No matter how much you adore your clients, your work and/or your ability to #workfromanywhere, you didn’t create your business to work all the time.
We all deserve a break now and then–and when you’re an entrepreneur who basically breathes your business 24/7, it’s a must.
That said, when everything in your business relies on you (or almost everything–if you’ve already started delegating), taking time off can feel like a luxury you just can’t afford. However, with a little extra planning and effort, it is completely possible to keep your sales flowing even when you’re sipping spicy margaritas on the beach or chasing the kiddos around the local water park.
Whether you’re planning a quick weekend getaway or a month-long sabbatical, here are 5 ways to rake in the sales while you’ve got your email autoresponder set to “Vacation Mode”:
1) Schedule Social Media Posts in Advance
Social media is a simple, wildly effective way to promote your business and stay connected with your audience. Even better? You can schedule most social media posts to go out automatically–which means your audience never has to know you’re away. And–more importantly!–they won’t forget about you, either.
All you need to do is choose your favorite automation tool (like HootSuite, Buffer or any in-app scheduler) and load up your posts before you jet off–and then you can just sit back, relax and watch as the sales and inquiries continue to roll in.
Just be sure you’ve packed your social media content with clear, compelling calls-to-action that actually send people places they can purchase from you. Go ahead and tweak your call-to-action and include a different link in bio based on each post’s content. (For example, a simple post about social media marketing could include a call-to-action to check out your link in bio–which would then link to your oh-so-fabulous mini product about Instagram!).
The best part? Even if someone doesn’t purchase directly from a post while you’re away, staying consistent on social media will keep you top-of-mind and likely get them into one of your funnels.
Oh and don’t forget: You don’t–and shouldn’t!–have to do this on your own. You can enlist your team to handle the process (in part or in whole). If it’s usually your job to create the content calendar complete with juicy topics and CTA ideas, you can have your team create and schedule or publish the content (which means you don’t have to sweat and stress over creating loads of content before you hit the road, plane or train–just coming up with the ideas. Win!).
And one last thing: I didn’t specifically talk about email marketing here, but definitely don’t neglect your email newsletters or promo emails, either. Be sure you’ve got them locked, loaded and ready-to-send while you’re away. Email marketing is still one of the best converting marketing channels online.
2) Run a Limited-Time Discount Offer on Autopilot
If you really want to keep the sales a-flowing, why not offer your email list and followers a limited-time discount while you’re away?
Let’s be real: Everybody loves a good sale. And running one while you’re on vacay (or a weekend jaunt across state lines) can be a fantastic way to any incentivize fence-sitters who’ve been waiting to snatch up your offers. You can do this any way you want that supports your business goals.
For example, you could schedule a few emails (and social media post[s]) that includes a special (but limited-time-only) discount code on all your products and services. Or, you could offer a free bonus just for new customers and only while you’re away. You (and your team) could even pull together a special “vacay” bundle combining a few products you know pair well together, but you don’t normally sell as a package. The options are endless!
Don’t forget to use a count down timer on your sales page to encourage people to take action and buy.
3) Lean into Your Virtual Assistant and Team
If you’re here, you probably already have a VA (or three) on your team–or want to soon. Either way, vacation time is the time to lean into them hardcore. Let them do the jobs you hired them for–because you hired them for a reason.
Before you jet off, be sure to prep them and let them know exactly how you’d like them to support you in the “sales-generating activities “department while you’re away. Do you want them to monitor (and respond to) inquiries in your DMs? Do you want them to set up new discovery calls with potential coaching clients for when you return? Do you want to them to get all up in your inbox and make sure no inquiry or question slips through the cracks? Do you want them to publish your social media posts for you–and ensure all your calls-to-action are sending people to the correct sales page?
With just a little work upfront (read: getting very clear and specific on which team members you want to help you with these different activities–and giving them enough notice that they can ask you upfront questions) means you can actually unwind and unplug on your vacation, knowing your biz is in good hands–and your sales aren’t likely to stop.
4) Automate Your Sales Funnels
One of the absolute best ways to make sales while you’re away is to set up automated email sequences–and ensure they’re running on autopilot without a hitch before you head off on your big adventure.
If you already have funnels–awesome! Is there anything you can do to tweak them or automate them? Can you add anything extra–like a better hook, a spicier story or a more attractive call-to-action? Do you feel confident to turn on (or turn back on) an ad campaign (or test a small one) with a specific funnel?
You can totally go the organic route, too, and just use your “regular” social media posts and newsletters to lead people to a specific landing page and subsequent email sequence.
As a result, you can continue getting new prospects into your funnel–without having to lift a finger off that margarita glass.
Basically? If you’ve been meaning to tweak or automate a sales funnel (or three), pre-vacay is the perfect time.
5) Create More Evergreen Content to Make it Easier
Have a little time on your hands before your vacay (or want to make jetting off on a weekend getaway–and still making sales–that much easier in the future)? Create more evergreen content!
In case you’re not familiar, evergreen content is essentially timeless, value-packed content that stands the test of time. Evergreen content usually covers general, not-time-sensitive topics vs. more specific or timely content. The format doesn’t matter–evergreen content can be anything from a brilliant blog post (or series) to a mini email course to a YouTube video.
That said, if you want to use your evergreen content to make more consistent, continuous sales, make sure your evergreen content includes a clear path to purchase. For example, does your blog series include a juicy content upgrade designed to get the reader on your email list & into your automated sequence? Does your YouTube caption include links and call-outs to your related programs and sales pages? And do you maybe even have a few evergreen affiliate links sprinkled throughout these pieces of content, too?
If you already have this content in place, just do a quick audit before vacation. If not, make a commitment to start creating more evergreen content throughout the year so that more people will come in contact with you and your message–even if you’re miles and miles away.
And there you have it. By implementing these 5 simple strategies, you can still make sales while taking time off–and enjoy your well-deserved vacation, too. So go ahead and pack your bags, friend–your business will be just fine!
