6 Tips To Combat Your Slow Season

It’s a common issue among many businesses, they see it year after year and know it’s coming just like death and taxes. The dreaded slow season of your business can be scary and a bit rough but we at Northern Spruce Creative have created 6 tips for your slow season you can implement right away to ride out this wave.

Make Sure Your Local SEO Packs A Punch

One of the most overlooked pieces in the digital world are businesses neglecting their Google Business Profile (and Bing Places, yes some people still use Bing.) 

Most people search online first prior to visiting a business for the very first time. When you type in “restaurant near me” in a new city you’re hit with the first 3 results on the map pack. Think about how many people are searching for (Insert your service/product) “near me” daily. That could be hundreds, maybe even thousands of potential customers that are choosing your competitor over you due to your Google profile not being optimized for those moments of need.

Excelling at Local SEO doesn’t happen without effort and certainly isn’t an overnight success story. You have to have plans in place for consistent updates and optimizations. Even once you update the photos, operation hours, phone number and respond to all your reviews, there are still some other things you can do to really separate yourself from your competitors.

We highly recommend having your business on as many directories as possible, such as your local chamber of commerce, Business Improvement Association or YellowPages like websites.

Contact our team today to get an exclusive curated list of directories at no charge!

Research Your Competitors

You probably have a good idea on who your direct competitors are, but do you have any idea on what they’re doing in the marketing world that you’re not? If you have a little bit more time during your slow season, take a look at your competitors.

How is their website compared to yours? Is it newer? Does it have different functionalities that you like?

What about their social media following and branding? Do they have more followers or content that is engaging? 

Are they running paid ads? Meta Ad Library and Google Ad Transparency Centre, allow you to see if any of your competitors have or are currently running paid ads. 

Having a better understanding of your competitors’ digital landscape will allow you to figure out your immediate next steps and future planning for marketing budgets.

Take a look at your ROI’s

Much like your personal banking investments and reading those reports, so should you on your marketing channels. The niche magazine your company still buys ad space from or the billboard on the side road that has been closed due to construction the past 3 months, are they driving the business you expected them to? Do you have anything in place that shows you any ROI on those ad space purchases? 

The neat thing with digital marketing is that you’ll be able to quickly see what channels are moving the needle for you and which ones may need a refresh or less investment when ramping up into your busy season. 

If you need help understanding your marketing reports or a second set of eyes on what your agency is telling you, contact our team today for a no obligation “look under the hood”!

Keep your Leads Warm

Any potential customers who just haven’t made it across the finish line yet? Maybe running a webinar or having an open house / free lunch at your business is a way to rekindle that relationship and get them to sign now to avoid the busy season rush.

Now that you have some time, a personalized email, call or text can go a long way to getting those leads and turning them into paying customers.

Show the community some love

With your slow season, you can leverage this time to find a local organization or community centre where you can volunteer your time or services for the greater good. You can leverage this for your marketing and social media profiles. You’re able to show customers that you care about the community and not just in it to sell your products or services.

This is a great opportunity to attract new customers or clients to your business. Look to sponsor an event, workshop or fundraiser and have a booth where you can meet people and get their information for future business opportunities or other community events.

Take a look at your SEO

Search engine optimization is and always will be a long term strategy. What worked 3 years ago may not be the best strategy today. Keeping up to date with the latest SEO strategies, trends and best practices can help your business break apart from your competitors.

The other part with SEO is that it can be a long process. Take a look at the content on your website and the blogs and be sure to update anything that is outdated, perhaps a new regulation has since occurred in your industry or a whole new process has been established, be sure to change those on your website so that you’re seen as trustworthy and knowledgeable in your industry.

If you’re looking for help with your SEO game plan, extend a branch to our team!