Deep Dive Of The Week
Today I want to share with you how I managed to:
Increase my followers
10x my leads
Before I share how I did it, here's some context.
I've been creating content on the internet since 2020 (mainly Instagram).
However I was never able to monetise it or even get enquiries.
Something was wrong.
So, after a while of experimenting, failing, and burning out, I took a 10 month break.
After learning, rebuilding, and re launching things were different this time.
Here's what I did (that worked for me) to achieve these results.
(I was able to achieve these results on Instagram but the principles can be used on any platform)
Being myself
When I first started out I was trying to be someone I wasn't.
I was enamoured with the style and content of a popular creator, and tried to replicate it in my own way.
It was great for a while but then it for boring real quick real fast.
I realised that copying others wasn't the solution for me.
There’s nothing wrong with copying others when you’re starting out but that’s when I figured I might not be cut out for this.
Best solution?
Embrace who I am and experiment with my interests.
By sharing my own unique perspective and interests, I was able to reignite my passion and truly stand out in my field.Stand out visually
Attention is the new currency.
And everyone is trying to grab that.
I realised what everyone was doing on Instagram at the time;Bold colour
Huge condensed type
3D Illustrations
It was everywhere.
So, I decided to go the complete opposite way.
Sleek. Confident. Personality.
This allowed me to cut through the visual noise and capture attention by simply being different.Craft your brand with care
Your brand is an essential part of who you are.
I knew this and hence why I took great care when building mine.
What did I do?
I crafted my brand's image, tone, and messaging with care.
I also shared the process from time to time so others could see the effort I put into building it.
This was a brilliant move.
By doing this, I created a powerful message for my potential clients:"If I can put this much care and precision into my own brand, imagine what I can do for yours.”
This helped me convey my dedication to helping others grow their businesses.
And that builds trust which is powerful.Communicate your message and offerings
This is perhaps one of the most important things to do.
As a business owner, there are certain vision and values you believe in.
All you need to do is craft it into an inspiring message and share it with others.Put it everywhere, social media, ads, website, and so on.
Why does this matter?
This helps attract like-minded individuals who share your beliefs and values, building a community of loyal fans instead of just customers.
Make it a priority to craft and communicate your vision and values for a strong and successful business.Just sell
I used to HATE selling.
I always wanted clients to come to me.
However, to get to that level I needed a reputation.To build a reputation I needed clients…
…and it was the same loop.
To tackle that I decided to do the thing I didn’t want to do..I actually started selling.
What do I mean by that?
3-4 times a month I’d make a post explaining potential customers what I offer, how it can help them, and how they can get in touch if interested.
That’s it.
This simple act made a significant impact.
From years of having no enquires I got a sudden burst of them.That’s when I realised…
Sometimes you just need to ask.
Design Dissection
In each edition of The Creative Box, I share my thoughts on the latest developments in the design and branding Industry.
This week I’m looking at the very recent re brand of Burberry.
A few years ago a trend was started in the fashion industry.
For a while now, it seemed like every high-end fashion brand was jumping on the sans-serif bandwagon.
Bland. Tasteless. Uninspiring.
But it seems that Burberry has broken out of this trend.
I've got to say, it's a breath of fresh air!
It’s a clean and minimal logo yet it has a slight personality of character that sets it apart from the rest.
A brand like Burberry with such a rich history leading the charge by trying something new.
However, I do think with the blue color + the brand having the word “berry” in their name, I can't help but read it as "Blueberry" sometimes.
Maybe it’s just me?
Either ways, my prediction is that in the next few years we can expect to see other fashion brands adopting a similar approach;
Serif fonts with a slight personality.
Designer's Toolkit
AI Based Domain Searcher - Pretty sick tool that generates domain ideas for you based on your business ideas while checking its availability.
Sora - A sleek, free, and modern Google font.
Framer - The best way to build websites without writing a single line of code. One of my go-to tools at the moment.
Killer Portfolio - A curated selection of the best portfolios.
If these newsletters are starting to feel like a snooze fest, it's time to hit the unsubscribe button.
No hard feelings though, we'll still be friends even if my emails aren't your cup of tea.
Until next week 👋
Cheers,
Ashar