Most businesses face sales downturns during the summer months. Families might love summer because it means time off from school and long holidays at the beach. Small business owners are less appreciative of this time of year. Summer is infamous in the marketing world because it tends to correspond with a severe sales slump. Here are eight proven marketing strategies to help you bring in more customers during months of slow business and combat seasonal income fluctuations.
Free giveaways
Does your product or service have particular use during the summer months? If so, it’s a perfect reason to engage face-to-face with loyal and potential customers with a branded street team. It could be situated in high-traffic areas, giving samples and distributing key messaging. If not, there are plenty of summer-related goods you can give away: consider water bottles, coolers, Frisbees, etc., to distribute to your target audience.
Partner with a non-competing business
Think about another business with a similar customer base but not directly competing with your consumer needs. Build a tactical partnership and put together a customer-pleasing summer sales package. Create a unique offer in which both businesses offer a special promotion while assuming shared accountability.
Sponsor or participate in a local event
Summer kicks off various outdoor events—concerts in the park, little league baseball games, and endless marathons. Habitually, these events require sponsors to help pull them off, which provides a great prospect. Your business can highlight its local involvement with the community and boost customer awareness. Investigate local sponsorship prospects and heighten your brand perception with signage to advertise your company name and brand. Outdoor events generally include booths where you can distribute brochures, flyers, business cards, product giveaways, etc.
Host a sidewalk sale
It’s summer — individuals are out and about. For retail productions, hosting a sidewalk sale is pretty much a no-brainer. Display your merchandise and provide helpful information about your services. Also, consider integrating seating and refreshments to encourage spectators to engage and relax. Remember your target audience; for example, balloons and games always attract kids.
Offer military discounts
On summer occasions like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July on everyone’s calendar, consider offering a special military discount to veterans and their families. Inspire followers on your social media networks to talk about the meaning of these holidays and recognize the sacrifices military personnel make for our country. It will help humanize your brand, associate with your audience, and instill goodwill.
Take your best customers to lunch
If the pace of business slows slightly during the summer, take the opportunity to treat your best customers to lunch. This provides precious face time to people who mean the most to your business.
Redouble your social media efforts
When business is brisk, and there are orders to fill, delaying social media activity is easy until you have some breathing room. Though, your clients haven’t stopped posting photos on Facebook, uploading vacation videos on YouTube, and sharing tidbits about adventure travel on Twitter. Think about holding a social media contest, inviting customers to share exciting stories or intriguing photographs around a summer theme, and offering a “grand prize” to the best entry. You’ll get individuals talking about your business while collecting contact information from contest participants. Be sure to classify prospective customers whom you can reach out to later.
Build on your summer momentum
Don’t let the thrust of summer marketing campaigns fade away in the fall and winter. If you’ve conscientiously added new names to your customer database, continue reaching out with newsletters, special offers, promotional discounts, and other activities. This way, your small business stays fixed in the minds of your target audience year-round.
Conclusion
Your clients don’t disappear during the off-season, but often, they are financially focused on other financial head-turners. Summer sales figures might be historically low, but that doesn’t mean your small business profits also have to suffer. Follow the above marketing strategies to keep your sales numbers up, no matter how high the mercury soars.
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