Do you ever find yourself thinking, “Everyone’s one vacation, so what’s the point of marketing in the summer?” I confess that I once did, but I soon saw the error in that belief.
“Conventional wisdom” is often conventional, but not always wise. A case in point: the assumption that nothing exciting happens in the summer (at least in business) just isn’t true.
Sure, in the dog days of summer lots of lucky people find themselves enjoying the beach or cooling off by a mountain stream. For those who are left behind, the heat can be a distraction, taking our minds off success. (Some, like my sister-in-law, even resort to baking dashboard cookies as a creative way to pass the time.)
Even so, there are still people holding down the fort, and lots of them are your customers – or should be.
Keep going when everyone else stops
Leaders of successful business know they can get ahead by plowing on when everyone else stops. Following the herd will simply get you where the herd is going, and there’s nothing distinctive about that.
Stewards of strong brands don’t take a break, even when the sidewalk is so hot you can fry an egg on it. Instead, they find creative ways to cement bonds with their prospects and customers, making sure they stay top of mind. You can do the same.
Summer is a great time to step up loyalty efforts, reconnecting and building relationships in a more informal way. Invite your best customers out to a ball game, host a Friday afternoon cookout, or simply call (yes, call) to check in.
Instead of going dark, maintain a consistent cadence of communications when your own turn for time-off comes. Let automation do the work by pre-scheduling things likeĀ your email newsletter to social media posts, ensuring messages go out even when you and your team are off duty.
Recharge
Another advantage of the slower summer months is the chance to prepare for a successful second half of the year. Why not take your team off-site for some much-deserved appreciation, and while you’re at it, talk about what’s working well and what could be better?
Many companies save those discussions for “strategy season” in the fall, but that’s a crazy busy time. The relaxed vibe of summer can open up innovative thinking and fresh ideas that might not come to light when everyone is running wild trying to lock down budgets and get approvals for next year’s programs.
The beauty of summer is you can make it your own. Mix work and play, relax and recharge. Savor your success, and get ready for more!