It is already November!! Can you believe that?!?!

I feel like this means it is officially the holiday season and when all the countdowns begin.

Thanksgiving in the U.S is almost here.

Christmas is almost here.

The new year is almost here.

All of the fun things are happening and bloggers, businesses, and influencers are getting geared up for the holiday season.

It is always a busy time of year but if you don’t have a plan going into the next few weeks, you are going to struggle and feel like you are falling behind. If you want to take time off over the next few weeks, getting prepped now is going to make a huge difference.

TAKING A BREAK IS A MUST

I want to start by saying that taking a break is a must. You will burn out quickly if you do not give yourself some downtime. This blog post is going to give you ways in which you can easily take some time off to enjoy all the holiday season has to give.

Why is taking a break important?

There have been times when I have gone long and hard, pushing myself to do all of the things and then I just can’t anymore. This has led me to take a month or two off of blogging over the past couple of months because I just couldn’t bring myself to write.

I was so exhausted on every level that there was just nothing left to give to anyone, including myself. I speak from experience on the importance of giving yourself a break.

Besides me saying so, what are some of the other benefits of taking a break? Well here are just a few…

• It can help to increase creativity
• It can give your mental health a boost
• It can help to reduce stress
• It can help to enhance your mood
• It can help to motivate and inspire you even more

For the purposes of this blog post, I am going to talk about taking a break but having things prepared and ready to go so you can still show up on your social media platforms. This does not mean that that is what you need to do.

If you want to take a break and not post to social media or your blog then go ahead and do that. It truly isn’t the end of the world to stop posting to any of those for a period of time. You do you beautiful!!

Let’s have some fun getting your content ready for the next couple of months!

WAYS TO HELP YOU PREPARE YOUR CREATIVE CONTENT FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

The holiday season is a great time to share some fun content with your audience.

The parties that you will be attending.

The gifts that you are giving.

The gifts that you are receiving.

Watch for the post later this week about different creative content ideas for you to use during the holiday season. Oh and I think I will be doing another blog post sharing gift ideas that bloggers really want this year! That was fun to write last year if you want to check it out!

Make a plan

The first step in helping you to prepare for the holidays is going to be to make a plan. If you have read many of my posts, I talk about this often. Planning and organization go hand in hand and are super important for any type of success.

When it comes to making a plan, you are going to want to ask yourself a few questions.

• What events do you have coming up?
• How much time do you have to focus on your creative content?
• Do you want to keep your posting schedule the same?
• If you want to change your posting schedule, what do you want to change it to?

Map out your content

Making a plan isn’t the only step that needs to be done. You are going to need to map out your content so you know what you are going to talk about over the next couple of months.

• How many blog posts do you want to post?
• What topics do you want to cover over the next two months?
• Do you have any sales or promotions coming up?
• Do you have a resource you want to share?
• What small businesses do you want to shout out?
• Are there content pieces that I can repurpose and reshare?

Remember, you don’t need to share all fresh content. Reuse and repurpose the content that you have already created to save yourself some time and energy. Now I want you to grab a big calendar and start mapping out November and December. This way you know what is coming up over the next few months and what you need to prepare for.

Use a content scheduler

There are so many content schedulers out there that can really help to make a difference to free up that time for you. These platforms are going to help you continue to release fresh content or repurpose old content.

I use SocialPilot and absolutely love them. It also allows me to schedule my client content so that all I need to focus on is the engagement piece. I am an affiliate for them and if you purchase their services, I will be compensated.

Another one that is fantastic to use is Later. Again, I am an affiliate for them and if you purchase their services, I will be compensated.

Posting your content can be time-consuming so these types of platforms can help you keep track of your time.

Ask for guest appearances

You don’t always need to write your own content. If you are looking for a fresh new way to reach your audience, having a guest come on can be helpful.

You will need to plan ahead for this because more than likely, they are going to need time to create that content. Start asking today to get some guests on all of your different content channels.

Don’t consistently sell

It is the holiday season but that doesn’t mean that you are going to consistently sell. EVERYONE is going to be trying to sell their products and services so make sure that you continue to teach as well as sell.

If we have products or services to sell, we certainly want to do that but our creative content should be more than that. Dedicate one to three posts per platform per week to share what you have for sale. Depending on the type of business you are (think clothing store), you can sell more often than that.

Remember that now is the perfect time to not only sell but connect with new customers. Let them get to know you. Since people are looking to buy gifts, now is the time to showcase who you are as a business as well as sharing your products and services.

Make your content personal

I believe that storytelling changes your creative content. It helps you to connect with those in your audience and it helps to build and grow an audience. By showcasing pieces of your personal life (it doesn’t have to be super personal), you are giving your audience a glimpse into who you are.

A few fun ways to make your content more personal…

• Share what’s on your reading list
• Share a gift that you bought someone
• Share your favourite small business
• Share photos or videos of your office space
• Share your Christmas list
• Share your holiday traditions

There are so many ways to bring your personality, your life, and you into your content.

Create experiences that your audience is going to remember

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is one of my favourites and this quote is so so true! The holidays can feel rushed, stressful, and overwhelming for some people and when you take the time to create an unforgettable experience for your audience, they will remember.

It is all about the details

• Offer a special promotion for existing customers
• Offer a special promotion for new customers
• Send current customers handwritten notes (If you have their address to send it to.)
• Send current customers an appreciation email if you don’t have an address
• Host a special event for your audience

Take the time to truly thank them this holiday season and make it extra special

Remember to take time to enjoy this holiday season. Give yourself a chance to take a break and give yourself a mental health boost.

If you are looking for help with your content over the next couple of months. Please reach out as I do have space for two new clients for November and December. I have multiple packages for content that you can choose from or we can create a package that fits what you need.