If you’re a blogger, you know that things are always changing. We’re always hearing people say they know what the next big thing is and what we as bloggers NEED to stop or start doing. I think you know that we’re not fans of advising people to blog in any one way! It’s not our style. One thing I would rather do is help someone take the kind of topics they love to write about and set it up to be received well. So that’s why I wanted to write this post about seasonal content – because I love it (hello, fall!) but, years of experience have taught me that it generally doesn’t perform as well as we’d like.
Give seasonal content a boost
There are a lot of reasons why seasonal content is vital to a blog’s success – for example, when I was doing mostly DIY, you better believe I was soaking up all that holiday interest – but when you have a lifestyle blog that isn’t mostly focused on the seasonal, there are a few reasons readers might check out during this time. For one, if many of your followers are used to a specific thing, they might be put off by this change in subject matter. Not to mention that different regions experience different seasons differently, so you’ve already got a more narrow audience than before. Then there’s the fact that many people just don’t want to invest the time in seasonal content. It goes by so quickly, which is exactly how they read it. They might view your post on fall must-haves, then hop away afterward for something that might be applicable any time of year.
Personally, I LOVE fall content but I’m not crazy about summer content. Summer isn’t my favorite (I know, I’m strange), so when I see seasonal posts at that time of year, I’m not as interested as in other seasons. So my point is that people have different interests, and choosing to post about seasonal content rather than evergreen can have its benefits AND drawbacks.
Balance two types of content
A remedy to this is to simply create balance! Don’t post entirely seasonal content and don’t post entirely evergreen content. Actually, if you don’t post about timely subjects at all, you might seem out of touch – depending on your blog niche of course. Given that a lot of people we connect with are lifestyle bloggers who post about many topics at once and not just one focus, it’s totally acceptable to use balance as a strategy. That way, you don’t lose people who aren’t super interested in seasonal, but you are still involved in trending content.
We have some seasonal content up our sleeves on TBM this month and balance has been key in planning our calendar. You might have noticed us posting a little more often lately, and that’s actually part of this. We want to be able to post about handmade and small business more as the holidays approach, but we know that many of our readers simply come to the blog to learn about blogging, not business – let alone seasonal business. So we’ve decided that when we post about workspace, products, or being a seller during the holidays, we will balance it out with other blog-focused content. Stay tuned :)
Offer something specific + useful
Seasonal content can get lost as well if it doesn’t offer something to readers. Don’t get me wrong, I love blog posts that sum up an autumn walk or a trip to the pumpkin patch (in fact I’ve written every basic fall post under the sun!). If you love these too, balancing them out with other seasonal content that’s specific and useful will ensure you can keep writing about all things seasonal without losing those readers who come to the blog to get something, rather than just to read something.
Our favorite specific and useful posts are DIY projects and tutorials. Halloween crafts, recipes, and gift ideas are all great starts. When you post something like that, people are encouraged to come back to your blog specifically for that post again and again. They are things that they won’t find elsewhere (at least with your spin on it), so you’re not only guaranteeing that the content stands out, but that it has longevity – something that a lot of seasonal blog posts don’t have. When writing with the seasons, it’s important to think of how it will perform over time. If it’s something totally Pinterest-worthy, for example, you will probably see the benefits of that post for possibly even years to come!
Our fall blog post ideas are a balance of personal, journal-style content and specific topics to offer readers. Check it out here.
What do you guys think? What’s your favorite type of seasonal content to read?
gabriella says
I like the balance you’re describing here. When the seasons change, I don’t want all of my favorite blogs to begin posting completely different content just because the time of the year. But, in moderation, I really enjoy it! I definitely try to do the same. For example, I just posted a “things to do in fall” post, but scattered among my other evergreen content.
ps. I’m with you, I definitely do not love summer content (to write, especially).
g.
Angela says
That sounds like a great plan. I tried to think of it how I would as a reader when writing. Of course, I love fall so lots of times I end up writing about it anyway, but I try to blend other things in!
Noemi @ Wealthy in Health says
My problem with seasonal content is that I always forget about them. By the time I realize I should write about it, it’s too late. Now, I’m even late with creating Christmas content… at least, that’s how I feel after reading the notifications from Pinterest that my last year’s binge on Christmas ornaments are repinned. The repins started about a month ago… and they were my personal boards not my official one, there, I don’t have anything :( Maybe next year :)
Angela says
Oh I totally know what you mean. I always had that problem when selling on Etsy too! I thought I was ahead of things, then I’d be way behind. Luckily, non-seasonal really does tend to perform best, so if you missed some timely things, you can always amp up your year-around blog posts!