Summer Marketing Tips to Alleviate Stress

Guest Post by Angie Doel :: All of us experience stress.  That’s just part of being human.

I’m a single mom of three passionately creating my business, so I am keenly aware of the effects of stress in my daily life.  When summer rolls around and our routine changes dramatically, I must find ways to keep myself balanced and grounded.  Marketing my business isn’t one of my favorite activities (and maybe this is more about my time management skills than a true dislike for marketing!).  During the summer months when my children are home and our schedule is less structured it’s very easy for me to ignore promoting my business altogether.  But marketing consistency is critical.  Taking a three-month break during the summer months isn’t helpful while building a business.

Stress comes in many forms, and we all deal with it differently.  Eustress is “positive stress” (the birth of a baby; starting a new business; planning a vacation).  These happy events impact us even though they are overall very positive.  Distress often has negative health effects (death of a family member; home foreclosure).  Throughout life we are all faced with both exciting life events and difficult, upsetting incidents.  Will you become derailed by stress?  Learning to effectively cope with inevitable stressors makes all the difference.  One way to stay on track with your business is planning your summer marketing efforts.  Here are a few ideas to help you:

1. When the weather is hot, cool off through creativity.  Test new ideas, create a product to sell online, practice using the software you purchased months ago.

2. Keep it short, but be consistent.  Continue your weekly blog posts and monthly e-newsletters, but instead of writing full articles create a tip checklist or invite guest writers to freshen up the content.  You might even reprint a favorite article from the past.  Include glimpses of what you’re doing over the summer so your clients feel connected to you.

3. Take inventory of your products, lectures, teleseminars, articles, and blog posts.  If you have products and other materials, summer is a great time to sift through them and pull quotes or tips to create social media posts.  Schedule your posts for the entire summer.

4. Find support.  If you’re in a place where you can hire an assistant, do it!  Even if you hire a “mother’s helper” a few hours per week and dedicate that time to marketing your business, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment.

5. Reach a new audience.  Trade articles with a colleague (include your bio box at the bottom of the article) to expand your network.

6. Plan a fall workshop or event.  And begin promoting it now.

7. Organize your office space.  Use a large wall calendar to schedule your marketing efforts for June/July/August and stick with your plan!

Angie Doel, M.S., is a certified holistic health counselor and owner of Holistic Health Counseling of Cape Cod. With nearly 20 years of counseling experience, she currently assists women of all ages create extraordinary health. Along with several other health practitioners, she is creating a local wellness center that will include a community garden and “healthy” food pantry, as well as educational workshops and training opportunities for community members. She is collaborating with a well-known holistic scientist and medical doctor in organizing a non-profit bio-mental health foundation. She also enjoys writing, editing, research, and fitness – visit her at Holistichealthcapecod.com.