Priming the pump might take you a couple of attempts before you get it right. Aside from doing this during the early spring, you might need to do it during the pool season too if the pump runs dry. This is possible if the water level goes under the skimmer or prevents the skimmer from extracting water.
Regardless, take every action possible to prevent this situation from occurring. If you activate the pump without any water in it, then you can expect the motor and pump to get damaged.