For a child, summer is unquestionably the best time of year. Long, sunny days mean trips to beach, afternoons at the pool, and best of all, no homework. But for the small business owner, summer can be the worst season of all. Many companies experience a “summer slump” in June, July, and August. They struggle to find new customers and revenues don’t grow. You must avoid this dreaded “slump” at all costs. Doing so may require an investment of creativity, but it is necessary for success.
One possible way of turning the odds in your favor could be to use digital marketing to promote your business. Outsourcing your small business marketing to an individual freelancer, a digital marketing agency, or hiring an in-house marketing person or team, can be some of the options you could consider, in this regard. Nonetheless, looking into the differences between digital marketing agency vs freelancer and the rest before assigning your digital marketing strategies would be ideal. This is because sometimes an agency can serve as a one-stop-shop for your small business marketing needs, while a freelancer may only help you with some aspects of a marketing campaign and likewise. Additionally, you might also want to consider services such as social media marketing, search engine optimization, or even programmatic display advertising provided by digital marketing agencies (like iTonic, for example) that could aid you in your battle against the “summer slump”.
A great example is Starbucks. In the early days, people doubted if the chain could maintain sales in the warm summer months. Who would want a hot expresso in the middle of July? Starbucks, unwilling to submit to a seasonal drop in sales, innovated and debuted the all new “Frappuccino.” This iced drink has earned Starbucks billions and ensured they stay relevant all year round.
“Where most see problems, you should see opportunity. “
Like Starbucks, you should not settle into a “summer slump.” When revenues go down, it is up to you to boost them back up. If you own a cafe, restaurant or bar, consider installing air conditioning to draw summer crowds in looking for somewhere to cool off. You can use a national hvac company to have air-con installed, or you can get your air conditioning units serviced to ensure they’re running efficiently. Nothing brings in summer custom more than wonderfully cool air. This is also the time to launch more marketing! This season offers exceptional opportunities to drive growth. Summer outings, events, and holidays have enormous marketing potential. If you’re not sure how to utilize the season for marketing then you may want to go to marketing consultants like Identify Marketing so you can make the most of your marketing budget. If you’ve had experience with marketing before, you could host a BBQ for loyal customers, hand out flyers at a festival, or create summer themed giveaways. It is all about adapting your marketing techniques to the season. Where most see problems, you should see opportunity. Don’t accept a drop in sales, get creative and your summer may just become your favorite season again.
