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It’s summer—and that means beaches, barbecues, and pool parties. It’s also a great time for insurance agents to put a summer marketing plan to work. Summer is a perfect time for showing your customers you care about them and are thrilled to have their business. Here are a few ideas.

Form fun partnerships. Get partnerships with businesses that offer fun and entertainment in the summer—locally-owned water parks, trendy bars and restaurants, local guide companies for kayaking and boating trips—the ideas are endless, and will be determined by what’s available in your area. Get them to offer discounts to select customers—maybe those who give you a referral, or your longest-standing or highest-volume customers. This is a benefit to your partner as well, because you’ll become a source of new business for them.

Throw a party. Host a barbecue or picnic in the park for your insurance customers. This can be simple—and give you an opportunity to show off your mean barbecue skills—or it can be catered, with professional entertainers and bands. It depends on your customer base and your company budget, as well as your interests. But high-end or simple, throwing a summertime party for customers can be a great way to show them you appreciate them.

Send personalized thank-yous. This tip is good for all seasons. Thank your customers with a hand-written note or card, or with a personal email. Showing a customer you appreciate their business, latest referral, or longevity can take only a minute or two, and cost only as much as postage.

Feature customer input or questions on your website. If you have a blog or if you post videos online as a marketing strategy, consider taking customer questions or addressing customer input there publicly. You could name the customer if they want, or you could keep them anonymous—whichever the customer prefers. You could also have an area of your website where you spotlight specific customers’ businesses, if appropriate.

Give away free information. Being a font of goodwill is never a bad marketing strategy. Write ebooks and reports detailing the answers to common insurance questions your customers have—and give them away for free. Do a weekly videocast, blog post, or podcast addressing customer questions. Open your social media up to customer questions and answer them in real time online—for everyone to see.

Host a free webinar. A webinar can be a more in-depth look at a specific insurance question—this can be for agents who handle more arcane types of insurance or whatever is appropriate for your audience. Webinars are cost-effective for you, and convenient for customers who don’t have to leave the home or office to attend.

Offer holiday-themed greetings. Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are great opportunities to get in touch with customers. Send a card wishing them a happy holiday from you and your office, or send your best customers a holiday-themed discount from one of your business partners.

The summer provides plenty of opportunities to show your appreciation for your customers—in both seasonally-specific ways and ways you can use year-round. Your appreciation efforts can be as easy as a quick summer holiday-themed note, as elaborate as a barbecue in the park, or anywhere in between.