May is a time for many celebrations. From Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and Mother’s Day, right through Memorial Day, it seems like there is always something to celebrate. If you are a retail business you can capitalize on any of these ideas with blog commentary or special in-store offers.
Other businesses with a year-round sales cycle should use the time to analyze where their marketing strategy stands now that it almost the half-way point of another year. Instead of thinking that sales are bound to slow down during the summer, here are five easy marketing ideas to implement in May to start building hot summer sales:
- National Small Business Week: This observance was officially scheduled for the first week of May, but there is no reason you can’t celebrate the benefits of being a small business all month. Use your blogs, advertising, and social media to let prospects and customers know how being smaller makes your business better. Challenge prospects and customers to support local businesses through purchases, referrals and repeat business.
- Mother’s Day: If you are a mother who operates a small business, you can always share the secrets of your success through your blog and social media, but also reach out to local media outlets and provide them with an interesting news angle. Maybe they will do an entire story on you and your business. You can also show how your product or service makes life easier for moms, or ask moms to comment on what makes your business special to them.
- Sponsor Local Summer Activities: You can be seen as giving back to the community and get your name in front of potential prospects by sponsoring, attending or exhibiting at local summer activities. Sponsor a local sports team, participate in Chamber events, or take a booth at local fairs and trade shows. There are usually some events that recur every year in each town, so find out now how you can get involved.
- Make It Easier to Do Business With You: Summer is a busy time of year for many families, so plan now for ways you can make it easier to buy from you. Make sure your website is mobile-ready, have special coupons for summer events, offer free shipping or local delivery – anything that saves your customer time and makes your business stand out from the competition.
- Keep In Touch: Your target market might be out-of-town or otherwise occupied, but they are never out of touch with their digital devices. If you haven’t got an editorial calendar in place with your Facebook posts, Tweets and blogs lined up for the summer, set time aside each week in May to get that done.
Summer can be a hot time for small business sales, but it takes a certain amount of marketing planning in May to make sure you realize success.