The new year is rapidly approaching, and many of you have already accomplished your business plans for 2014 (and some for 2015!) One of the areas that you may have missed in creating your 2014 business plans, however, is an online business plan. While it doesn’t have to be separate from your business plan, it should somehow be incorporated into your goals for the new year. What constitutes “online”? Amongst other things, “Online” encompasses social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.), e-Marketing (Google Ads, Facebook Ads), Email Marketing, Websites and Blogs. Here’s how you can start to create your online business plan for 2014.
First, embrace The Online Mantra:
Content is king, context is queen, consistency is key.
What is Content is King? Simply, good content rules. As for Context is Queen, that means you should be aware of where you’re posting. That will control what and how much content you provide. Consistency is Key to all these efforts. Be consistent. This isn’t about short-term gain. This is for the long-term. Train yourself accordingly. Discipline wins.
Next, make SMARTER goals for 2014.
SMARTER goals are defined as: S- Specific M – Measurable A – Attainable R – Relevant T – Time-bound E- Evaluate and R – Re-evaluate.
Be SPECIFIC. Know the answers to What, Why, Who, Where, Which? What do you want to accomplish? Why? (What is the end-purpose?) Who are you targeting? Where will you accomplish this? Which things will you need to do or not do?
Make the goal(s) MEASURABLE. People are often unhappy or unsatisfied because their goals were never defined with an actual measurement. What ROI (Return On Investment) are you most likely to be able to identify and feel like you’ve accomplished something with? (clicks, likes, sales, responses, etc.)
Make sure each goal is ATTAINABLE. Don’t try to do it all.
Make the goal(s) RELEVANT to you. Is this worthwhile to you? Is this the right time for you to implement this online strategy in your business? Does this match your other business plan?
Make your goal(s) TIME-BOUND. Identify specific dates to have things accomplished. For example, “I want to see the ½ of this measurable goal by June 30.” Be aware of the constraints and time that it takes for the Internet to respond.
EVALUATE your goal(s). Evaluate the above goal(s). KEEP CHECKING IN EVERY WEEK.
RE-EVALUATE. Keep checking in. Have a mid-year or every-3-months check-in ready on your calendar. This is where you can make the necessary adjustments.
Finally, BUILD YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS PLAN
Create a Summary of Your Online Business Plan: What is your online business goal (lead conversion? marketing? referrals? communication?)?
Example: “I want to have increased my online leads by double my current amount (insert number here) by the end of 2014.”
Plan It Out: Detail all aspects of your plan to accomplish your goal.
Example: I know that the greatest lead capture happens on my agent website. Therefore, I will drive traffic to my website by:
- creating and sending out an email newsletter to my target audience(s) once a month, always with two visible links (and calls to action) to my website
- making sure the content on my website (where the greatest lead capture happens) is up-to-date and interesting on a bi-weekly basis
- driving traffic to my website via other social channels (e.g. Facebook page) and offline marketing
Know the Cost in Time and Money: Identify how much you think it will cost you in MONEY and in TIME. Remember, you can always tweak this later in your Evaluation and Re-evaluation stages.
Example:
- I can send out an email newsletter from Business Builder for free (through Century 21 Redwood). Cost in dollars = 0, cost in time = 2-3 hours once a month per newsletter
- My agent website costs (x) dollars a month. Updating it is free, but time spent on it ensuring fresh, good content will be 1 hour, twice a week.
- A Facebook Page is free to create and maintain. I will post on my Facebook Page 3 times a week, which will take me 30 minutes at a time, 1.5 hours a week. I will “boost” a post once a week to ensure maximum exposure. I will spend no more than $150 a month (roughly $30 a post).
Schedule: RIGHT NOW, plan out your next month’s schedule. If you’re really good, you’ll plan out the next 3-6 months. If you’re extraordinary, you’ll plan out the entire 12 months. At the end of 6 months, you’re going to Re-evaluate this schedule. Be VERY specific. Don’t leave any detail you can think of right now out.
Example: Create a Content Calendar:
Jan 1- 1pm-1:30pm Check on website, make sure all information is updated, include Happy New Year message [Bonus: add in a special incentive to visitors to website]
Jan 2- 1pm-3pm Create and send HAPPY NEW YEAR email to all past, current, and lead clients. Thank them. Tell them about your website. Send them to your website. (Block 3 hours of time, free through Business Builder) [Bonus: include info about “visit website to find out more about special incentive]
Jan 3 – 7:30-8am Post Happy New Year message on Facebook Page with quote about goals or new years. (you can schedule FB posts for later)
Jan 4 –
Jan 5 – 7:30-8am Post link to website on Facebook Page hinting at special incentive
Jan 6 –
Jan 7 – 7:30-8am State one of your personal goals for 2014. Ask people what their biggest goal for 2014 is; 8pm-8:30pm Check your metrics. Thank anybody who became new followers of your Facebook page, and send them link to your website.
AS A BONUS: Find someone who keeps you accountable – an accountability partner, or your manager. Continuously check in with each other to make sure your goals are being met.
If you follow these steps, you’ll be on your way to creating an online business plan for 2014. What is your biggest online goal for 2014? How are you going to accomplish it?