Sun, Sea and Sales…?

,

Summer Holidays, relaxation and sunny weather may be good for your wellbeing, but not necessarily good for your business…

There are very few industries which remain unaffected by the dreaded ‘summer slump’, but for SME’s, seasonal peaks and troughs are inevitable. So instead of sitting around, twiddling your thumbs and waiting for your season to start again, there are a few ways to avoid the summer slump and even invest in the quieter times to boost business later on.

 

Stay in touch – no postcard required

Remember it isn’t just your customers who have vanished – your team is on holiday as well!

Many businesses find themselves a little short staffed during the summer so it’s expected to scale back on marketing activities.

Don’t let under-staffing catch you out, plan ahead to stay in touch with your audience throughout the summer. Digital and social media campaigns can be particularly effective as they can be prepared in advance, then launched at a later stage at the push of a button or through using a timer to delay the automatic launch of the communication until a desired time.

This is less about selling there and then, and more about staying in the forefront your audiences mind, poised for when they are ready to make a purchase.

 

Don’t delay – prepare today

Common sense would tell us that it’s easier, quicker and simpler to replace a gutter or insulate your house on a dry summer’s day than on a rainy, cold day in winter, but it’s much harder to sell.

An honest digital marketing campaign that highlights why your customers shouldn’t delay can provide a great midsummer boost to sales. Additional tactics include offering early bird discounts and first choice/look of new offerings.

 

Spring clean

OK wrong season. However the summer quieter periods provide a great opportunity to cleanse your databases, updating them with warm leads and others who have previously expressed an interest and making sure you hold the most up to date information. This will help you hit the ground running with next season’s marketing campaigns and convert new or warm leads into customers.

 

Get reviewed

As your busy period comes to an end, use the down time to ask your customers to review your products or services. By gathering stories, case studies and testimonials when they’re still fresh and the recipient has the time to contribute, you’ll end up with more detailed, genuine and personal reviews that resonate well with readers.