Every year, as soon as August arrives, we start hearing/saying the same thing: “Let’s wait until September.” The assumption is that journalists are on holiday, inboxes are being ignored and any announcement made during the summer will simply disappear with little impact.
In reality, it isn’t that straightforward. Yes, some journalists are taking annual leave and newsrooms may be operating with smaller teams, but the news never stops. Publications still need content daily with editors looking for stories worth covering. If anything, there can actually be less competition because so many businesses decide to hold their news back.
We’ve seen this first-hand. One of our most successful press releases in terms of media coverage went out on 15 August. If we’d followed the conventional advice and waited a few weeks, there’s every chance it would have been competing against dozens of other announcements when everyone returned from their holidays. Instead, it landed at a time when there was less noise, and it secured fantastic pick-up.
That’s why we’d always encourage marketing teams not to write off August. If you’ve got a genuinely newsworthy story, don’t be afraid to put it out there.
It’s also worth remembering that not all countries take a month off – we know that many European firms won’t respond quickly in August. However, if your campaign is aimed at US publications or international media, then it’s largely business as usual. American journalists continue working throughout the summer, and many newsrooms aren’t affected in the same way that European businesses are during the school holidays. If your audience is overseas, there may be no reason at all to delay your plans.
Of course, not every business has a big announcement ready to go in August. If you’re not launching something, use the month to do all those jobs that are difficult to prioritise when the phones are ringing and deadlines are piling up.
Take a fresh look at your media list. Journalists move publications, change beats and start freelancing more often than you might think, so there’s a good chance your database could do with a tidy-up. Spend some time researching new contacts and reading the publications you’d like to feature in. Understanding the type of stories they cover will make your future pitching far more effective.
August is also the perfect time to get ahead with content. If you’ve been talking about writing thought leadership articles, case studies or blog posts for months, now is the opportunity to get them drafted. You could also start planning for the rest of the year. September has a habit of arriving all at once, closely followed by autumn events, industry awards, Christmas campaigns (though they should be planned already for consumer campaigns) and, before you know it, planning for the new year. Having content, press releases and campaign ideas prepared now will save you a lot of stress later.
It’s also a good opportunity to take stock of what’s worked so far this year. Which stories generated the most coverage? Which journalists engaged with your pitches? What content resonated with your audience?
And finally, if your senior team has a little more availability during August, make the most of it. Schedule photography that’s been on the to-do list for months, record video content, update biographies, organise media training or simply spend time discussing the stories your business could be telling over the next six months. These are the kinds of activities that are often pushed aside during busier periods, but they can make a real difference when you’re ready to launch your next campaign.
Ultimately, the biggest mistake businesses make is assuming that August is a month to pause their PR. While everyone else is waiting for September, there is often an opportunity to stand out.
