Big thinking is great. Without it you won’t dream, set goals and be inspired. Maybe your “big thinking” is that you want to write a book or grow (or launch) a business.
The Power of Thinking Small

Maybe you’ve started…and run out a steam….
A month goes by, maybe six. You realize your dream is on the back burner and never really gets moved to the front.
You’ll say it’s because you “got busy.” It’s hard to find the time.
I’d also say, it’s because declaring an ambition is fairly easy. Even if it’s a long held dream. When you recognize it you get excited, you feel a fire inside you. Yet, it flames out because you don’t know the steps to help you achieve what you want.
Hey, we all do it. Everyone has something “big” they want to accomplish. The difference between success and regret is getting started and continuing on the path.
If you apply that to your BAHG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) you’ll recognize it’s the same thing. You take it one step at a time. Break it down into bite size chunks, do one, then the next. Pretty soon, you’re making progress.
Here’s an example I see frequently. As a social media coach and trainer, I work with business owners and entrepreneurs on gaining clarity on their social media. How to break down the “big” thing (using social media for business results) into a series of action steps so they can start seeing those results.
They don’t know how to use the tools strategically and they’re not at all sure how to find potential clients.
So we break it down.
In my current social media marketing class, we start with defining who your buyer is. What do they care about? Why do they buy from you? What platforms do they use the most? Who else is marketing to these people and what are they doing well?
There three main components to developing a successful social media presence. I’ll talk about each of them in this post.
The first one? Be a spy!
Be a Spy

This let’s you see what else is going on in your industry on Facebook. Yes, you can do the same thing on Pinterest, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform.
Make notes about what you see.
I like to make a quick spreadsheet with categories for Pages and Groups and note some of the most asked questions. That gives you fuel for your content and networking development later.
- “Like” the pages of the membership associations in your niche
- “Like” the magazines in your niche.
- “Like” the pages of complementary businesses – if you’re a local organization like a bricks and mortar shop, “like” the pages of the other area shops. They’ll appreciate it.
Once you’ve done this, review your spreadsheet (or notepad) and notice what stands out to you.
Do you see any holes in the market? If so, does your product/service fill those? Who do you see who could be a possible referral partner? (i.e., you agree to promote one another.)
If you can only dedicate 15-20 minutes a day, then plan to like another 10-15 pages a week.
If you can dedicate more time, join relevant groups and participate. The goal is to see what people in your niche are talking about and connect with them. “Like” some of those posts and comment on them if you have something to add.
That’s ok. Here’s the idea. Whether you sell SaaS (Software as a Service), coaching services or shoes, you focus on the solution you provide.
When it comes to SaaS, maybe you offer a great social media scheduling program like Buffer. They have an information packed blog where they share great social media tips and how to get more out of their tool.
If you sell any type of services from health coaching to accounting, there are dozens of ways you help your clients save time, money, improve their health, etc.
You can provide a series of “how to’s,” testimonials, case studies, etc. via video, blogging and social media posts. Here’s a video on how to come up with content.
Week 2: Review your research. Where does your target audience hangout most? Instagram? Facebook? LinkedIn? What are the top questions you see coming up? How does your product/service answer those questions?
Week 3: Develop 10-15 posts that answer the most often asked questions. Use Picmonkey or Canva to create images. Review your social feed daily. “Like” and comment as appropriate.
If you do this in small increments, in a few minutes a day you’ll start gaining new followers. You may even make a sale or two right away. Ultimately, you’ll develop a true sales funnel — email list/offers to bring people to your website and invite them to opt in to your webinar, download your White Paper, etc. and you’ll truly see the power of social media.