by Liliana Grace

Tis the season of vacation…and transition. Baseball and vacations are all in full swing. Every state that is a little cooler is experiencing those warm temperatures and warmer states are finding it nearly unbearable. I used to fight this and push harder. Now, as I am reaching the second half of my life….I just go with it. 

So in this season of transition, what works for reaching clients in the summer?  The plan you set up should be working. If it isn’t, then it’s time to reflect, review, and adjust your course for the remainder of the year.

Having a plan, built on consistent messaging to your pre-defined personas and consistent delivery no matter the time of year, is the key.

An effective marketing plan has built in consideration that July will be impacted by pattern of life disrupters, (summer vacations, excessive heat, etc.). August will be back to school and the reestablishment of those patterns, with September trending toward “latte season”, and so on. 

By revisiting and analyzing the strategy you created at the beginning of the year (or Q4 of last year) and observing the outcomes you’ve gotten, you can ensure that the rest of the year will be in good position! Take this time to adjust where needed or realize, if it is working, where to add fuel to the fire.  

If you don’t have a plan, or the one you create isn’t working, here is the good news.

 Summer is the perfect time to dig in.

Dig in if your plan isn’t going as planned. 

If you don’t have a plan, that might be why you are slow.  Summer is the perfect mid-year time to reevaluate and create one for finishing the year stronger.   

For your summer planning fun, as you sit by the pool or out on your deck, here are some basic questions to ask as you work on your plan.

• What is your overall goal by year, by quarter and by month?
• What categories are you tracking consistently and comparing to that same period for the previous year?
• What are the unanticipated trends this year so far?
• What budget increases or budget restrictions have impacted your outcomes?

While this not an exhaustive list, it will get you going in the right direction.

Finally, while summer is an excellent time to plan, don’t forget to breathe.

Yes, just breathe.

Summer is a great time to rediscover inspiration.

The word inspire comes from the Latin word inspirare which means to “breathe into”.

You and your team inspire, “breathing life into” others throughout the year.

Use the summer months as a time to rediscover your personal inspiration, breathing life back into yourself.      

To your continued success,

HEARTBEAT HELPS
Heartbeat International has a resource that may help organizations looking to create or strengthen their strategic marketing plan: The Pregnancy Help Playbook.