While some industries thrive during the summertime, others are left in survival mode. Depending on your industry, you might be one of those people who are left in a state of struggling, striving, and scraping by.
I mean, let’s be real…
But of course, this all depends on your industry and what you’re selling.
Some product-based businesses thrive during summertime. Reusable water bottles, water-resistant sandals, and vibrant beach towels are going to sell like hotcakes during those hot, humid months.
Service providers like coaches, brand designers, photographers, and the like might have difficulty getting new people in the door. But that doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel! You just need to get strategic with your summertime marketing.
And also accept the fact that summer isn’t the most optimal time to get new clients in the door.
Fresh leads typically need some level of trust with your brand before they sign on to work with you. Because most people aren’t as engaged online during the summertime, they may not want to commit to signing a contract just yet, but trust that they’re still consuming your content.
Depending on your niche and industry, you might have a harder time landing sales and getting new customers in the door during the summer. People are typically not as engaged online in the summer because they’re engaging with the real world – real people and real experiences – so it’s generally harder to grab their attention since they’re busy living their best life.
But this doesn’t mean they’re entirely offline. They’re likely still seeing your content every now and then, but they might not be as engaged... which means there’s a chance they won’t convert into a paying customer right this minute.
Summer isn’t the time to focus on NEW sales.
Just because things slow down in the summertime doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It’s normal for some businesses to experience lulls during this time of the year.
You most likely won’t experience rapid business growth during this time of the year. But of course that depends on your niche. Some businesses thrive in the summertime while others are simply trying their best to survive.
But just because business might be slow doesn’t mean it’s time to press the breaks altogether. It might just mean you need to spend time doing internal work and adjust your focus towards consistent marketing so you can get geared up for post-summertime.
Summer is an opportunity to rest, reflect, and reset. At The Awakening, we’re big proponents of ongoing personal development as entrepreneurs, and this is a great time to continue developing yourself, pouring into your cup, and resetting so you can continue to grow your business once the summer slump comes to an end.
While everyone’s living their best lives at the beach this summer, it’s also a good time for you to live your best life – to unplug and disconnect so you can reconnect with yourself, your vision, and your business.
Take the time to truly rest. Now I’m not saying you have to take an entire month off from work – in fact, I’d advise against this if you’re still in the beginning stages of your business. You don’t want to jump ship entirely and abandon all that you’ve been working so hard to build.
But allow yourself the time to recuperate from all the hard work you’ve been putting in during the first half of the year. Entrepreneurs – as busy-bodied as they are – still need a little R&R every now and then. Explore your interests, crack open a book you’ve been wanting to read, spend some time journaling, start a new hobby, unwind by the pool. The possibilities are endless. But take advantage of this slower season and spend time filling your cup so you can keep pouring into the cups of your clients and community.
Since summer is at the midpoint of the year, now is the perfect time to pause and assess your business goals, your vision for the future, and your current reality.
What I mean by “current reality” is…
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The summer months show us what really matters – things like spending time outdoors in nature, catching up with loved ones over a summertime meal, or traveling to new places. It can be a great time to realign with your deep desires and uncover what you really want to be doing in your life.
The summer months remind us that we’re not robots (although we may feel like machines from time to time), but rather human beings with complex desires. We’re not meant to be trapped at our desk for all hours of the day. We’re meant to live our lives to the fullest.
The sun appears brightest during the summertime and its light illuminates everything that’s been hiding in the shadows. It’s a great time to realign what has become unaligned – in yourself, your business, and your life.
Now I do want to dive into some practical tips for my fellow small business owners because I want to give you as much advice as I can while you’re in the midst of a summer slump. So as much as I urge you to get introspective and do the internal work, I also know it can be helpful to have some practical steps you can take right now to maintain momentum in your business.
Just because people are slowing down and living their best lives during the summer doesn’t mean you need to give up on your social media presence entirely. You want your audience to know you’re still there for them!
Now when I say consistent, I don’t mean you have to post every single weekday. In fact, slowing down your content output during the summertime can be beneficial to yourself and your audience.
It’s beneficial to you because you don’t have to spend as much time creating content and sharing it just to receive 5 likes and 0 comments. (And let’s be real, this can feel a little defeating – as if all your hard work is going unnoticed.)
And it’s beneficial to your audience because they’re not being bombarded with tons of content when they’re trying to relax on vacation. But if you’re consistent – even if that means only 2 posts a week – that’s a great reminder for your audience that you’re still present even if you’re not as active.
Remain steadfast during the slower summer months. Show your audience that you’re consistently there for them even when they’re not as active. And trust that, even if business has slowed down during the summer, momentum will pick up again eventually.
This is an obvious one, but it can be worth it to run an exclusive summer sale for those engaged community members who are still active online. When they see a “Free Summertime Workshop” or “50% Off Summer Sale” in their inbox, they’ll likely click your email to read more so they can take advantage of your summer sale.
Exclusive summer sales can be fun, refreshing, and exciting for your community. You might not have thousands upon thousands of sign-ups, but it’ll be such an engaging experience for your active community members.
This could be a great way of nurturing existing connections and building stronger relationships with your audience.
Summer is the best time to lean into fun, laidback, and casual content. If everyone’s outdoors having fun and exploring, maybe you should too! Share your experiences with your audience via Instagram Stories. Post a photo dump showing what you’ve been up to this summer, or share highlights from your latest vacation.
Share little snippets of your life with your audience. Invite them in. Allow them to see who you really are.
This is good for building authentic connections with your audience. And this is what consumers are needing right now. They want to feel some sort of connection with you – especially if you’re a service provider – before they decide to work with you.
I’m envisioning… Warm colors. Vibrant beach towels. Chic sunglasses. Mimosas in hand. Flipping through magazines by the pool. Dipping your toes in the sand. Dancing around on the beach.
You can have so much fun with a summer-themed marketing campaign! Get casual with it. And ultimately have fun with it.
When you have fun with your campaigns, not only will you feel lit up creatively but your audience will be inspired by your vibrant visuals.
It’s a win-win!
It just means it’s a time to get introspective, continue being consistent with your marketing efforts, and accept that it might be a little harder to get brand new customers in the door.
Summertime is an opportunity. What will you do with it?
Jordan graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor's in Business Administration in 2021. She is the Creative Director at The Awakening, where she is responsible for all photography, video editing, graphic design, copy editing, and creative campaigns. She is a creative to the core and, in her spare time, loves to write poetry, spend time with loved ones, and listen to music from the 60's and 70's.
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