5 Tips for Sensational Seasonal Blog Content
We love a good seasonal post. They’re a super fun way to add a little extra ‘oomph’ to your blog and are a great way to showcase relatability to your readers.
However, if you’ve ever felt like you were late to the party when it comes publishing trendy blog content, you’re not alone. Half the battle is not only figuring out what to post but when to post it – and that’s what we’re going to help you determine today!
But first…
What is Seasonal Content?
It sounds straightforward, and, at its core, it is.
Seasonal content is any type of visual or written material that lends itself to certain annual events. These are either time-based or event-based occurrences, both of which may offer different points of relatability when it comes to your audience.
Time based content typically focuses on certain times of year that happen in chunks, such as football season or spring break.
Event-based content centres around special occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, business anniversaries, etc.
It’s important to note that these two types of content can exist separately from each other but can also overlap. For example, Christmas content might roll into your seasonal winter ideas. Or Halloween may coincide with what you have planned for autumn.
As a business, you want blog posts that create an immersive and engaging experience for your reader. You also want to be sure that what you’re posting is seasonally relevant, timely, and conveys your message appropriately.
With that in mind, these 5 tips will set you up for success each and every time:
1. Keep Your Message at the Forefront
The goal of a seasonal content piece is to combine something relevant with your business's message. But where many companies go wrong is sacrificing the ladder for the former, which can leave your post feeling forced and inauthentic.
Even your seasonal materials should remain consistent with your business’s branding and tone.
Yes, seasonal blog posts are a great way to show off how creative and relevant your business is. At the same time, readers don’t want to be flooded with cliches and puns that don’t connect them to the post’s value.
That’s why it’s important to establish your post’s overall goal before trying to combine it with a seasonal event. This will help to create a cohesive look and feel for your content that stays true to your business.
2. Plan Your Posts
We know you’ve heard it before but we’re going to say it again for the people in the back:
Timing is everything.
You wouldn’t publish your spooky Halloween content while in the middle of a July heatwave, right? It wouldn’t make sense given the time of year and how far out Halloween is from that point in time.
The best way to capitalize on content is to post it when it’s the most relevant.
Posting it too early can come off as seasonally inappropriate and leave your readers confused, while posting too late may mean that you’ve already missed your opportunity to connect with them at all.
When it comes to your seasonal pieces, aim to publish them 2-3 weeks before the peak of the event or timeframe you’re tying in. This will offer more time and clarity to your audience and will lessen the likelihood of your content being overlooked or labelled as irrelevant.
3. Research What’s Trending
This holds hands with all that planning that we talked about above. Part of developing successfully viewed content is being on top of what topics are going to start trending as you approach the event.
This can start happening days, weeks, or even months before a major seasonal change.
To find out when topics start to be heavily searched, you can use a free online tool like Google Trends. Just type in the desired search (e.g., “how to cook a Christmas turkey”, “best DIY Halloween costumes”, etc.) and adjust the time frame to reflect the upcoming event. It will then provide you with a list of how often people searched the topic and when it trends throughout the year.
If you create content focused on that subject matter and post it strategically, you can use it to increase traffic on your blog. This is fantastic for planning and making sure that your post is timed perfectly.
4. Add a Touch of Seasoning
Including seasonally appropriate themes, imagery, and keywords in your post can be a great way to connect with your audience and evoke feelings of excitement and anticipation.
However, using too many will lead to your content feeling inauthentic, forced, or too ‘salesy’. Keep in mind that your message should always be the star of the show!
Avoid this common blunder by making sure that the designs and images that you use are tasteful and fit with your company’s marketing and brand image. Seasonal keywords and any linked materials should be relevant to your post and strategically placed in areas that make sense for them to be in.
Remember, your reader should have a smooth and enjoyable reading experience from beginning to end. So, steer clear of packing your blog full of seasonal filler that may muddle what you’re trying to get across.
5. Research, Reuse, Recycle
No, you haven’t just entered a 90’s recycling commercial – this is genuine blogging advice!
One of the perks of seasonal content is that it’s easy to update and promote again the following season. The more posts you begin to accumulate, the more opportunity you have to repurpose them throughout the years – handy, right?
If you have posts from previous years available to you, take a look at their analytics. Check to see which material performed best and start revising them in preparation for the upcoming year.
You may also want to consider repurposing a successful post into an ongoing series, a fun infographic, or even a newsletter!
There are tons of great ways to get the most out of your seasonal content. Spend some time thinking about how to make what you’ve written go the distance for years to come.
Looking For a Little Extra Content?
You know who loves creating seasonal content?
Hint: you just finished read a blog post by them.
That’s right, it’s us!
We would love to help you create sensational content for all your wordsmithing needs.
Connect with us today for a complimentary 30-minute brainstorming session to get the juices flowing.
Your company has a story that needs to be heard – let us write the way!