Summer is in full swing, which means your community is probably craving a cool break more than ever! So how can you capitalize and more importantly share your brand effectively, especially if you’re just starting out as a frozen yogurt shop during these busy summer months? Throw an event for your community!
Why Should I Throw an Event When Sales are the Highest During the Year?
Investment in your future Yes, frozen yogurt does well in the summer but does it do as well when the months start to cool down. Throwing an event gets the word of mouth going all year round.
Community Studies have shown that the tides are turning, people are frequenting more community based small businesses in order to feel more connected and support locally. Throwing an event not only shows your buisness’ support of your community but also gives you the opportunity to become more embedded into the local landscape. This could be a stepping stone to becoming the “local watering hole”.
Get to know your customers in a FUN atmosphere Throwing an event for your community gives you an opportunity to know your regulars and convert some newbies. Also, the summer months tend to be the months with the most foot traffic meaning more people in attendance to your event= SUCCESS!
What Kind of Summer Event Should My Frozen Yogurt Shop Have?
Okay, now that I’ve convinced you it’s time to start thinking about what type of event you want to celebrate. Start thinking about your community are there any local fairs or farmers markets going on? Is there a holiday coming up? What day of the week could use a little revenue boost? Here are some ideas:
Frozen FarMar:
- Offer discounts on days that coincide with a local farmer’s market (If the farmer’s market is in walking distance)
- Distribute coupons at the farmer’s market
- Feature local flavors of what’s in season (bonus: use farmer’s market ingredients in your frozen yogurt)
Holiday Celebrations
- Labor Day (September 2nd)
- Patriot Day (September 11th): Red, White, and Blueberries theme, Give discounts to service members i.e firefighters, military, medical personnel.
- Last Day of Summer (September 22): Feature summer flavors, play fun summer games.
My Favorite Summer Event: Summer FroYo Social!
This is a really flexible and fun idea for a frozen yogurt store event. It goes off the community-based Ice Cream Social idea. You can start by putting it on your summer calendar once or twice a month and then maybe weekly depending on attendance and demand.
1.) Start by planning a date for your Frozen Yogurt Social, if you want it to eventually become a recurring event plan on a date when your Frozen Yogurt Shop typically gets less customers to boost the potential amount of revenue or on a date coinciding with another community event to join forces and attract maximum amount of customers.
2.) Plan your discounts. Figure out what your profit margin can afford and then have fun with the discounts. When I was a college student I really appreciated dollar a cup night at my local frozen yogurt shop. Go the charity route; If they bring in a canned good they get a sizeable discount. Or just be funky with it, if they wear a fun hat, discount. Dress like the featured flavor, discount. Remember, discounts get people in the door.
3.) Plan a family friendly game or activity. Some summer friendly ideas are: hula hoop contests, outdoor movies, chalk art, bubble blowing, get a local bluegrass band to join in on the fun, or offer fun twists to your frozen yogurt such as FroYo floats, FroYo cookie sandwiches, FroYo pops. The possibilities are endless.
4.) Now go promoting crazy! Take advantage of all those social networking accounts you opened with your company’s name. Hit up Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, your customer email list and Facebook at least a week before your event. Use a countdown counter to bolster excitement. Also, hashtag your store and event!
Example: #FroYoSocial #TwirlyTuesdays #ChillyWilly’s. (bonus: remember to have people check-in on social media when they get to your social.) Also, go pre-tech and print out flyers, post them on community bulletin boards and get permission to promote at local elementary and high schools.
5.) Remember to Decorate and Have Fun at your Summer Frozen Yogurt Social!
Written by: Sierra Adkins
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