You needn’t be Rockefeller to turn up bright summer marketing ideas. Longer, lighter days, more people buzzing about, eyeballs and attention spans to capture – none of it requires an elastic marketing budget. It can all add up to a potentially bonanza time for business if you position yours just right, with canny, creative thinking.
If you build it they will come
Your customers will catch cues from you for inspiration on how to fill the long lazy days ahead, especially all the parents with kids off on school holidays so that they’re not left entirely to their electronic devices.
Here are summer marketing ideas that don’t have to break the bank for businesses old and new
Fun in the sun
Organising an outdoor event in the UK is no picnic. It can be baking one minute and Noah’s Ark time the next. But when all the stars align, fun times are good for business. You might lay on refreshments and entertainment as a wee thank you to your clients. Grassroots seasonal marketing activity at its best.
Everyone likes a nosey, so don’t turn yours up at the prospect of an open day. Taking a peak behind the scenes can be a great way to humanise and market your operation. It might bring them flocking.
You could even hitch your wagon to a farmer’s market, fair or other local event that attracts people from a wee bit beyond your usual catchment.
Hot cakes
How about a summer-themed product? This could be a special cake if you’re a bakery, or promotion that doesn’t feel too done for the sake of it. If it makes you feel good, then it should promote the same feeling in your customers or clients. We’re not re-inventing the wheel here, but limited-time-only campaigns create that pace and urgency of summer.
You might also decide to launch something new and permanent during summer? Probably more people will hear about it and talk about it. How about a collaboration with some of your neighbouring businesses?
Social nearness
Social media should be alive with summer stuff, not autumn leaves, Valentine’s Day, or snowmen. Get those banner pics changed pronto and tie it all nicely around a clean, simple design that shows all comers that it’s less come all thee faithful and more faithful customer retention.
Meet-the-team videos and images are great summer marketing vehicles, because people love seeing people, so you really can’t go wrong with this one. You might also think about blogging on some of your team, like interviews (text and vlog), sharing career tips etc.
School of thought
School’s out for summer, and parents are desperate to find something to keep the kids distracted. You might want to grab the attention of the parents too of course. Get your thinking cap on. Perhaps you could do something that combines the two?
Child-friendly menus at cafes, or something to keep the kids occupied in the reception area – it all helps build customer loyalty.
Noble prize
A competition online that will give someone a lasting legacy, like naming a new product, means that you don’t have to worry too much about elaborate prizes that gnaw into your bottom line.
Give mail a shot
Time to bring out the big guns if you have a GDPR-compliant database. This is one of the most personal ways of getting to the heart of your customers. You can tailor your message and you can make suggestions based on what they were previously showed an interest in.
You might also want to look at running some type of refer a friend scheme as we do tend to see more of them in summer.
Season well
Seasoned customers don’t hide away in summer either. This is a target market that is oft overlooked, and shortsightedly so. Why wouldn’t you want to aim some marketing at those with little or no mortgage, rather than chasing that ever elusive cool credential that’ll shift on the next gust of wind anyway.
Sponsored science
You could always throw your brand’s weight behind something in the community via sponsorship, or take a table at a summer ball or award ceremony, or sponsor a category. It’s not an exact science, though, as this one is perhaps more heart than head, because it might be more effective for you to organise your own kind of seminar or similar event?
Use your tag
Sounds obvious, but so many businesses don’t even create a basic business name hashtag. This should be a staple of every single social media post. Then you can go to town on creating fun ones that’ll do the business in summer.
Timeliness and timelessness
If you can write a topical blog, or something evergreen, then you’re onto a winner. Evergreen content done well will prove its worth summer after summer. Pen something original though, as Google likes that best of all.
Content generation
Getting your customers to make some content for you is always a winner, whatever the season, but it’s easier to do in summer obvs. Encourage them to send in pictures you can use, or to make suggestions for this and that. Similar to competitions, but with the thrill at the prospect of being spotlighted on your socials as the prize.
Summertime’s ticking
And we must mention TikTok. We explained in an older blog, how TikTok can be good for small business, and once you get a foothold on here, and you open up your business in ways that you can only imagine. Once you get 1000 followers under your belt, you can go live, plus there’s also social shopping on this app. And if you start a summer trend, then your marketing kind of takes care of itself!