Shake Things Up With a Summer Flash Sale

Everyone in marketing talks about the summer slump, and like it or not, summer marketing does present its share of challenges. The weather’s warm, there are tons of other things to do and people are thinking more about red-hot vacation deals than red-hot marketing campaigns. All is not lost however. Why not get things going with a summer flash sale?

If you’re not familiar with a flash sale, it’s a discount or promotion usually offered by an ecommerce store, though if you have a bricks-and-mortar store there’s no reason you can’t play too. The name comes from the fact that it’s only available for a limited time and in limited quantities. In other words, it’s gone in a flash, so you better take advantage while you can. Because of the quickness, stores are able to offer steeper discounts than they normally would, with the idea of getting the customer to buy now— aka impulse buying.

Flash sales have a number of advantages. If your business is the type that keeps inventory, a flash sale is a great way to ‘clear out the closet’ so to speak. Your storage space is limited, so why have something just sitting around?

If your business is seasonal, or even if you normally carry seasonal items, a flash sale can be a great way to get rid of out-of-season items. Beach balls at Christmas? A propane heater in July? If these items aren’t moving, a flash sale might be just the thing. It saves you on inventory costs and frees up much-needed space for your more popular items.

A flash sale is also a great way to boost your brand profile. The boost can even happen for free. There are multiple websites out there whose sole purpose is to scour the web so competitive bargain hunters don’t have to. Flash sales can put your store on the radar of these deal sites and blogs all over the Internet. You have the possibility of reaching people you never thought of, and at zero cost. What’s not to like?

For a flash sale to be successful, you need to have a clear idea of what your goals are going in. Are you trying to get rid of inventory, raise brand awareness or enter a new target market? Your goals will determine whether a flash sale is right for you, and if it is, how to proceed. To have a successful flash sale, you’ll also need to:

Make it easy. Since you’re relying on impulse buying, don’t make your would-be customer jump through a bunch of hoops during the purchasing process, thus giving them the chance to have second thoughts. Make it quick and simple for them to get what they want and be on their way.

Make it clear. Be very clear about the terms of the sale. It will save you countless headaches later. The power of flash sales relies on limited time and limited quantities and on limited products. Make sure your customers fully understand these conditions before they buy anything.

Make it stand out. A flash sale should offer steeper discounts than what customers could normally find. That’s what separates it from an ordinary sale.

Summer can be a dull time for marketing, so if your business has slowed down to a crawl, try shaking things up with a flash sale.