Greetings Beloved,In this new Empowering Post, I'll share 10 different strategies that will help you as a rising Thought Leader develop the mindset to launch a successful virtual platform. These are tips used by the most prosperous entrepreneurs and authors today. By putting them into practice for your own venture, you will see tremendous results this year. So, without delay, let's get started. Tip #1: Have a Clear Vision of What You Want to Deliver to the MarketWhen working with my clients, the first assignment I give to them compels them to define their vision. I ask them, "What do you see for yourself and your venture over the next 25 years?" By articulating their overall vision from the beginning, it's easier to clarify the steps necessary to manifest it. The vision for your virtual ministry can be as vast or small as you desire. When I first began my online work back in 2016, my vision was to be the premiere, online training solution for new authors. I wanted a platform that provided exceptional lessons for writers with inspirational, motivational stories. I wanted my readers (who eventually became my future clients) to have a place where they could learn how to flourish in their calling. And since that time, my platform has reached tens of thousands ... all because I was bold enough to speak and write my vision. That's what you want to do as well as you pursue your new venture. Know your vision. Articulate it clearly. Write it down. And ensure it will be empowering to the market. Tip #2: Be Clear About Your Virtual Ministry's Financial GoalsWhen it comes to building a thriving virtual ministry, generating income is a must! If you want to write as a hobby, then focusing on this element won't be useful to you. But if you know you're called to this industry, understand you must position your work to receive finances. Being clear about your financial goals is paramount to your success. The best way to define your goals for your virtual ministry is to consider how vast your vision is. For example, The Felecia Killings Foundation is a national one. Our platform and messages reach millions each year. To maintain our growth and to scale it even more, we have set financial goals for the work that allow for optimal success. The Foundation has become more than a solo venture for me. I now have partnerships with other content creators; I have Contributing Writers who add value to our online networks; and later this year, we will hire our Executive Team that will perform a lot of offline and online tasks. As a result, my financial goals for The Foundation cannot remain small (like $10,000+ extra a year). My goals have to be in proportion to the vision (generating 6-8 figures annually). And I urge you to consider the same, Beloved. Think about your vision and what needs to be accomplished. Determine the costs associated with manifesting that vision, including your own salary and training costs. Set realistic financial goals, and work towards meeting them each year. Tip #3: Be Clear About the Purpose for Your Virtual PlatformWhat is your "why," Beloved? Have you truly taken time to understand the reason for launching your virtual ministry? Is your purpose to make an extra $1,000/month? Is your purpose to empower people? Is your purpose to raise money for your local organization? These questions are to get you thinking about the core reason for starting your new venture. Without this understanding, it will be difficult to start, grow, maintain, and scale your work over time. Too often, people who begin their ventures quit within months. And most often, this can be traced back to their lack of motivation. Building any venture -- including a virtual ministry -- takes strong will power and tenacity. In the beginning, you will fail more times than you succeed, especially if you take this journey alone without proper training. So, what will you do when you feel the urge to quit? What will motivate you to push forward? When in doubt, you can return to your "why." Go back to your purpose and why you began this venture. For me, my motivation has always been my daughter, Aaliyah Amore. I began this work so I could leave a tangible legacy for her and my future descendants. The Felecia Killings Foundation is a work that will remain a part of the Killings' legacy; and it provides opportunities to our future generations to have economic opportunities via empowering work. This is my "why," and you must also consider yours. I assure you: When you know your "why," failure will NEVER cause you to quit. Tip #4: Be Wise with Your TimeBuilding a new career and business is never easy, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your health in exchange for a thriving virtual ministry. As you work on building your venture, take time to enjoy life. Learn to prioritize what truly matters: faith, family, friends, etc. Create a clear schedule that grants you the time and space to construct your book, build your platform, and spend time doing what you love. A healthy work-life balance is crucial for your success. Tip #5: Start Building Your Authorship Platform Little by LittleYour Author's Platform is one of the most important elements of your virtual ministry. But it will take time to build this empire. The best strategy is to work on your Author's Platform little by little. Contribute to it daily, whether that means constructing new blog posts, engaging with your ideal audience on social media, or partnering with other authors to launch something phenomenal. When I first began my Author's Platform, I invested 80-100 hours a week to constructing 5-10 blog posts per week. Because I was new, I wanted to get my expertise to the online market immediately. In addition, I spent roughly 2-4 hours a day on social media, engaging with the people. In 2016, during the presidential election, my content soon went viral, which resulted in a surge of new followers. And today, my Author's Platform is vast because of the initial work I invested. Today, I've been featured on top conservative outlets that helped expand my platform. But it all began with a determination to contribute to my Author's Space in the beginning. Your platform, Beloved, will determine how well people respond to your message. The tone you use, the voice you project online, and the way you captivate an audience will make the difference. So, each day, contribute to your Author's Platform. Think about the most effective strategies for online engagement. And build, build, build. Tip #6: Focus on Delivering High Value to Your Ideal Reader and Build Your FanbaseIn the business world, it's not enough for you to have customers, clients, or readers. You need FANS! These are individuals who will remain loyal to your virtual ministry, no matter who else comes on the scene. Fans of your content will be your greatest asset, because they will GLADLY spread word about your books, events, blog posts, merchandise, etc. These individuals will share your tweets and other social media posts, because they want to be a part of your venture. Fans will also be loyal to your vision and mission. They will help you manifest it. But to build this fanbase, you must be authentic. You must be transparent. You must put your heart into everything you create (i.e. books, blog posts, podcasts, etc.). And you must focus on empowering the people at all times. When you do this consistently, your Author's Platform and audience will grow exponentially. Tip #7: Invest in Content MarketingListen, building your virtual ministry is no joke. This is your business, your baby, your ministry. And you must be a good steward over it. That means you must take the time to invest in your content, ensuring what you provide to your audience is what it actually needs and wants. Too often, new authors simply want to write a book that impresses themselves. They don't think about the readers. They want to tell a story as they see fit, neglecting the most important person in the book-writing process: the actual reader. The same goes for writers who create blog posts or other content marketing materials. As a Content Creator (including being an author), you are delivering a service to the market. And each time you create a new piece, you must ensure it will benefit the other person. Content marketing is the #1 strategy for gaining maximum exposure for your virtual ministry. In fact, because you are in this virtual space, creating content to help sell your work is all you can do to gain buyers. Whether you invest in creating webinars, blog posts, e-books, courses, and more, you must create material that will astound and empower your audience. And as you develop extraordinary content, seamlessly embed your paid products or services so your readers can receive premium offers from you. Tip #8: Have Faith in Your SuccessAs you continue building your venture, you will experience hardships and frustrations that make it difficult for you to move forward. But your faith in your work has the power to give you resolve. No matter what challenges come your way -- including the financial ones -- hold fast to the vision. Have faith in the work God has given you. Remain steadfast and immovable. Use every challenge as an opportunity for optimal growth. As you stay committed, doors of opportunity will come before you. Tip #9: Continuously Refine Your Brand and Online PresenceAs you begin working on your venture, you will find it necessary to refine your brand and online presence. When I first started my online business in 2016, my focus was on editing clients' books. But over time, as I began flourishing in my gifts, my messages became more focused on Kingdom principles in social, political, and economic spheres. Over time, my brand evolved to what it is now. I anticipate that in 5 years, the brand will look slightly different than it does today, and that's OK. The work is ever-increasing, and so will yours. As you put forth efforts to launch your venture, be opened to the shifts that occur. How you begin won't be how you end. You can grow and increase as often as you desire. And the readers you gain in the beginning of your journey will be the faithful members (or fans) who stay loyal to your venture, because they are invested in your vision. Tip #10: Learn from Today's Experts and Invest in Your TrainingOne of the worst things you can do as a new virtual ministry leader and author is create new principles that will hopefully work for your ministry. Yes, it’s possible to create newer strategies; but don’t waste your creative power trying to invent new principles.
Learn from the experts and replicate their successes by following their road maps. You can always add your flare and ingenuity, but don’t waste time trying to figure out new ways of doing things, not when the path has already been set. You can glean from today's experts by reading or listening to their FREE content. You can also purchase their books, attend their events, or hire them as your coach. For new authors who know they have a story that belongs on the national forefront, The Foundation has created The Write Conservative, our book-publishing school. We provide all the educational support authors need for a successful venture. We cut through the noise and empower them for immediate success the moment their book launches. What would otherwise take them years to accomplish on their own, with a life-altering investment, they can receive amazing tangibles within weeks. And it's all because they have learned to hire the right expert to take them to that next level. Beloved, as you prepare to launch your new venture, consider the 10 business tips I shared with you today. You don't have to wait to get started. Begin right now, and do what's necessary to manifest your vision this year.
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AuthorFelecia Killings is the Founder and CEO of The Felecia Killings Foundation, a Conscious Conservative think tank and coaching organization that trains rising leaders for full activation in the social, political, and economic spheres. Through her training hosted on her website, her podcast, her leadership network, her social media platforms, her books, and her annual leadership convention, she equips leaders with spiritual and practical tools that help them bring revival and reformation to the communities they serve. |