I’ve found that business often slows down in the summertime. And that’s especially true this week and probably even next week as everyone comes back from the Fourth of July holiday.

But even outside of this week, summer is just slower. Companies often schedule big projects and releases at other times of the year. People take summer vacations. And with the end of the fiscal year falling at the end of June, many companies are reorganizing their budgets.

Make a Choice: Increase Your Marketing or Enjoy the Slower Pace

Honestly, the summer slow-down is both a good and bad thing – depending on how you look at it. I’ve realized after 10 years of freelancing is that the best thing to do is to consciously make a choice on how to handle it. There is no wrong answer. And your answer is likely to be different in different years depending on your life situation. But I’ve found that when I don’t consciously make a choice, I end up stressing and neither fixing or enjoying the situation.

You have to embrace this as a choice and not stress about less work and lower income. I’ve found that it’s most useful when I put some parameters on it, such as only working certain days or certain times of the day. I also found that it helps to have a minimum income goal that I still want to meet during those months. This way, you can enjoy your summer while not stressing out money a few months down the road.

I am planning on taking things slower this summer until the last week of August when the kids go back to school. My plan is to work until noon at least three days a week and limit my weekend work. Because I have teens who can’t drive, I am finding that I can’t get much done anyway once they are awake and wanting food and rides. So, I think I’m going to embrace this natural pattern of my current life.

Should You Market Yourself This Week?

My choice isn’t the right answer for everyone. And I don’t think you have to accept a lower income over the summer. But to do that, you will likely have to bring in new clients or drum up new work through your current clients. I did this three years ago and was successful, but it takes extra effort.

I often get asked if holiday weeks (like this one) are a good time for marketing. This is the thing: many people who hire freelancers are on vacation, but so are many writers. If a client is working this week and has a need but their usual writers are on vacation, then you have a pretty good chance of landing a gig. So when marketing is successful this week, it’s often super successful. My recommendation is to continue to market and be absolutely diligent on following up on any LOIs you send this week.

How to Keep Your Income Growing Over the Summer Months

Back to the overall question of the summer slow-down. Yes, it’s possible to increase your income or at least avoid a slump over the summer. But it typically takes more marketing and a concerted effort. So for those wanting to keep their income steady or increase it over the summer, here are seven things you can do this week.

1. Create a summer marketing plan.

The best way to continually market yourself is to create a plan listing exactly what you will do each week and stick to it. Make a list of the marketing activities you will do on a daily basis. If you need ideas for marketing activities, check out my huge list of 75 things you can do to grow your business. Check out Holly Bowne’s plan as well as the outcome from her efforts. Then schedule it on your calendar. This is key – if you don’t make time for marketing, it usually doesn’t happen.

2. Follow up with all past clients.

This is absolutely the easiest and best way to get work. But it’s easy to overlook. Check out this post for ideas and a template for checking in with former clients.

3. Ask all of your current clients for referrals. I get a lot of work this way.

I used to think that clients would do this on their own, but it’s not true. If you are working with a company, then ask for referrals to other departments. If you are working with an agency, ask about other client accounts that might need your expertise.

4. Update your website and LinkedIn profile.

I know I always put this on here for holiday weeks. But almost every time the topic of a writer’s website comes up, most will say that their website and LinkedIn profile aren’t updated. So take a few minutes this week to add your latest clips, update your client list and update your About Me page. I personally think that having up-to-date and current clips can really help.

5. Brainstorm potential direct clients.

I have found that my marketing time is most productive when I have a list of people to contact already created. Otherwise, I get lost in Google, spend hours and send out one email. But if I have a list, then I sit down, send out five LOIs and move on with my work. I like to create lists while I am watching TV with my family, especially sports games. So, find some time this week and use my Audience First Method to come up with a list of people (with emails, if possible) for you to use when working your marketing plan.

6. Brainstorm potential agency clients.

Just like with direct clients, I find it much more helpful to make a list ahead of time. Checkout this post on how to find agencies and get starting making your list.

7. Write an LOI for each niche.

While I think it’s important to personalize each LOI, you should have a solid LOI template for each niche to start with. I have had a crap ton of writers email me that they have seen their LOI response percentage increase by moving from a long LOI to a shorter LOI. Check out my post on my Five(ish) Sentence LOI as well as my post on customizing for your niches.

What is your experience with the Summer Slump? Are you enjoying the extra time or are you increasing your marketing? Share any thoughts and tips.