Are you feeling that things are a little slow for you right now? Perhaps you’d even compare your business to that of a sloth (like one of our members did on our zoom call last night! ).

When things are feeling slow, this is when we need to intentionally spend time working on our business rather than in it. During a slow period, you have more time to start thinking more strategically and long-term. Rather than working on short-term profits, we need to be thinking bigger and setting up our businesses for long-term growth.

Building and growing your audience is a crucial part of any business strategy. However, it’s not always easy to know how to effectively expand your reach. 

To take your audience growth to the next level, I would recommend creating a lead magnet.

A lead magnet is a free resource, such as an ebook or webinar, that provides value to your audience in exchange for their contact information. This will help to build your email list and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.

During this slow period in your business, why not develop and launch a new lead magnet that aligns with your audience’s needs and interests? This could be a comprehensive guide, a video series, or a toolkit that offers practical tips and advice related to your business niche. The options are really endless! This has been the number one way that I have grown the Golden Brands email list to nearly 1000 subscribers since the beginning of the year. 

Conducting a survey of your audience is a great way to gain valuable insights into their needs, preferences, and pain points. Use this period to design and distribute a survey to your email list, social media followers, or website visitors. Ask questions that will help you understand their biggest challenges, goals, and desires related to your industry or niche.

You can also use this opportunity to get to know your audience on a more personal level. Ask questions about their demographics, interests, and values. This will help you create more targeted and personalized marketing messages that resonate with your ideal clients.

When designing your survey, make sure to keep it short and focused. Use a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. Offer an incentive, such as a discount or free resource, to encourage participation.

Once you’ve collected your survey responses, take the time to analyze the data and look for patterns and trends. Use this information to adjust your messaging, refine your products or services, and improve your overall marketing strategy.

Dig deep into your data and metrics! This is something we certainly don’t do enough of but it can be such a valuable task to complete.  Analyze what has been working well for your business and what needs improvement. Look at your customer feedback, sales figures, and other important metrics to identify trends and opportunities for growth. 

I would suggest starting off with a review of your social media, Google, and email marketing analytics.

A few questions to consider: 

What emails have the highest open and click rates? Are your email sequences performing well? Are there certain types of subject lines or calls to action that perform better than others?

What content is getting the most engagement on social media? Do you notice any trends in content your audience resonates most with? 

What website pages are getting the most traffic? Where is your website traffic coming from?

By reviewing these specific areas of your data and metrics, you can gain a better understanding of what’s working well for your business and where there are opportunities for growth. Use this information to make data-driven decisions and optimise your marketing efforts for long-term success.

There are two key ways I’ve built my network across each of the four businesses I’ve owned: I have joined communities (both free and paid) and attended in-person events.

Attending industry events and conferences is a great way to meet new people and expand your network. These events are designed to bring together like-minded professionals who are interested in learning, sharing, and growing their businesses. By attending these events, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with potential customers, partners, and collaborators, as well as industry experts who can offer valuable insights and advice.

Joining an online community will also offer you many benefits for your business. You will have the opportunity to expand your connections, possibly even faster than by attending in-person events.

I know that many of you are currently facing slow periods in your businesses, and I certainly understand how frustrating that can be. But please remember, slow seasons are a natural part of the flow of business, and they can actually be a valuable opportunity to step back, re-evaluate your strategy, and focus on the long-term goals for your business.

By using this time to dig deep into your data and metrics, survey your audience, build your network, and create a lead magnet, you can set yourself up for sustained growth and success in the months and years ahead. 

We hope that these tips have been helpful and that you’ll take action to implement them in your own business. And remember, we are all here to support one another!