It’s that time of year, and this year, more than ever it feels like we are stepping outside into the sunshine from the shadows of our houses! With the lockdown pretty much over and most businesses open we find ourselves living in the new normal. So let’s look forward to the summer, this is the peak time for some industries and summer offline marketing should already be starting to roll out but if the lockdown means you’re promoting slightly later than usual this year, here are some ideas, tips, and tricks to get your creative juices flowing and begin offline marketing this summer.
Summer marketing ideas at a glance:
- Get smart
- Use Door Drops
- Remember your current customers
- Summer savings
- Think outside the box – literally
Get smart
Your offline marketing campaigns this summer should include some form of technology. This doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It can be as simple as ensuring there is a QR code on your mailing piece to drive traffic to your site. Psst….. If you do this, you may qualify for the Royal Mail QR code testing incentive, and you could save a pretty penny, ( more money to spend on a cheeky drink in a beer garden).
But if you did want to get a bit more innovative with your offline marketing summer campaign, then you could take inspiration from Nivea. They included a solar panel and USB port on their offline marketing material. Customers could plug their smartphones in and take advantage of the sunshine, (for the few days we get it here).
Other ideas could include using a Bluetooth beacon on a point of sale marketing piece inside your store. This can send push notifications to your customer’s smartphones to advertise special summer offers.
Stepping out of lockdown
There is no escaping it, the defining feature of 2020 is going to be the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. Tell your local area that you are open and what customers can expect when they visit with Door Drops.
We are going to take gyms for this example. Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that gyms can open this week (week commencing 27th). Door Drops can allow you to effectively communicate with your local area about what they can expect when they return to your gym. This can put their minds at rest, ensuring that people do not cancel memberships over fears of what to expect. It could also promote people to sign up to your gym as they might feel safer at your gym than their current place of workout.
Door Drops are the most cost-effective method to target specific areas, postcodes or even distance from your business. Using Royal Mail’s network, they are guaranteed to be delivered in a quick, timely manner to get your message out into the public.
Don’t forget your current customers
It’s easy as a marketer to go after new prospects consistently. But did you know it can cost five times as much to bring on a new customer over the cost of bringing a new customer back? Encourage customers to return to you with summer offers!
Summer offers are a perfect way to entice a customer back. But it’s also an opportunity to make the customer feel special. Mail is the most trusted form of marketing, so be sure to capitalise on that and use phrases such as;
- As a valued customer
- You love us, and we love you,
- We have missed you (for lapsed customers)
Using these phrases with eye-catching imagery and excellent summer-themed copy is sure to bring customers running back.
Summer Savings
Heat things up with summer savings. Marketing pieces that have offers such as money off, credit or free deliveries are proven to have higher conversion rates than those that don’t. Make a big thing of your summer offers and put them in a prominent place on the front/cover of your mailer.
Use every tool you have at your disposal to draw attention to your offer.
Tools such as:
- Foil – People are like magpies, make something shiny, and they will look at it. Don’t forget you don’t have to just use Gold, silver or bronze. There is a myriad of colours to select.
- Embossing – This is a subtle effect, but it works. Embossing your offer can add a little elegance to your design. This prestigiousness will make the offer more enticing.
- Spot Vinyl – This will make your offer pop out from the page, catching the customers eye and driving those conversions.
Think outside the box – literally
The majority of mail is square or rectangular. There is a reason for this. It means that you can apply for cheaper postage rates as Royal Mail can machine sort the mailers. The downside to the cheaper postage rates is that everything can start to look the same.
Customers can suffer from mail blindness, and by making your mail a different shape can stop your mailer from going straight into the recycling. Don’t forget to keep it in the summer theme! Some of our favourites that we have seen over the years are ice cream cones, sunglasses and flip flops.
Another way of thinking outside of the box is to send a branded freebie. Everyone wants something for nothing, and it takes a new prospect to see your brand a minimum of seven times before they decide to purchase from you. These two facts play straight into the FREEBIE’s wheelhouse. Don’t just send a coaster! This has been done to death, send something that’s truly useful, summer-themed and linked to your product/brand. Ticking all these boxes may be tricky and require a little thought, but nail it, and people will be tripping over themselves to use your company/product.
Or lastly, utilise dimensional mail. Dimensional mail is essentially a pop-up card or letter that will help your brand stand out from the crowd. The advances in technology used to make this type of mailing piece means that they are now more cost-effective than ever before.
Conclusion
Summer is a great time for marketing. People are generally happier and more susceptible to advertising. We hope you found our high-level summer marketing ideas, hints and tips helpful. If you would like more in-depth hints and tips that are tailored to you, why not make use of our free marketing campaign planning session.
If you found this summer marketing ideas blog post helpful please share it using the buttons below.
PSE – Marketing you can trust.
