How To Create Engaging Seasonal Social Media Content

It’s that time of year again! Wait... what time of year is it? Well, it doesn’t really matter because there’s always a season you can be sharing about! We’re going to share all the secrets of engaging seasonal content and our favorite seasonal social media post ideas.

What is seasonal content?

As the name implies, seasonal content is content that is related to a specific season. You know we love our evergreen content here at MeetEdgar but seasonal content plays an important role too! Seasonal content is a great way to stay relevant during a specific time period and keep up with trends that can either attract new followers or re-engage followers. Seasonal content is also cyclical. You know it’s going to come up every year or on a recurring basis. So when it does, you can always dust off and brush up your existing seasonal content for the next year.

‍There are two types of seasonal content:

• Time-based (the seasons of the year)
  • Think summer fun posts or back to school campaigns.
  • Time-based seasonal content is great for B2B businesses! Think about the seasons in your industry.
• Event-based (around actual holidays)
  • These are the traditional holidays you think about like Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day. But they can also include regional holidays like Boxing Day.

You don’t have to celebrate every single holiday but you should find the ones that are most relevant to you and your audience. For example, Tax Day might not be an important holiday for most industries but for industries like accounting or industries where people often spend their tax returns, like car dealerships, it is an important holiday. So when coming up with social media post ideas, think about what holiday or season is important to your audience.

Seasonal Content Timing:

Timing is critical. You want your seasonal content to start posting before the peak of the season. So you want to be creating your content just before people start actually thinking about that content.

For example, if you know you want to write blog posts about Black Friday shopping then you should be creating that content in September or early October so that it’s already published and building authority when people start searching for Black Friday content in the end of October and early November. Build this into your social media calendar!

Also, since seasonal content is cyclical, you can keep your content from the previous year and when the time comes, give it a quick update and republish it.

‍Edgar-Tip: If you use Edgar, you can save all of your posts from the previous year in a separate seasonal category so you can quickly update them and add the category back into your social media posting schedule.

Seasonal Social Media Post Ideas:

Now let’s talk about the types of seasonal social media posts that will actually engage your audience and drive traffic back to your website.

Tell a story

The data has long told us that storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting audiences to brands. Now your story doesn’t need to include the words “Once upon a time.” Instead, think about crafting a narrative.

A few years ago, the Humane Society did an Instagram campaign called “See Her Happy Ending.” They ran ads in Instagram stories and on Facebook with the photo of an adorable dog and then a call to action to “See Her Happy Ending.” When you swiped up or clicked the link, you were taken to a landing page that shared that dog’s story and then connected you to the Humane Society’s Giving Tuesday campaign. The campaign had everything you want for a story, an enticing beginning (added bonus that it included a cute puppy), a story of struggle, a hero (the puppy and the people who adopted her) and a happy ending.

When thinking up social media post ideas that tell a story, think in terms of before, during, and after to help you craft your narrative. What is your audience’s life like before, during, and after using your product or service? Build your story around that.

Use emotional language or themes

Emotional connection is one of the strongest ways to build trust and engage your audience, especially around holidays. Posts that share gratitude, express joy or tap into the feeling of comfort or security will resonate with your audience. In fact, happiness is actually a little bit contagious. A study by Fractl found that content that has a tone of happiness was more likely to be shared on social media.

One of the best examples of this is from a company that doesn’t even really need to advertise! Google’s #YearinSearch annual campaign at the end of the year, is one of the best examples of using emotions to draw in your audience.

Partner with influencers

Influencer marketing is huge right now! A 2019 survey by The Influencer Marketing Hub showed that businesses make $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. The trick is finding the right influencer for your brand. Do your research to find out who your audience is following and remember that it’s not just about someone with a huge following.Micro-influencers (influencers who have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers) can be great brand partners. The important thing is to always check the engagement rate of an influencer and try to learn as much about their audience as possible to make sure they are the best fit for your brand.

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Support a cause

Sharing your beliefs can really differentiate yourself from your competitors and it will connect you to those who also support those beliefs. Remember, your social media should build rapport and trust with your audience. You want them to really know you - including the causes you believe in.

A few years ago, UPS ran a campaign that supported a few of their favorite causes and engaged their audience on social media. They encouraged their audience to share their wishes using the hashtag #WishesDelivered. For every post shared, the organization donated to three charities: the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Salvation Army, and the Toys for Tots Literacy Program.Now, you don’t need to have a ton of cash to donate to make a difference but you can create posts that connect your audience to the causes you support to drive engagement.

Host a contest

Seasonal contests are one of the most popular ways to engage your audience because they can quickly go viral and rack up those shares and likes.

You can do a User Generated Content contest like the #12DaysofSunMaid. During this contest, followers were encouraged to share their favorite Sun-Maid holiday memory in a photo, story, or both with the hashtag #12DaysofSunMaid. They ran the contest for 12 days and announced a winner every day.

Or you could run a sharing contest, as The Body Shop did. During the Body Shop’s #TBSWishlist, their audience was encouraged to share a post by The Body Shop to enter to win.Having a hashtag for your contest is key. With both of these contests, it's all about spreading your message and brand so be sure to use a hashtag that is easy to remember and incorporates your brand name.

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Combine Seasonal Posts with Promotional Posts to Complete Your Strategy

It's important to layer all of these different seasonal social media post ideas in with your promotional posts and seasonal sales. Holidays aren’t just another time to spend money. It’s a time to strengthen your community and build trust. Make sure you’re creating a balanced mix of social media posts in your content calendar and plan for both brand building, community building, and promotional posts. Remember, there is always a holiday just around the corner so make sure you are planning advance!

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