Finding fresh paths for digital growth
Steal my 15 favourite exploratory questions
A comment from Broken Growth reader
on my previous post is it possible to grow your business without social media? made me smile; “love having found another question asker!”.I mentioned this to the clarity coach I’m working with as part of a conversation about what I would do for work if I could do ANYTHING. “It would be so cool to be a full-time Question Asker”. “You already are a question-asker!” was my coach’s response.
Asking questions is one of the most frequently used tools in my toolbox as a consultant. Good questions are the catalyst for interesting conversations or, as put beautifully by Clayton Christensen:
Asking questions is gathering research. It’s how you contextualise a problem or situation. It’s how you discover future possibilities and get excited about making your next moves. If you want to change how you grow your business online, asking questions is the first port of call.
Below you’ll find the 15 starter questions I’d ask if you were looking to refresh or totally revamp how and why you grow your business online.
These questions work best for businesses that have already unlocked success on one or more digital channels but feel stagnant and want to grow in new ways or reach new goals.
Fundamentals
What does successful growth mean to you and your business today?
Which KPIs are you working towards? Are they representative of where and how you want the business to grow?
What one thing do you think is blocking your growth online currently?
What are your no-go zones online? E.g. you will not use X because Elon Musk (it me)
Looking in
How well is each of your digital channels performing vs your reason for using it?
What is your worst-performing digital channel? What would be the impact of axing it altogether and funnelling the resource elsewhere?
Which channel or space is home to the most meaningful conversations and interactions among your community?
What makes you unique and un-copyable online?
Is your digital ecosystem representative of your brand?
Looking out
Who are your customers, really?
Who are your competitors, really?
What’s shifted in digital culture since you began marketing your business online? How have you adapted or not?
Where are your competitors not playing and why? Is there an opportunity there?
What are the key differences between customers that come from each of your digital channels?
List 5 brands outside of your industry you’d love to collab with + why.
I hope the answers to these questions will spark ideas about your next moves, help you see where fresh opportunities lie and remind you why you’re showing up online in the first place.
Happy questioning!
Matilda
I’m Matilda Lucy, an independent marketing and growth consultant based in London and working with brands globally. I am now booking my final audit and strategy projects for Q4. Please email me hey@matildalucy.com for full details of my services :)
Such good Qs! Also quite intrigued about working with a clarity coach - have you found it illuminating?