Gear Up Your Marketing For Summer

Summer is finally here! We’re gearing up for longer days and warmer weather. Unfortunately, in the world of marketing, summer is not the time to take a vacation. Instead, it is vital to revamp your marketing efforts to reach consumers differently this time of year.

Why do we need to change our marketing for summer? Because consumers change their behavior during these months. The average consumer spends more time outdoors, takes vacations and spends more time with their families. We have a huge opportunity to reach our consumer in places we do not have any other season!

Here’s a glimpse of how to shift your marketing into summer mode:

Research what festivals will be in your town 
Summer is festival season. Whether your town has an annual concert, carnival, or any other sort of celebration, there will be marketing opportunities. Find the event that best suits your target audience. You’ll have the opportunity to market to them directly at the festival through a booth or sponsorship position.Gain contacts through the exchange of collateral swag. During a hot outdoor festival, handing out paper fans with your logo on it is both inexpensive and a way to get your name out during the event. Be sure to follow up with the contacts you make at these events, thanking them for stopping by your booth and adding them to your database of leads to market to all year long.

Plan your own event
If your town does not have an event that targets your specific market, why not start one? Team up with similar businesses in your industry to organize an event and invite your contacts and the public to it. Making an event family-friendly is perfect for the summer months when kids are out of school and parents are looking for events to fill their calendars.Host the event at your facility or find a space in the community that would draw a large amount of people. Having entertainment, such as live music, food vendors and contests will sweeten the pot against other summer events that are fighting to gain patronage of your target market.

Send out press releases relevant to summer topics
What is most relevant to your industry in the summer? Are there specific safety hazards that are emphasized when the weather gets warm? Do you have any products that can be used outside more or useful while traveling? These are just a few topics to think about when creating summer press releases. The more relevant the release is to summer, the higher chances it will be picked up by the media and possibly published in the magazines you read by the pool!

Consider outdoor advertising
In the midst of traveling and spending time outdoors, it is easy for your traditional marketing efforts to be ignored. Tailor your marketing to popular outdoor places in your community.Get creative! There’s more to outdoor marketing than billboards and bus benches. It could be as simple as driving your company’s van around the park, decorating the display window on your store front in a summery way, or finding some other creative way to catch the eye of consumers.

Create direct mail pieces that will stick out from the rest of the summer junk mail
As a consumer, you may notice the influx of mail that makes its way to your mailbox this time of year. We tend to sift through it quickly, looking for personalized event invitations for graduation parties, family gatherings and neighborhood bbqs. Does your marketing stand a chance? The secret is to make your advertising look personal. Mimic the weight and style of traditional summer invitations to gain more traction with a direct mail campaign. We have a client that sent a direct mail piece out for an open house that resembled the same look and feel as a high school graduation invite!

By putting in the extra effort to summer-ize your marketing, you will be able to reach customers where those who stick to the traditional every-day tactics fall short. Don’t let this list limit you! Thinking outside-the-box is a great way to attract the summer crowd.