Working parents are both rejoicing and feeling dread right now. Spring officially sprung on Thursday, March 20, bringing longer days, warmer nights and blooming flowers. Sure, we’re ushering in more time outside to enjoy nature, but for working parents, it also signals the end of the school year is near. Cue the panic as your thoughts turn to keeping school-aged kids entertained all summer — and figuring out how to pay for it.

Flexible Schedules Help Working Parents

One silver lining of COVID was the increase of flexible work schedules. For some, that means a fully remote environment, while others enjoy a hybrid model, splitting time between the office and home. Some workplaces even allow flexible hours, helping parents coordinate summer schedules and sharing childcare responsibilities more effectively.

Even with the most flexible work setups, the challenge remains — kids at home needing entertainment and work that still needs to be done. So, how do working parents navigate summer?

Set Yourself Up for Success, Working Parents

Start by getting organized. Create a summer activity spreadsheet, structuring it by week, and begin filling it with any pre-planned events. Maybe you’ve already blocked time off for a family vacation or a week at the grandparents’ house. Whatever the case, start with a realistic overview of the dates and gaps you need to fill.

Next, establish a budget. Some camps, especially full-day and overnight options, can be costly, even if you have two working parents in the family. Determine what works for your finances and commit to staying within it.

Now it’s time to explore your local camp options. Chat with your kids about their interests, connect with other parents for recommendations and start your online research. From recreational sports leagues to summer art programs, day camps and overnight camps there most likely isn’t a shortage of options. You might also consider hiring a summer nanny or a high schooler in your neighborhood who is great with kids and looking to make some extra money.

At this stage, start building your list. Make sure to include dates, costs and priorities. Determine what fits within the weeks you need coverage, and your budget.

Other Considerations When Planning Your Kid’s Summer

Alternate weeks of coverage. To cut costs or allow for unstructured downtime, some families with a work-from-home parent opt for weeks with no scheduled activities, giving kids the freedom to play at home.

Opt for half-day activities. Another great way to save money while giving your kids the best of both worlds. An opportunity for structured play with peers for part of the day, followed by enjoying the comforts of home for the rest of the day.

Book early. Many camps offer early bird discounts so the sooner you start researching and securing spots, the more budget-friendly your options will be.

Drop-in activities. Nomatter how well you plan, unexpected work meetings or obligations can arise. Consider camps that offer flexible, last-minute enrollment. They may cost more, but they’re a valuable option to have in your back pocket.

Be Ready to Pivot or Reschedule Plans

No matter how much planning you do as a working parent, unexpected changes are bound to pop up in your kids’ summer activities. Keep in mind that summer is meant to be slower paced, a time for relaxation and making memories with family and friends. It’s okay if every moment isn’t scheduled, and hearing “I’m bored” now and then is inevitable. But by following a few of these tips, you can minimize stress, embrace the unpredictable and make this summer one to remember.

Happy planning for an unforgettable summer!

Spring is the season of growth and renewal — a perfect time to take a fresh look at your marketing strategy and the channel mix you’re using. Just like you’d diversify a garden to ensure a healthy harvest, your marketing strategy needs a mix of channels to thrive. If you’re pouring all your time, budget, or energy into one platform or tactic, you might be missing out on bigger opportunities — and leaving yourself vulnerable.

Channel diversification matters. So learn how to spot overdependence on one channel and what you can do to grow a more balanced, resilient marketing mix.

The Risks of a One-Channel Strategy

Putting all your golden marketing eggs in one basket can feel safe — especially when that channel is performing well. But algorithms change, audience behaviors shift, and platforms rise and fall. If your business relies heavily on a single social media platform, email list, or ad network, you’re one update away from a major disruption.

Common signs of over-reliance:

• Most of your website traffic or new business leads come from one source
• Your engagement drops significantly if one channel underperforms
• You haven’t experimented with new platforms or tactics in over 6 months

The Benefits of Channel Diversification

1. Reach new audiences: Different platforms attract different demographics. Expanding your reach across channels means reaching more potential customers.

2. Mitigate risk: If one channel takes a hit — due to algorithm changes, ad costs, or even a platform outage — you’ve got others to lean on.

3. Learn what works best: Diversification allows for better testing and experimentation. You might discover that your audience responds better to email storytelling than paid search, or that blog posts drive more qualified leads than Instagram.

4. Strengthen your brand: A presence across multiple touchpoints increases brand recognition and builds trust. It adds depth to your brand’s personality. Your brand becomes more than just “that company on LinkedIn.”

Alternative Channels to Consider

• Email Marketing: Email marketing is still one of the most effective and underutilized channels for direct communication.
• Podcast Interviews, Sponsorships or Advertising: Reach niche B2B or B2C audiences where they spend uninterrupted time.
• SMS/Text Campaigns: SMS marketing is quick, direct, and surprisingly effective when used with consent, consistency and care.
• Community Platforms: Slack groups, Discord, or industry-specific forums where conversations already happen about your industry, product, or brand.
• Content Syndication: Republish or distribute your best blog content to new audiences through third-party sites.
• Offline Tactics: Direct mail, branded events, or pop-up experiences still create memorable brand impressions.
• Media Relations: Establishing your brand as a voice of authority in industry newspapers and magazines with a solid media pitch

How to Start Diversifying

1. Audit your current mix: Where is your traffic and engagement actually coming from? What channels are underperforming or neglected?
2. Choose one new channel to explore: You don’t need to launch everywhere all at once. Pick a channel that aligns with your audience and test it intentionally.
3. Repurpose smartly: You don’t need to create new content for every channel. Repurpose blog posts into videos, webinar snippets into social posts, or long-form reports into email series.
4. Measure, refine, repeat: Set clear KPIs for each new channel and compare results. Continue to refine your mix as you gain new insights.

Make Your Brand Channel Resilient

The more varied and strategic your marketing approach, the more resilient your brand becomes. So this spring, take a cue from the season: plant new seeds, test new soil, and watch your marketing bloom in unexpected places. Just remember: marketing, like gardening, rewards those who think ahead and stay adaptable.

Have you tried a new channel recently that surprised you with results? We’d love to hear about it on The Porch!

At Front Porch Marketing, we are grateful to partner with brave, smart, tenacious and passionate entrepreneurs and business leaders on their branding. New, existing and former clients have come to us in the past few months as they are starting new businesses, bolting on to existing businesses or rebranding their current business or organization.

Delivering on Branding

Our best and most successful clients understand the power of their brand. At every touchpoint, they are delivering on their vision, personality, positioning and affiliation.

For existing companies as well as new ones, it is important to consider these things.

Most Important Aspects of Your Brand

1. Your name. It is the first interaction people have with your business or organization. It may be by word of mouth. It could be from a social media post. Or it could be in a conversation with a colleague or friend. This could be a deciding factor if someone wants to engage with your brand, buy from you, be a part of your community. Is it distinctive, easy to say and spell? Weak names are not memorable. They create confusion and limit appeal.
2. Brand architecture. Having powerful brand messaging that encompasses conviction, consistency and connection with these three attributes is critical. This will set apart a weak one from a strong one. If these aren’t defined internally, how can external stakeholders engage and trust in your business or organization?
3. Logo. Does your logo communicate your company’s personality instantly? Are the colors reflective of your brand? Does your logo have longevity? Does your logo need a refresh to stay relevant?
4. Usage guidelines. We see a lot of companies and organizations that don’t have these defined. Any creative work needs to be on-brand. Whether you are executing creative internally or have an external partner, logos in color and black and white, fonts, brand colors, tone of voice, icons, images, need to be defined upfront. Remember, this helps visually communicate who you are at every touch point and is critical.

Why? Getting all these right at the get-go leads your brand to success verses struggle.

An Example of A Strong Brand

A great litmus test for organizations recently shared with us is Locks of Love. This is a case study for brand alignment. Kudos to them! Locks of Love is a nonprofit that provides hair prosthetics to children. What personality and feelings does its brand evoke? How have they incorporated their brand beyond their logo?

What if the organization had named themselves Children’s Hair Prosthetics of Florida? Makes you want to go hmmmm.

Audit Now and Build This Power

Take a moment this quarter to audit your brand. Is it doing the job you need it to do? Can it be optimized or leveled up? Set your revision plans in place now to continue the rest of the year with a stronger look, a stronger voice. Build your network, your customer base, and your future sales on this important marketing foundation.

Brand messaging is the foundation of the relationships your company makes. Whether it be with potential or current consumers, staff, partners, or investors, healthy relationships are crucial to successful brand operations. Just like any relationship, communication is the binding force that brings us together and helps us achieve our goals. The choices that a brand makes regarding vocabulary, tone and style can make or break connections with relevant audiences. 

Consistency Creates a Cohesive Brand Identity

Before crafting any marketing materials, a brand needs to discover and strengthen its unique identity. By having a firm grasp on what your brand represents, every step moving forward has guidelines to work off of.  

This includes determining the feel of your brand — what tone do you want to approach your audiences with? Whichever mood you focus on should be prevalent throughout your marketing materials. This means carefully choosing words and phrases that go along with your tone. The more you push this identity to audiences, the more their familiarity with your efforts will increase. Familiarity often transforms into dependability, strengthening your brand reputation. 

Clear and Transparent Communication Shows Reliability 

Audiences won’t support a brand they don’t trust — it’s as simple as that. Choosing a brand to engage with depends on many factors, such as product quality, pricing and brand values. But how do audiences learn this information? That’s up to how the brand decides to tell them.  

If consumers can’t clearly learn who you are and what you stand for, they may view you in a lesser light, or not even give you any more of their time. This can easily be avoided by thoughtfully crafting your brand messaging, removing fluff and other factors that take away from your main points. When you know who you are as a brand, you can communicate it more clearly to your target market. When audiences recognize that you’ve put the time and effort into defining your brand, and you convey these values clearly, they’ll see you as more established and reliable each time they interact with you.  

Empathy and Relatability Make Your Brand Human 

Most industries are overwhelmed with competition, with each company looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the others to win over consumers. While it’s more important than ever for brands to capture the attention of target markets quickly, it’s just as crucial to nurture relationships and build consumer loyalty. Like with any relationship, a brand must be readily available to talk with its audiences.  

People value the authenticity of a personal touch and are more likely to engage in friendly conversations than with robotic, automated messages. Whether it’s crisis management or customer service, the customer experience should always feel approachable and genuine. While methods may vary based on company resources, brands should prioritize accessible and direct communication with consumers, as adopting a natural, conversational tone can encourage higher engagement and increased customer loyalty. 

Speak Clearly, Connect Deeply

Brand messaging is the cornerstone of all company relationships. Audiences learn about your brand from what you tell them, so first impressions — and each impression after that — are everything. By prioritizing consistency, reliability and empathy in your messaging and approach, your marketing materials will prove why audiences can confidently supporting your brand.