The reason your content isn't working for your business - let’s talk exponential growth
It’s time to put your business pants on and talk about numbers (yep I know, it sounds a bit boring) BUT I promise you, data can hide the secrets and reasons as to why your content just isn't working!
It all comes down to ONE thing; exponential growth. This fancy term for a pattern of data that shows greater growth as time goes on can seem a little bit intimidating especially as a new or solo business owner - but bare with me because knowing about it can change your whole outlook on the effectiveness of YOUR content.
Time is an amazing thing, not only for personal growth but for business growth as well! I wanted to share with you some insights and examples of exponential growth so we can break it down together - as an entrepreneur, I know first hand that patience is a virtue but jeez is it hard to keep up sometimes! So let’s dive into all things numbers, data, growth, and time (and try to make it as least painful as possible)
Don't give up, here me out...
If you find value in this blog, make sure you share it with me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram! Even better, share it with your audience! You can also listen to the episode below!
What defines exponential growth?
So you might be thinking, well what exactly is exponential growth? Well, in technical terms exponential growth is a pattern of data that shows greater increases with passing time, creating the curve of an exponential function. But what the hell does that mean??
Let’s break it down.
What you need to know is that exponential growth is a set of data that shows you how aspects of your business increase and grow with passing time (usually annually), it can highlight the ongoing growth and success of your business and allow you to evaluate it yearly - just to make sure things are running as they should be.
As PT, Author and exponential growth’er James Smith says in a FB post he wrote:
“People struggle to realise that if you had just a penny and doubled it everyday... you’d be a multi-millionaire within a month.
That’s exponential growth.
It took me two years of posting every day to reach 2000 followers, it took me ten months of sending emails every day to make my first sale online.
People don’t realise how growth works on an exponential scale, it's why we must remain focused on what we do, not what we get back from it right away....
It took me years of doing the same thing each day to become what many called an “overnight success”
More often than not people don’t realise how growth actually works on an exponential scale, this is why patience is super important in the world of entrepreneurialism. It’s key to remain focused, driven, and goal-oriented rather than simply being in the game for the rewards.
People don’t realise how growth works on an exponential scale, it's why we must remain focused on what we do, not what we get back from it right away.
Only after years of patience and business practice, doing the same thing each and every day, did I become the ‘overnight success’ that people talk about.
This is one of many life-changing topics I want to share with you from ‘Not a Life Coach.’ The author, James Smith, has so many eye-opening ways of looking at business and growth overall that we are just scraping the surface!
One of my favourite lines from his book “Not a Life Coach” says:
"To expect instant gratification also disregards how exponential growth works, and this is why you can't expect a return from your efforts right away. Exponential growth at first is hard to understand because it looks almost unimpressive".
So here’s my take on it!
Consistency + Knowledge + Passion = results.
To be successful in your business consistency is KEY! Showing up constantly and having sound knowledge is what you do, who you serve and what your target audience will absorb are the main components of what will make your business special and successful.
Be passionate in every move you make, what you talk about and the content you create - if you have no passion the business will go nowhere. Find what holds your interest and what you love and RUN WITH IT, have patience and care for not only your business self but your personal self as well; with this recipe, you should have all the confidence to KILL the entrepreneur game.
Examples of exponential growth
Now, exponential growth is not something that is a far-off concept - we can clearly see it in the entrepreneurial world around us, it can be done!
On my podcast, I have had a couple of amazing guests who have used patience, consistency, and passion to get where they are today!
Podcast guests who have used consistency to get there (Erin May Henry built her business off the back of her YouTube channel, Ruby shared her journey from side hustle to main hustle on LinkedIn - both episodes linked below). It took them TIME to build up their audience.
An Instagram post, I uploaded a while ago has recently jumped back into relevancy with the idea that a piece of content you may have written 6 months ago can still ‘blow up’ even after all that time. I pretty much summarised that once content is created it isn't an “okay it’s done” type of vibe - there are so many ways for it to pop back up, become relevant again, or spark other ideas.
The internet is an amazing place and as many people have discovered, published content never goes away once it is online (especially when your old MySpace page resurfaces… yikes!).
I have noticed recently that some of my old content is doing extremely well on Google and in the Apple Podcasts charts, which I never thought about twice! So there are a couple of lessons to learn from this.
Have patience with the content that you post
a. It may surprise you what content you have created will gain traction even 6 months down the road
Time is a valuable thing, save yourself a lot of it by repurposing
a. Trust me, the content you have will seem brand new with a few tweaks and an updated mindset!
REMINDER:
- Podcasts only last on average 17 episodes (don’t be a statistic, keep going). Of course, there will be channels you hate. Find what you LOVE!!
What to do next with your content to achieve exponential growth?
So what would be my top tips to take your content to the next level and achieve that all-important exponential growth? Well, here are my top 6 pieces of advice for you on your content journey...
Implement the strategy off the back of the content (I have a content strategy template that can help you). I know you might already have one but have a LOOK at your current one. Where are the gaps or the holes?
Think niche before you continue to move forward. Create content for your specific niche within your content ‘pillars’ or ‘buckets’ before going too broad - remember what makes your business stand out or special and run with it.
Refine the content buckets you talk about throughout your socials/emails/podcasts or blogs. Make sure you completely understand and are solid on what topics you talk about and add in your own interests to make it personal. Adding a distinct flare will also help you create that niche audience.
Yes, I know data is boring but make sure you are measuring and tracking your content (even stories). In the long run, it will save you A LOT of time and energy rather than just simply guessing.
This growth doesn't JUST have to come from Instagram, there are so many channels that you can use - the possibilities are HUGE.
It’s cliche but don't give up. I see content pages up and running one day, then out of action the next - this is okay but it lacks consistency so try to just keep going!
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, content, relevancy and success are all about consistency, sticking to your strategy, measuring data and reviewing your progress. I’ve seen it time and time again with clients, friends, podcast guests and fellow entrepreneurs, and if they can do it so can you!
Don’t be afraid of data or numbers to measure the success of your business, with a bit of practise and consistency you’ll be an exponential growth wiz in no time!
If you found value in this blog, make sure you share it with me on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram! Even better, share it with your audience! You can also listen to the episode below!
