Fall has arrived and you need to beat writer’s block (otherwise known as blank post syndrome.) Just as stores have changed their inventory and windows, you need to instill your blog and/or content marketing with its new autumn look accompanied by up-to-date, engaging content. Take advantage of the crisp fall air to revitalize your content.
Regardless of your blogging or content marketing focus, you can use the change in seasons to give your blog or other content an updated look that’s in line with the weather just as you’d change your wardrobe. To this end, add fall touches whether it’s a fresh graphic look, colored leaves, or new photographs with a fall background.
Here are sixteen tips for fall content, broken out by category. These can be adapted to please any audience. (Here also are twelve free classic back-to-school blog and content marketing topics.)
Who are you cheering for? During the fall, everyone has a favorite sport and a favorite team, whether it’s college football, your kid’s soccer league or the World Series. How can you use a sports analogy to score points with your readers? Here are five examples.
- How to be a team player. What category doesn’t need team players whether it’s on the field or in the office?
- Who is our cheerleader of the month? Use this hook to write about your fans and brand advocates. Think photographs and interviews.
- Why you should join our team. This is a great way to showcase your employees. Realize that this can be a short video presentation.
- Coaching lessons. What dad hasn’t helped their kid’s soccer team? What kind of advice can you give your prospects or customers? Think broadly in terms of product support.
- What I learned on the sidelines. Did you ever get injured or have another reason to be out of the game? Were there insights you gained? How can you apply this perspective to your target readers?
- What’s on the agenda for Home Coming Weekend? Instead of alumni at school, what about your fans and influencers.
Are you fashion forward? For the fashionistas among us, fall signals the main event. It’s time to change our wardrobe and color scheme. There’s New York Fashion Week when everyone’s a fashion critic. How are you using these concepts on your blog and/or content marketing? Bear in mind that you don’t have to be a fashion aficionado to use these topics.
- How to up-date your wardrobe for under $500. This is always a popular feature for fashion magazines. Stretch this beyond the literal clothing approach. What else can you change for the season? Think low cost decorating and organization tips for road warriors.
- How to color your world. Color changes affect other products beyond clothing. Think home décor.
- What are you carrying this fall? While this can make a useful column for pocketbooks, use this idea to examine what your audience is shlepping around. This a good way to approach organization (and who doesn’t need that type of help!) You can adapt this topic even if your inventory doesn’t have seasons. (Check out the candy shoes in the window of Dylan’s Candy Store in New York City.)
What’s new this season? The fall is typically he start of high season for entertainment and the arts including television, theater, movies, art, music and dance. If your blog or content marketing touches on one of these topics, you should be able to crank out posts and other forms of content including new photographs and video snippets. If your topic is a little less entertaining, consider using the latest happening as a hook or point of comparison for your post. Alternatively, you can talk about your category’s conference line-up since September through mid-November is high season for business conferences.
- Be the star of your category. Give your readers advice about how they can be the equivalent of movie or television star of your category. Alternatively, you can interview the stars of your category to get their perspective on how to succeed.
- Write a review. What’s new in your field? Use this as a regular column and create a standardized look and feel. This can be a great way to get over writer’s block (aka blank post syndrome.) Don’t forget to include a photograph and links to the relevant affiliate product where appropriate.
- What script would you write for your target audience? How would you put your audience’s name up in lights? What does it take to be the hot, new talent in your field? Give your readers insights into what’s expected of them.
- What’s on your Fall calendar? Use this title to discuss upcoming events and conferences. Plan out how you’re going to cover this topic. Don’t forget your photographs and videos.
Have you harvested your garden? Realize that you don’t need to be literal about this topic.
- How to pick apples or pumpkins? Think broadly. You can talk about apple recipes and other ways to use apples. Alternatively, spin the saying an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. What does this mean for your readers? Does everyone make the same crafting item?
- Have the leaves turned color? Write about how the fall changes have an impact on your readers. For those in the travel category, this is a great focus for fall sight-seeing.
- How to reap the benefits of your work. Use this idea to cheer your audience to do something that they’re not sure about. Show them the way to success.
The bottom line is that turning out content day after day can cause a blogger or writer to run out of ideas. Use this list to help you approach your topic in a new light.
Do you have any topics that you’d add to this list? If so, please add them in the comment section below.
Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen
Hat tip to Amy Schmittauer of Savvy Sexy Social for inspiring this post.
Here are some related articles to help inspire you further.
Photo credits: (c)2011 Heidi Cohen
One Response to 16 High Scoring Fall Marketing Topics