Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora
If I hear one more business owner throw in the towel after they’ve made a mistake or one of their launches failed… *facepalm!*
Trust me, we’ve all been there – we get excited about doing something new and then that something doesn’t pan out exactly how we thought it would and we’re ready to quit.
Buuuuuut *steps on soap box*… it is SO important to experiment more in our businesses and commit to consistency!
That’s why in today’s episode of Goal Digger, I’m sharing some of the experiments I’ve done in my own business – ones that worked, ones that didn’t pan out, and talk about the power of experimentation in entrepreneurship.
Ya ready? Let’s dive in!
Embrace Fresh Approaches
Just as a skilled chef experiments with new ingredients to create innovative dishes, as an entrepreneur, you should be open to trying new strategies.
A lot of times we figure out one thing that works and then we keep doing it expecting to always get the same results but that isn’t the case with the quickly changing landscape of the internet.
Experimentation encourages you to step outside your usual playbook and explore fresh approaches to solving business challenges or marketing your business. Whether it’s testing a new marketing channel, trying new content, creating new marketing materials or revamping your sales pitch, the willingness to experiment sparks creativity and opens doors to unexplored possibilities.
Here are two different ways I’ve experimented with fresh approaches and what the experiments taught me:
- There was a time where I bumped up my podcast schedule — going from 1 to 2, then from 2 to 3 episodes a week. The result was that I didn’t love it and I felt like people were getting overwhelmed with content or cherry picking episodes more than they had and that it wasn’t worth the extra work, editing, and effort. But I was so happy I had experimented to find out!
- I’ve played with several different models of sponsorship on this podcast. I’ve had one brand sponsor, then moved to no sponsors at all and just used the show to promote my own stuff, then had an ad agency – each of these I tried for an extended period of time, I’m talking a year or more just to see what worked best and felt best for those specific seasons of business.
Don’t Be Afraid to Iterate
Just as refining your strategy generally requires multiple attempts, successful entrepreneurship demands iterative testing. One-time experiments might provide glimpses, but repetition uncovers the nuances that shape your business trajectory.
There are so many factors that could impact the results of your experiment which means it’s not great to just test something once and then think that the insight is enough to make a definitive decision going forward. My friends and I talk a lot about “doing the reps” in entrepreneurship – meaning staying consistent and the same goes for an experiment you’re doing.
Repeated trials give you a more comprehensive understanding of what works and what doesn’t, leading to insights that inform your next steps. That’s why when a student was telling me that she posted two times and didn’t get the result she wanted, I encouraged her to do it 20 more times before making the call.
A few years ago I challenged myself to show my face on Instagram for one month straight – talk about the experiment. Here’s the link to that episode!
Out of 40 posts, there were only 8 without me in them. So I was showing up in 80% of my images. Engagement rates between 1.64% and 3.48% are considered to be good, I was hitting 6%, 9%, I even had one post that got over 21% engagement. THAT IS INSANE.
So, how EXACTLY did showing up on my feed consistently change my Instagram game?
Here are the facts: Between January and February (before my experiment) I went up 6k in a month… from February to March 1 went up 13k. My engagement was higher than ever because I was showing up to my audience as a real person, not just a perfectly styled photo! I got more brand deals and sponsorship offers because my brand had more personality (and engagement!)
You have to guide your audience to understand how you show up and your interactions and give them time to adjust and feel comfortable so don’t do something once and think it’s a flop – put in the reps.
Experiment to Make Strategic Decisions
Think of your experiments as data points in your entrepreneurial journey. Each trial provides information—like pieces of a puzzle—that help you form a clearer picture of your market, customers, and industry trends.
These insights aren’t just random results; they’re invaluable tools that guide you in making informed and strategic decisions. Just as a skilled chess player plans several moves ahead, your experiment results help you anticipate moves in the business landscape.
Recently I have been working with a team called Measurement Marketing that helps us dig into analytics while we reach our goals, and this gives us more room to experiment but then back up those experiments with hard data to inform our decisions.
Overcome Challenges with Confidence
Entrepreneurship, like a puzzle, has its share of challenges and uncertainties. Experimentation equips you with puzzle pieces, enabling you to tackle obstacles with confidence.
One thing I LOVE about experiments is that they simply yield a result – in a world where we’re so quick to label something a success or a failure, they simply give us information that helps us get more confident in our decisions.
If a new sales approach doesn’t resonate initially, your experiment results can guide adjustments. Instead of feeling stuck, you’re armed with insights that enable you to navigate the business puzzle more effectively.
There have been a few different offers that I’ve put out into the world and then realized that I didn’t love the process or the approach…
- Like the summer I did high school senior portrait photography (never again!).
- One time, I ran a watercolor print shop – I tell that story in my book. (Hint: FAIL!)
- There was a year where I hosted a year-long mastermind and realized how much of an energy commitment it was and while it was the BEST thing I did for my community in so many ways, it was an experience where I learned a TON about myself and my bandwidth.
- There was even a year where I blacked out my entire calendar and said no to virtually everything and I learned a ton from that…
It’s all about trying things and taking what you learn forward.
All of these helped me to figure out what sort of offers work best for me and my business in this season and I’d consider them all a success not because they were amazing but because I walked away with insight that guided my decisions forward.
Fine-Tune Your Strategies
As a small business owner, refining your approach is like perfecting a signature offer. Experimentation lets you fine-tune your strategies until they align perfectly with your goals.The more you try things, the more you’ll learn about yourself and how you want to run your business.
Think of this from the standpoint of tweaking your signature offer! There are many things you could tweak from the actual product itself, the promised outcome, the level of involvement, the price point…
As you present these different versions of your offer to clients, you collect feedback and track which elements lead to positive responses. This iterative process helps you refine your offer with precision. Perhaps you discover that clients are more willing to invest in a comprehensive package at a slightly higher price point. Or you find that clients appreciate a streamlined, focused service without the extras.
The more you experiment, the clearer the picture becomes. You’re not just testing random ideas; you’re uncovering insights that shape your offer into an irresistible proposition. Through this process, you learn more about what truly adds value to your clients and how to best position your services. The experimentation journey itself becomes a learning experience, helping you fine-tune your business strategy based on real-world responses.
Construct a Knowledge Foundation
Think of your experimentation efforts as building blocks of knowledge. Each experiment adds depth to your understanding of your market, customers, and industry dynamics.
These insights form the solid foundation upon which you base your decisions, empowering you to navigate the complex entrepreneurial landscape with greater clarity and foresight.
I’ve done a ton of behind the scenes research experiments from the Instagram one I mentioned above to giving up alcohol to stopping posting only professional photos to not sharing my kids faces – each of these things started as an experiment where I wasn’t rooted to a finite thing, it gave me room to grow and expand but it also allowed me to evolve my strategies within the parameters that I gave myself that would give me enough know how and confidence to nail down whatever my new strategy or system would be.
In the realm of entrepreneurship, embracing experimentation is akin to perfecting your craft. Just as a baker refines recipes over time, entrepreneurs refine their strategies through repetition and insights. By weaving experimentation into your business mindset, you’re not merely trying things randomly—you’re crafting a roadmap of data-driven decisions that lead to growth, innovation, and lasting success.
What’s Your Secret Sauce?
If you are someone who knows that you want to experiment in a different space of your life, but you’re not sure what your secret sauce is, I have a quiz for you. It takes just 90 seconds to fill out! Simply go to secretsaucequiz.com to let me help you hone in on your gifts so that you can start showing up in only the way you can and own your awesome.
