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Not so long ago, it was blustery and cold, with the majority of your target spending the day inside with both the TV and heater on to keep them company. Lead calls were plentiful and a low cost-per-lead was easily generated.
Since the temperature started rising, the swimsuits have come, out and now those days of the captive target audience are far behind us. Our main goal now is to look to new avenues that will keep our target audience engaged and willing to experience our back-to-school message.
Now that our target is spending less time inside, watching TV or reading the classified section, we only have a short time in which to engage them while they are inside. Trying 60-second spots during the daytime may help with the education message repeated during a longer stretch of time. You can purchase these minute-long spots during one hour of programming. If you choose to schedule within one hour, make sure to pick the best performing program on the schedule (like judge shows or talk shows). After seeing these longer spots and hearing the life-changing opportunities your school can give them in a shorter amount of time, your target may be ready to make that call.
Since viewership levels are down during the summer – couple that with the fact that there are a total of three national vacation holidays – bonus TV spots are also a solid branding opportunity that will get your school noticed more. Ask for these free spots any time you have your television representative on the phone or before the major holidays. Even though much of your target audience will be outside barbequing during the holidays or weekends, these bonus spots are a valuable way of getting your message repeated to those who are enjoying their vacation inside with the air conditioning on blast.
There are also ways to engage your audience while they’re enjoying the summer day. Placing ads or inserts in weekly employment publications can really push lead flow through the summer as people are more willing to pick up a free publication, as opposed to paying $1.50 for the major daily publication in the market. Employment publications usually have ads that look vibrant, so design your ad concepts with creative splashes of color or with fun, attention-getting headlines. These creative decisions may get your ad noticed on a more cost-efficient level.
Remember, even though the phones may not be ringing off the hook the next couple of months, stay vigilant by always testing new ideas and pushing your message out into the community. People interested in your message will remember that your school can change their lives. Once the summer ends and the blustery days arrive, your new-found students will be glad they called in and ended their summer early. Sacrificing the last few days at the pool means their future is now ripe for the taking.
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1 Comment on "Dog days of summer: Generating leads while they’re dreaming of the pool"
Getting the school to host open house events is always a good idea. Get them involved in the community and people are more willing to go out and enjoy activities in the summer!