesome.
I follow a blogger named Chris Brogan. He is the CEO of Human Business Works, a business design company and is a New York Times bestselling author of The Impact Equation and Trust Agents. I love him. He is an artist of business. And one of my mentors.
Chris created an exercise called My Three Words. It is his process of creating a focus for the coming year. When I read his post, I immediately fell in love with his process and had to share it.
You see, I have always seen things in 3’s (and sometimes 4’s). I love triangles (and squares). Most of my professional life I have created strategies, plans and programs in this way.
My Three Words for 2013 Hone
I will hone my skills in order to live my purpose of helping to empower people and businesses through sharing my knowledge and experiences with love.
Harness
I will harness my passion for storytelling and stay focused on what makes my soul come alive. And do more of it.
Honor
I will honor my promise to myself and others, to do all things with love, authenticity and integrity, to speak my truth and to create art, which in my case is the art of business and personal development and storytelling.
OK, your turn. What are your Three Words? If you feel compelled, click here to share them with me. I would love to see them. If you are feeling really bold, post them on our Facebook page. Or tweet them to @passionsquared2 with the hashtag #mythreewords.
A big shout out of thanks to Chris Brogan, for being so awesome and sharing this exercise with the world. If you want to subscribe to Chris Brogans Blog, click here.
As many of you know, I heart Seth Godin. It’s one of those professional crushes so to speak. Yes, I have many of those.
His mind, his brain, his ability to turn what may seem complex into the most simple to understand thoughts. Today is a great example of that as Seth talks about the importance of making decisions.
Seth’s Message On Making Decisions
On today’s Blog, Seth says, “You don’t run a punch press or haul iron ore. Your job is to make decisions. The thing is, the farmer who grows corn has no illusions about what his job is. He doesn’t avoid planting corn or dissemble or procrastinate about harvesting corn. And he certainly doesn’t try to get his neighbor to grow his corn for him. Make more decisions. That’s the only way to get better at it.”
Faith Without Works Is Dead
While I am a deeply spiritual person, I do not subscribe to any formal religion. But this statement, which does come from the Bible, is one of my favorites and also one of my mantras.
When I speak about passion, dreams, faith, hopes, believing in yourself, and vision boards, I also mention taking action and executing on those passions, dreams and hopes. Why? Without taking action and making decisions to execute on your ideas, they are just that, ideas, thoughts and dreams that will never materialize into anything. Thus, faith without works is dead. Think about it.
My Secret Recipe
As I wrote in a blog a while back, titled I Think I Can, I spoke about how to turn your dreams into reality. My recipe is take two cups of passion, add a cup of skills mixed with a gallon of execution, and you are well on your way to doing big things. It really is that simple. So many times we miss the last ingredient, and find ourselves no closer to our dreams, simply because we missed that last and most important step.
So my challenge to you, today and always, is to start making decisions. Take action on your ideas. Your dreams. Your hopes. Yes, make that vision board, they are awesome, but also take the time to figure out how you are going to take action on those visions. You can do it, I know you can. I have faith in you. Now get to work!
Click here to subscribe to Seth’s Blog. It’s an easy read, and one that is sure to get you thinking, growing and possibly making more decisions.
(infographic discovered on Google courtesy of Bluewolf)
