The summer slog is coming - three tips for keeping your customers engaged during slow times

During the summer, many businesses experience a seasonal slowdown.  According to a report by Kabbage, 62% of small businesses in the U.S experience a slump during the summer months. While it might seem worrisome, this period can be transformed into a valuable opportunity to re-engage your customers and strengthen your relationships with them. Here are three effective strategies to keep your customers engaged during these slow times.

1. Offer exclusive deals to loyal customers

Summer is a great time to offer exclusive deals. These promotions can encourage your customers to stay engaged with your business, even during a slower period. You can offer discounts on products or services, or better yet, target loyal customers with exclusive offers. This is a great time to provide free access to paid add-ons for a limited time. It engages the customer even when you are low on content or utility. According to a study by Accenture, 77% of consumers had a more positive view of the brand when they were targeted with a loyalty offer with 46% seriously considering such offers.

2. Engage through in-app messaging

Maintaining active in-app messaging can serve as a successful tactic to keep your customers engaged. Tell them what’s around the corner, promote your summer deals, or simply check in with a friendly message. The goal is to stay on top of mind for your customers and remind them that you value their engagement. According to a report by HubSpot, 81% of customers approved of messaging that was personalized and relevant to their usage.

3. Ask for feedback and reviews

Slow times are a perfect opportunity to ask for feedback and reviews. Not only does this make your customers feel valued and heard, but it also gives you valuable insights into how you can improve. Consider a survey around the devices they most use to consume services. Not only will you get interesting insights, you also have a way to boost your app installs. According to a survey by BrightLocal, 82% of consumers read online reviews, with 52% of 18-54-year-olds saying they 'always' read reviews. Use targeting to find your most engaged users and ask them for a review to maximize your chances of 5-star reviews.

And lastly, if you are worried about annoying your customers, look for a tool that support frequency capping. Frequency capping lets you limit the exposure of a user to your messages thereby allowing you to balance your goals with that of the customer.