Do you know that some of the world’s most successful businesses were started by college students? But how did they achieve so much while keeping up with their studies and the other significant demands of student life? In this article, we introduce the techniques you can use to boost the efficiency of your college startup without seeing your grades suffer.
Automate
Everything from your social media streams to your equipment maintenance can be automated. There are numerous handy tools available online to help you schedule posts on multiple social media platforms, so you can create all of your content for the next week in a single evening. You can also look into MSPs, or Managed Service Providers, to handle the more involved aspects of your business, such as customer service or IT, so that it doesn’t take up too much of your own time.
Be Smart with Marketing
You can market in an effective, affordable manner by applying intent SEO techniques to your online content. Intent SEO (search engine optimization) refers to the techniques used to significantly improve your brand’s position in the search results. You can research the words and phrases most commonly searched by individuals looking for products and services just like yours, then apply those keywords to your own regularly updated content. It’s a good idea to be specific with your keywords, narrowing them down using criteria such as location in order to attract users with the right intent. They’ll be more likely to convert and become paying clients. This approach is quick, easy and inexpensive, and will help you to consistently outrank competitors and multiply revenue.
Share the Load Using Freelancers
You might not need full-time assistance or support, but there may be occasions when you simply don’t have the time to manage everything on your own. By employing specialists on a freelance basis, it will mean that you won’t have to find the money or work to support a salaried employee, but you’ll be able to take a little of the weight off your own shoulders.
Use Resources Available to Students
There are so many tools available to students that are very difficult to find after graduating. For example, does your college have a recording studio or filming equipment? You can use these to make high quality marketing content. You even have your own captive audience in the form of your fellow students. Why not involve them in a little market research by letting them try out your products or services, then asking them for feedback.
Don’t Try and Achieve Everything at Once
As a college student, you’re bound to have limited time and resources. This isn’t your fault, it’s just the way it is. While still at college, it’s best to launch a simplified version of your business, with just a couple of basic products or services that can be realized to very high standards and develop a solid plan to expand and diversify after you graduate. This will reduce the pressure on you and enable you to think long term, giving you a greater chance of success further down the line.
