Summertime Marketing is Summertime FUN!
Summer is here! Well, technically it is not here until June 21 but we are going with the “unofficial” start to summer, which in our mind is after Memorial Day. While you are busy changing out your wardrobe, putting together a new grill and pulling the patio furniture out of storage, you should think about how you can change up your marketing to match the season.
Below are our top ideas for summertime marketing.
Get Involved With a Community Event
Does your area have any large outdoor activities in the near future, such as a farmer’s market or street fair? If so, this is the perfect place to set up a booth or simply become a sponsor so your name appears on a banner or flyer. Not only will you get to mix and mingle with the locals, but you get to connect your brand with the community. Patients may factor this into their decision when trying to choose which practice to make an appointment with.
Hold a Summer-Themed Contest
Whether you like it or not, social media is a big part of our lives and our marketing plans. Try holding a photo contest on social media to increase your followers and to get your name out there. What sort of photo you ask? You could ask people to submit photos of themselves wearing hearing protection at an outdoor concert, smelling the flowers or exercising outside to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Switch Things Up
The summer is the perfect time to try out new marketing methodology. If you normally do newspaper ads, try looking into a radio spot to catch folks during their long road trips. Maybe instead of sending out coupons for a discount off a hearing screening or other service try hosting an event that allows patients to see your office and get a first-hand experience of what your practice has to offer. May we recommend a summer BBQ? Everyone loves free potato salad.
Try Out Summer Hours
While this may not be doable for all, summer hours are a great incentive to get new patients in the door. Staying open later, even just one or two days a week, can be a real selling point. Who wouldn’t rather see their doctor after work instead of having to take the day off? Also, with the sun setting later, your patients will still have their whole day left after they leave your office.
Embracing the new season can help your marketing seem less dated as well. If you are sending out the same tired flyers, simple changing the graphics to be summer themed can help make a connection with patients.
Whatever you do, just remember that summer is the time to have some fun.