By: Kim Beasley, Introvert Entrepreneur Coach
Did you know becoming an introvert entrepreneur starts with an idea to start a business? Have you been holding back from starting your business because of fear or not wanting to get out of your comfort zone? Then keep reading because I have some innovative tips that will help you move forward.
I’m Kim Beasley and I’m an introvert entrepreneur who has been facing my fears and choosing to grow my business online. Part of growing my business online has been showing my face or voice via my podcast or videos. In the beginning, I was terrified of being seen. But then I realized when I shared my message that it could help my fellow introverts by encouraging them to start their own business.
Wow! What a concept!
Innovation tips for an introvert entrepreneur to implement
As an introvert entrepreneur, your ability to excel with an online business increases when you create a business that leans into your strengths. For example, I’m a creative person so I consider myself a creative introvert entrepreneur. I lean into coaching my fellow introverts because it allows me to be creative by developing online courses.
How can you use the same concept of leaning into your strengths to create an innovative business? Let’s take a moment to check out an acronym I’ve created using the word S.T.R.E.N.G.T.H.S. to help you figure out how to do it.
- S – Start with researching your target buyers
- T – Take time to poll your target buyers to see what they want
- R – Refine your findings from research to focus on your target buyers’ needs
- E – Ensure you create an ideal customer profile (ICP) based on your research
- N – Nurture your relationship with your ICPs
- G – Give your ICPs a reason to engage with you online
- T – Treasure your relationship with your ICPs and cultivate it regularly
- H – Help your ICPs understand the focus of your business
- S – Support your ICPs with FAQs, live chat, or allowing them to email you with questions
This simple acronym can help you get started with being innovative as you, an introvert entrepreneur, start your business.
How you can excel with your online business
Now that you have a few tips that will help you incorporate innovation into your online business, let’s now learn about a few things that can help you excel with your online business. One resource I used for this section was the article on Forbes.com called “10 Social Media Tips For Introverted Business Leaders“.
Create an engaging website: having a website that inspires engagement with your website visitors can help inspire them to come back. Simple things that can help your website be engaging is to have exit-intent pop-ups when someone is about to leave your website or incorporate forms where your website visitors can send you a message.
Consistent business branding message: when you create your business branding, things to keep in mind are the colors you will use or the logo that will represent your business. Also, being able to communicate your vision in a branding message is important. These should be the same wherever you share your business brand message.
Engaging social media business profiles: one of the best ways to engage on social media is to have a regular schedule of content that your ICPs are looking for. I suggest that you have at least 2 social media profiles for your business that you keep active. Keep it simple and be open to curating content from industry leaders that you share on your profiles.
Cross-promotion with peers or competitors: hear me out with this one before you disagree with it. When you cross-promote with others whether they are your peers or competitors, you gain the opportunity to be seen by their mailing list or audience. This is a great way to grow your circle of influence online, too.
Create a well thought out strategy: having a strategy, will help you have a clearly defined plan for how you will develop your online business. Remember to build in fun, innovation, and ways you will engage your ICPs online. Keep in mind that when you host contests or giveaways, it is important to have a plan to regularly engage with those who sign up.
Final thoughts
I love being a creative introvert entrepreneur and I hope this article helps you learn different ways you can use innovation too. If you have questions or want to reach out to me online, you can always connect with me via my website: kimbeasley.com. If you would like to learn how to use LinkedIn to grow your business online then check out my online course, LinkedIn Marketing for Introverts: lmi.kbctraining.com.
