There’s a reason seasonal content works: it’s relevant, it gives your content a context, and it reaches readers with helpful information that fits the theme already on their mind. Evergreen content might stand the test of time, but relevant seasonal content punctuates time in a way that makes it meaningful and makes customers perceive your company as thoroughly on top of its game.
But we’ve all seen seasonal content fail–either by reusing the same old tired clichés, reworking a standard article to awkwardly “fit” the holiday season, or distancing readers who don’t fall into the typical seasonal categories quite like everyone else. These tips will help you establish your seasonal content calendar to avoid those gaffes and keep readers coming back for more.
Fit the brand to the season, not the season to your brand.
It’s easy to look at a season or holiday and then try to fit content into it. This is how titles like “3 Reasons Content Optimization is like Christmas Eve” are born. That kind of strategy isn’t clever, and customers will see right through it; it’s just another post with a halfhearted holiday tie-in.
It makes more sense to figure out how your brand–your company, your vision, and your products or services–fit into the season. What do you have to offer clients that’s relevant during the winter holidays? Or Mother’s Day? Or summertime in general? Look for real connections, then offer content that’s actually helpful and relevant for customers during that time.
The season should be the context for your content, not the theme of it.
Over-the-top, tacky seasonal content often begins with a lead that sounds an awful lot like a greeting card. “It’s beginning to look a lot like…” or “Hop Into Savings!” are popular variations on the same tired, less-than-effective content strategies. Drop the theme and replace it with content that matters.
There are ways to advertise your business during the holidays without resorting to hackneyed phrases. Keep the focus on your product or service, and consider dropping a few time bombs to keep it relevant; referencing current events (not just seasonal ones) adds a time-stamp that readers will recognize and, if it hits the right wave of interest, will attract more attention than you might expect.
Stay on top of your timetable.
Most marketers suggest publishing seasonal content around two weeks beforehand, but depending on the season and the article, you’ll want to cater that to your particular needs (and the holiday). The Christmas season typically has a longer lead-up than the 4th of July, for instance, so plan on publishing those pieces a bit earlier.
Plan to have tax-advice articles ready to publish applicably early, so readers can actually make use of them before April 14th rolls around. Depending on your company’s specialty, sporting events might merit a bigger lead-up or little mention at all. Even if you’re just sprinkling a few seasonal articles into your regular evergreen content, you won’t regret planning out your editorial calendar with plenty of buffer room to hone those pieces.
Writer Bio: Steffani J is a part-time content writer who loves to drink tea and create content, but struggles with one-liners.
