Summer marketing tips

Some businesses thrive during the summer, while those in other industries find that work slows down and sales dwindle when everyone goes on holiday. Regardless of whether your ice cream shop is buzzing or your boiler repair service is quiet, here are a few suggestions for summer marketing tips.

Outdoor Marketing

In the beautiful, warm weather, why not take the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while you promote your business? Summer is a great time to hang out fresh new banners and put up posters around town to make sure you stay in your customers’ minds.

During June, July and August  you could also take the opportunity to enjoy some sunshine while handing out samples, coupons, stickers or promotional items like visors and cold bottles of water with branded labels.

Depending on what type of company you run, you might also want to attract a crowd to your storefront with some activities. For example, your clothing shop could host a mini sidewalk fashion show, or your toy store could place a team member at the door with a few games or toys to try with passers-by. Anything that gets people smiling and talking, and isn’t a direct sales pitch, will likely be effective and draw them through the door.

Event Marketing

Summer is also a brilliant time for event-based promotions, with many different fairs and festivals going on. If you’re looking for the chance to spend the day outside while still advertising your company, why not set up a booth at a local event? You’ll have fun, get fresh air and connect with a fresh audience who might have a whole new appreciation for what you do.

Door To Door Marketing

You might not be in an industry where direct home sales – think canvassing for solar panel installation – is effective or relevant, but there are other ways of marketing to people where they live. Printed door hangers or leaflets through the letterbox are more helpful than many business owners think, as studies have shown that 56% of consumers consider print media more trustworthy, and 79% of households will read or at least scan through direct mail adverts.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is an excellent way of boosting your online presence and connecting with customers throughout the year, but is especially helpful during the summer months. For one, it can be used completely free. For many companies that experience slow periods during the summer, budgets decrease accordingly, so free advertising becomes an increasingly appealing option.

Social media is also ideal for periods where you might be away on holiday, as tools like Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, and even Facebook itself, allow you to schedule posts in advance. That’s not to say you should get in a habit of “set it and forget it” as the key to success is interacting with others in your social networks and offering some mutual promotion. However, the majority of your blogs and posts could be researched, written and scheduled in advance, leaving you (or a designated team member) to only a few minutes a day of checking for any responses.

While summer is a brilliant time to take advantage of some different marketing techniques, it’s also important that you enjoy a break for yourself. Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer or CEO, everyone deserves a rest and the chance to recharge their batteries. As much as the effort you commit to your business will help it grow, your marketing efforts will also benefit from you stepping back from them for a few days.

Rest and relaxation will refresh your brain and you’ll return to work feeling more creative and full of ideas than you have in ages. So don’t forget – as much as you’re marketing to those on holiday this summer, you should also have a little vacation too.