8 Easy (and Totally Productive) Marketing To-Do’s in The Summer Slowdown
Hands up who is excited about the summer?
Are you looking forward to having the kids home from school, summer days out and a generally slower pace of life?
Or are you more concerned about slowing sales and worried about taking your foot off the pedal?
It’s understandable to have mixed feelings. August is often a quiet month.
But, we find that when we’re not so flat out, having some extra time on our hands means we get some much-needed space to plan. For many small businesses, taking advantage of the summer slowdown can be a brilliant time to think about your marketing! Don’t worry we’re not suggesting cancelling that beach trip and spending all summer in the office! Taking a well-deserved rest is oh so important for mental wellbeing but using your downtime to turn your to-do’s in to ta-dahs, is totally time well spent!
From studio office or sunbed, here’s our 8 easy-peasy (and totally productive) marketing to-do’s you can tick off in your summer downtime!
1. Revamp Your About Us Page
People buy from people. If your name or face isn’t all over your social media or smiling out from your About Us page, then you’re missing a major marketing moment! So, whip out your camera and get those summer selfies sorted or even better schedule in a photographer to get some snaps of you and the team. And whilst you’re adding your snazzy photo to your site (or socials) take a moment to think about how you’re positioning yourself. Make sure you’ve got a clear call to action (CTA) and that you’ve nailed your tone of voice so that it speaks directly to your ideal customer. Humanizing your brand vibes, no matter how big or small your business, is essential to your success. With sun-kissed skin and glorious light there’s no better time to get revamping those intros!
2. Up-skill and Add to Your Toolkit
The daily to-do list might have slowed down a bit but why not take this extra time to up-skill on that training you’ve been ‘meaning’ to do or that course that would be super helpful if only you had the extra time! Learning new things, getting to grips with marketing techniques and getting to the heart of your marketing strategy are all brilliant ways to add some extra buzz to your marketing mindset. Cue shameless segue… we’re relaunching our own pretty nifty ‘Own Your Marketing’ course after the summer, designed for florists that are looking for an honest and hands-on approach to marketing. Get your name on the list!
3. Answer That Niggling Question
We’ve all got one. Those niggling questions you *always* want to get to the bottom of. Like how to set up a compelling lead magnet, mastering a particular reel transition or finding out how to get one of the coveted blue ticks. From learning new skills (see above) to just taking some dedicated time to really research the answer, you’ll feel the positive vibes of finally being in-the-know! Sometimes we get too busy to invest properly in understanding something – even simple things. So, take some of your downtime to answer those questions that keep you up at night! We promise you’ll sleep like a baby!
4. Take Time to Play on Apps
You might be familiar with some of the apps you’re marketing on, but is there an opportunity in another? Taking time to have a play on Threads or explore the potential of TikTok for example, means you’re open to discovering exciting new ideas and opportunities. Think of it like market research. Put yourself in your consumers shoes and let your creative vibe loose! Whether you experiment with recording some reels or get stuck into Insta Stories, spending time this summer exploring new apps is a fun and immersive way to tap into your ideal customer mindset.
5. Pull Together Testimonials and Case Studies
The Summer slowdown is the perfect time to reflect on some of your success stories. Take the opportunity to grab testimonials from your happy clients (before they jet off on holiday) and pull together some case studies that’ll show just how fab your business has been. Not only will it help you have some brilliant content moving forward but it’s the kind of rich content that builds trust AND boosts consumer confidence. So, jump start your summer with powerful case studies that showcase all your best bits. Adding powerful proof and authenticity to your marketing mix is always worth the effort. It’s the best kind of brand building exercise you can do in your spare time!
6. Review and Refresh Your Web Content
While away a few hours on your website! That’s right, get stuck into the nitty gritty of your site and explore all its nooks and crannies! Taking time to keep your website fresh is oh so important. Adding new content on a regular basis has SEO boosting superpowers that you won’t want to miss. But more than that, cleaning up your keywords (the words or phrases your ideal customer would put into Google to find you), fixing any broken links and adding new ones are all part of website maintenance that often gets overlooked in busy times. A fresh website with an awesome about us page (see point 1), properly alt-tagged photos and lots of lovely rich content is key. Want to know more? Check out our recent blog for the British Florist Association that covers exactly how to review, refresh and revitalise your website to help your business grow!
7. Ace Your Analytics
Spending your downtime looking at your site analytics might seem overwhelming and dare we say it *boring* especially if numbers aren’t your thing. But we are here to tell you that getting to grips with your analytics can be EASY (yep) and ENLIGHTENING and wait for it EXCITING! Diving into your data is the BEST use of your time! It’s not all statistics and spreadsheets. Looking at your users and how they engage with your site, or your socials or your emails can uncover an abundance of new opportunities for you to explore.
8. Powerful Planning
Planning might be our superpower, but it can be yours too! Making the most of the slower summer months means you’ve got a bit more headspace to let the cogs whir! Planning means you can ditch some of that September stress and (dare we say it) keep on top of scope creep! We love project management tools like Asana or Trello to keep us in check, but our fave is a good old notebook and pen. From beachside to boardroom, however or wherever you choose to turn your to-do’s in to ta-dah’s, taking time to plan is the perfect way to spend a summer day!
At Queen Bee we have a real, honest, can-do approach to marketing. If you want to add some extra buzz to your comms, or spice up your socials then why not sign up to our newsletter? It’s a hive of helpful tips designed to help small business owners and brands to thrive.