Summer is in the air. But now isn't the time to take a vacation from marketing your business. Here are a few summer marketing ideas to boost business as the temperature rises.
Summer marketing idea #1: Social media travel photo contest
A survey conducted by AAA found that 35 percent of Americans plan to take a vacation of 50 miles or more from home. That means now is the perfect time to hold a travel photo contest to promote brand engagement and increase your social media following. All you have to do to hold your own contest is invent a memorable hashtag for your social media platform of choice. Get consumers to submit their best travel photos using the hashtag. Or, ask consumers to snap photos of themselves putting your product to use on vacation. You can award the most liked or shared entry with cash, product swag or tickets to a summer event.
Summer marketing idea #2: Holiday discounts and sales
Summer is filled with holidays that are peak shopping days. These include Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. Offering virtual or in-store discounts or sales on these days is a great summer marketing idea to persuade passive shoppers to buy. You can opt for a buy-one-get-one-free discount or a flat discount based on a percentage of the product or service cost. Or, you can hold a day-long or weekend-long sale on an entire product category. Even if customers don't buy, a discount will tempt them to visit your business and browse inventory.
Summer marketing idea #3: Attend local events
Some of the most anticipated events of the season are taking place c. Find a local event close to you that is expected to garner a sizable crowd. On the event date, plan to hand out flyers or arrange to set up a booth for your product or service. The key to this summer marketing idea is to select an event that aligns with your business niche. For example, if you run a catering business, a local food festival is an ideal venue to promote your gourmet creations.
Summer marketing idea #4: Host an event
Can't find an event to attend near you? Don't be afraid to host your own. Hosting your own function gives customers the greatest exposure to your business. Aim to keep the theme of the event relevant to your business offering. For example, if you are an independent fitness instructor, you can opt to hold a free yoga session at the beach. Or, network with another local business owner and host a combined event that boosts both businesses. For example, if you run a local brewery, team up with a local restaurant to host a beer tasting with complementary foods.
Summer marketing idea #5: Seasonal freebies
Have excess seasonal inventory on hand? Providing these goods to customers as freebies can help deplete the unwanted stock while familiarizing customers with your product inventory. Offer freebies as a reward for a paid purchase is easy. If you run a clothing store, you can award purchases of swimsuits with a free pair of flip-flops. Run a services business? Offer a free consultation. You can opt to reward customers for attending the consultation by offering freebies in the form of branded T-shirts, baseball caps or other summertime essentials.
