Top 7 Sizzling Summer Marketing Ideas For Your Business

Looking for unique ways to promote your small business during the high heat of summer time? Then this is the article for you so let's get started.

1: Sidewalk Signs

Buy yourself a cheap chalkboard easel (affiliate link) and then come up with a catchy slogan or joke. Better yet, don't reinvent the wheel! Just google a list of "catchy business sidewalk sign jokes" (affiliate link) and run with it. These are a great way to catch eyeballs as potential customers walk by and get them to stop, have a laugh, and notice you. Better yet, they may take a photo and post on social media so make sure your store name and info is on it and enjoy some free advertising.

2: Make It A Party

Create some sort of event that will help generate some buzz. Offer free hot dogs that you grill in your parking lot. To get that hot dog, send people into your store for a free coupon in exchange for an email address / newsletter subscription. Toss in some live music and it becomes a fun party for everyone.

3: Give It Away

Don't give it all away, of course, but offer some sort of raffle or contests where people can win something. Everyone's a sucker for a freebie, even if it's just a lame t-shirt. You can also try giving away something with each purchase (or purchases over a certain amount). A pair of sunglasses or beach towel with every purchase over $100 for example. Or maybe just an ice cold bottle of water or lemonaide with any purchase.

4: Lower Prices

If the mercury is rising then try lower pricing with a "sizzling sale" or other "beat the heat" promotions. These can be a great way to get customers, who would otherwise stay home in their air conditioning, to come out and see what you've got going on.

5: Celebrate Odd Holidays

Pick a crazy holiday like National Anti-Boredom Month or International Clown Week, both of which are real things. Or, just invent your own like National Taco Day or Spotted Beaver Awareness Month. Either way, make an event based on those silly holidays, real or not, and offer discounts and promotions and other fun prizes around them. Sounds crazy now but look at how goofy people get around bizarre holidays like Ground Hog's Day and other non-sense days (I'm looking at you Valentine's Day). Contact your local media outlets and see if they'll run a story on it. If it's a slow news day you might get lucky.

6: Movie Themes

Summer is always movie blockbuster time so pay attention to the new releases coming out and pick one that's going to be a hit. Anything from Disney, a superhero, or stuff that is either Fast or Furious is a good bet. Theme your stores, sales, and marketing materials around that movie. Offer free movie tickets as a prize for a contest based around the movie. For example, have people take their best movie inspired photo and tag your social media handles when they post it to enter. Randomly pick a winner to give the tickets to. It's a great way to get free social media advertising for a low cost.

7: Cater To Kids

In the summer, the heat is annoying enough but add in kids who are out of school and don't want to be shopping and it's a parent's nightmare. Use that to your advantage by offering cold drinks, maybe a non-sugary snack option, and an area for kids to sit and play. A small table with paper and crayons or a TV with Disney movies playing is all it takes. Mom and dad can browse your wares without having to tell little Tommy to stop touching every 10 seconds. If parents are more relaxed they have more time to shop and thus more time to spend. Better yet, the parents will be less stressed when they leave and maybe little Tommy won't cause them both to drink themselves to sleep that night!