Five Marketing Tips for the Summer

Every summer we hear the same excuses from business owners complaining that business is “quiet” and it is just the “seasonal nature” of the business.  OK, for some businesses this is true.  However for the majority they are creators of their own destiny in living out their self-fulfilling prophecy. This year, rather than just assuming and accepting that things will quieten off in the summer, why not make a promise to improve your marketing strategy instead and go for it all guns blazing? You will be amazed just how profitable the summer months can be!  Begin by reviewing the previous year and investigating areas in which you could perhaps have focused a little more of your time or resources and begin planning how you might be able to take your marketing to the next level. There’s always room for improvement and we’d like to help you do so! Here are five marketing tips for summer!

#1. Increase popularity on social media

By now every company is aware of just how important and influential social media is and how necessary it is to utilise it and incorporate it into their marketing plans. If you’ve gone as far as to set up several social media accounts and gain a few friends and followers but haven’t yet truly gotten the hang of it, now is the time to change all that. This year, you could increase the traffic to your website or attract new customers by tweeting more, increasing the number of social media posts you make and trying to engage your followers in something more than sales talk. In order to make this strategy successful your posts must be relevant to your business – we can help ensure that you send the right message.  And remember most people even get their social media notifications when they are on holiday!

#2. Optimise website for smartphone users

The number of people who prefer to access the internet using their smartphones and tablets is increasing, so it is imperative that you ensure your website is compatible with such devices. Also this is an area which Google recently announced it was going to focus on. If you haven’t done so already, you must make sure that your website is optimised to make scrolling up and down on a smartphone or tablet easy and to present text and images at the appropriate size. If your website cannot be easily accessed on devices other than a computer it is likely that many potential customers will be turned away from doing business with you and soon you won’t even be visible in mobile search results!

#3. Fill your website with content

If you want to drive more traffic to your website and attract more customers then you’ll need to work on boosting your search engine rankings. When determining SEO rankings, Google takes into account how often relevant and (more importantly) unique content is being added to your website, so the more frequently you upload new and interesting content, the further up in Google’s page rankings you will go. Your content needn’t take up too much of your time, you could simply upload a twice-weekly blog or a helpful resources section or if you don’t have the time, seek the help of a content marketing agency who can create original content on your behalf.

#4. Engage with your customers

What customer doesn’t like to be made to feel special? Ensure you don’t leave any of your customers out by getting to know each one and being mindful of their needs. There are various platforms you can use to reach out and connect with your customers, including social media and marketing emails. Once you get to know your customers you can tailor your marketing emails to make them more effective. Regular communication with your customers is vital and you should be engaging with them at least once a week.

#5. Measure your progress

Regardless of industry, it is important to measure the progress your marketing efforts are making, but just how well are you measuring that progress? Simply noting whether your sales are improving is not good enough as it is necessary to know precisely why they are improving and what you could be doing to enhance progress further. You could use social media metrics or Google analytics to help you monitor your marketing success this summer.