With its searing sun and longer days, summer has a way of breathing new life into people and fostering a carefree spirit. Amid all this invigorating energy, you may be eager to capture some sizzling sales—and that may require some temporary marketing strategies beyond your usual year-round tactics. Try some of these creative approaches to attract consumer attention, intrigue your target audience, and convert more leads this season.
Urgency is one of the most proven and trustworthy sales tactics, which is why just about every business has utilized some form of “Get it before it’s gone!” verbiage at one point or another. But a novel technique worth attempting involves doing the exact opposite: make customers wait. Rather than immediately releasing a new product, service, or promotion, schedule a date for the event, then promote it with social media banner ads, advertisements such as postcards, and email newsletters themed around a daily or weekly countdown to the occasion. Focus on awareness messaging with subject lines like “Two weeks left until Free Consultation Day! Book yours now!” This will not only stimulate consumers’ curiosity but also make them feel like insiders who are in the know about an exclusive opportunity.
Follow up regularly with updates as the calendar ticks down to whatever you’re premiering, even if it’s something as simple as a Customer Appreciation Day with temporary discounts. And don’t forget to incorporate summer imagery and messaging. All those sunshine, beach, and watermelon motifs are at their peak appeal right now, so be sure to leverage them to better engage your audience.
In any season, your goal should be to create content that accomplishes the three Es of successful marketing:
In summertime, this means producing materials that leverage the adventurous spirit of the season. Think mailers related to your contacts’ interests to inspire their next excursion or ones that demonstrate how your products are of particular benefit this time of year. For example, send them a brochure featuring high-quality images of a new product alongside detailed descriptions. Or create summer guidebooks that feature local entertainment recommendations and organic CTAs back to your business (For instance, “Landscaping makes for a beautiful home, and a good homeowners insurance policy will help safeguard your new investments.”).
Dedicating ample time and effort to crafting such top-tier mailers—or enlisting a marketing service to produce them for you—may help you better connect with consumers and promote excitement for your brand, ultimately enabling you to convert more leads this season.
Summer is practically synonymous with travel, and for those who lack the time or resources to plan a getaway, give them something to drool over: a vacation package. If implemented properly, such a promotion can spell huge results for your organization. For example, when software company OptinMonster ran an online giveaway to promote an upcoming sale, it tripled the size of its email list and experienced thousands of shares across social media, culminating in a viral campaign. Best of all, it signed 3,500 new clients to its software—all by holding a single product giveaway.
Depending on your budget, your vacation package can be as simple or as comprehensive as you like. Offer certificates for a local spa, or go all out with free flights to an all-inclusive Caribbean resort. The more value you include, the more likely people will engage with your giveaway campaign.
Once your prize is set, aim to make the entry process as simple as possible. All customers should have to do to enter the raffle is, perhaps, refer five contacts to your business, fill out a satisfaction survey, join your mailing list, or try a new product. (Just make sure to check federal and state laws regarding giveaways when making your rules to ensure you’re in compliance.) Promote this giveaway at your office, across your social media platforms, and in email newsletters, and prominently feature enticing language such as “WIN A BEACH VACATION PACKAGE” or “Enter our raffle for a summer getaway today!” With such an appealing incentive, customers won’t hesitate to flock to your brand.
Nothing says summer like an outdoor gathering, so to foster familiarity with your clientele and thank them for their business, invite them to a local event such as a garden happy hour, family-friendly carnival, or park cookout. “One of your best and most effective marketing tools at your disposal is the client appreciation event,” writes Desiree Homer of EMRG Media, a New York City–based marketing and event-planning agency. “These events can be monumental in driving new business, inspiring repeat customer purchases, and fostering incredible branding.”
Theme your event around summer to create urgency—an ordinary luncheon could read as typical, but a beach-themed barbecue will feel like a can’t-miss occasion that only happens once a year. At the event, make time for you and your team to mingle with clients, which can dissolve the barrier between seller and buyer and engender a culture of togetherness. Your customers will begin seeing your team as more than just anonymous figures and instead as trusted family. (And who could ever leave family behind for a competing business?)
With some creative approaches this summer, you can not only generate buzz about your organization but also express your unique brand identity to your target audience. The most lucrative promotional techniques do both in unconventional ways that help you rise above competitors in your industry segment—and potentially outperform them.
TAKE ACTION:
Consider refreshing your typical marketing campaigns with these innovative summer strategies. How could you roll them out in your organization?
Summer is a perfect time for get-togethers, whether it’s a backyard gathering with neighbors or a beach trip with extended family. So why not do the same with your company? By partnering with other local businesses, you can each broaden your audience and better stay top of mind with clients all season long. Here are some tips to help you get started on a red-hot summer business collaboration.
Like with any relationship, you need to do your due diligence before committing. Begin by casting a wide net, looking for local businesses either within or outside your industry that could complement yours. Consider joining relevant groups, where you can meet an array of like-minded owners and have a natural opportunity to learn more about them. Once you start establishing connections, whittle down your potential partnerships to those you really know, like, and trust (and who feel the same about you). Then bounce ideas off them to better gauge how you’d work together before making your final decisions. The more confident you are in your selections, the more likely your summer collabs will be a smashing success—and even keep going throughout the rest of the year and beyond.
Any partnership you have can only be successful when you are up front about your endgame and understand and respect the other business’s goals. Saying what they want to hear as you’re forming the relationship but then later flipping the switch (intentionally or not) on social media or at an event would just be bad business. In contrast, being forthright will allow everyone to determine whether the partnership would be a good fit and, if so, the parameters for it, such as responsibilities, revenue shares, and expected length of the alliance.
Such harmony often starts with having similar missions. For example, if you’re a real estate agent, you know how important open houses can be for your business. Say that you meet a local baker who creates amazing cookies and, just as important, is an amazing person. Their treats would make your open houses undeniably welcoming, but how could you help them in return? By doing what you do best: selling. Prominently display a stack of their business cards, and maybe even a small ad, by the food, and name-drop the bakery whenever people start sniffing around for sweets. (The baker would have your business cards on their counter as well, of course.) Ultimately, both of your businesses would win because you share the same purpose: making potential customers feel at home.
The previous example illustrates a common way of doing business collaborations—sending new potential customers each other’s way—but it’s certainly not the only one. Another tried-and-true method is cosponsorship, such as by supporting a local kids’ sports team together. This could get your names in their programs, on their uniforms, or even on their field. Events are also a surefire way to improve visibility. Whether you cohost a picnic in the shade of a park, hold a fun joint giveaway, or lead a philanthropic fundraiser, it will bring your community together—and both businesses will reap the rewards of spearheading it.
There are also several ways to meet potential customers together online, which may be particularly effective during the busy summer season. Teaming up on a monthly or quarterly e-newsletter would keep your businesses top of mind and your customers in the loop with updates, seasonal tips, and limited-time offers. Connecting on social media in particular can make a huge impact, if only because it can potentially expand each business’s online reach. Share each other’s posts, and consider doing online collaborations, such as creating fun reels showing your businesses’ joint effort and touting upcoming events and promotions.
For any business, the easy answer to this is “sales.” However, since summer can be an unpredictable sales season in general, you and your cohorts may want to think longer term—for instance, focus on pumping up awareness and word of mouth instead.
Here’s a scenario to illustrate the point. If your business is a car dealership, one of your advantages is abundant space. In contrast, a place that often lacks square footage is a pet shelter. A shared goal? Foot traffic. Setting up and heavily advertising pet meet and greets every month would seamlessly bring even more people to your dealership and provide the shelter ample room to showcase animals available for fostering or adoption. As a bonus, you’ll be remembered fondly as the “dog dealership” and more awareness will be created about pets that need homes and where to find them.
Summer is a time of endless potential and making dreams come true. Put a little legwork and creativity into seasonal business collaborations, and you can strengthen both your and the other owners’ sales while also establishing yourselves as pillars of your community.
TAKE ACTION:
Research businesses that could be potential partners, and commit to reaching out to at least one of them before summer ends.
The warm days of summer are finally here, presenting an opportunity for your business to capitalize on the energized spirit of the season. Through revitalizing your social media marketing, you can capture consumers’ attention even as their focus shifts to vacations, elevate your brand’s presence, and foster a more meaningful connection with your audience. Here are some of the top ways to level up your content and get your business in front of more potential consumers.
People are often intrigued about what goes on behind the scenes in a business or what a day in the life is like for employees. That’s why videos that pull back the curtain are always popular on social media. Consider posting a simple, short video of your office manager, accountant, or sales rep discussing what they do for your company, or take a more in-depth approach by walking through a full day with one of your team members in your stories. You could also get more personal with videos that show what your team does for fun in summer, such as taking lunch outside. Whatever route you choose, this type of content will help customers get to know your business better, making them more likely to connect with and choose you for their next purchase.
A simple way to spice up your content is to gamify it. While scrolling social media, many users often prefer posts they can interact with quickly, and quizzes, polls, and contests fit that bill perfectly. Short and sweet yet stimulating, they’re an effective tool for both boosting your engagement and ensuring that your content reaches a broader audience. And if you’re looking to hop on current events or trends, memes are a surefire way to connect with consumers, especially those in younger demographics. For instance, if a popular movie or musician is in the news, you could take a scene or photo that’s currently trending and make it relevant to your line of work with a quirky caption. This type of content is more likely to get in front of a larger group of potential clients, bringing more attention to your products and services.
It’s always good sales practice to anticipate a potential consumer’s questions about what you offer, but rather than relegating that information to your website, put it front and center on your social media. This season, consider posting an FAQ series to your pages that goes through different queries you often get. You could even include snapshots from real questions customers have sent in, creating infographics or videos that provide detailed answers. By taking the time to preempt possible concerns, you can demonstrate your expertise, build more credibility with your audience, and encourage them to buy.
From the Fourth of July to National Ice Cream Day, this season is full of celebrations you can use in your social media content. Align your content calendar with the various events happening throughout summer, both nationally and locally, to stay relevant to the time of year. In doing so, you can heighten your chances of consumers engaging with your posts, graphics, or videos. And when you use related hashtags, you may increase your posts’ visibility, which can help introduce more potential consumers to your business.
As the seasons change, people often seek advice on how to adjust their routines and habits accordingly. For summer, this can include everything from staying cool and keeping the kids busy to protecting their home and maintaining their health and fitness amid sweet temptations. Whatever industry you work in, you’re guaranteed to have tips and tricks that can make your clients’ lives a little easier, so position your brand as a valuable resource by sharing practical suggestions, hacks, or how-to guides relevant to your niche or business. Whether it’s wellness tips, summer home-staging strategies, or travel recommendations, this social media content will highlight your expert knowledge while providing actionable insights your customers can use in their daily lives.
It may seem counterintuitive, but shining the spotlight on other businesses in your area may bring more attention to your own. Consider showcasing their products, services, or success stories to promote camaraderie, being sure to highlight what they do and why you think it’s important for people to know about them. By collaborating with neighboring establishments or featuring guest posts from local entrepreneurs, you can foster goodwill within the community and expand your reach to a new audience. (For more tips for how to go about summer collaborations, see the article in this issue.)
Summer is a season of possibilities, offering numerous ways for your business to leverage social media and connect with your audience meaningfully. Get creative with your content, and you can maximize it to help enhance brand visibility, foster greater engagement, and cultivate a lasting connection with your audience throughout the sunny season.
TAKE ACTION:
Examine your current content calendar, and determine where you can implement one or more of these social media ideas.
No matter how successful it is, any business can experience periods when demand naturally decreases and sales decline. Summer may be a prime time for such sluggishness thanks to its idyllic weather and numerous distractions, but lulls can hit at any point in the year depending on the industry. Whether yours tend to fall during the warmer months, in winter, or at another point, you can mitigate or possibly even avoid them altogether with these strategies.
Offering seasonal markdowns can be one of the best ways to encourage more customers to buy during a lull—after all, the lure of a sale can be difficult for anyone to pass up. Consider creating limited-time deals for your slowest-moving products or providing early-bird specials, such as for an annual furnace tune-up in summer. These price cuts can generate steadier business, attracting customers who may be interested in stocking up or finally pulling the trigger on a purchase while the cost is low. In turn, you can get the opportunity to clear inventory before the next season and help keep your staff busy until your slow period ends.
To offset a drop in sales for your usual offerings, try expanding your slate to include more versatile options that both serve existing clients and broaden your appeal to new ones. For example, a tax accountant could augment their business with financial advice and bookkeeping, while a real estate agent could also become a notary or develop a home-staging service. To determine what additions your clients might best appreciate, send out a poll via email or social media or investigate what your competitors are doing this time of year.
Similarly, you could create products you can sell year-round to help supplement your revenue when demand for your other ones dips. A good option for any industry is an e-book offering tips and advice in your area of expertise, which can position you as a thought leader. Think a guide to building a nest egg if you’re a financial advisor or a how-to on healthy eating if you’re a health professional. Whatever you opt for, aim to have it ready for the beginning of your business’s lull, if possible; launching a compelling new product could generate buzz to keep customers engaged and invite new clients to come check your company out. You could also take advantage of the extra time a slow period provides to develop and test prototypes of your product ideas. Then you can ensure that they are ready and available before your next offseason.
Another avenue to try is expanding into adjacent markets, which are industries related to yours that serve the same customers. If you’re a product-based business, you can do this by adding services that complement your existing line. Say you sell landscaping supplies; you could also provide related maintenance in your offseason to help get your clients’ equipment in tip-top shape. Naturally, if you’re a service-based business, consider the opposite—building products that complement your services. Perhaps you own a physical therapy clinic; you could sell retail equipment your patients can utilize at home for their prescribed exercise programs. Whatever your niche, creating industry verticals relevant to your business may allow you to better benefit from your existing capabilities, reach more customers, and possibly extend your busy season.
Crafting online or in-person classes is one way you could pique your customers’ interest and boost cash flow during your slow periods. For example, a financial advisor could run personal finance seminars on critically needed topics such as saving for retirement or for a child’s education. You could offer these classes for a fee to generate additional income or provide them without charge as a marketing strategy to draw in customers. Either way, they will give you a chance to show off your expertise and entice people to know, like, and trust you, enabling you to earn their business and, potentially, their loyalty.
Even if they’re not actively looking to buy, few people can resist the intrigue of an open house. Invite customers into your business for an event where they can get to know you, try free product samples, and enjoy a product demonstration or two. To increase the allure, give your gathering an engaging theme or offer activities and prizes. You could also partner with other businesses to increase your reach, such as by hosting a community-wide event (as discussed earlier in this issue).
Don’t let your slow season become an excuse to minimize your marketing efforts. Continue to regularly post on social media and send email blasts, making sure to highlight your seasonal offerings, including discounts, new products or services, and upcoming events. By maintaining your online presence, you can stay top of mind with current clients and prospects alike to better ensure that all your efforts to boost your offseason sales yield satisfying results.
TAKE ACTION:
Look for simple ways to expand your product line or services to bolster your business against slow periods.
