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Ahhh, summer. If you live in the Northeast or any other four-season locale, it’s that treasured time between the long winters where we can actually get out of the house and, well, do stuff. It’s also time for consumers to get out and about, which makes it a challenging time for marketers.
Summer changes up the daily routine. Traditional advertising takes a hit as people watch less TV and email tends to take a back seat as people escape the office. They’re are taking time off work, taking vacations and just taking some time to soak in these precious few months of decent weather.
All of this adds just another layer of noise marketers need to cut through. So, it’s a time to make some strategy tweaks that may give you a better chance to reach your target audience …
Streaming Services
In the car, on the beach or at a barbecue, you can pretty safely bet that people are going to be listening to some tunes. Shifting marketing attention to the likes of Pandora and Spotify is a great way to tag along during these active summer months.
Swag
Tis the season for festivals, concerts and sporting events. Branded swag is a simple way to raise some awareness as people love free stuff year-round. And while you’re crashing all these summer fests and events with giveaways, you might also want to consider sponsoring as a time-honored way to get your brand out there.
Content
No matter when or where, there’s always room for a good story. Use engaging photo and video to capture attention in feeds, which most people are sure to see as they chronicle their summers live on social media. Social media never sleeps, so it’s an ideal time to onboard some influencers to weave your message into some feeds. Even those looking to unplug over the summer might make room for some long reads while lounging, putting content activation in play during those long summer days.
Photography and Video
When marketing, you obviously want to put your best foot forward. Why not capture your marketing assets over the summer when they’ll look best? Consider shooting commercials and other content in the warmer months when your marketing assets won’t be cast in the drab light of an autumn sky or, worse, buried under snow.
Recruitment
It’s also worth mentioning that you can move internal marketing to the front burner during summer. Consumers are on the move as are job candidates, who may be looking around. Now’s a good time to solidify your recruitment message and get it out there on the active job market.
Though you’re likely to join the masses during this season of relaxation, keep in mind the sun never sets for marketers. Summer is just another season of opportunities to reach your audience with some creative media strategy.
About The Author
A journalist by trade, Shane tells stories that connect brands with target audiences and inspire them to act. He’s a writer, not a copy machine, and that approach brings exceptional content to every print or digital piece he pens.
Shane taps into his past as a reporter and editor to develop clear messages that resonate in every medium, be it blog or brochure, sponsored content or script.
Daily newspapers developed a habit for idea generation, attention to detail and knack for question-asking. His background as a magazine and web editor keeps client communications grammatically sound and effective.
Shane’s word-based deliverables range from long-form features to concise digital copy to persuasive prose. He’s been on both sides of the PR pitch and puts some muscle behind ABC’s media relations.