As we all look back at 2016 and wonder… did we complete all of those things, or goals, we set out to do for our personal life or our business life…we start to plan the same for next year. Then, with all of the Best of X out there, it got me to thinking… I could recap blogs that are essential to your business but also kick your butt with some goals for your business next year and came up with a blend of the two.
I had done a 2015 Review blog and while that one was pretty good, if I do say so myself, providing a lot of links to other blogs, I wanted to recap more of the blogs from 2016 that could provide you and your business value for next year (or any year for that matter).
Plan your Time!
Time Management for Small Business Owners
As a business owner, and possibly a parent or grandparent or even animal parent… mix that in there with life… we are just super busy. We have to learn how to juggle our business and personal lives and here is a guest blog from a business coach Jackie Harder who helps remind you of how to prioritize, be more productive and focus on what makes you money. Whatever you are doing during the day, is it the most productive thing you can be doing right now?
Escape the Distractions & Rabbit Hole
Remember that part… what are you doing right now.. and is it the most important and most productive thing you could be doing? Yea, we all run into that rabbit hole.. but it’s just not profitable… so we need to find a way to turn those distractions off!
Weigh the Cost & Time Factors of Outsourcing
When you don’t have enough time (like when does that happen? lol) you need to reevaluate what you are doing each part of the day and if it isn’t making you money, consider if you could be paying for it.. do the math… you doing it at your X wage and minus your Y hours or someone else doing it at Z wage and 1 – doing it likely better as it is there expertise and freeing your Y hours up to make money.
Where is the Money Making?
You know what I mean… what is it that you can be doing that makes you the most money… and what can you get away with NOT doing?
The Trifecta of Online Marketing – The Perfect 3
This one was super because I explained the 3 most important things you must be doing online:
This blog gives you the idea and remember, unless you have been living under a bridge, your online presence is there when you aren’t, your competitors AND your target market is there… if you aren’t, you are missing out.
Your Money Maker – Website
I haven’t written about the importance of having a website over the last year as I have been talking about what needs to be ON your website and how to optimize it so let’s go there for a few.
Simple Videos for Granting Access to your Website
Quite simply… STOP giving out your passwords unless there is NO other means in which to do so! PERIOD. There are ways to provide others with access without you giving away YOUR security!
Get Your Mobile in Check
Quite simply… you are pissing off your customers by only having a desktop version. If they can’t read or navigate your website on their mobile, they aren’t sticking around. And the numbers, they are huge, you have to be on mobile or you are clearly missing out!
Search Engine Friendly v Search Engine Optimized
Please know… there IS a difference. You have a great web designer and that’s what they do – design… not optimize a website on a monthly basis… they have done a great service by making it search engine friendly – YAY! However, unless they are spending time on your website working on SEO stuff (more below on that) then they are NOT optimizing it like an SEO marketing ‘guru’ would.
Your Money Maker – Website – THE ICING
Hopefully I won’t go on too long here.. but these are tips you just MUST be advised about.
Why You Should be Concerned About SEO
Why? Well shoot, because you want to be found online. You need to spend time monthly on your website optimizing your title tags, meta tags, photos, links, headers and adding more keyword rich content – like blogs. All of this SEO mojo I talk about in this blog.
How to Make the Best of Your SEO Yoast Plugin
Speaking of SEO, Yoast is a great plugin that you can use for some of your SEO needs but please know, it’s only as good as the info you put into it so don’t rely more on this plugin that you should of yourself – I explain that more in this blog!
The 3 Reasons Why You NEED to Blog
One super way to continue to optimize your website each month after you have visited all of your website pages and are keeping an eye on them is to blog. Seriously, this has super value and you need to see why. I explain the HUGE benefits in this blog and DEBUNK your excuses in this one.
Do Yourself a Favor – Make it Pretty (Skimmable)
I know this sounds silly, but think back to when you were looking at a website…. when you see overly flashy stuff, too many colors, every other word was boldface and the content just screams at you… you bailed didn’t you? Well, you don’t want your target market to look at your website and scream – so be sure it’s pretty… and what do you know – I teach you how to do that in this blog!
Make it Easy for Readers to Comment & Share Your Content
Now that you have great content, that looks pretty, you want others to read it, first, and comment, second but even better if they share it. So, be sure you make it easier for them to read like I mentioned above, comment and then make it possible for THEM to share FOR YOU! How cool is that?
Why You Need & Should Have Evergreen Content
Now that you blog, you surely know that there is much of it that is evergreen, which means, in a year from now, it will still be valid. So, keep creating evergreen content and then be sure YOU are sharing it on social media.
Your Money Maker – Social Media
Social media is a great avenue for you to be because your customers are there…and keep in mind that your competitors are too!
Get Your Social Media Ninja On
I’ve provided the basics on how you can get started or rekindle your relationship with social media in this blog. There is so much more… but this will give you a great start.. or check out my video series that shows you HOW to do it all… yourself!
Facebook Video Series 
This series is a video, step by step, delivered to your inbox each week for 8 weeks and giving you ample time to get back in there and revisit them. Teaches you about creating your page, how to set everything up, posting (what, when, why, where, how), engaging as the business, distractions, filters, boosting, ads, groups and even some super sets on Canva, Post Planner, HootSuite, PicMonkey, LinkedIn and Dropbox. What more could you ask for other than me to do it for you… okay, I can do that too!
Your Money Maker – Email Marketing
Top of mind! Wouldn’t you love to be top of mind all the time for your target market? If so, check this out!
Have You Started on Your Email List Yet – Well WTH Not?
I mention here the benefits of email marketing as well as what you need to do to get started and how! Plus, I wrote a review on an email marketing auto responder and talk about that in this blog too!
At the End of the Day – It’s Business – Work It
These few I wasn’t sure where to include it but could not leave them out, and you’ll understand why.
Do You Walk the Walk or Just Talk the Talk?
Be sure that if you are preaching to your followers to do X to make them successful, healthy, wealthy or wise… that YOU are doing it. Nothing like a social media manager telling their clients to post X times a day or week and you check out their page… nothing! What does that tell you about reputation?
Show Appreciation for Those Who Help You Succeed
If you are a small business owner, you are likely working with networking groups, referral partners or chambers and the like. If you want those folks to help you…. help them and then appreciate them when they do. Too many folks just don’t get it… please don’t be one of them!
When Mother Nature Strikes.. Your Business
Again, as a small business owner, whether you are in it alone or running a shop of few or many… what will happen if you get sick? What happens if your house or shop got flooded? What happens when the power goes out? All of these things need to be in place for those things out of our control. Set up your Plan B!
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know!
WHEW.. you made it.. be thankful I cut that one short. I could so go on but as you know, as a small business owner, there are so many things that we need to think about, need to consider and do and well, we can’t always do it all. Or, you know the saying – You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know… how would you know that you need to build your list if nobody said you should, right?
I want to be your success partner, I want to see you grow this year… if I can help you with any of your marketing goals… please let me know! Contact Me!
Let’s go out there and Kick this Year’s BUTT!
~Kristen
Some of my favorites are in this list! You write great content that is no nonsense and easy to understand. The blog about search engine optimized vs friendly is an eye opener and was popular in my Twitter feed. (You know I had to find a way to work Twitter into the discussion. Lol!) Including practical business advice and more general business topics makes your blog well rounded and informative. I aspire to get my blog as meaty as yours! Happy New Year awesome lady!
Awww, thanks Meggie.. and I love YOUR blogs.. you provide so much value that often I feel mine as less meaty as yours! Thank you for the compliments!
Good content as always, there are a lot of good tips I still need to get to doing…will contact you soon for the SEO stuff. 😉
I hear you Kata.. it’s all priorities and if you are busy… it’s working for you!
Great tips. We all need some encouragement to do all those things that help our businesses thrive!
We do Reba and to lead them on what to do and how!
Awesome share of some fantastic blog posts! I am with you Kristen, I AM SO READY TO KICK SOME BUTT in 2017!!!
Yessss, and thank you Joan. with you!
An exceptional blog post with a brilliant its of what people need to be focusing on. My 2 big efforts this month are to grow my private FB group and my email list. Once i get into the swing of it, it will come naturally every month thereafter.
Oh those are great, especially your email list Sonya!
I really liked how you thematically grouped your posts, Kristen. It allows us to find the topic areas we need and their specific posts. Also, it’s a great reminder. Sometimes, I would intend to come back and read a post again but get sidelined by something else. This way everything is all in one place to find again. Happy New Year and thanks for all your efforts you’ve expended to help us be better bloggers.
Thanks Joyce, my pleasure.. feel free to bookmark. I also plan to ebook these.
What a great recap! Over the holidays, I was helping one of my cousins get her new blog set up, and we went over several of these ideas. It can be overwhelming to a newbie, and it’s great to have so many helpful, easy to put into action tips all in one place!
Why thank you Jennifer! I appreciate it and great job helping out the cousin on their blog. You are a lifestyle blogger rockstar
Kristen, I loved all these tips. I’m doing more FB live videos and then repurposing them in my blogs. Visibility is my 2017 theme so all of this is interesting to me. I admit that SEO is something I could really use help with. One of the things you talked about here is how sometimes we think experts in one area are also experts in another and that simply isn’t the case. Graphic designers aren’t web developers or SEO experts. Copywriters aren’t web designers, either. I always appreciate your posts, Kristen. You provide so much value at every turn.
Thanks so much Tandy, I am glad that you are getting great value and looking to grow your visibility this year.