How to communicate during the summer?

July is in full swing, the beaches and other tourist spots are filling up and your audience is getting smaller. As a brand, you’re probably wondering if you should slow down or even take a break. So how do you communicate during the summer? Check out all my tips for making the most of this summer season.

Whatever you do, don’t stop

The first piece of advice I can give you is not to stop your communication entirely.

Whether it’s in a newsletter or on social networks, it’s advisable to keep in touch with your audience during the summer period.

First, because not all your customers and potential customers go on vacation. And if they do, they will be gone for a month at most.

As we know, most brands (except those with summer products), experience a drop in sales during the summer. Your target audience is busy with sightseeing, the beach, hiking or dining out with friends. And above all, they spend a large part of their budget on vacations. However, this is not a reason to stop all communication… on the contrary! 

Especially since on social networks, a complete stop of publications can have negative consequences on your visibility. Instagram (just like Facebook for that matter), values regularity. You can simply choose to slow down your pace: for example, go from three weekly posts to only one, but it isn’t recommended to go from three to nothing at all. Because in the fall, it will be much more difficult to be promoted again by Instagram. it would be like starting from scratch all over again and you wouldn’t want that, right?

Finally, if you stop all communication, your audience may forget about you and not think about you for the fall – which would be a shame as well!

Organization is key

It’s not only your audience that goes on vacation… maybe you do too! And in order to remain present while being away, it’s imperative to be well organized.

#1 – Delegate. The easiest way is to delegate the content part (newsletters, website, social networks) to a member of your team. This way, you ensure a 100% optimal service and you relieve yourself of a great mental load. 

#2 – Plan and schedule. If you are the only one in charge, you can anticipate your departure by preparing all your upcoming content. I invite you to schedule the sending of your newsletters via your emailing tool (Mailerlite, Mailchimp…) and your content on Facebook and Instagram via Facebook Creator Studio (it’s free!). This way, you won’t have to create and publish your content at the last minute!

#3 – Slow down the pace. Finally, don’t hesitate to slow down the pace – without stopping entirely, as we just mentioned. Are you sending out two newsletters a week? Cut back to only one. Are you posting three times a week on social media? Only do so twice a week. Do keep in mind that it’s not the quantity that counts but the consistency. You don’t want your audience to forget about you, but you also want to let them enjoy their vacation. It’s all about balance!

Communicating during the summer: relevance and light-heartedness.

If on the surface, the summer period seems to slow down your activity, it can also be a great way to create a stronger bond with your audience by changing the way you communicate.

The idea? Adopt a lighter tone, less “marketing” oriented, to prolong the vacation spirit and vibes. Sounds good?

Here are some ideas for your newsletters and social networks:

• Contests. Take advantage of this period to make people win one of your products or services. You can also collaborate with a complementary brand for even more impact. Indeed, contests on Instagram or Facebook are a great way to gain visibility and therefore, increase your number of subscribers – even during the holidays.
• As for the newsletter, don’t hesitate to offer a small discount (-10% for example) to your new subscribers on their first order or to offer a small gift for each order placed (samples, tote bag…).
• Share exotic or breathtaking pictures on your social networks. You can, for example, display your products in your vacation destination and invite your audience to do the same. Why not also show your vacation suitcase and share your essentials (wardrobe, accessories, cosmetics, books…). 
• Finally, rely on funny content like memes or share funny situations that everyone encounters at least once on vacation (a suitcase that doesn’t lock properly, traffic jams on the way to the airport, mosquito bites…). By sharing situations that everyone identifies with, you will bond with your audience who will consider your brand more for a future purchase.

Remember, the summer months are the perfect time to slow down – without having to shut down your communication. Take advantage of this quieter time of year to reflect on your first six months and think about the goals you want to achieve when you return to work. And above all, take a DEEP BREATH, it’s the holidays!!!