As promised, we’re back with our second segment on how to avoid the summer content slump, breaking up our wild inspiration into a two-part series. (One of our hot tips from Part One!) When you’re in the heat of a slump, it’s hard to climb your way out, but once you start, ideas and creativity tend to be self-perpetuating. For our take on writer’s block, check out our tips on how to write a fabulous blog post.
And if you’re still feeling stuck, start with something easy. Which brings us to—
1. Share Other People’s Voices
When you’re low on content, it is perfectly reasonable to amplify someone else’s work. Share an article that speaks to your company’s mission. Tag a colleague you admire and congratulate them on their latest accomplishment. Or you can even share a status or post right off their social media page. This shows you are connected to the key people in your field. And it’s always refreshing to see someone talking about something other than themselves. Brand image aside, it’s a healthy practice to cultivate a little joy and friendliness at other people’s good news. Your turn will come.
2. Publish Case Studies, Before-and-After Photos, and Customer Testimonials
When it comes to online content, case studies and customer testimonials are golden. While they take time and legwork, they are so worth it in the long run. Consumer trust is hard won these days, and positive buzz from your clients can make all the difference in getting clients to commit.
A customer case study concretely depicts someone’s real-world experience of your products and services. It can follow several formats but generally, you want to start with a problem or challenge. Heather’s hair is a frizzy disaster and all the job posters write her off at the first Zoom interview. Jamal’s door swelled up with the humid weather and now he can’t close it. Patrick’s ready to buy life insurance but he doesn’t know where to start.
Poor Heather and Jamal and Patrick tried everything they could to resolve their issues on their own to no avail. To everyone’s great relief, they discovered your products or services on Instagram, or Google Ads, or your stunning Linkeo website. Your hair care products and door repair services and/or life insurance were just the thing. You worked wonders. They’re so thankful.
Back up the story with concrete facts and numbers, add a few photos, and you have a beautiful, compelling article that celebrates both your business and your client.
For a lower-impact version of this, you can put together some before-and-after shots. Or, simply encourage your clients to sing your praises in a customer survey or online review. Feature your favourites on a special social media post, tagging and thanking your clients while you’re at it.
Check out this video for five-star reviews from our Linkeo clients. And for tips on earning your own positive reviews, read our guide to a five-star reputation.
3. Don’t Always Be Selling Your Products and Services
While we are strong proponents of the call-to-action, true fans are not built from formulaic content that consistently ends with, Yah, and by the way, we’re the best and you should call us. Good marketing is subtle, building a connection between you and your audience. Great marketing has people coming back for more.
And sometimes you just want people to know that you exist, and that you care. You can wish your followers a fun and happy Halloween or Labour Day without insisting that the occasion will not be complete unless they buy your artisanal olives.
Happy Saint-Jean Baptiste Day, from Linkeo. For more feel-good posts, check out our Facebook Pages: Australia, Canada, USA
4. Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously
Nobody wants to hear that you have a passion for distilling insight. Generic posts about optimized this or that are a dime a dozen. If your eyes glaze over at the site of another article on innovative strategy with impact, chances are your customers will too.
More and more, companies are aiming for a conversational tone in their marketing. So you can skip the lofty concepts and snoozy jargon. Write like a person, not like a company. While you don’t want to take this too far, a touch of fun and playful is welcome in this world.
5. The Case for the Quirky: Fun Facts, Infographics, and Social Media Holidays
On that note, when you’re stumped for content, it can help to think a little outside the box. Instead of reverting to the dreary, we’ve got customized solutions tailored to your needs, reach for the unconventional. Dig up some fun facts that relate to your niche. Lumber stats 2022 compared to the Reagan Years. How long does the average person take to prepare and eat breakfast? Less than 4% of the world’s population is a natural red head. Find a creative way to link your findings to your business.
From there, you can create an infographic to share on your social media platforms. Another content opportunity lies in what the kids are calling social media holidays. It seems like someone has invented a special occasion for just about every day of the year, from National Cut Your Energy Costs Day (January 10) to National Ice Cream Day (July 18).
6. Awareness Days, Weeks, and Months
Awareness days, weeks, and months aim to bring visibility and solidarity to historically neglected causes. Important examples include Black History Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Pride Month, and National Indigenous History Month. In this era where ethics are everything, observing these calendar topics is a great way to show your support and promote equality amongst both your customers and employees.
Of course, there’s nothing worse than empty, performative social media “activism.” To avoid virtue signalling, your posts need to come from a sincere and informed place. Do your research. Talk to the people behind the causes. Admit the gaps in your knowledge. Show your commitment to learning more and taking action beyond Facebook and Instagram.
Happy Pride Month from Linkeo! We’ve got more love waiting for you on our brand-new Instagram pages: Canada, USA
7. Video Content
The jury’s out on whether everybody must join TikTok, but more and more, video content is appearing at the top of Google. 94% of marketers believe that videos are helpful at reaching their audience. And rumour has it that for subscribers who do not post reels, Instagram is limiting viewership to 10% of followers.
In future articles, we are going to look at rising trends you might feel too old (or too tired) to figure out. But for now, not all video content needs to be fancy. You can capture snippets of your company in action and post it to your stories. Go live on social media to broadcast a special event or make an announcement. And if you’re ready to bring in the pros, at Linkeo, we have a world-renowned videographer who can help.
Beating the Summer Content Slump, by Linkeo
If you’d rather spend your summer lounging in your hammock, recovering from the deep freeze and other calamities, we completely understand. And that’s why we’ve created our Community Management offer—for business owners who want to stay present on social media without staying glued to their devices. Get in touch and we’ll set you up with a winning marketing strategy that earns you followers and conversion as you live your best life by the pool.
Thank you to Ishan @seefromthesky on Unsplash for this dreamy photo by the pool. And a loving shout-out to RODNAE Productions for our stunning beach thumbnail. Just what we were looking for.
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