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It’s the start of the holiday season: planning family get-togethers, getting ready for much-needed vacations, prepping your holiday baking lists. The days get shorter, but somehow also busier! Despite the chaos, there is a need for companies to maintain (and many times increase) a presence online with meaningful, relevant content. So how do you stay sane and still produce rockin’ content this holiday season?
Here are a few tips:
1. Plan ahead
One of your biggest lifesavers during the holiday season is going to be planning ahead. This week, sit down and plan out the next two months worth of content. Will this take up more content strategy planning time than usual? Yes. Will it pay off in the long-run? Absolutely. Plan out enough topics to cover important dates and holidays through the end of the year–heck, you might as well go through the first half of January so you have time to recuperate when you get back (you’ll take some time off, too, right?!). Check out Melissa Harrison’s post on content calendars for an easy how-to to organize your content.
2. Something new, something borrowed
As you plan your content, look back at which pieces of content performed well during the holidays last season. Even if you have new initiatives this year, you can play off of your content from year’s past so that you aren’t re-creating the wheel this year. If your strategy this year is not specific to a particular deal or service offering, recycle previous content as a way to put together quick holiday tweets or #TBT (throw-back Thursday) posts on additional social media channels.
3. Crowd-source your content
When you host a holiday party do you ask friends to bring a plate of food or dessert to share? You can do the same with your content. Invite people in your network to help contribute content during the holiday season. Company staff, clients, partners, suppliers and other industry professionals are all great options of sources who can provide relevant content. Begin collecting content as early as you can, (so next year, let’s start in September and October!), and once you have been provided with material, schedule it for your busy times during the week(s) so you have our bases covered. But don’t forget to monitor! It is important to be engaged in real-time online as well; be sure to have someone dedicated to responding to any customer messages that come in based off the scheduled posts (see tip #4).
4. Designate a hall monitor
While we are all for working ahead and scheduling content early, businesses still need to be interacting in real-time with their followers and readers. Designate an individual who will continue to monitor blog comments, reply to social media comments, answer customer questions and post real-time photos of your company staff in action during the holidays. Make sure the designated individual knows the company voice and writing style so they can confidently respond to questions or comments and accurately represent your brand.
5. Go behind the scenes
Believe it or not, your followers and customers enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes posts of what goes on the in the daily life of your business. Posting activities and photos of your staff connects your followers to the human aspect of your brand, fosters a personal connection and strengthens brand loyalty. If your company has fun holiday party traditions, volunteers or decorates the office, be sure to share photos! While this must be done in real-time, it is a great option for filler content and engagement.
Maybe you’re still panicking about providing great content during the holiday season—don’t let it weigh you down! Our team can help you with your content strategy and give you more time to enjoy the holiday season. Give us a call!
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