It’s impossible to forget Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, etc. It’s impossible to miss them because literally everyone is reminding us. Everyone. Every important and not-so-important holiday…I’m looking at you Boss’s Day.
Content creators are easily swept away by seasonality, and it’s not hard to see why. Everyone is talking about this! We must add our voice to the chorus and position our brand’s message on back-to-school season or Valentine’s Day. We don’t want to be the Grinch who didn’t monetize Christmas.
However, just because something is trending doesn’t mean we have to drift with every seasonal current out there. In fact, by the time you hop on a trend it’s probably stale. Trendy is so yesterday, but outliers are punching through because they’re saying something different, something we didn’t already hear from everyone else.
A billion creators might be getting a handful of views each with a Halloween-inspired piece, but that low performance speaks directly to how poor the content is…doesn’t it?
So what should direct your content? A creative process that harnesses research, analysis, data-informed hypotheses, and ideation. A process that consistently delivers viral content and isn’t discarded because it’s St. Patrick’s Day.
Does that mean you can’t ever tap into a seasonal trend? Of course not. If it makes sense for your brand and aligns with your content strategy–go for it. Just make sure your creative choices are data-driven, not holiday-inspired. Ask yourself, if you removed the seasonality, would the idea still hold up? Is it good enough on its own or is it using the “right time” or “on trend” as a crutch?
A friend who works in healthcare mentioned that the hospital staff loves to decorate the halls and nurses’ station with festive holiday decorations. It brings some needed cheer to an often stressful work environment. However, the nurses and doctors never forget their main purpose–to deliver life-saving patient care.
Likewise, the purpose of our content creation strategy is to grab, maintain, and monetize attention. Every choice we make either adds to or detract from our goals, so don’t let the spirit of the season govern your creative decisions.
Feel like there’s just one thing that’s holding you back from success? This may be the right fit for you…Go Viral Here!
