Summer is right around the corner! Consumer habits and interests change with the weather. As things heat up and people head outside, they’ll be looking for new and exciting things from your business.
Take advantage of these opportunities by getting ahead of the season’s change and implementing new marketing tactics. Check out these three ideas to ramp up your summer marketing activities.
When the weather’s warm, people love spending time outside in the sun. If your business has an outdoor area available to customers—like a restaurant patio or picnic area—take this opportunity to spruce it up and make it more inviting.
Take inventory of what’s outside your business now. Are your tables, chairs and umbrellas in good shape, or could they use a replacement? Do you have more space you could utilize? Add more outdoor seating if there’s room, or expand to new areas like your front sidewalk, if possible. Make sure that there’s enough space for customers to walk around. Depending on your climate, it may be too hot for customers to spend a lot of time outside. Adding misters or shaded canopies might make the space more comfortable.
Also consider adding signage outside. A-frame signs on your outdoor patio can advertise sales or specials and catch the eyes of passersby. Don’t be afraid to get creative and colorful! If your business serves food or drinks, make your print and digital marketing work together by setting up signs or table tents with QR codes to provide touchless access to your menu. Think about how your customers will use the outdoor space and what kinds of signage might be useful.
When consumer behavior shifts, so should your marketing efforts. Think about how your customers’ wants, needs and actions are changing for the summer. Then consider how you can adapt your marketing strategy to match.
For example, in the summer people spend less time inside on their phones and more time outside.. Therefore, your business might benefit from using more physical signage in high-traffic areas. Yard signs, feather flags and sidewalk signs can engage passersby and draw them to your business. However, if your climate is hot and humid, customers might spend more time driving instead of walking. In that case, large format signs and banners would be more easily visible and more likely to catch their eye from the road.
Flyers are another great marketing product for the warmer months. They’re cost-effective and easy to hand out to people who are walking around your area. If you’re really trying to make an impression, you could even set up a table and offer free samples to hook potential customers.
No matter what type of marketing methods you use, make sure your messages align with what’s important to your customers this summer.
Summer is also a great time for sales and other events that draw a crowd! There are tons of holidays to celebrate, like Memorial Day and the 4th of July. Or, you could simply hold a customer appreciation event to say “thank you” to your buyers.
These types of events are a great opportunity for your business to clear out outdated inventory and make room for new merchandise or expanded product lines. Refreshing your offerings gives customers more reasons to visit your business and makes them more likely to buy season after season.
Events and sales also give your community a reason to get excited about your business. Drum up buzz about the event in the weeks and days leading up to it and plan to offer incentives like rewards points, gifts with purchase, discounts and other freebies.
To make your event a real hit, you need to make sure your customers know about it. Promote it with signage outside of your business or storefront and around the community. Hand out flyers on warm summer days and send direct mailers to nearby residents and returning customers.
Planning new marketing activities for summer is only half the challenge. With a strategy in place, it’s time to execute! Whether you need help with design or high-quality printed banners, flyers and signage, PostNet can help. Visit your local PostNet center to take advantage of our print and marketing expertise today.
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