Warm summer days are finally upon us, and people everywhere are ready to enjoy the sunshine while spending quality time with their loved ones. Although the ongoing concerns about Covid-19 have caused many state fairs, festivals, and other summer events to be canceled or postponed, this season can still provide plenty of profitable opportunities for eCommerce retailers. For instance, Amazon’s 48-hour Prime Day event in mid-July led to a total of $7.16 billion in revenue last year, making it one of the biggest sales days of the year.
To help you make the most of the upcoming months, we’ve curated this list of effective marketing tactics you can utilize to keep your audience engaged with your brand all season long. You’ll also find key dates to add to your own calendar to spice up your content marketing strategy or social media posts. Read on to learn how to get started!
June
During this month, retailers can stock up on summer essentials and start planning marketing campaigns for each of the following well-known dates and holidays:
- Best Friend Day. This globally-recognized day occurs on June 8, and it can be a wonderful opportunity for you to engage with your followers through online contests, polls, or hashtags. For instance, you could ask your followers to post a picture of them and their best friend, add a hashtag, and select a winner every hour throughout the day. It’s an easy way to spread positivity while giving your followers an opportunity to win some free merch!
- Father’s Day. Until June 21th, people across the nation will be searching for the perfect gifts for their dads. Offering special Father’s Day deals and posting about the holiday on social media can attract more buyers to your site while letting your loyal customers know about new items.
- Summer Solstice. June 20th, the longest day of the year, should be a top priority for retailers who sell outdoorsy items. A blog post about how to throw the perfect summer barbecue party or an article about the best hiking trails in your local area could get your community excited about the extra sunshine they’ll experience during the solstice!
July
Aside from the red, white, and blue themes of the 4th of July, merchants also need to prepare for the Amazon Prime Day event. Early in the month, you may want to think about promoting party supplies, outdoor equipment, or patriotic-themed clothing to ramp up your brand’s online visibility and provide popular items for the American holiday. Creating short tutorial videos or blogs for easy 4th of July recipes, decorations, or other DIY crafts is also a great way to boost your SEO and provide relevant material for a large audience.
Unlike other sales dates, Amazon doesn’t announce when Amazon Prime Day will occur until the last minute. To be prepared for the sale at a moment’s notice, merchants need to plan ahead in order to give customers the great deals they’ll be expecting throughout the 48-hour shopping frenzy. Take time now to think about what items you want to promote, create ads ahead of time, and stock up on extra inventory to prepare for a spike in sales.
August
In August, students will be preparing to go back to school, which means that school supplies, clothing for autumn, and certain tech products will be in high demand. This month can be thought of as a transitional period between summer and fall so you can determine which items will be your best-sellers from September through December. The following dates can help you sell the last of your summer inventory and seamlessly introduce your new products for fall:
- Book Lovers’ Day. This unofficial holiday for bookworms occurs on August 9th, which coincides with the time when many college students are purchasing textbooks for the upcoming semester. Even if you don’t sell books or school materials, you can take advantage of this day by blogging about some of your favorite books, offering special discounts for students, or giving a shout-out to local bookstores in your area.
- World Photography Day. On August 19th, grab your camera and snap a unique shot of something that you can relate back to your brand. Encourage your followers on social media to share photos of their favorite products from your brand, or pose a question in your own photo’s caption to spark a positive conversation.
For additional eCommerce strategies and marketing tips, check out our other posts here!
