It just hit me yesterday that Summer’s right around the corner which means that for many businesses, it’s time to step up their marketing. If you aren’t approaching your summer email marketing campaigns with a schedule, then this summer may pass you by with dips in sales. A schedule allows you to consider upcoming holidays, events and special promotions you want to put in front of your subscribers for a specific season. Here are some ideas and inspiration for your business.
Summer Email Marketing
When planning your email promotions for the tail-end of June, July, and August, and September, you’ll want to consider these summer activities and events.
Holidays & Events
- End of School – Most schools let out around the first or second week of June, so keep in mind themes such as the first day of summer bashes and graduations.
- Father’s Day – Typically celebrated on the third Sunday of June.
- Fourth of July – For businesses based in the US, the Fourth is a big holiday and one you can easily build a promotion around.
Here’s an example of PeoplePerHour email targeted towards recent graduates looking for jobs and startups looking for new hires:
Summer Activities
- Summer Vacation – How does your business provide something to help vacationers? Most people take their vacations over the summer while the kids are out of school or they have vacation days, so plan promotions around this activity early.
- Swimming – Laying out in the sun, swimming and going to the beach or pool is a favorite summer activity. Can you tie this into your product or service?
- Weddings – According to the XOXO group – the folks behind the uber popular sites The Knot, The Nest and The Bump – the highest number of weddings occur in June, July, and August. How can you market to the wedding industry?
Planning for the Next Season
- Back to School: Around the end of July, you’ll want to target any back to school sales to your readers. Remember that many schools start back in August now, so start this theme early.
- Fall: Preparing for Fall is a good summer topic to start around mid-August.
- Last Days of Summer: How can your subscribers finish out the season? If you run a gardening blog and sell gardening products, what should readers be doing to their gardens in August to prepare for September?
Here’s a recent example of a moving company offering special incentives to take advantage of their services during the summer months:
Area Specific Promotions
- Plan promotions to coincide with the big events in your town. Does your town offer a summer concert or festival?
- Collaborate with a tourist destination in the area. Whether it’s the boardwalk nearby or the lake, people will be out making plans and spending money.
- Encourage readers to have a “staycation” with your products/services.
Here’s an example of Total Rewards (Caesars, Harrah’s, etc.) offering a promotion for concert tickets:
Offer Incentives to Get People In
- Take advantage of the weather to have a tent sale in your parking lot. If your business is online, have a “virtual barbecue.”
- Offer free beach items to customers who make a purchase in June. These can be simple items, such as a beach ball with your business name.
- Start a rewards program for customers who refer others to your business.
- Run a giveaway for free tickets to theme parks or attractions to boost your social presence.
Play to the Summer Vibe
No matter what type of business you run, you can tie into the theme of summer easily by mixing up your messages. Here are some samples:
- Winery: Feature light wines that go perfect with a summer favorite such as fruit salad or grilled items.
- Golf Lessons or Items: The golf course is hot in August. Share tips for staying cool while golfing during the hottest days, such as carrying a neck towel or golfing early in the day.
- Beauty Spa: Feature sales on things such as summer pedicures or facials to prep skin for summer.
Here’s an example of Crate and Barrel offering a discount on clearance and outdoor furniture (ya know, for the barbecues!):
Possible Themes for Newsletters
Here are themes that appear consistently in email marketing during summer months. For good reason, these themes capture the attention of readers and work.
- Stay Cool with _______
- Beat the Summer Sizzle
- Outdoor Ways to _________
- Fun Summer Ways to __________
Email Marketing Tools
If you’re in the market for the best email marketing and automation tools, we recommend evaluating the following:
- Moosend – Whether it’s a newsletter or a drip-feed campaign — Moosend has all the tools of the trade in one easy-to-use app. All features including automations are available right away upon signup unlike other providers. Therefore, you can get started with email marketing immediately and setup seasonal and promotional sequences for your business. Plus, if you have less than 1,000 subscribers, they have a free forever plan that’s perfect for small businesses.
- Active Campaign – Another alternative is Active Campaign. They have a sleek drag and drop interface and CRM built-in. However, it does require a bit of a learning curve to get everything setup. Review their extensive documentation and you’ll soon be taking advantage of al their powerful features.
Either of these tools are perfect for businesses seeking a robust email marketing solution.
No matter what your business, there is likely a way to tie into the theme for your summer email marketing campaigns. You may have to get creative for some industries, such as IT or software, but you can always focus on doing a seasonal tune-up with a summer discount. If you’re gearing up for summer marketing, let us know what’s up your sleeve in the comments below.
