Public relations for a business is a 24/7 year round activity. Yet when many business owners ask themselves how they can promote their business during the slow summer time, they become discouraged. They shouldn’t. The summer is a great time for promotion and to get the momentum going for the critical fall months.
First business leaders need to remember in the 24/7 news cycle and social media driven world, there is no slow time. Newspapers, radio shows, television news, and magazines are all looking for story ideas. And with the summer a slower period of time, the media is more likely to give a look to a story that they might not in the fall and also give it more coverage than in a busy news time. Tie your business service or product into a news story to help brand yourself as an expert. This is an ideal time to do so and can allow you to be branded for even bigger opportunities in the fall.
Perhaps your business can be tapped for summer stories of new interests. For example, if you have a restaurant, some ways to position it might be summer recipes. If you have a new app tie it into the perfect app to take to the beach. Or if you are a doctor or dentist, why the summer is a good time for a visit.
If your business is at all related to family or children activities, the summer offers an abundance of media opportunities. Many reporters are looking for family themed stories during the summer. An angle for this is tips on creating family traditions. Or another angle would be tips on the perfect family reunion (always newsworthy during the summer as many family reunions are held during the summer). Tips on foods, style, activities, and travel are always popular angles throughout the summer.
If your business is a location of interest or a resort, a travel article or tips on traveling to this location is a good way to get your name and book some coverage with an article or op-ed. The media loves travel tips. Even a tv segment can be made into this concept.
Parents are always looking for educational ideas for their children during the summer months and this is the ideal time to promote educational products. If you have an educational product that parents can use with their children, this can be made into an activity article for the summer.
Many business leaders want to be on the Ellen Show or Rachael Ray or other syndicated shows. August is a great time to reach out to producers at nationally syndicated programs as they begin forming their fall schedule and booking guests.
Business owners – summer is not a slow time for promotion. It is the ideal time to be creative and get a head start before the fall. Summer public relations can be the best of times if done well.
