In A Summer Slump? Creative Marketing Strategies to Stay Top of Mind
For some industries, summer can be a slower season. School is out, vacations are booked, and out-of-office messages pile up as people enjoy the longer days, hotter temperatures, and the opportunity to disconnect. If you’re seeing a dip in engagement with your marketing materials, you’re not alone. Summer might be the time for others to sign off – but that doesn’t mean your brand should go on DND, too.
From warm-weather campaigns, to seasonal promotions, to planning ahead for fall launches, the summer season is an excellent opportunity for you to find creative ways to stay top of mind for your audience. Here, we’ll go over content ideas, ways to engage your audience during these slower months, and the importance of planning ahead now for the fall and winter seasons. Let’s dive in.
Summer Campaigns for your Marketing Calendar
Let’s face it: “fun in the sun” summer campaigns are boring, overused, and fail to add any value for your audience. This summer, it’s time to dig deeper and get more creative with your content. If you’re struggling to think outside of the box, put yourself in your potential consumer’s shoes. What kind of content would be intriguing or add value? What kinds of things would you want to learn more about?
Many creative marketing ideas will stem from your business objective. Maybe you’re a health and wellness brand incorporating summer sporting events into your materials, or maybe you’re a nonprofit that can use this opportunity to really dig deeper and teach your audience more about your causes. Lean into what makes your business unique and how the summer season plays into your brand’s mission, values, and persona. Remember that while it’s important to participate in trends and create content that can help your business go viral, it’s also key to stay authentic to your brand.
Engaging Your Audience During the Summer Season
While the summer season may see an increase in PTO and OOO messages, people likely aren’t taking a break from scrolling their feeds or posting the latest photos from their summer adventures. It’s key to maintain consistent engagement with your audience during the summer months and plan ahead to post content, send out your regular newsletters, and consistently interact with your community to stay top of mind and show up.
In addition to this consistent marketing, you should also plan for bold, creative campaigns that will help build brand loyalty and keep your audience engaged. Whether it’s a photo contest to generate UGC, a giveaway with another brand, or an in-person activation, generate some buzz and give your followers something to look forward to.
On a smaller scale, try adjusting your brand’s content to reflect all the summer season has to offer, from updating your website and social feeds with relevant summer graphics, to adjusting CTAs across your materials, to refreshing any copy. Don’t let your audience see outdated spring or winter content on your page.
Planning Ahead
While the summer season may be slower for your brand, this is a great time to take advantage of the extra time and start planning ahead for the busier fall and winter months. Any successful marketing campaign that drives real impact for holiday sales starts with an intentional campaign that is planned out with plenty of time for edits, adjustments, and breathing room in case anything goes wrong.
The halfway point of 2025 snuck up on many of us, and the holiday season is sure to be no different. If November and December are some of the busier months for your brand, it’s best to set yourself up for success by starting early and giving yourself the time and space to think of the most creative holiday campaigns.
The competition in the digital space can be hard to beat – make sure you put your best foot forward by creating a schedule for the fall and winter seasons. This will help you not only stay on track, but also give you the space to be bold, creative, and innovative – without the time crunch and stress of the holiday season.
Conclusion
Summer may be a slower time for many brands, but that doesn’t mean engagement has to be low. Whether you run a special marketing campaign that celebrates the slower pace of the season or make an extra effort to build your brand’s community, summer can offer a real chance to stand out and make an impact on your audience. The slower pace of the season is also a great opportunity to plan ahead for your fall and winter marketing campaigns, allowing more time for you to be creative and giving a head start that you’ll thank yourself for later on.
