As temperatures rise and internal staff and media contacts set their vacation responders, the momentum of public relations efforts tends to cool.
Vacations, reduced newsroom staffing, shifting schedules, and irregular consumer attention can make earning visibility in the public eye a much more difficult task, causing the summer season to be known as the “off-season” for media and public relations.
Due to this internal and external shift in focus, brands often ease up on their communications efforts; however, doing so can cause a third-quarter bottleneck, resulting in a prolonged period of radio silence (both literally and figuratively).
In other words, although you may be enjoying time out of the office this summer, your PR strategy doesn’t need to.
When a brand is equipped with the appropriate strategies, goals, and tools, the historically dry summer season can be a strategic advantage.
Not sure of where to begin? Here are four actionable summer PR tips on how to help keep the needle moving—and what the right partner can do to help brands stay consistent.
Summer PR Tip #1: When in Doubt, Go Evergreen
Regardless of season, news cycle speed, staff, or almost any other factor, media outlets need content. If all publications shared the same timely information, the dynamic media landscape as we know it would not exist, and breaking news would just be news. To create balance and diversity among content, evergreen stories—those that aren’t tied to timelines, sensationalized narratives, or bombshell announcements—are essential.
This can include a vast array of topics and formats, from ‘How-to’ articles to expert Q&As and beyond. The knowledge of leadership teams, internal experts, and other specialized contacts will always be in demand, so lean into this type of content.
It can help build long-term brand awareness, SEO performance, and thought leadership catalogs while helping to maintain a steady media presence year-round.
Summer PR Tip #2: Prioritize Storytelling
As the air heats up and becomes a bit lighter and the days brighter, so do the topics of interest for most consumers. This means that editors often shift their gaze toward content within the lifestyle, health, travel, and productivity spaces. This makes it less likely for heavy, corporate stories to gain traction than their easier, breezier counterparts.
Lifestyle pieces that focus on providing value to readers through relevant, actionable tips, expert advice, practical uses, and more can tie your brand to a seasonal element without forcing it.
Content like ‘Tips for staying productive during summer vacations,’ ‘How our brand helps people unplug,’ and ‘Summer habits of successful founders’ allows brands to focus on storytelling rather than sales-centered product pushes.
Summer PR Tip #3: Don’t Underestimate Owned Media
While it may seem like an obvious answer, it’s easy to overlook the content opportunities that are innate to a brand. If external contacts and forms of communicating with consumers aren’t meeting a brand’s needs, turn inward! Blogs, LinkedIn posts, social media profiles, e-newsletters, and short-form videos are all viable options that can have an impact during slower months.
By creating attention-grabbing, relevant, and digestible content for these platforms, consumers and other businesses can continue to learn and engage with you, even without the help of traditional media. If a brand is new to these modes of communication, the decreased attention and slower news cycle make summer the perfect time to test out new content formats.
Engaging with your audience directly will help them stay engaged, foster loyalty, and enhance overall brand voice.
Summer PR Tip #4: You Don’t Have to Go It Alone
Most importantly, PR practitioners are here to help when navigating these dynamic, seemingly ever-changing landscapes. R Public Relations is boutique, award-winning lifestyle public relations that can help you do just that.
Thoughtful advisors, fierce advocates, and steady partners, PR firms like ours treat clients’ brands as their own, and we’re proactive, planning-focused, and editorially savvy.
This is precisely where skillfully curated seasonal strategies shine brightest.
Though it may feel daunting––don’t hit pause on PR strategies during slow or irregular seasons. Instead, pivot and push forward. Innovative public relations efforts are consistent, nimble, and discerning, and they flow with the seasons.
With the right tools and the best partner for your brand, the ‘summer slump’ won’t get in the way of engaging and consistent long-term success. Contact us today to see how we can put these summer PR tips into action for your brand!
