It’s no surprise that many consumers have developed well-honed social media skills while inside their pandemic bubble. So why not build on that experience during the summer months by posting engaging content on your social media sites? It’s a familiar way to connect with customers but with the lighthearted spirit of summer. See if one of these social media ideas could work for your small business.

Throwback Thursday Vacations

Piggyback on this nostalgic trend each Thursday and post a photo of a past summer vacation. Invite your followers to do the same. They make great conversation starters as others identify with a similar experience.

This works best when you can relate the trip to your business. For example, a restaurant could post vacation photos outside a 50s diner. If your products have longevity, you could post vacation photos where one of your products is being used. An outdoor gear store could share a photo using an older Coleman stove at the family camp site.

Cool Deals

Give customers a chance to let off some steam on a warm day. Maybe it’s the first 100-degree day or the fifth consecutive day of a heat wave. Post a one-day only cool deal. It could be as simple as a discount on fans, half-priced cold drinks, 2-for-1 admission to an indoor, air-conditioned laser-tag experience, or free planting service with every purchase of a shade tree.

Your followers tend to share these limited-time promotions with others in their network, especially if you make it a “tag a friend” promotion. That’s a great way to expand your reach.

Tips and Tricks

Who doesn’t love a shortcut? So share tips that make it easier to use your products or services. Salons could demonstrate how/when to apply sunscreen. A sporting goods store can give shortcuts to cleaning that nasty barbeque grill (and keeping it clean). A restaurant could share food safety tips for that family picnic.  

And while you’re at it, share new ways to use the products you offer. The manufacturers of the lubricant WD-40 are masters at it (take a look). A hardware store selling it could post a series of these. Customers appreciate getting more for their money, and you’re increasing demand at the same time.

Get The Picture

Take this opportunity to refresh the banner on your social media page with a summer image. It helps set a lighthearted tone to the page. Continue that practice using seasonal photos in your post. According to Buzzsumo, Facebook posts with images see 2.3 times more engagement than those without images.

There are a number of sites that offer royalty-free images. As an example, Shutterstock has over 400,000 summer backgrounds you can choose from, including some that feature the phrase, “summer sales.”

Picture Contests

Contests can be an engaging way to touch bases with your followers. The key is to make it simple. Start by giving them a subject, like “post a photo of your kids (or pets) and ice cream.”  That’s ideal for a kid-friendly business or a pet store.

You can structure the contest in a number of ways. The winner could be determined by followers using the number of likes. Or they could be chosen at random, like the tenth photo posted. With different photo ideas, this is a promotion you could continue throughout the summer. Perhaps even select a grand-prize winner at the end of the season.

Pair Up

Two businesses are better than one when you team up for a summer promotion. You get the advantage of extending your reach to a partnering business’ followers. And you’re doubling the promotional effort too.

This works best with complementary or neighboring businesses. For example, a food truck could partner with a local bookstore. The social media posts could promote a limited-time offer featuring a summer menu item and a choice of books with “summer” in the title.

Draw on the connection customers have cultivated with social media during the pandemic. But sound a lighter note with one of these social media ideas to heat up your summer sales.