Every year, as the sun starts shining (hopefully), and holiday out-of-office auto replies go up, businesses brace for what’s been dubbed the “summer slump”. Sales slow down, engagement drops, and many brands hit pause on their marketing efforts, assuming audiences have checked out.
But here’s the truth: the summer slump is a myth. The customers haven’t necessarily disappeared; they’ve simply shifted how and when they engage. And that’s exactly why your digital strategy shouldn’t take a holiday.
Let’s talk about how to keep your brand’s digital presence buzzing, even in flip-flop season.
Rethink the Summer Mindset
Instead of seeing summer as a slowdown, think of it as a shift. People are still online, but their habits change. They scroll while travelling, browse during poolside downtime, and shop during late-night heatwave insomnia. Adjust your strategy to meet them where they are.
Top Tip: Always optimise for mobile. Whilst this is always a good year-round strategy, Summer in particular is a mobile first season.
Keep Content Fresh (and Fun)
This is the perfect time to experiment. Test lighter, more seasonal content that aligns with summer lifestyles – think travel tips, summer hacks, or “best of” lists. Use storytelling, reels, and humour to break through the noise.
Top Tip: Schedule weekly content refreshes to stay relevant and ride seasonal trends.
Double Down on Engagement
If you assume your audience isn’t paying attention, you’ll stop talking – and that’s when they really forget you. Engage consistently with polls, contests, user-generated content, and live sessions. Summer is social; so your brand should be too.
Top Tip: Run a Summer Giveaway or photo contest to boost interaction.
Run Micro-Campaigns
You don’t need a full-blown product launch to stay visible. Micro-campaigns – short, targeted efforts – can drive strong results. Try flash sales, themed email series, or limited-time offers that create a sense of urgency
Top Tip: Tie your promotions to summer events like music festivals, holidays, or back-to-school – but only if appropriate and there is a natural link.
Use this time to test and learn
Fewer major campaigns from competitors mean more room to experiment. A/B test headlines, tweak your ad creatives, and fine-tune your landing pages. What you learn now can set you up for a great Q4.
Top Tip: Keep a log of what performs well in the summer – it’ll inform next year’s strategy.
Keep SEO and Ads Active
It might be tempting to scale back ad spend, but staying visible during quieter months can give you an edge. Lower competition often means better CPCs (cost per clicks) and more efficient campaigns. Plus, your SEO needs year-round nurturing to stay healthy.
Top Tip: Focus on evergreen content and keywords that perform year-round.
Final Thoughts: Stay Present, Stay Powerful
Letting things go quiet in the summer sends the wrong message – one of inactivity and inconsistency. Instead, use this time to stay nimble, creative, and connected. Customers are still listening. The question is: are you still talking?
Need help staying active with your marketing this summer? From SEO to content, social media, paid advertising, email, and more, the DBS Digital team can help ensure your digital marketing efforts stay effective and efficient, even during the quieter summer months. If you want to get started, get in touch with us to see how we can help your business.
