Making The Most Of Holiday Blogging.
When the holidays descend upon us in full force, as bloggers we’re faced with a constant demand to stay on our toes and give our readers the holiday information, spirit and content that they’re seeking. However, for every way that holiday blogging can become more difficult than normal, it also offers the opportunity to improve and grow our blog. Readers are now, more than ever, passionate about making the internet an integral part of their holidays in every way from planning and organizing to shopping and avoiding the crowds. No matter what your blog topic is, the holidays provide you with the opportunity to stretch and grow your reader borders.
Reach out with Holiday Spirit
In order to really reach readers during the holiday season, you’re going to need to bring a little holiday into your blog. For whatever reason, when December hits, we become a culture obsessed with everything gone holiday. We expect everything we see and everything we read to have a little holiday sparkle, and if it doesn’t, then we generally don’t want much to do with it! So whether you do a little site redesign, you include some holiday themed content or even just place a unique holiday countdown tool in the corner of your blog, you’d be amazed how many people will be drawn to your blog or stay with your blog to see how you incorporate the holiday theme. If you can come up with something extra innovative, you’ll have an even bigger opportunity for your blog to garner new readers as the word spreads and you have an opportunity to see something go viral.
Take Advantage of Some Bragging Opportunity
Holidays allow for a personal touch in the blog world like almost nothing else. We expect people to open up and become almost like family during this time of year and we appreciate it when they do. You can take advantage of this by doing a few personal pieces on what your blog/business has accomplished over the year. This allows you to put the post out there as more of a personal reflection piece than a bragging piece that would have the potential to put people off. Share your highs (and even your lows if you can show how you overcame them) as you conclude your year, encouraging your reader with how far you’ve come and how far you expect to go in the next year.
Lure Readers in With Holiday Specials
If at all possible, take advantage of the blogging gift phenomenon and offer your readers holiday specials. Whether you can provide special discounts; buy one, get this; or even freebies, you’ll be amazed at the spike your readership will get. And, remember, getting people to the site is more than half the battle. Once there, then it’s just up to you to keep them there with stellar content!
Point the Way to Other Specials
Even if you yourself don’t have anything to “offer” per se, as in your blog is not a business with product or discounts to offer, you are by no means out of luck. When this is the case, all you have to do is do some research. Compile lists of where all the best deals are. Find every site listing free shipping and put together a guide by category. Find the gift guides that you think your readers would love most. If they can come to you for a concise list that will show them all the best deals and freebies that will save them having to put in all that research time, you’ll gain very affectionate, thankful, loyal readers.
Festive & Helpful
In the end, it mainly comes down to these two aspects: being festive and helpful. Decorate the blog; provide fun, festive holiday themed content (you can tailor any content to be at least a little holiday-like) and try to put something like a countdown or a “25 posts of ________,” etc. that will keep your readers coming back for more every day. And finally, do your best to offer them something tangible or direct them to where they can get something tangible!
