Here are some ideas for how you can build your brand and business during the summer

As we head into the long weekend, I want to stress the importance of not taking a break from marketing yourself or your organization during the summer – instead ramp it up.

The summer is a great time to focus on your business development and branding efforts especially since many of your competitors may not be.

People still have to work, they’re still interested in reading content, they still scrolling on LinkedIn and they still want to attend webinars.

This is THE time to focus on your own personal branding – especially your social media brand and do all those things on your “would like to do” list.

I want to stress the importance of not taking a break from marketing yourself or your organization during the summer – instead ramp it up.

Remember that most people still have to work over the summer, they may go on vacation for s week here and there of fake long weekends BUT they’re still interested in reading articles, they still scrolling on LinkedIn and they still want to attend webinars.

This is THE time to focus on your own personal branding – especially your social media brand and do all those things on your “would like to do” list.

One of my highest attended webinars of last year was one I did in late August, which was really surprising to me, but underscored that people are around. And even if they don’t attend the live session they will watch the recording.

Here are some ideas for how you can build your brand and business during the summer:

  1. Google yourself regularly and set up Google Alerts for yourself and your top clients/prospects. Your clients and potential clients are Googling you – know what they see and info about them gives you reasons to reach out to them.
  2. Reevaluate your business goals for the year and set achievable ones for the remainder of 2022. I use a two-page business development template with my clients.
  3. Reconnect with former clients and referrals. It’s so important to stay top of mind. Check in with purpose though – send a client alert or an invite to a webinar.
  4. Write a client alert, a blog post, an article or all of these! If writing isn’t your thing, buddy up with a colleague and co-author a piece together. Remember, content no longer needs to be long to be good. Most individuals skim articles.
  5. Learn how to use LinkedIn for building your brand and business – this means posting consistently and having a content plan.
  6. Make a connections plan for LinkedIn to strategically increase your network.
  7. Look at the analytics of past blog posts and client alerts to see which ones did well and which did not. Use this information to strengthen your content strategy. Perhaps write a part 2 or update a piece that did well.
  8. Enhance and update your bio and LinkedIn profile and update your representative matters too. If you don’t say you do something people assume you don’t, so make sure you say it and also it helps with your SEO.
  9. Become involved with your alumni associations for strategic networking and relationship building.
  10. Ensure that all practice area/industry descriptions on your web site are updated and create new ones as needed.
  11. Volunteer on a bar association committee, social cause or pro bono project to meet new people.

So plan that webinar, write that article and keep posting on LinkedIn. These activities are incredibly important to stay visible and top of mind with your clients and network.

Use the time wisely and plan for now and for the fall as well.

Which of these resonates with you and which will you try this summer?