As temperatures hit all-time highs, your sales and marketing returns can often slow down in the summer. Lucky for you, it’s not too late to have a kick-ass marketing strategy this summer. Here’s the key: start now!
As a creative marketing agency rooted in strategy, it is our job to stay on top of trends for our clients. So let us throw you a bone and let you in on some of our best marketing tips guaranteed to take your business to new heights this summer.
Dive into the deep end with confidence, make some serious waves around your competitors’ territory and leave them wondering: “Who did their marketing?”
1. Tap into user-generated content
Close your eyes and imagine your favorite company re-sharing that post of you showing off their product. It’s like being noticed by a celebrity!
Now, imagine the impact on your brand if you were to repost user-generated content (UGC) from your loyal customers. It creates a powerful emotional connection, boosting brand loyalty and advocacy. By actively embracing and promoting UGC, brands create a thriving community of engaged customers who feel valued and connected.
Moreover, UGC content assists in maintaining a steady stream of content without the need to constantly produce large quantities of new material. In addition, consumers often trust UGC more than branded content because it comes from real people who have experienced the product or service firsthand. This authenticity builds credibility and fosters trust between your brand and your audience.
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2. Leverage influencer collaborations
Leverage influencer collaborations to captivate fresh audiences and immerse them in your brand’s summer escapades.
By partnering with influencers, you can tap into their extensive reach and connect with a diverse range of individuals who are actively seeking unique experiences and content during the summer season. These collaborations provide a powerful avenue to showcase your brand’s offerings, spark interest and generate buzz, ultimately driving increased visibility, engagement, and potential conversions for your business.
Remember, trust is the name of the game in influencer marketing. Make sure your chosen influencers genuinely believe in your brand and let them unleash their creativity to express their honest opinions. As we mentioned earlier, these authentic endorsements will skyrocket brand awareness and fuel valuable user-generated content.
For instance, our collaboration with Diana Brandt, The Original Arizona Foodie, within our Travel Costa Mesa campaign proved to be immensely beneficial in introducing the vibrant food culture of Costa Mesa to passionate food enthusiasts residing in the Phoenix metro area.
3. Boost engagement with Reels
If your business isn’t harnessing the power of video, now is the time to start! Instagram Reels are a goldmine of opportunity and don’t require a major production. They make it easier for users to discover accounts they don’t already follow, as reels have a dedicated space within social media platforms. By appearing on the Explore page or in personalized recommendations, your brand has the chance to reach a wider audience and rack up more followers. Don’t forget to throw in some hashtags to expand your reach and let Instagram sort your content into the right categories, so it can show it to folks who have interacted with similar content.
At The James Agency, we regularly create reels for a variety of restaurants owned by Fox Restaurant Concepts. We have found that reels not only showcase the unique menus and atmospheres of each restaurant in a way that static images cannot, but they also perform the best in the algorithm.
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4. Utilize AI in your creative process
We were a tad skeptical when AI stepped into the creative scene. Little did we know: AI is the coolest sidekick for creative projects.
AI programs like ChatGPT and Midjourney are a powerful creative ideation tool, assisting in storyboarding, concept iteration and providing visual representations of things that don’t yet exist for non-visual clients. However, the human element of the creative process is still crucial to getting what we want out of an AI program. Designers can delegate tasks such as image resizing, color palette selection and typography generation to AI, freeing up more time for them concentrate on the creative aspects that demand their artistic expertise.
We may not be experts in the AI field (and these programs evolve seemingly by the week), but we encourage experimentation with AI as a useful tool.
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At The James Agency, we thrive on staying ahead of marketing trends to ensure our clients are seeing the results that matter most to their business. In an ever-changing industry, it’s important that your agency comes to the table with fresh ideas.
Contact us today to make your summer marketing dreams a reality. Our dynamic team of talented creatives, bad ass web developers and savvy media experts is armed with the passion and expertise to exceed your expectations.
