Summer Slump or Surge? A Strategic Guide to SME Content Planning

The long-held belief that summer is a ‘slow’ period for business is a narrative many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) know all too well. The perception is one of widespread holidays, distracted clients and customers, and a general dip in engagement. But what if we reframed this? 

Instead of a slump, the summer months offer a new opportunity to connect with your customers in a different, more meaningful way. 

For SMEs, this period isn’t about winding down; it’s about smart SME content planning. With the right approach, you can maintain momentum and even capture a new level of audience engagement.

Understanding the Summer Shift in Audience Behaviour

It’s true that routines change during the summer. People are on holiday, spending more time outdoors, and their media consumption habits shift. However, ‘less time at their desk’ doesn’t mean ‘offline’.

This is highlighted in ABTA’s latest Holiday Habits 2024-25 report, which found that relaxing, spending time with family and supporting mental health are the top three reasons people value holidays. A key part of that relaxation and connection involves sharing experience online.

Your audience may be less receptive to a hard sell while sitting by the pool but they are highly receptive to the content that complements their summer mindset, i.e. content that is inspirational, helpful or entertaining. A strategic approach to your seasonal content is about meeting your audience where they are.

Core Pillars of Your Summer Content Strategy

A successful SME content strategy for summer is built on relevance and planning. It’s about creating value that aligns with the season.

Embrace the Seasonal Spirit

Lean into the themes of summer. This could manifest as a user-generated content campaign (e.g. asking customers to share holiday pics featuring your product), behind-the-scenes looks at your team enjoying the sunshine, or practical guides that solve a summer-specific problem. The key is authenticity.

Plan Your Own Downtime

Let’s be realistic. Your team may also be taking well-deserved breaks. This is where a robust content calendar becomes indispensable. By planning and scheduling content in advance, you can make sure you’re visible online without any last minute scrambles.

Evergreen content such as in-depth guides or foundational articles, can be scheduled to fill any gaps. This is a cornerstone of an effective SEO and Content Strategy.

Educate and Inspire

Summer can be a period of reflection for many, including business owners. Use this time to publish more considered, though-leadership pieces. Think about the challenges your clients face post-summer and create content that helps them prepare. This not only builds your authority, but also serves their future needs.

Optimising for the Future with AI SEO and Hyperlocal Authority

Search is evolving with AI-powered search becoming more prominent. This presents a substantial opportunity for SMEs who are creative and forward-thinking. To ensure your content remains visible and valuable, consider these optimisation points:

• Build citation-worthiness: Generative AI in search engines compiles answers by citing authoritative sources. Your goal is to be that source. Consistently publishing high-quality, well-researched content and regularly updating existing articles to ensure their accuracy builds the historical authority that AI models prioritise.
• Embrace hyperlocal context: Even if you operate nationally, grounding your content in a local context can be incredibly powerful. A local heatwave, a major regional event or even a guide to “the best picnic spots in Cheshire” can make your brand more relatable and authoritative. This focus on hyperlocal relevance is a powerful tool in commercial searches.
• Focus on high-value queries: Analyse these types of informational (“how to”) and commercial queries (“best for”) that generate longer, more detailed AI outputs in your sector. Optimising your content to directly and comprehensively answer these questions will increase your chances of being featured and cited. 

Ultimately, a dynamic content strategy that adapts to both seasonal and technological shifts will set you apart. You can create a powerful engagement engine by combining relevant topics with a technically sound approach to AI SEO.

This thoughtful approach should extend to your social media where a lighter, more visual touch can capture the summer mood perfectly. Aim to create a cohesive experience across all your platforms. To learn more about how to achieve this, explore our Social Media services.

Summer doesn’t have to mean a slowdown. Planning your content strategically now will ensure you thrive in the summer months, build a more engaged audience and a stronger brand for the seasons to come.

Ready to build a content strategy that turns the summer slowdown into a period of growth? Our team has been helping businesses like yours thrive for over 30 years. 

Contact us today through our contact form, or call us on 07881 772960 to discuss a bespoke content plan that will keep your audience engaged and help you achieve your business goals this summer season and beyond. 

Sources

ABTA. (2024). Holiday Habits Report 2024-25. Retrieved from https://www.abta.com/sites/default/files/media/document/uploads/ABTA%20Holiday%20Habits%202024-25.pdf