5 Ways to Supercharge Your Marketing Efforts This Summer
Just because your customers may be off on vacation or away from their offices this summer doesn't mean you can't use this time to plan ahead so you're ready when things get busy again in the fall!
Summer is traditionally a slower time for many businesses, with customers using the warmer months to take vacations and spend time away from the daily grind of the office or their computer. Yet the savvy marketer knows that this is the PERFECT opportunity to take stock of their existing marketing efforts and recalibrate, so they can get a head start on planning for what will be a busy time come fall and winter.
Following are 5 ways you can supercharge your marketing efforts this summer to better optimize your output come fall and winter.
1. Conduct a Mid-Year Review
You’ve probably been on marketing overdrive the last few months, so why not take a moment and thoroughly review your marketing metrics and campaigns from the first half of the year? Then, you can use this data as a baseline for your future efforts during Quarters 3 and 4.
Which channels and tactics drove the best results? Where did you fall short of goals? Don’t be afraid to dig into the data and draw insights that can inform your strategy for the rest of 2024.
2. Update Your Audience Research
Any marketer worth their salt knows that consumer behaviors and preferences are constantly shifting. Use the summer downtime to revisit recent audience research — things like demographic data, psychographics, buying journeys, media consumption habits, competitor data, and even new findings from published reports and journals to see what you can learn and incorporate into your efforts.
The more you absorb and incorporate this information into your own work, the better you’ll be able to align your messaging and channels with how your target market thinks and acts now.
3. Experiment with New Channels
Why not take advantage of the summer slowdown to experiment with some new marketing channels and/or tactics with lower risk? Maybe try launching a new TikTok or Snapchat campaign, or experimenting with influencer marketing for your brand. On a smaller scale, you can even run simple A/B tests to try out different content/copy in your marketing efforts.
Whatever your do, make sure you measure your results and tweak your approach before going all-in during prime season.
4. Conduct a Content Audit
Along the same lines, having a steady stream of fresh, engaging content is critical for SEO and nurturing leads — as over time, older pieces can become outdated or underperform. Take advantage of this downtime to conduct a comprehensive content audit of your marketing assets to decide what assets are worth keeping (and what assets you should lose for good)!
Don’t forget to breathe new life into those top-performing "evergreen" posts through updates, repurposing into new formats like video, or promoting them again through email and social media.
5. Upskill and Get Inspired
When was the last time you attended a marketing conference or took a course to expand your skills and knowledge? Summer is an ideal time for professional development beyond that relevant to your current client load.
Take some time to read the latest books, listen to podcasts, sign up for webinars, or pursue a certification. Getting inspired by new ideas and best practices will pay dividends in the long run.