How Visibility and Authenticity Fuel Business Success

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” Brené Brown

It’s easy to get swept up by the constant noise of social media trends, the constant updates to algorithms, the constant advice about digital strategies, where to post, how to make videos, “must follow” trends, SEO, email marketing…it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin!

While these tactics have their place, and I enjoy brainstorming a ‘roadmap’ that works for your individual business, there's something far more essential that often gets overlooked.

*Why* are you participating online (intent) and *where* are you guiding your customers (invitation)?

The Customer Journey is a series of prompts or steps that lead to a sale. Mapping this path or reviewing and defining the preferred steps in your business - is one of my first recommendations. If you don’t have clarity about that path I can guarantee you your customers are confused as well…and confused customers don’t convert!

One easy way to do this?

Google yourself…or ask someone new to your business to search you and follow the trail to your intended goal (sale).

The marketing ‘Rule of 7’ states that a prospect needs to be exposed to your business or message at least 7 times before they’ll take action to buy that product or service. With all the noise in the digital space today, this number can be closer to the Rule of 17 or more, but the concept is the same: capturing attention and engaging customers and prospects is critical.

Customer journeys vary in length depending on your business but every business has a path - and being aware of the steps and touchpoints is step one to increasing connections and conversions with your intended audience.

For example, if you are a **product-based business**, you have a shorter customer journey with a higher frequency of transactions. You probably have a website or social media page where you post about your products and invite customers to buy. This could be at a storefront, booth, market or online store. If you were to analyze your business as if you were a customer - what touchpoints would you encounter?

Service-based business owners have a longer journey, extending weeks, months, and even years.

Realtors are a perfect example of a long customer journey; people don’t buy and sell property frequently, but typically purchase more than once in their lifetime, so nurturing leads for long time spans is important.

I love to tell the story of my realtor and how he kept in touch every year, even though we weren't actively looking for real estate. When my husband and I first moved back to the Kootenay’s we were in our 30’s and just starting our family. We worked with a local realtor and he found us a family home with four bedrooms and a big yard that met our real estate priorities at the time. Our realtor sent us a Christmas card by mail every year until he retired; that small gesture really stood out to me! Fast forward 15 years (time flies), our kids have grown considerably, pretty soon all three of our kids will be in high school, our oldest could be moving out in the not so distant future, and our priorities may be changing.

There are many strategies for nurturing your audience of current, past and future clients, but this example illustrates the ‘‘long game’ approach often overlooked today.

Once you have mapped out a clear customer journey how do you go about implementing the plan, increasing awareness and expanding your audience?

The 3 Cs: Community, Connection, Collaboration

I have built my business around the 3 Cs:

**1. Community**

Building a community fosters loyalty and trust among your audience. Your community will serve as the heartbeat of your business journey; foster a community who lifts you up, stands behind you, celebrates your wins, confides in you and holds confidence when you need it, and puts your name forward when you are not in the room!

When I was starting my social media agency, I was invited to speak at a local Women in Business group that met monthly and featured a specific topic of interest to the group members. I was nervous, but I ’showed up’ imperfectly, authentically and shared value; I walked out of that meeting with multiple business cards and gained clients and collaborators who I have had the privilege to work with for years. The support and connections I have gained through this group have played a huge role in my success and I am now a co-organizer of the group and have the honour to give other entrepreneurs the same opportunity.

Community is a two-way street, so reciprocate, refer, celebrate, show up, and I promise you it will be the best ‘investment’ you can make in yourself and your business.

**2. Connection**

People want to work with someone who they Know, Like & Trust. Making genuine connections with clients, competitors, peers, and industry influencers helps you stand out. Focus on building meaningful relationships based on mutual respect and shared goals. Actively listen to feedback, respond thoughtfully, and demonstrate empathy in your interactions.

My clients often appreciate my personalized approach, which shows them that I’m here for them and that I want to understand their unique needs. Personalizing your communication, differentiating your content to update, educate, and celebrate, can deepen connections and differentiate your brand from competitors.

I use this photo in my email welcome sequence, taken during a branding session in my kitchen. My husband said something to make me laugh, and I felt the photographer captured the moment so authentically. The essence of authentic connection—my husband is my best friend, cheerleader, and someone who makes me feel ‘seen,’ so this photo captures that raw emotion.

I love an image, conversation or post that makes you feel an emotion when you look at it. A great visual or a great hook is what makes someone stop scrolling, or book a call with YOU, in the sea of posts and programs that come across their feed.

**3. Collaboration**

Collaborating with others amplifies your reach and credibility. Partnering with complementary businesses, influencers, or organizations allows you to tap into new audiences and resources. Collaborative projects leverage each other’s strengths and provide innovative solutions that benefit everyone involved..

For example, joint webinars, co-authored content, or product/service bundles can enhance your visibility, attract new customers, and solidify your position as a collaborative leader in your industry. Collaborations have been instrumental in my journey, allowing me to extend my reach and impact.

I have had the opportunity to collaborate at speaking events, online summits and bundles, large projects where multiple contractors with varying expertise collaborate together for a common goal. Common collabs you will see locally are Instagram contests where multiple businesses will get together to give away a prize and you need to follow all businesses and tag someone to be entered. The contest is shared by all participating businesses thereby sharing audiences and exposing each business to new people.

Look for collaborations that benefit all parties and they will be a very rewarding element of your marketing strategy.

Conclusion

In a world where social media strategies and algorithms are constantly evolving, connection, community and collaboration remain timeless and powerful tools.

By being yourself, sharing your story, engaging with your audience, showing your personality, and being vulnerable - you can build an authentic brand that stands out AND makes sales!

If you want to learn more, book a Clarity Call and let’s chat about your unique road map to digital success.