The arrival of spring has an obvious impact on the mental state of consumers. Sunset moves to later in the day, ice begins to melt and snow gives way to green grass and flowers. You'll see people walking down the street wearing shorts before it's warm, and sitting outside at restaurants while still wearing jackets.
Spring has an effect on people, and businesses are smart to consider spring marketing ideas that capitalize on these changing behaviors. With consumers eager to get out of winter and move on to brighter days, brands have a chance to win new business by feeding into that spring mania, giving consumers the experience they're craving. Here are five ideas to get going:
1. Host an Outdoor Sale
Sometimes, the best spring marketing ideas are the simple ones. If you're a clothing retailer, it's easy to host an outdoor sale just by pushing sales racks outside the front doors. This can be useful when your store is located in an area that has high foot traffic, but all stores can use this trick to draw in consumers who want to shop but don't want to give up time in the sunshine. Consider opening a pop-up shop or renting space at an outdoor market to move the brand into unfamiliar territory, too.
2. Be Forward Thinking
While spring has sprung, it makes sense to take advantage of the seasonal opportunities upon us. For some retailers, that may look like putting heavy focus on promotions for grills and landscaping materials. However, if you want to get ahead of the summer season, now is the time to start thinking about those opportunities. Depending on your industry, the path to purchase for consumers can take a little longer. So why not start that conversation now? Whether you're an HVAC business promoting air conditioner tune-ups for the hot summer ahead or a theme park in the business of keeping families entertained this summer, now is the time to start the conversation so when the need is there, you are top of mind for your customer.
3. Examine Your Data
Putting the right foot forward as the year begins is important. You should know how your business is performing, so you can better make decisions on what needs to be done. According to Square, it's important to examine your analytics, so you can learn how your customers prefer to shop. This improves efficiency, so you can improve your bottom line.
4. Host a Social Content Contest
Mother's Day is a natural instigator for social media tributes from children to their moms. Brands have an easy way to get involved in the action. Ask your customers to share pictures and stories of their moms ahead of Mother's Day by using hashtags or other methods of tagging social content. The motivation could range from a contest or random drawing to something as simple as featuring those pictures and stories on your own social media. This not only increases brand visibility on a holiday, but it fosters a deeper relationship with those customers.
5. Spring-clean Your Inventory
A number of industries have new products and designs coming out in the spring and summer. If you need to clear out inventory, a spring cleaning is an easy way to do it. Shoppers will love the chance to get sales at deep discounts. Meanwhile, stores can take advantage of running a big sale outside of typical sales cycles.
Whatever strategy you ultimately settle on, take advantage of the improving mood of your customers and use that uplift to build a rewarding branded experience.
