It’s not so smart to start a debate about which of the seasons is preferred, so let’s agree that summer is terrific. It may not be the “best” of the four in the minds of many, but it is typically a dynamite time of the year. Beyond the opportunity to enjoy the beach or the boat, and to finally shake off the chill from the seemingly endless winter that passed a few short months ago, summer break provides an interruption in the rigorous work calendar. Vacations, long weekends and other sun-centered activities provide a nice change of pace from the regular rhythm of business.
That being said, it behooves PR professionals to strike the right balance between enjoying the season and simultaneously staying engaged and driving forward. Here are four reasons why it’s important for PR and social media agencies to maintain their positive momentum over the summer months:
First, consistency is often the foundation for communications success. Depending on the program and the charge at hand, the steady delivery of key messages to key audiences will better establish the entity or organization’s identity. If your team has momentum going into the summer season, it’s smart to find ways to maximize the time when the team is “on” in those months to secure coverage, have engaging social dialogue, and maintain valuable market presence.
Second, the competition is looking toward the summer break and it presents an opportunity to steal some of their mindshare while they hit a seasonal pause. Writers/editors and bloggers still need to publish meaningful pieces and they are looking for stories that will help make their articles content-rich. As the competition lays on the beach and disconnects, it opens the door for a smart team to step in and provide a solid source of information (and build a relationship that carries into the future).
Third, and this is specific for agency PR people, summer presents the best opportunity to secure coverage for the fall time-frame (read: long-lead publications), which ultimately will be top-of-mind at the all-important end of the year budget planning season. Hopefully, results are consistent and generated regularly all year long. In any case, however, the top-notch results occurring at the end of the summer and early fall will be front and center as your client starts to plan for the year ahead. It may be the opportunity to demonstrate how a creative strategy can make a positive impact, or how a staffing change on your team was such a smart move. In any case, it’s an opportune time for results to show-up and the ground work for such success happens now.
And, finally, no matter how high the mercury rises, there’s still plenty to do and you don’t want to miss an important opportunity. Industry events and user conferences will occur, while new products will need to be introduced. And, all of these happenings need to be embraced the right way to ensure programmatic and business success. It may be summer, but there’s still plenty to be done to see that your clients’ communications programs thrive!
What am I missing? Got any tips you’d add to this list?