While your competitors are hitting the pause button on their communications efforts, smart PR professionals know that summer presents a golden opportunity to amplify their message when the noise level drops.
After two decades in this business—12 years running my own consultancy—I've learned that summer isn't the time to go dark. It's the time to get strategic, creative, and efficient with your communications approach.
Think about it: when half your industry is operating on skeleton crews or vacation mode, your well-crafted story has a better chance of breaking through. Reporters still need content (arguably more so during slower news cycles), and your target audiences are still scrolling, reading, and engaging—they're just doing it poolside or during their commute to summer Fridays.
1. Embrace the "Slow News" Cycle Summer's lighter news environment is your friend. That feature story pitch that might get buried in October has room to breathe in July. Reporters covering beats during vacation rotations are often looking for solid, well-researched stories to fill space. Be their solution.
2. Get Social with Seasonal Relevance Your social media content doesn't need to scream "summer" to be effective, but it should acknowledge the season your audience is living in. Share behind-the-scenes content from summer work sessions, highlight team achievements before vacation season hits, or create content that travels well—literally and figuratively.
3. Plan While Others Procrastinate Use the summer months to map out your Q4 (and beyond!) strategy when it won't compete with holiday planning and budget meetings. Research speaking opportunities for conferences, draft your year-end thought leadership pieces, and build relationships with journalists before their busy seasons return.
4. Work Smarter, Not Harder Efficiency becomes crucial when you're balancing professional momentum with personal time. Batch your content creation, schedule social posts in advance, and focus on fewer, higher-impact activities rather than spreading yourself thin.
Here's what I've learned as both a communications professional and a mother: sustainable success comes from being strategic about when and how you engage. Summer allows for this balance—maintaining visibility and momentum while still prioritizing the relationships and experiences that matter most.
The most successful communications professionals I know don't disappear in summer; they adapt. They find ways to stay visible and valuable while honoring their own need for renewal.
Before summer hits its stride, ask yourself: How can I maintain my professional presence while others step back? What stories am I uniquely positioned to tell right now? How can I use this quieter time to set myself up for a strong finish to the year?
The answers to these questions will separate you from the pack—not just this summer, but well into the fall when everyone else is scrambling to catch up.
