Ah, summer. The time when news slows down and everyone dreams of beach getaways. But don’t let the slower news days trick you—your PR strategy shouldn’t be lounging by the poolside too.
Sure, it’s easy to think that summer’s lazy days spell doom for your digital PR campaigns. But the summer slump can actually be a golden opportunity. With fewer big headlines making waves, there’s plenty of room for your creativity to shine.
Keep it relevant
When planning your digital PR campaigns, ask yourself: How does what we have to offer connect to this particular time of year? Summer brings its own set of themes and events and your message should tie into these.
When you think “summer,” what springs to mind? It could be the following:
- Heat waves
- Holidays
- BBQs
- Picnics
- Road trips
- Relaxation
- Outdoor sports
- Bank holidays
- Hot nights
A list like this is an excellent place to start. This can help you to make the connections with the products or services you have to offer. For example, a beauty brand might look at this list and come up with the following connections:
- Heat waves – SPF and sweat-proof makeup
- Holidays – Travel-sized beauty products
- BBQs – Long-lasting lip colours
- Picnics – Refreshing facial mists
- Road trips – Compact beauty kits and multi-use products
- Relaxation – Soothing skincare sets
- Outdoor sports – Sweat-resistant and waterproof cosmetics
- Bank holidays – Limited edition summer collections and special offers
- Hot nights – Night creams and cooling eye gels
Now, you have a starting point and a way to keep your PR campaigns and pitches relevant to the season.
Keep it timely
Along comes summer and everyone’s schedules take a hit. This rings true for both journalists and audiences. But there are ways to make the most of it.
No one rule applies to every journalist. But the general rule of thumb is to stick to mid-week pitching. This doesn’t apply to those that state their working days. If a journalist only works Mondays and Thursdays, then be sure to stick to that. Above all, take note of their out of office hours and adhere to those. Pitching while you know a journalist is on annual leave isn’t only annoying, it’s pointless.
Busy public holidays are also best avoided – try to time your pitches to get to journalists before these key events hit. The likelihood is they’ve already planned their content ahead of time. So, ideally, you want to aim to release your content a week or two in advance, giving journalists plenty of time to pick it up.
Stay flexible and adapt
It’s important to stay flexible all year round, but summer can require a little bit more leniency. With the slower news cycle and shifting audience behaviours, you need to keep a close eye on how your campaigns are performing and be ready to make adjustments as needed.
Analytics tools are a great way to keep tabs on your digital PR campaigns. Regularly check media coverage and audience and journalist reactions to your content. Are your pitches getting picked up? Are journalists opening your emails? By closely monitoring these metrics, you can gauge what’s working and what needs tweaking.
Summer trends can also change at the drop of a hat and the needs and interests of your audience along with it. Stay on top of emerging trends or breaking news that could impact your campaign. If you spot a shift in what’s capturing attention, be prepared to adjust your strategy. Whether it’s updating your pitch angle, tweaking your content, or exploring new platforms, staying adaptable will help you maintain relevance and effectiveness.
The summer season can be frustrating at times, but successful campaigns rely on embracing the quirks of summer and using them to your advantage.
For more digital PR insights, head to the It Works blog. Alternatively, get in touch and let the experts handle it.
