For some e-commerce businesses, summer is the absolute peak season. A herring shop, sunscreen outlet, or deck chair store can likely make most of their money when the sun is at its highest. But for the vast majority, it’s a slow period for business.
Most of us take the opportunity to sip sangria or grow herbs (I have to do that on the windowsill, the herb-growing part, that is) instead of even turning on the computer. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably an exception—perhaps it’s your RSS reader on your phone that’s to blame?
This has implications for those of us who market online. It may seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget: seasonal effects always need to be considered when evaluating your efforts. You must compare to the same period last year rather than the previous month when opening your analytics.
That said, I don’t think you should pause your work entirely during summer. Instead of focusing on quantity, you can deepen your relationship with your most loyal customers, readers, or users. When so many others stop publishing blog posts or updating product lines, you can be the one who keeps going. You might reach a smaller audience than usual, but you’ll get even closer to them—you’re the one keeping them company in the hammock (yes, a slightly odd metaphor).
And surely, you’ll come back to this blog when autumn arrives, right? Wasn’t it good that I wrote today?
/Magnus
Magnus Bråth
CEO
Magnus is one of the world's most prominent search marketing specialists and primarily works with management and strategy at his agency Brath AB.