Getting ready to take a trip? Taking a break from the office is great for the mind, but as a small business owner or nonprofit executive, taking time off can mean a lot of stress. How do you keep your organization running while you are away? How do you continue your marketing and public relations efforts while you are out of town? Point Taken, a Jacksonville marketing and public relations firm, offers tips for vacation planning for business and nonprofit executives:

1. Get Ahead: Using an editorial calendar, plan out all of your marketing and public relations activities for the upcoming month. Write blog posts in advance and schedule them to post while you are out of town. Using a website designed by Point Taken? Our WordPress-designed sites make it easy to schedule posts to publish at a certain date and time.

2. Schedule Social Media: Plan all of your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn posts on your monthly editorial calendar. Using social media management software (such as Hootsuite, Rignite or Sprout Social), schedule your posts to publish while you are on vacation. Remember, it is never good to talk without listening, so make sure to respond to fans and followers when you get back to the office.

3. Automate Emails: Using marketing automation software like SharpSpring , Marketo or HubSpot, create and distribute targeted emails to leads even while you are away. Segment leads based on their preferences and behaviors, and send emails that meet your prospect and customers’ specific and unique needs.

4. Reiterate Your Brand in Out of Office Responses: Turn on your out-of-office responder, but don’t turn off your marketing efforts. Include a blurb about your company and the way you can solve a prospective client’s problems in your out-of-office email.

5. Make the Most of Mobile: While vacation is a time to relax and rejuvenate, set aside time each day to check your email, social media channels and incoming leads so you can respond to urgent requests in a timely manner. Copy files you might need into cloud-based programs (such as Dropbox, Google Drive or Box) so you can easily access them from mobile devices.

While it isn’t easy to take a break from your business or nonprofit organization, a few simple preparatory steps can make the transition from work to worry-free a simple one. Plan ahead, schedule, automate and make the most of technology to have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation.