If you’ve tried running Facebook Ads only to be met with spam and disappointment, you’re not alone. Many small businesses, especially seasonal ones, struggle to find cost-effective seasonal business marketing strategies that actually bring in real customers.
The Challenges of Seasonal Business Marketing
Running a seasonal business comes with unique challenges that year-round businesses don’t always face. When your revenue is dependent on just a few months of peak activity, seasonal business marketing becomes even more critical to ensure you maximize visibility and customer engagement during your busiest times. The struggle often lies in maintaining brand awareness during the off-season, managing cash flow when business slows down, and finding cost-effective ways to attract customers without overcommitting resources. Without a solid marketing strategy in place, seasonal businesses risk fading into the background when they should be building anticipation for their peak months. The good news? There are plenty of small, affordable marketing opportunities that don’t require hefty ad budgets or year-round commitments. Here are some tried-and-true methods to help your outdoor business grow—without breaking the bank (and we all love saving money!).
Here’s 6 Seasonal Business Marketing Tips to Try
1. Leverage Local Partnerships & Cross-Promotions
If your business is seasonal, chances are other businesses in your area are, too. Partnering with complementary businesses can expand your reach without spending a dime.
✅ Example: If you run a guided hiking tour, team up with a local outdoor gear shop. They can refer customers to you, and in return, you can offer discounts to their shoppers.
💡 How to start:
- Reach out to local businesses and suggest a simple cross-promotion.
- Offer a referral exchange (e.g., “Mention this shop and get 10% off your first tour!”).
- Consider bundling services (e.g., a weekend camping gear rental + guided hiking package).
Hint: My favorite of these is a local coffee shop “Britton Coffee” often has companies buy $200 worth of coffee for Brittons next customers. Britton has a very active following locally, so they share the company that is sponsoring their next $200 worth of orders online AND directly to the consumers coming to purchase.
2. Optimize & Leverage Google My Business
If you do nothing else, make sure your Google My Business (GMB) profile is updated. When people search for outdoor activities in your area, GMB listings are often the first thing they see.
✅ Why it works:
- It’s completely free.
- It helps you show up in local searches.
- You can post updates, offers, and events.
💡 How to maximize GMB:
- Add high-quality photos of your services.
- Post seasonal updates (e.g., “Our kayaking season starts in May—book now!”).
- Encourage happy customers to leave reviews. (Reviews help you rank higher!)
Bonus! Don’t forget to look into how to leverage Google Search Console to see where your traffic is hitting.
3. Tap into Social Media Groups & Niche Communities
Instead of spending money on ads that attract bots and spam, focus on organic engagement. Local and niche Facebook groups can be a goldmine for reaching the right audience.
✅ How to use them effectively:
- Share valuable content (e.g., “5 Hidden Hiking Trails Near [Your City]”).
- Offer limited-time promotions (e.g., “First 5 people to book this month get 20% off!”).
- Engage with conversations—don’t just drop links and leave.
💡 Pro tip: Look for outdoor enthusiast forums and Reddit threads. Many outdoor lovers turn to places like r/hiking or r/camping to ask for recommendations. Be helpful, not salesy. We happen to be affiliated with several local Facebook groups you can check out:
- Adams County Business and Support
- South Central PA Business Networking and Recommendations
- Franklin County Business & Job Board
Also, consider sponsoring Gettysburg Wire if you are local to Adams County PA.
4. Run a Small Giveaway or Contest
Giveaways don’t have to be extravagant. A well-structured contest can get you a ton of engagement for free.
✅ Ideas:
- “Tag a friend you’d go on an adventure with for a chance to win a free tour.”
- “Share your best outdoor photo for a chance to win a $25 gift card.”
- “Guess the first day of snowfall in [Your Area]—winner gets a free rental!”
💡 Why this works:
- It increases engagement and reaches new audiences.
- It builds brand awareness without spending big on ads.
- It gives people a reason to talk about your business.
A perfect example of this is when 2020 hit and had a devastating effect on our local restaurants, Gettysburg Wire created a “restaurant bingo”. People who purchased from local restaurants and filled out their restaurant bingo cards, if they hit a bingo and submitted their receipts, they got a gift card to a restaurant of their choice. Find a niche you are passionate about supporting (Veterans, for example) and find ways to run a giveaway or contest that supports them and gets your name out there. That way your money is still going to something you are passionate about instead of the big bad Meta (Facebook).
5. Offer “Slow Season” Deals to Keep Cash Flow Going
Seasonal businesses often struggle with the off-season, but you can extend your revenue by offering deals before your busy months begin.
✅ Ideas:
- Pre-booking discounts: Offer early bird pricing for people who book ahead of the season.
- Off-season gift cards: Encourage customers to purchase now and redeem later.
- Mini-experiences: Offer smaller, low-cost activities during slow months.
💡 Example: If your peak season is summer, offer discounted winter gift cards that customers can buy now and use when the season starts. Maybe add a winter service that may not directly be within your original brand, but sort of adjacent to it (landscapers adding Snow removal to their arsenal of services, for example).
6. Start a Referral Program
Word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing tool—so why not reward people for talking about you?
✅ Example:
- “Refer a friend and get 10% off your next booking.”
- “Bring a group of 4 and get one ticket free.”
💡 How to make it easy:
- Provide referral cards or discount codes to loyal customers.
- Use a simple system (even a spreadsheet!) to track referrals.
- Encourage past customers to share their experiences on social media.
For example, referrals to Misfit always give great discounts to existing customers AND to the company they are referring 🙂 This can be very customizable, such as discounts on social media marketing, search engine optimization, or even a brand-new website.
Final Thoughts: Small Effort, Big Impact
The key to successful seasonal business marketing is low-cost, high-impact strategies. Instead of pouring money into spam-filled ads, focus on local connections, organic social media engagement, and leveraging free online tools like Google My Business.
Try a few of these methods, and let us know which ones work best for you! Need help getting started? We’re always here to brainstorm ways to grow your business. 💡💪
Bonus for those of you who aren’t sure what you need to know about putting your business online, we created a guide: 10 Things every small business owner should know about their websites
