With the start of the new year well underway, many spirited entrepreneurs are getting the feel for 2017. Some are finally learning how to Snapchat or growing their engagement numbers. And others are still plowing away at finding new ways to build that email list.
Goals like these are always awesome and sure to bring stability and success to any business if you work like a mad woman to make it happen. But if you ask Cynthia Johnson, Co-Founder of Ipseity Media, having vague, long-term goals like these are the fastest way to keep your growth in the slow lane.
And she would know — Mashable called her “One of the Top 50 Marketing Influencers on Snapchat (besides DJ Khaled).” Inc. magazine calls her one of the “Top Digital Influencers to follow on Twitter in 2017.”
So what’s her expert take on how to crush your goals this year and accelerate the process in half the time? We sat down the Internet’s next digital guru to get five must-do tips to make it happen.
Step 1: Build Short Term Goals for a Long Term Game
It’s one thing to imagine growing your Instagram audience to 20K followers. But knowing to post about three time a day is not the same as knowing exactly how you’ll develop a loyal following. This is where Cynthia’s work with Ipseity Media comes in.
“I work with clients on creative, accelerated thought leadership to achieve their goals. The idea is that you focus more on achieving your goals through thought leadership and being very specific. For example, short term goals for a long term game. That way you see results immediately. And then when you see results, it’s human nature to be more interested. And if you’re more interested then you work a little bit harder,” says Johnson.
For instance, instead of only posting an image three times a day, in hopes that it will eventually get you 20K followers, Johnson’s method insists that you get more intentional about the energy you’re spending. Have a real plan to move the needle over time; one that isn’t as passive as just posting, but finding collaboration opportunities, or creating engagement strategies. It’s a more detailed, with far more accountability, but better than taking the broad strokes approach, and here’s why.
Step 2: Understanding Your Why is Clutch
It’s easy to get lost in the technical aspects of your digital marketing goals by spending countless hours trying to understand the latest trends. But if your passion is for making your product, and not making creative instagram stories, then Cynthia insists you’re doing yourself no favors.
“Everyone says I’m no good at this or I’m no good at that. Even very smart people. But they could be good at anything, if they are interested in it. And if they knew why they were doing it, it would make sense.”
Read the complete 5 steps toward hitting your goals, inside our monthly magazine. Access February’s issue by downloading our magazine in iTunes or Google Play. Your subscription helps support our mission to Unmake Tradition and feature incredible women like Cynthia.