STAY IN YOUR LANE!

Have you really thought about how hard it is to stay in your own lane when it comes to your business? There are so many cool things to do out there and we want to be a part of all of them.

One of the biggest problems I see with business owners is that when something new comes along they are eager to shift lanes. I recently had a new client say to me…you can hold me accountable by making sure I stay true to my direction.

She shared her direction with me and as her marketing strategist my job is to make sure she stays in her lane and only deviates when it compliments her business or makes good business sense.

How are you at staying in your lane? We all get caught up in the ‘SQUIRREL’ syndrome from time to time.

“Should I be on blab?”

“I love Instagram…I want to start posting there!”

“Everyone is using Snap Chat…I think I need to be on that platform! Wouldn’t you agree?”

My answer to that is…”I don’t know. Is that where your customers are? What is the outcome you hope to have by being on these platforms?”

Adding another platform to your social media-marketing plan takes more of your time. So before you decide to jump on that newest social media platform do your homework!

Always have a business & marketing strategy…without it you are shooting in the dark and hoping to hit something that will make you successful. When you know your customer base and you know where they hang out — you are better prepared to step into new marketing channels with a full understanding of why you are there and what you hope to accomplish.

You must be flexible — technology changes quickly and so can where your customers hang out. Keep the big picture in mind and stay educated on where your customers are…don’t assume because they’ve always been on Facebook that they will always be there.

Don’t follow along with what everyone else is doing. Know what works for your business and your customers and stay in that lane. Don’t be tempted to deviate just because you see someone else doing it unless there is good solid business logic for the lane transfer.

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION TO CHANGE LANES:

• When something new comes along — don’t automatically assume it’s right for your business. Do your homework…do your research. If it makes sense, than by all means move in that direction.
• Who are the current users? Google shares lots of information from social media experts about the demographics for new platforms. If their users are 18–24 years of age, will that benefit your business to reach out to that demographic? You know your market age is 35–65…will your customer be hanging out there? Probably not…
• Research who is currently using the platform and how they are using it. What is the unique ecosystem of the platform? When Instagram first came out some business owners couldn’t understand how they would market on the platform if they didn’t have products to sell. But that clearly changed and now service based businesses market just as effectively as retail.
• If you find that your customer might be there or you might find a new niche for your business — will you need to create new content or will the same type of content you are currently creating work on this new platform as well? If you find that new content needs to be created — take into consideration how it will impact your current marketing resources.

While I’m not a huge fan of paying close attention to my competitors, when researching a new platform, it could be beneficial to notice if your competitor is using that platform, and if so, how they are using it.

Staying in your own lane requires knowing what’s most important in your business and staying focused on that. Yes, many things will come down your path that might look interesting to sway into another lane, but just like driving, you need to look both ways and in front and back of you to make sure it’s a smart move.

Getting distracted can wreak havoc on your business and in most cases it results in a bunch of unfinished projects! Focusing in your lane of genius and within your niche is where success is most sure to come.