It is hard to believe it is almost Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer. But, unlike past summers, over half of the United States is still under stay at home orders due to COVID-19. So what does that mean for your marketing approach over the next few months? 

Here are five ways to engage your fans, followers, and customers this summer.

1. Offer a discount – Recent sales data shows that due to the stay at home orders, online shoppers are more active this year than last year. There will be opportunity to continue to drive conversions over the next few months. You may want to consider a series of summer discounts to continue to attract consumers. 
2. Create an online contest – While people will be eager to get outside if there is nice weather in their area, they will also spend more time online than in previous years. This creates a great opportunity to host a summer themed contest. 
3. Highlight your differentiators – Do you offer quick shipping? Curbside or contactless home delivery? It is important to stress these differentiators as many shoppers are looking for safe ways to satisfy their needs. Don’t forget to include your contact information front and center on any marketing materials (e.g. phone number, email address) so your customers can contact you with questions.
4. Keep online marketing budgets strong – Competition will be higher than past summers with many businesses looking to attract consumers online vs other media channels. We recommend keeping budgets strong throughout summer. Don’t forget to set aside funds for retargeting.
5. Focus on our heroes – The holiday weekend is a great way to honor those who served our country and are currently serving our country both in the military and on the frontline to build a deeper connection with your customers. This can include sharing personal stories, tributes, employees, customers or supporting non-profit organizations.

No matter what business you are in, this summer presents a unique opportunity to engage consumers and drive revenue despite COVID-19’s limitations. The key is being creative, agile and in tune with your target audience. 

Victoria is co-founder, chief disruptor and a resident craft beer fanatic. In Victoria’s 15+ years as a consumer-focused marketer, she has led the digital and mobile marketing efforts (and other cool stuff) for several top and emerging brands. She has leveraged the latest web, mobile and social technology to increase brand awareness, user acquisition, engagement, conversions, and revenue for a variety of B2C and B2B brands. In 2011, Victoria founded the start-up, Gravy Analytics, where she developed transformative proprietary mobile marketing technology that provides unprecedented real-world location intelligence to advertisers and brands.

Victoria is co-founder, chief disruptor and a resident craft beer fanatic. In Victoria’s 15+ years as a consumer-focused marketer, she has led the digital and mobile marketing efforts (and other cool stuff) for several top and emerging brands. She has leveraged the latest web, mobile and social technology to increase brand awareness, user acquisition, engagement, conversions, and revenue for a variety of B2C and B2B brands. In 2011, Victoria founded the start-up, Gravy Analytics, where she developed transformative proprietary mobile marketing technology that provides unprecedented real-world location intelligence to advertisers and brands.