The signs of summer marketing are everywhere, beckoning customers in from the street for a spontaneous summer sale. And you should get into that game! Summer is a traditional time to hit a sales slump, what with all of your customers spending their hard-earned money on family vacations, which is why a good sale is deliciously enticing. Summer shoppers are looking for wedding gifts, inexpensive rewards and treats, nostalgia, and fun. Once you’ve set up the details of your deal, you need spread word, and since you don’t have to do battle with ice storms and snow piles, outdoor temporary signage is worth working into your budget.
To begin, scope out the perfect placement for your signs. To do that, as with every marketing strategy, you have to think like your ideal customer. Summer brings out a certain freedom – of work, school, and weather warnings – prompting impulsive adventure seeking, or merely something different to do. Let them know that your shop is their ultimate destination with excited signage. Line the sidewalks with vertical banners, design an attention-grabbing sandwich board, invest in an outdoor digital sign or the low-tech kind that allows you to change out the letters and create a dynamic new message every week (or day!).
As you scope out the perfect spot for your signage, take into consideration:
- Visual Competition. You want your sign to stand out wherever you put it. In this case competition could be your own permanent outdoor signage, or a city sign.
- Foot and Vehicle Traffic. Who are you mostly likely to catch: those driving by or customers on foot? Signs designed to attract drivers or passengers should be short and sweet, whereas browsers on foot have more time to stop and read what you’ve got to say.
- By-Laws and Lease Agreements! You don’t want to violate either!
In need of some sales prompts? Here are our favourites:
Holiday promotions.
Summer is filled with long weekends! Take advantageous of those with a sweet deal to tempt the party people away from the backyard, preferably in packs. Since folks are busy these weekends, and travel can be a pain, it’s fair to offer the same deal online.
Walk-in specials.
To ensure your promotion remains affordable for you, and to get customers in to peruse your other wares and services, offer walk-in specials; it works for pizzerias!
BOGOs are hot.
But you’ve got to make them worth the full-price purchase.
Host a pop-up.
Get a few of your fellow business owners together and host a day-long pop-up shop in the confines of your own space, or offer up a summer-long pop-up section in your store if you have space limitations. Cross promotions are fun!
Sidewalk sale.
This could pay off particularly well if your shop is located in a plaza.
When you’re ready to print your signs, or need assistance with the style, we recommend Grand River Sign Design for all your signage needs! Stop by their showroom at 25 Struck Court Unit 5 in Cambridge, Ontario or call to set up a consultation at 519-740-7272.
Looking for some customize graphics for your new signs? Jelly Triangle can help! Call us at 519-624-8888 to find out how.
