June 14, 2017

When you think of summertime, you most likely envision ice cream, sunny days or trips to the Jersey Shore. Work might not be on the forefront of your mind, but now is the time to take your fun, creative energy, and focus it toward expanding your business.

Outdoor events

Throw a poolside, beach or BBQ event to draw more attention to your startup! These events are fun alternatives to the standard, indoor networking events or panel discussions, and automatically spice up your brand’s image.

Think about it: attendees are more likely to take photos of a fun location for their Instagram or Snapchat (aka, free advertising for you!); so consider hosting an outdoor event, and watch the networking conversations flow!

Promo items

It’s summertime and the promo item ideas are easy. Purchase cool, seasonally-relevant swag like sunglasses, drink koozies, t-shirts, and water bottles with your logo and company name on them. Your event guests and team members will love taking away items they’ll actively use all season long!

Themed campaigns

If you feel that your brand’s current marketing campaign has gone stale, take some time to brainstorm summer and vacation themed campaigns. Lively colors are infectious. Your team will become more excited to try something new and use radiant color schemes in their work. Incorporate bright colors, smiling faces, and maybe even a couple outdoor photo shoots to help liven up your social media pages and print materials.

Holiday discounts

Consumers are more informed now than ever. If you’ve noticed your website has gained traction, but your sales or leads have remained the same, it may be because your customer base is looking for discounted prices. Implementing an attention-grabbing campaign and launching a 4th of July or Labor Day discount could increase your likelihood of gaining sales!

Set new goals

Brainstorm with your team, take a mind-clearing, soul-searching vacation, and celebrate how far you’ve come in only six months. Now that the second quarter is complete, use this time of revitalized marketing energy to focus on bold new plans for the rest of the year!

Sarah Temple, Communications, Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship