Strategies to keep your members engaged during the slow summer season

Is summer going slowly for your membership-based business? This season can present challenges for all of us, as our members often go on vacation or take a break from their usual routines.

However, with the right strategies in place, you can maintain engagement and keep your community active even during these slower months. Here’s how to navigate the summer season and ensure continued growth within your membership business:

Create seasonal content

Developing fresh and relevant seasonal content is a great way to keep members engaged. Consider creating summer-themed guides, articles, videos, or exclusive promotions that align with their interests and needs during this time.

For example, if you have a fitness and wellness membership, you could provide workout routines tailored for outdoor activities or tips for staying active while on vacation and away from the gym.

If you have a learning-based membership, create a summer reading challenge where members can share their book recommendations and progress. By addressing specific summer-related concerns, you demonstrate your commitment to their well-being and add value to their membership experience.

Foster community interaction

Encourage members to interact and engage with one another by creating opportunities for community connection. Organize virtual events like webinars, Q&A sessions, or workshops centered around summer-related topics. If you run a music blog, ask for recommendations for great outdoor live events and music festivals that take place during the summer months.

Additionally, consider implementing dedicated discussion boards or channels within your online platform where members can share their summer experiences, travel tips, or engage in friendly conversations. By fostering a sense of community, you create a supportive environment that encourages active participation and strengthens member loyalty.

Offer exclusive summer promotions

Reward your members' loyalty by providing exclusive summer benefits. This can include early access to new content, limited-time promotions, or special discounts on products or services. Use memorable discount codes such as SUNSHINE20 to mentally tie the discount to the season. If you run a food planning service you could adapt your offering to focus more on picnics and outdoor snacks.

By offering unique perks specifically for the summer season, you not only show appreciation for your members but also incentivize them to remain active during what might be a slower period.

Implement gamification

Introduce gamification elements to add excitement and motivate members to stay engaged. For example, with a gaming website, you could create challenges or quests to get people out of the house and into the great outdoors.

Reward participants with points, bright-colored badges, or virtual currency within your membership platform. Leaderboards or achievement systems can further encourage healthy competition and drive member activity.

By incorporating gamification, you tap into people’s natural inclination towards achievement, making their involvement in your membership business an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Provide summer-friendly formats

Recognize that members may have different schedules or preferences during the summer and offer flexibility to accommodate their needs. For example, if you offer live webinars or events, provide recordings or transcripts for those unable to attend in real-time.

Consider introducing shorter, bite-sized content that can be consumed easily during travel or leisure time. If your membership focuses on a very visual topic such as photography, make sure that your content looks great on a mobile phone to benefit the people who are away from their desktop computers.

Offering flexibility and adapting to the summer lifestyle of your members demonstrates your commitment to their convenience and increases the likelihood of continued engagement.

Do the regular things well

These points aren’t necessarily exclusive to summer but continue to engage your members by seeking their feedback on your offering. Conduct surveys or polls to understand their preferences, to not only drive your content ideas but help create a sense of ownership in the community.

In addition, collaborating with partners and influencers can expand your reach and provide fresh perspectives during the summer months. Seek partnerships with businesses or influencers who align with your membership's values and create joint content, promotions, or events that benefit both parties' audiences.

This technique in particular can even help to expand your reach into new audiences, potentially growing your membership in the slower summer months.

Conclusion: How to keep members engaged during the slow summer season

We all know the summer months can present a slower period for membership-based businesses. But by creating seasonal content, fostering community interaction and offering exclusive benefits, you can continue to provide value to your members.

Additionally, incorporating gamification, providing flexible formats and collaborating with partners will further enhance member engagement and may even help to expand your community.

Good luck - and don’t forget to have some time off yourself, too!