Summer marketing methods to boost sales this summer

Summer sales are on the horizon and for high street shops, traditional marketing methods are a tried and tested way to drive footfall into store. We all live in a digital world, where thanks to Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter and Instagram we can share our thoughts, dreams, products and services with a wide audience almost instantaneously. However, don’t forget about the power of offline marketing and its ability to boost your business too! Check out our top tips for summer marketing below:

Marketing based on the seasons is crucial to target your customer base and get into their mind set. There are many considerations when it comes to seasonal marketing, so below we have listed our most important questions to think about when it comes to your marketing activity in the summertime:

- What are your target audience thinking about when it comes to the summer months?

- Out of your products or services, which tend to do well in summer, and how can you include these in promotions?

- What word, images and colours make you think of summer, and how do these resonate with your brand identity?

Have these types of questions in mind when you create any marketing promotions or your new marketing materials for your business this summer. Below are our favourite marketing tips for you to follow to improve your summer sales this year:

1. Unique summer promotions
It sounds obvious, but one of the best places to start when it comes to summer marketing is creating unique summer promotions. Keep track of what your competitors have done in the past, or what they are doing today, and make sure to blow them out of the water! Use your own sales data to understand what sells the best during the summer months and look back at customer interactions to see what kind of questions they have been asking during this time of year. This way you will be able to make your promotions as relevant, but unique, to your business as possible.

For example, if you find that your target audience care about sustainability, why not provide promotions on summer products that are environmentally friendly to persuade people to take that option.

2. Jump on the latest summer trends
One of our top tips for marketing is to keep on top of trends! Summer is, traditionally, a time when people want to get out more, spend time with friends outdoors and socialise during the longer daylight hours, so it’s not unusual that people talk more, share trends and want to have the best experiences.

Follow hashtags on social media like #summer, #summertrends and #summervibes (all of which have billions of views on TikTok) to see what people are talking about and sharing online.

Speak to your customers but also anyone in your life who may represent your target audience to find out what they’re watching, listening to or reading to get a feel for what is trending this summer.

For example, you might notice that almost every customer you speak to has mentioned they are going to a particular festival, so why not jump on the back of this and provide a unique promotion on a product that they could take with them, or send out some festival themed flyers in the post!

3. Share positive customer stories
As mentioned above, summer is a time of socialising with friends and family, so why not socialise with your customers too? No matter what product or service you sell, you likely have some repeat customers who have really positive stories to tell about your business.

Ask these customers if they would be happy to share their stories with you to post online. Customer reviews are crucial for your business to succeed all year round, so make use of these stories by creating folded leaflets, with the positive customer reviews detailed inside, to send out to your customers who opt-in for offline marketing.

4. Join summer markets in your local area
A great summer marketing tip is to set up stalls at your local summer markets. In the summer months, there is nothing the British population love more than getting out in the sun whenever they can! There are many local markets all over the country, so no matter where you are based you are likely to find one that you can jump onto.

Whether you sell products or a service, there is nothing more valuable than getting in front of your customers (or potential new ones) face to face and providing them with a personal experience. You can check out where your local market is using websites such as NMTF.

Don’t forget to consider marketing materials for the day; make your summer stall looks eye-catching with branded outdoor banners and other personalised display products that will attract the market attendees.

5. Target holiday makers and festival goers
One thing that gets us through winter is thinking of those holidays and festivals that we’re going to in the summer months. Do you live in area that is considered as a tourist attraction? Are there any festivals near you, big or small, taking place over the summer? Do you often hear of people holidaying nearby? If you think this applies to you, it’s the perfect time to create marketing campaigns that target these people.

Provide a reason for tourists to come to your store. Whether you provide a free product for people attending a nearby festival or want to create a discount for new shoppers, it’s an ideal way to get extra footfall through the door this summer.

6. Promotions or events for families with young children
The biggest event of the year: the six weeks summer holidays. Why not hold a parents and kids day in your store during this time? Set out colouring books and pencils for the young kids as the parents shop around, provide nibbles and drinks for free and give away a small discount to those who come that day. Whether you’re a retail store, restaurant or estate agents, it’s the perfect time to get people through the door when they would normally avoid it due to having the kids with them during the summer months.

7. Sell your wares outside your storefront
Summer marketing doesn’t always have to be about shouting about promotions. A great way to market your business is by getting outside in the street! Make sure to check your license if you can set out on the street in front of your store, but hopefully it would be no problem to pop up a table and decorate with bespoke signage and brochures for your customers to take away with them.

This is a wonderful way to get talking to customers, and there’s no better time of year to do it!

8.Set up summer-themed events in your shop
One of our top 10 tips is to create summer-themed events inside your store. As we know, online shopping is extremely popular, but why not give your customers a reason to come and see you in person.

Collaborate with other local businesses to set up the event; after all, two heads are better than one! For example, if you own a hair salon, create a drop-in event on a quiet booking day, and ask a local restaurant to provide appetizers for your customers! This way your customers will have a taster of the wonderful summer menu of another local business, which will persuade them to come by that day but also help your local high street in the long run too.

During the summer months, there are many national days to be aware of that you could create an event around. From World Chocolate Day in July to International Cat Day in August, there are many of these days that you can get creative with (who wouldn’t come into store for free chocolate?)

9. Don’t forget about traditional marketing
As mentioned above, online marketing is a crucial element to your summer marketing strategy, but that doesn’t mean that you can forget about traditional marketing methods.

Whether you want to advertise in your local newspaper about summer deals or take part in leaflet distribution around your local area, there are many ways to market your business that your target audience will likely have a positive reaction to.

10. Give back to the community
Every summer there are many charity events that take place across the country. There might be some you already take part in or know of some that are close to your heart, but these kinds of events are a great way to network with other local businesses and get together with like-minded people who may turn into advocates for your products or services.

For example, why not donate money to a particular charity and sponsor an outdoor event? You could also personally sponsor any of your loyal customers who are taking part in a charity event. It’s important to support charities that are particularly personal to you, or ones that relate directly to your business, so that you can continually support them throughout the year.

Now is the perfect time to action your summer marketing strategy. Whether you’re a start-up or well-established business, the summer months provide plenty of opportunity to market your business, form new relationships and turn customers into brand advocates.