3 Things Marketers Should Not Overlook This Summer

by Steve Olenski

The summer. Depending on where you live, work and play the word can connote different things – from beaches to barbecues, to camping to fishing, to mountain climbing and white-water rafting and on and on.

The summer is a time for vacation for sure. And yours truly could use one right about now. But that’s another story and quite honestly you probably don’t care and I can’t say I blame you. The summer is also a time to spend with family and friends to yes – engage. And we all know, when it comes to marketing, engagement is everything.

Here’s a list I compiled of 3 things marketers should not overlook this summer. No, I did not include sunscreen for that should be obvious.

1. Your Database (and the growing thereof)

This time of year, AKA the summer (at least in the northern hemisphere) people are on the lookout for their next greatest vacation spot. And companies that provide access to rental properties are in a fierce battle with one another to stand out while growing their list of repeat customers.

One such company is Swantree 30A and its co-founder Jason Koertge says others in the same industry – as well as all companies in general, can benefit greatly via two traditional methods.
“Email newsletters and social media,” says Koertge. “I realize these are not exactly new platforms but we rely on both heavily to stay engaged and grow our list at the same time. I think these are goldmines that many companies downplay or overlook completely.”

2. Something New i.e. New Technology

It’s very easy to be lose sight of a new release of new technology over the summer for after all, you have your tan and summer reading to think of, right?

Well in case you didn’t know there is a slew of new technology that will be release this summer including the Apple iPad Pro, Microsoft 10 and Oculus Rift, the latter of which could finally open the doors to using virtual reality (VR) as a true marketing tool.

According to AdWeek, Marriott, which has dabbled in VR in the past, is considering making the Oculus Rift – which will be available for pre-order this summer, a permanent fixture inside its hotels this year.” Last year in fact Marriott offered guests a one-minute “fantastical glimpses of Maui’s Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach and central London from the dizzying heights of gigantic skyscraper Tower 42″ via an initiative named #GetTeleported.

3. You Are Not the Only One On Vacation

Just as obvious as using sunscreen (see above) so too should the fact be that marketers need to remember that people, AKA your customers and prospects are on vacation, too.
Now I can hear you now: “No kidding, Steve. Of course I know they’re on vacation. What am I an idiot?”

Well I not get into the whole IQ aspect of this topic but I will get into the fact that consumers during the summer are under a different mindset. For one thing the pace is slower; more relaxed. This is not to say they are still open to hearing of about a sale or receiving a coupon, etc.

But the pace at which they disseminate the marketing messages they receive is slower. I have no scientific data to back this up – am relying on good old fashioned common sense. Don’t you as a consumer slow things down just a notch during the summer?

And please, do not set your marketing machine on autopilot for the summer. Do not send message after message without one iota of consideration toward relevance. Just the other day I published something onLinkedIn entitled The Danger For Brands Who Don’t Master This 9-Letter Word.

The 9-letter word in question is relevance and the article touched on findings of a recent study which revealed this mind-blowing stat:

20% of U.S. and U.K. consumers say they receive between four and five irrelevant marketing messages per day.

So please, I beg of you, don’t fall into the “set it and forget it” mode and blast one irrelevant message after another to your customers during the summer hoping they will respond to one of them.

*This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Steve Olenski was named one of the Top 100 Influencers In Social Media (#41) by Social Technology Review and a Top 50 Social Media Blogger by Kred. Steve is a senior creative content strategist at Responsys, a leading marketing cloud software and services company. He is a also a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing and co-author of the book “StumbleUpon For Dummies.” He can be reached via LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter @steveolenski or at the nearest coffee shop.