Every quarter is like a fresh start in the business of blogging. New holidays, new sales, and new content to be created. For the upcoming quarter, this is not only a new season to think about, but Q4 is usually our most lucrative and busiest time of the year. You don’t want to miss out on any opportunities. Brands have big budgets to finish off the year and you’ll want a piece of that pie. And you of course want to maximize your time and earnings. We’re all about working smarter, not harder! So today we’re chatting all about how to prepare your blog for Q4, you won’t want to skip this one!
To get your blog and influencer business ready for the holidays and Q4, here are some of our best tips to ensure you’re ready to tackle the season. And maybe even take a week or two off for the holidays to spend time with family.
How To Prepare Your Blog For The Holidays And Q4
1. Plan Your Editorial Calendar
Planning your editorial calendar can not only get you organized but put into perspective what you need to shoot. Whether you use a physical calendar, or the WordPress Editorial Calendar plugin, just write down all the posts you think you want to write about for the next few months. Make sure to include all the major holidays and sales like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the like if you cover these topics. Plug in any sponsored content you know you have as well. Lastly, look back at your past holiday posts and pick a few that continue to perform well, and add them in to recirculate. Seeing everything laid out, you can easily plan your content and start chipping away at your list of posts to write and update. Plus, you’ll be able to better pitch yourself to brands knowing what topics are coming down the pipeline.
2. Tailor Your Pitch
As content creators, holidays are here even though it’s September. Now is the time to start pitching your blog to brands to finalize those holiday posts. Plus, the holiday season is full of great lucrative opportunities and you’ll want to take advantage! Pitch with a holiday angle from gift guides, party outfits, holiday recipes, and tablescapes. Update your media kit (we have a few Canva templates in our Library for members here) and start sending it out to brands. Need some pitch ideas? We also have pitch templates in the Library as well!
3. Pin Holiday Content TODAY
People are starting to look for holiday content on Pinterest early and this can be a great way to start capturing some of that holiday traffic. It’s also our favorite way to look back on old posts that need some updating. And maybe you’ll add them to the editorial calendar to recirculate. Go through your past holiday posts and create fresh pins (check out our Canva pin templates HERE) and get them published to Pinterest and into your Tailwind Communities and queue. This will drive traffic to your website while you sleep! PS you can download our FREE Pinterest monthly content guide here for members. Not a member yet? Join today!
4. Follow Up On Past Invoices
The year will quickly come to an end before you know it. And then it’s tax season. The worst, right? Get any loose ends tied up while you can before the holiday break. Reach out to any brands who have past due or coming due invoices. Start to tidy up your bookkeeping and receipts so the new year doesn’t start on a messy foot.
5. Schedule Time Off
We’re here to tell you that it is 100% okay to step away from your blog and social media for a few days, even a week or two. The holidays are a time when people are not on their phones as much. They’re traveling, they’re busy with family, and while they may be posting a pic of the Thanksgiving or Christmas table, they’re not spending the same amount of time on these platforms as they normally do. Schedule the time off that you need and prepare your business for it accordingly.
The great part about being an influencer and blogger is that the technology is there for us to use to post for us! This way you aren’t glued to your phone or computer during family time. You can utilize Planoly, Plann, or Facebook Creator Studio to schedule and publish Instagram content on your behalf. Maybe do a top 10 most popular Instagram posts from the year, a round-up of your favorite blog posts on your blog from the year, and maybe a personal newsletter on your holiday plans. Utilizing these tools is our favorite way to really disconnect from social while still keeping some sort of presence.
Want more tips? We hosted a TBS Academy Class with even more tips and strategies for maximizing your time (and taking time off) for Q4. Not yet a member? Join today and you can playback ALL our past TBS Academy classes. Join Here!
