This is because of the Great British Summer Getaway. Fewer people here means fewer stories. And it’s a big opportunity for your business to get free publicity. But you need to start planning now.

Surveys and trends are a safe bet as are publicity stunts. Think unusual and don’t forget the visual aspect – providing a great photo or photo opportunity will help increase the amount of coverage you get.

Firstly the world cup could be the biggest opportunity you’ve had all year. The longer it goes on (i.e. the longer England are still in), the more angles the media will be looking for. If you can associate your business with this event in some way, do it now and make sure the media know. But don’t forget to be brave and adventurous – many other businesses will be trying to push their angle.

And the second reason is, the silly season is on the way. This is centred around the school summer holidays, when people, journalists and stories go on holiday. So stories that wouldn’t have got a look in a few months ago are more likely to be considered.

The same rules apply about stronger stories beating weaker – the difference during silly season is that stronger stories have better chance of standing out. Plan for this now and identify potential stories you can pitch during late July and August.