Content marketing is a constant flow of planning and producing. And topics, even for search engine optimization, may be hard to find.
The content should be useful, informative, or entertaining, and it should help a business attract, engage, and retain an audience of customers and prospects.
So for December 2021 content marketing, consider industry forecasts, holiday how-to articles, New Year’s resolutions, and a couple of uncommon holidays.
1. Industry Forecasts
December is the beginning of the end, the last month of the year. It’s a natural time to prognosticate about trends and changes for 2022.
For your content marketing, consider creating articles, videos, or podcast episodes that predict changes to the industry your business serves.
For example, a B2B merchant selling restaurant supplies might want to forecast demand for vegetarian or vegan menu items. This forecast could answer several questions that are helpful to restaurant owners and managers.
Should restaurateurs add new vegetarian and vegan items? Is there evidence the trend is waning? Are there more vegetarians and vegan customers? How does the vegetarian and vegan trend compare to interest in the keto diet?
Google Trends, which shows the popularity of search terms, can provide insight. The screen capture below compares search volume for “vegan” and “keto.”
Google Trends shows the popularity of search terms. In this example, the number of searches for “vegan” has been relatively constant, while “keto” searches have declined.
Similarly, an online retailer selling athletic equipment to high school students and their parents might consider a forecast that compares the cost of a college education and the number of available scholarships by sport.
The idea is to create valuable content that will help customers understand how trends in 2022 could impact them.
2. Holiday How-to
How-to articles and videos are content marketing at its best. There is no form of content more valuable to consumers.
For December 2021, create videos or articles to demonstrate how to complete a task — the more specific the task, the better.
Here are several examples on YouTube and popular websites:
Try to identify how-to topics that are closely associated with the products or services your business sells.
3. Resolutions
On New Year’s Eve, many folks are going to share a list of resolutions. These are promises to themselves aimed at improving their lives in one way or another.
December is an excellent time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Photo: Tim Mossholder.
Various sites and sources estimate that between 40 and 50% of American adults set resolutions, so the audience is substantial.
For December content marketing, create resolution lists and resources to help readers plan their own goals.
Top resolutions are likely to include:
- Eat better,
- Lose weight,
- Exercise more,
- Develop personal relationships,
- Save more money,
- Earn more money,
- Spend less money,
- Advance career,
- Education,
- Drink less alcohol,
- Quit smoking,
- Reduce stress,
- Travel.
Choose topics related to what your company sells. For example, an online stationery and office supply shop could focus on financial resolutions, publishing a series of articles describing financial journaling techniques.
Similarly, a luggage retailer or men’s apparel business could release articles or videos about travel planning. They might cover how to travel safely despite Covid or describe potential destinations.
4. Roof Over Your Head Day
December 3, 2021, is Roof Over Your Head Day in the United States. It reminds us that many people struggle with housing and to be thankful for what we have.
Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, house prices have risen worldwide. According to an October 2021 report in ApartmentGuide.com, rental prices in Ohio, for example, have risen as much as 41% year over year. But the tide is turning in some places, and November rental prices are down by a percentage point or so.
While it could make sense for some businesses to create content about the housing market, others might focus on the “being grateful for what one has” part of the Roof Over Your Head Day.
We should all be grateful for the roof over our heads. Source: ApartmentGuide.com.
5. Pretend to be a Time Traveler
This idea may be the most creative and the most fun in this post.
December 8, 2021, is “Pretend to be a Time Traveler” Day. It is an opportunity for content marketers to entertain readers and viewers. Here are two possibilities.
First, create an article or video describing how to celebrate Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. This article might include recommended time travel movies or books. Or it could describe how to make an ancient recipe for folks who wished to pretend to travel back in time.
Second, Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day could spark content discussing time travel. An example is the Unveiled YouTube channel, which has an eight-minute video describing four time-travel stories.
via https://www.aiupnow.com
Armando Roggio, Khareem Sudlow
