Four years ago, I started my own business — a media production company that later turned into a coaching service called Nail Your Media Interview through which I help business owners and authors promote their products, services or written work through media interviews.
I used to view the summer as a time for vacation but, recently, I’ve been inspired by how much profit can actually come out of this “break” time. That doesn’t mean you have to spend all day indoors, but by implementing a few changes and initiatives, you can take this time and turn it from being a lull to actually garnering so much more profit. Here are five things you can do to maximize the summer season and start the new year feeling excited, rejuvenated and insanely productive.
1. Launch a new product or service — or rebrand what you’re doing.
Collectively and individually, we are, by nature, open to possibilities during the summer. Summer mornings in Israel – where my family and I live – are sunnier and just so much more pleasant than the rest of the year. There’s more hope in the air, even with the challenges we’re dealing with during such complicated times as now. It’s that point in the morning, between reciting the Morning Blessings and my second cup of coffee that I think out loud that anything can happen during the day ahead.
I read a self-help book called See You at the Top by business tycoon and author Zig Ziglar, who urged his readers to sit up in bed upon awakening and enthusiastically say aloud, “Oh, boy — another day! And another opportunity to take advantage of what the world has to offer!” Contrasting this with the Jewish approach to utilize every day in order to give the world our talents and abilities, that summery feeling of light and renewal is all around us.
With summer comes customers who are actually ready to buy again. Shops, restaurants and the performing arts are among the many businesses that weathered the pandemic and are back up and running. All industries have had their challenges, and many are considering special promotions to launch, relaunch, or rebrand their products and services.
I actually rebranded myself this summer. I chose to work on my media interview coaching business while putting my podcast’s recording schedule on temporary hold. (You can still binge on three seasons of my weekly podcast interviews with famous Jewish scholars and authors on “At Home in Jerusalem,” on Aish.com.) Doing so allowed me to focus on this feeling of renewal and put my energy into one thing: receiving the maximum result.
Heather’s Bonus Pro Tip: Consumers spend more when there’s a coupon, promo code, or other discount offered.
2. Implement unique summery or holiday-themed promotions.
Now that Tisha B’Av is over, musicians and soloists will once again fill their schedules with gigs. If your product is something music fans can buy near the site of the performance, look into getting a permit to set up a booth or kiosk on the premises. There are so many other possibilities to sell products during the summer, and summer-themed events are fantastic opportunities for small business owners. I often advise my clients to further their brand by hosting their own summer event, especially the kind that might spark some local media coverage such as:
- Paint parties
- Costume jewelry creating
- Flower arrangement workshop
- Cake decorating
- Cookout, BBQ
Even if your local media outlets take a pass on covering your event, the main point is to create brand awareness for your product or service.
Your business doesn’t have to match exactly the type of event you are hosting! Let’s say that you’re a graphic artist, gallery owner, or nonprofit administrator. By hosting a paint party on your premises or wherever you have permission to host it, you’ll have the makings for great promotion and a positive association for all involved.
Heather’s Bonus Pro Tip: Summer holidays drive loads of people to summer fairs, so rent a booth and meet dozens of potential customers.
3. Head outside for some outdoor marketing.
As more people go out and enjoy the sunshine, their eyeballs naturally come along, and it’s a great time to hang fresh new banners or posters around town. One word of caution: Just make sure you obey local municipalities’ ordinances about where you can or cannot post signs. I learned for myself over a decade ago that many towns forbid taping signs to telephone poles! I got a surprise phone call from a clerk who worked for my local municipality, and baruch Hashem, he politely asked me to remove a flier I had taped to a telephone pole. While you’re out and about, also be sure to avoid affixing your posters to natural objects like trees and rocks.
Lazy summer days also present many opportunities to spread some good will. While folks in the general public are milling around on sunny days, hand out coupons, product samples, or fun and useful goods like cold bottles of water with your service’s logo on the label. You might just make someone’s day feel “sunnier” and generate some welcome goodwill associated with your business.
Got a storefront? Obviously, you want people to come inside and shop. Summertime opportunities to get people to smile and talk about your place of business can happen on the spot. If you sell apparel, why not host a mini sidewalk fashion show? If you run a toy store, have a sales associate at the door with a few games or toys to try with passersby.
A variety of storefront businesses — like the corner candy shop, sewing supplies store at the mall, or the neighborhood hardware store — get feet in the door by running little contests or raffles. Participants need to hand their entry forms or raffle tickets to a designated employee inside the place of business. And, once inside, participants are often game for doing some additional shopping.
Heather’s Bonus Pro Tip: Say yes to putting fliers in neighborhood mailboxes! Market research shows that 56 percent of consumers consider print media more trustworthy than other forms, and 79 percent of households will read or at least scan through direct mail adverts.
4. Summerize the look of your promotions.
Summer color palettes are actually a thing. Your advertisements during the summer should have a summery feel based on colors, typesetting and background. This goes for social media or printed promotions.
For my media interview coaching business, I chose a bold, summery, orange-based palette for this time of year and added fun accents I might normally skip. People get a kick out of promos that have a fun vibe, with summer-themed accents. My assistant is infusing just a few clip-art silhouettes of sunglasses, beach balls and flip-flops on a flier we’re creating to promote a series of video interviews on my new YouTube channel. It sounds so corny to say we’re doing this, but as a visual it’s what makes the promotion took more light and fun.
Heather’s Bonus Pro Tip: The top-rated templates for summertime or anytime promotions can be found on websites like Canva, Desygner, Adobe Illustrator, and Shutterstock Editor. Some of these are completely free of charge and others have a free limited trial. My team’s absolute favorite is Canva. Logo Maker is another platform that a bunch of business owners use. So even though it’s not free, they do offer a satisfaction guarantee within the 30 days of the sale.
5. Give back to the local community.
More than ever, we’re more likely to pay for products and services that honor community, the environment, and inclusion. Local charities are not big business, but we can make them “our business.” Consider having your business partner with a local charity by donating a percentage of your sales or profits.
I’ve also seen how donating some of your products to a charity’s event, or even co-creating a one-time event with them, can draw positive attention to both your business and to the charity’s good work. The same year I made aliyah, I began working at a Jerusalem-based PR firm. One client was a Modern Orthodox high school at which the students walked the Israel National Trail (which traverses the length of the Land of Israel, from the South to the North).
I pitched a few of Israel’s top bottled water companies to donate water bottles for the students to carry and drink along their days of hiking. In the end, all agreed it was good publicity, but ultimately one company considered supplying water bottles. The takeaway is that business owners, non-profit organizations, and basically any entity which seeks more visibility should consider partnering with another entity so that both can further their brand. When it’s a natural fit like water and walking, things blend seamlessly.
Heather’s Bonus Pro Tip: Alert the media! News editors and journalists often cover uplifting events involving charities to balance all the distressing news in the world.
The Honorable Mention Pre-Vacation Tip to Free Up Some Headspace:
As the general public juggles busy summer travel plans and overcrowded popular attractions, now is the time to plan ahead as you ramp up your summer business promotions. And when it’s your turn to take that well-deserved vacation, keep your business’s engine running by planning ahead. You can schedule your posts, either one entry at a time on Twitter, through Tweetdeck; on Facebook, with the site’s scheduler/manager options; or do what most business owners I know do: head over to Hootsuite! Many of my colleagues — including my own director of operations — prefer Hootsuite’s all-in-one social network integrations for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.”
Here’s to summer success!
Heather Dean is a media producer, public speaker and author. Heather coaches entrepreneurs and writers on promoting their businesses and written work though media interviews. Her memoir about her foray into broadcasting and eventual aliyah to Israel are detailed in her memoir, Searching for Heather Dean: My Extraordinary Career as a Celebrity Interviewer and Why I Walked Away From It, available for sale on Amazon.
About Heather
