Summer gas prices create big audience and sales opportunities

Key Takeaways:

• Rising summer gas prices are a major concern for families. Media companies can build strong audience engagement by acting as a practical resource to help readers navigate these higher costs.
• Leverage popular, budget-conscious summer search topics by creating specific guides like “One-Tank Trips Under $100” or regularly updated “Cheapest Gas Near Me” directories.
• Turn this high-utility content into revenue by bundling articles, dedicated newsletters, and social media Reels into branded content sponsorships for local cities, gas stations, or convenience stores.
• High gas prices make gas card and weekend getaway giveaways highly attractive to audiences. Use these contests to generate valuable email leads for local advertisers like car dealerships or insurance companies.

This week after filling up my wife’s car at a local gas station, I sent a text with a picture of the total with a shocked emoji.

Maybe we’ll go to dinner around the corner from the house, opposed to downtown tonight, she said.

I’m guessing this is a conversation a lot of families are having right now and the good news for media companies is that we have an incredible opportunity to be a really helpful resource as everyone is navigating higher costs heading into the summer.

Below are a host of ideas you could consider that all have a content-revenue connection that are pretty simple to pull off.

1. One tank trips you can take under $100

I love this idea because “one tank trips” is already a popular summer search topic with readers, but right now they all help families stretch their budgets further.

We actually wrote this guide for a client this last week and we structured part of each trip like this:

• Gas cost: $35 –$40
• Food cost: $40 –$50
• Activity cost: $15 –$30
• Total: $90 –$120

Then each section went into how far away it is from their city, where to eat cheaply, free-ish things to do and then other fun ideas to consider doing at the location.

Advertising idea: Treat this like a branded content package for the cities that you are visiting, including the story, a newsletter placement and a Reel. You could include numerous cities throughout the summer and make it an ongoing series.

2. Guides to help you save money on gas

This idea is centered around helping people figure out how to save money on gas, basically through Gas Buddy-like services.

Some of the utility content that you could create might include cheapest gas in the area, best fuel rewards programs (think about local grocery stores) and gas-saving apps.

You could build ongoing guides around each of these ideas, giving readers useful information they may return to throughout the summer (especially if it’s promoted often). Regularly updated “cheapest gas near me right now” guides are likely to be strong searchable headlines for a while.

Advertising idea: Convenience stores or gas stations would be a natural fit to be a sponsor around all of the ways that you might distribute this content.

3. Do a gas card giveaway campaign

Gas card giveaways are always a great engagement idea but there is probably no better time than right now when people really need the help.

You could package the gas card with an even larger package like a weekend getaway (gas cards to get there and a hotel to stay in). You also could package things like restaurant gift cards with the trip and attraction tickets.

Advertising idea: An advertiser sponsorship could be placed in the creative for the giveaway, on the sign up page for the giveaway and in a newsletter promoting the contest. Another value for the advertiser could be access to the email leads generated through the contest, as long as participants are informed during signup about how their information may be shared.

4. How to get to places faster

The less time people spend driving extra miles, the less money they are likely to spend on gas, which creates an opportunity for content focused on helping readers get where they need to go more efficiently.

You could do things like offer rush hour shortcuts for specific roadways (even ask your audience for their tips) or suggestions on the best time to leave to beat the traffic for specific events.

A reader contest around the best backroad routes would be super fun with your audience getting to nominate the best ones and then readers getting to vote on it. It’s all in the name of you trying to be helpful.

Advertising idea: This would be a fascinating kind of product or contest for a local car insurance company to sponsor or even a dealership.

5. More ways readers can save money

Gas content and giveaways can be a great way to help readers save money but there are other ways you can help achieve that goal. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Kids eat free restaurant guides
• Free summer events and concerts
• Splash pads and pools that are free
• Free museum days and discount nights
• Free outdoor movie nights
• Cheap late-night food
• Discount movie ticket programs
• Cheap parking guides for major events
• Free fitness classes in the park

Advertising idea: If you offered this content regularly, you could create a series of videos (one a week) through the summer with a free idea, a section on your website for this content and even a newsletter roundup once a month.

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