Cure For The Summertime Blues
Marketing in the Summertime can be a boon for your business no matter what type of product and/or service you are offering. If you happen to be in the Suntan lotion business, it’s a pretty good bet this is your high season, but summertime marketing is not just for seasonal related items. Anyone involved in the Tourism Industry will tell you that everyone is vying for those lucrative tourism dollars, so why not you too? The trick of course is to set yourself apart from the crowd. Taking out ads in your local tourism guides and hoping for the best may work but overall the Internet, is still the best place to make yourself visible. More and more people are using trip planning sites and educating themselves about the availability of accommodations and activities, before setting out to their desired destination. Why not advertise on those sites?
Summer is also a great time to do joint marketing with other complimentary services. Get some coupons into a “welcome” package. Most accommodations offer an envelope full of these things to every guest. It’s a very cost effective way of getting the name of your company in front of new eyes. You could offer a free cup of coffee at your restaurant, a discount on meals, or a one hour free boat rental. Buy one get one free! Whatever you happen to be promoting, or selling, if it’s tourist oriented, it is always the right time to join forces with others in your area. Coupons and gift certificates can easily be designed and duplicated on your home computer and mass produced by photocopying. A few dollars worth of investment can produce substantial additional revenue. Another excellent way to joint market during the Summer is to sponsor local events which draw crowds. A nice banner with your company name and logo on it placed has a captured audience for all those attending the function. This may not produce instant direct sales but people will remember your name and/or services later on.
Marketing is not always directly related to immediate sales. Getting your “Brand” in front of eyes is just as important. Beer companies have know this for years and often sponsor local music festivals or other events where attendance is guaranteed. Chances are, the next time members of that audience go into a pub, (after the festival) they’ll try your brand of beer at least once and this is exactly what you want. Perhaps visitors to your area have such a wonderful time they begin to look for additional information on real estate prices. Who’s name/company will they remember when searching for more information? A complete stranger or the name/company on the banner they saw at the show?
It’s all about brand recognition. The more eyes you can get your name in front of, the better chances you have of being remembered and since the sheer numbers of eyes drastically increase during the Summer season, this the perfect time to do some joint or co-op marketing. Get your name out there. It can cure those summertime marketing blues.