I used to spend a lot more of my time going to conferences. It is part of how I stay in the know on some of the latest trends and technologies. Lately, not so much.

But a couple weeks ago, I went back to my first in-person conference in almost three years and it reminded me why I have to do these things.

I found renewed motivation and excitement for what is going on in the industry.

I networked and talked with others who actually know what I do, understand my challenges, and can speak my language (My parents still think my job is made up...).

I have ideas flowing and my task list for my business, QBR, is growing.

So I wanted to share a few of the things I wrote down with you in case it sparks some ideas you need to jump on board with or get going for your business.

Trends

• Person focused- Just like me not being at a conference in several years, everyone is missing and craving some of the social and human interaction that is meaningful and real. The more you can add real human touch and emotion into your business, the more your audience can feel connected and relate to what you have going.
• Sales cycle is getting longer across the majority of industries. This means that people are still buying but they are taking longer to get to that decision. The best thing you can do for this is to make sure your customer journey is prepared for this.Is your message clear and consistent from start to finish? Do you have lots of value and nurture prepared in their journey? (Here's a great course if you want to revisit the process of planning out your customer journey.)
• Flip the funnel- You will still bring people into your list with a free offer, but you can ask for your big sales quicker, but only from those who are really ready to buy. This means you have to know your audience well and know if they are ready to buy. More than ever, you need to ask a qualifying question up front to see if they are your ideal customer and in the right mindset to buy. If they are, start by offering your higher priced product and then go lower.

If they aren’t ready to buy right now, give them lots of value until they are ready instead of offering them lower priced products first.

Content

• Email is still not dead and even making a comeback. But like everything else, you have to make it human and personal again. People are looking for real human touch behind everything.

Talk to your people and ask them before sales what their biggest challenge is right now?

You can automate things like sorting questions

“Are you more focused on X or Y right now?"

But then use that info - you can tailor their follow-up automation with dynamic content, and be ready for them to reply. You will need a real human to be able to answer any emails they send to keep those conversations going.

Keep them talking by asking them questions like, “Are you interested in…, and “Can you tell me more about…”

• AI content is here, and only getting more powerful - honestly, it is pretty freaking cool. No, it isn’t perfect, but it can make writing go much faster if you are person who doesn’t love content, but you still need content.Blogs and videos should be feeding your content machines. It has never been a secret that content has been a big part of business but making sure you are using all the cogs (your website, blogs, social media, YouTube, Reels, all of it!) to work together to work as machine and interlinking everything is what keeps the business going.I know this can feel exhausting, but you don’t have to keep recreating new stuff. Find your pillar content and then repurpose it. And do it again and again.
• And use the technology out there to help you - like this one for Keap users.

Social Media

• Video is here to stay, so be your beautiful, weird self! (advice I still regularly give myself, btw)

Short videos and reels are one of the most popular and predicted items from almost every session I went to. This means that if you haven’t looked at reels and YouTube for your business, it might be time to take another look.

• You will always be rewarded for using new features by the platform algorithm, so don’t be afraid to jump on and try new things-even if they don’t last.
• PPC prices are increasing.
• Organic social is harder than ever, and to gain traction with it, you must post…A LOT. Just keep that in mind if this is the strategy you are looking at for growth.

Design a plan you can stick to - what channels will you use? How often will you post? What types of content can you produce? Then put together a calendar that helps you stay with it.

Getting consistent with social media is a challenge for me - and for most people. But fighting intertia to get started is the hardest part, and the benefit is that once you're in motion, the platforms reward your regular engagement, which helps you sustain the momentum.

Connections

I'll also add that one of the most valuable aspects of any conference is the ability to connect with people - either friends you already know (but mostly see online), or meeting new people, who may turn into meaningful long-term relationships.

This part of the conference is generally a little less predictable (there isn't as much of a planned itinerary) but to me it's just as valuable. Even as someone who is generally introverted, I find the social aspect recharges me, and the conversations are often just as rich and valuable as what happens in the actual event breakout sessions.

If you are looking to implement any of these or need support in your business, reach out or book a discovery call, and I would be happy to see if we can help take something off your plate.

I also want to encourage you to challenge yourself to invest in yourself and your business again, especially if it has been a while.

Get going on that project that has been on the back burner. Get in a room with others who inspire you. Make a move!