Spring Marketing for Local Shops

Spring has finally sprung! (Recent weather reports may indicate otherwise, but it really is Spring!) Operating out of the Southern Maine seacoast, we work with tons of businesses that rely on the tourism industry to stay afloat. Now that the weather is (hopefully) getting a little warmer and the sun is making some more appearances, here are some Spring marketing tips to help local shops start the busy season off with a bang.

With everything and everyone defrosting, there’s a lot of renewal associated with the Spring season. Lean into this theme of hitting reset by focusing marketing material around the changing habits of your customers. Promote new clothing items for a refreshed wardrobe or bright colors for a lighter Spring-themed home. Emphasize how the days feel longer with extra hours of sunlight, leading to more productive and playful months ahead.

You can even launch and promote a Spring collection or brand refresh to fit in with the theme yourself. This is the perfect time to switch things up if you think your branding is getting a little stale. If you want to update your branding or packaging heading into the Spring season, reach out to us at hello@recreative.co to start chatting!

Create window displays and tables full of pastels and flowers that scream “Spring” and draw the eye of winter-weary shoppers. While online strategies like Spring email marketing and using seasonal hashtags on your social posts are important, making your shop space reflect the changing seasons will help bring in additional business from people just passing by who may not have even known your store existed. 

Another great Spring marketing idea is using the concept of Spring cleaning to create sales and promotions. It not only allows you to get customers thinking about their Spring cleaning process (and how it makes room for new pieces: out with the old, in with the new) but also lets you potentially get rid of some older inventory. 

There are plenty of Spring holidays and occasions that you can use to make promotions. With Easter, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Holi, and more, you can take your pick. Percent off sales, BOGOs, referral bonuses or gifts, and giveaway competitions or raffles can get your customers excited about stopping in to shop. 

For restaurants, Spring and holiday-themed events and menus are great ways to draw a crowd. One of our clients, The Wilder, a gastropub in Portsmouth, NH, hosted an Easter Brunch with dining specials and an egg hunt! They’re also planning a Mother’s Day Brunch, because what could be a better gift to Mom than a day off from cooking and cleaning dishes? 

Our favorite cafe owners are always adding seasonal food and drink items to their menus for a limited time, promoting the new items on chalkboards at the counter and on social media. New menu items excite regulars and draw in new customers eager to try something different. Stella’s Cafe in Dover, NH currently has a Spring specials menu board that couldn’t be cuter. With strawberries and flowers surrounding their specials, they have not only a few listed items but also a tip to get customers asking about a “Sunrise,” adding some mystery and piquing customers’ interest. 

Hosting events, especially ones outside as the weather gets warmer, and collaborating with other local businesses is another great way to take advantage of the Spring season. As people start to go out more and do more activities after being holed up at home all winter, this is a great opportunity to expand your customer base through community outreach and/or collaboration. Event marketing is growing more and more popular, and Spring is the perfect time to dip your toe in and see how it works for your business. 

The cafes have recently been involved in a Cafe Crawl through the seacoast. While just the three sister locations (with #4 approaching opening day) would’ve made for a nice crawl on their own, owners Deb and Michael decided to work with other local cafe owners and get involved in a larger event. This helped all the businesses involved garner some extra attention and brought in business from people who wouldn’t normally go to all these locations. Events like this are a win for everyone involved!

Even just refreshing your social media content with a more Spring-themed photoshoot can do wonders to make your feed feel current and drum up more business. Not sure where to start with product shots or interior photos? We can help ya out. Get in touch to schedule a photoshoot here.