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Struggling to grow your Facebook likes? Here’s why small is beautiful

Struggling to grow your facebook likes? Here's why small is beautiful

I hit 500 likes on Facebook last week.

500, you could be forgiven for scoffing. Is that all? I’m acutely aware that many of you reading this probably have a much larger like tally than lil’ ole’ me.

If you had told me when I launched my site that it would take me two years – yes two years people – to hit 500 likes, I think I would have handed in my domain with despair.

At the time all I seemed to read about were the social media success stories of women gaining 5,000 or 10,000 likes in a matter of weeks.

They made it sound so simple. All I had to do was come up with the right lead magnet and BOOM! My dream audience would be queuing up to submit their email addresses and my six-figure success was assured.

Nothing like a few inflated expectations to get a business off to a self-deluded start.

Because the truth is, I had a lot to learn – about myself, about the real value I offer, how to set myself apart and how to make real connections online.  Oh and a few other things like sales funnels, Facebook ads, WordPress, SEO – the list goes on. And I could only learn by doing.

When I started out, I didn’t know where my true zone of genius lay – or if I did, then I didn’t think that people would pay for it. I undervalued my gifts, so I looked instead to other copywriters for inspiration on how to build my business.

No matter – it got me started and that was the key. I had to get out there and work 1:1 with clients, hear their challenges, figure out how I could best help them, try new approaches and listen to their praise (and their criticism) when the work was done.

I had to experiment with different offers and workshops, to see what worked. I had to pay attention to how I felt when doing the work, to figure out what made me tick and feel what it is to be in flow.

All of this takes time of course. Meanwhile my likes and subscribers grew, in fits and starts. I trialled many different lead magnets and ran free challenges, some more successful than others. At times I grew frustrated with my progress, wondering when I was ever going to crack the magic recipe.

But somewhere along the line, I realised that likes are not an accurate measure of the success of a business.  I had interesting work, I was serving a growing number of clients and had a growing waiting list, even with my extremely modest number of likes. On the other hand, I met business owners with thousands of likes who were struggling to convert those numbers into paying clients.

So if you’re struggling to grow your Facebook likes, take heart!

The worth of your work is not determined by the size of your Facebook likes.

Your Facebook audience is only one metric and does not necessarily correlate to other measures of success, like how rewarding your work is, how you are spending your time, or how much money is flowing into your bank account.

Besides, there is much to be treasured about the “small is beautiful” phase. It’s easier to get to know your community, to build relationships, to have real conversations and respond to comments. And the more you connect with your audience and offer genuine value, the quicker your reputation will grow by word of mouth.

It’s a time for experimentation and play. This is the time to get clear on what you really want to do, and figure out how you can best deliver that to your customers.

This is also the time to refine your message.

Let’s face it – if Oprah offered you a seat on her couch tomorrow, would you be ready?

Before you can effectively take your big ideas to the world and embrace all the possibilities that are there for you, you’ve got to be clear on what you have to say.  You’ve got to practice showing up consistently and creatively and sharing from the heart, so when you do become known, you’re standing on a strong foundation. Embodying your message, living it, breathing it, and fully ready for the spotlight.

If you’re ready to get to work on your message, but not yet ready to work with me 1:1 I have something special coming up just for you.

I’ll shortly be opening the doors on my new group messaging programme, with access to on-demand training and support, and guidance from me in a small group setting (plus first dibs on 1:1 coaching spots to meet your needs). Click here to enter your name and email address and be the first to hear all the details + nab your spot on the waitlist.

 

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