Trying to get your August Content in place before August gets here? 

So many small business owners and entrepreneurs are in the same boat. In fact, that was where I used to be. As a social media marketer I want to be completely transparent, I was crazy good at getting everyone else’s content out, but never made time for my own.

This was impeding my business and making me look like a jerk.

I mean, c’mon. Would you want to do business with someone who used an excuse like… 

“Don’t look at my stuff because I am so busy creating my customer’s content that I don’t really make mine a priority?”

No? 

Didn’t think so. 

Listen, if there is anything I have learned in the last 6 years it is this…

“Success is not guaranteed, FAILURE is inevitable & it takes courage to continue.”

If you don’t have your marketing plan squared away, no problem. Keep reading.

I am going to show you what to do, then just like your laundry, “RINSE. WASH. REPEAT” 

I mean, YES, August is a big month for vacations – but there’s way more!

• Parents are prepping for school to start: Buying Up Some Back To School Bling 
• Families are taking last-minute trips: Travelers Are Traveling
• Businesses may be getting ready for Fall’s fall training & CE credits to meet
• Retailers are already doing some Christmas Promo Prep
• Lets not forget those adorable summer weddings. 

Your business can’t afford for your marketing to go to summer camp, you need to end your year strong. Meet your readers, content gobblers & cyberstalkers (aka competitors) somewhere in the middle. There is a lot you can do to engage your audience.

And….Don’t just take the month off!! You’re not on vacation!! Make a real Labor Day Splash! Did you know that algorithms on search engines and social platforms grade your activity? Your lack of engagement for a long period will have you struggling to climb out of a hole.

Get active now, use automation tools (YUCK), and give your audience what they want. August can be your biggest hit…or your epic fail!

Here are 5 Content Strategies That WIll Ignite Your Facebook Visibility This August

2. Understand Why Your Users Are Really On Facebook (The Real Purpose)

Offer value. Your Facebook page is a great venue for updates on your business, but don’t get carried away. …Facebook users have confirmed time and time again that they don’t want STUFFY articles and blogs. 

What Facebook Users Really Want:

• To hop on Facebook & Be Entertained
• To be educated. Be Niche specific, but engaging. Have you ever watched Dr. Pimple Popper? (WARNING…SUPER GROSS Photo above credited to drpimplepopper.com)
• To See What Everyone Else Is Doing? YEP! You can say it isn’t so….but have you ever jumped on to check out an old high school mate or what a competitor is doing?
• To watch videos. Facebook has reported that of their 2.7 Billion users, 47% watch at least one hour of videos per day.

Knowing these stats, you will really want to put content in place that will Engage your audience. I know you are sick of hearing it, but you won’t have them coming back for more if you don’t do something to ignite them.

3.Content Should Be A Mix Of Curated & Picasso

What do I mean by that? Don’t be afraid to deep dive into where your audience hangs out online & offline. Cros-Share Influencer Content.

Influencer Content (already curated, you don’t have to do anything but add a thought and hit share) will work to your advantage in a couple of ways.

• If you are a business coach and deliver in person & online training you will probably share something from Brene Brown, Tony Robins, Oprah…etc.(because they motivate
• If you are selling sneakers you will not share Nike’s content, but you might share content from the SOCK DRAWER because they have amazing designs that will compliment any fun loving buyer.
• If you are an artist, you wouldn’t showcase someone else’s art, but you would show your viewers your favorite paint brushes, paint or sculpting materials and share content from the people that you purchase those products from.

Picasso Content is your original content. Your blog posts, quotes, videos, original thoughts, apologies..etc.  This is proven to connect if you have the right audience. This is also Hands-Down my favorite type of content to coach on.

You will hear crickets when it comes to engagement if you are creating content for the WRONG audience. 

4. Be Consistent

An algorithm is logged on each social platform you use, but with Google as well. If you go incognito for a few days, weeks…I’ve even worked with clients that hadn’t posted in months even, your business will suffer.

I had a client ask me this once…”so even if I am posting crappy content is it better than nothing?”

Be very careful with that! Crappy will kill your brand. Curated as stated above…will keep things floating and could actually get you some extra views.

My personal guarantee is that consistency takes time, just like in sports. If you don’t show up for practice, how do you expect your game to be good? It takes practice and time to go PRO.

 Apply this to your marketing, allow your readers to trust that you have been going to practice so they know you are bringing your A-Game, so that they come back to read more.

5. Put Together A Marketing Calendar

I have a few calendars that I will be sharing at the end of August, but for now, use free resources. I love to draw from National Holidays and have created themes by week, month and quarter.

Listed below are 46 Ideas For You To Use To Create content for the whole month of August.

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Month:

• Admit You’re Happy Month
• Family Fun Month
• Dog Days of Summer – July 3 – August 11
• International Clown Week – always August 1-7
• National Catfish Month
• National Eye Exam Month
• National Golf Month
• Peach Month
• Romance Awareness Month
• Water Quality Month
• National Picnic Month

Weekly Events:

• Week 1 National Simplify your Life Week
• Week 2 National Smile Week
• Week 3 Friendship Week
• Week 4 Be Kind to Humankind Week

August, 2019 Daily Holidays, Special and Wacky Days:

1 National Girlfriends Day

1 National Mountain Climbing Day

1 National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

2 International Beer Day – First Friday in August

2 National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

3 Campfire Day – First Saturday in August

3 Grab Some Nuts Day

3 International Hangover Day – First Saturday in August

3 National Clown Day – Satuday during International Clown Week

3 National Mustard Day first Saturday

3 National Watermelon Day

4 Friendship Day – First Sunday in August

4 International Forgiveness Day – First Sunday in August

4 National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

4 Sisters Day – First Sunday in August

4 U.S. Coast Guard Day

5 National Underwear Day

5 Work Like a Dog Day

6 Wiggle Your Toes Day

7 Chinese Valentine’s Day/Daughter’s Day – 7th day of 7th Lunar Month

7 National Lighthouse Day

8 Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day – now that’s nasty!

9 Book Lover’s Day

10 Lazy Day

10 National S’mores Day

11 Presidential Joke Day

11 Son and Daughter Day

12 Eid-Ul-Adha – date varies

12 Middle Child’s Day

13 Left Hander’s Day

14 National Creamsicle Day

14/15 V-J Day – which date do you celebrate as the end of WWII?

15 Feast of the Assumption

15 Relaxation Day – now this one’s for me!

16 National Tell a Joke Day

17 National Honey Bee Awareness Day – Third Saturday

17 National Thriftshop Day

18 Bad Poetry Day

18 World Daffodil Day

19 Aviation Day

19 National Potato Day

20 National Radio Day

20 World Mosquito Day

21 National Spumoni Day

21 Senior Citizen’s Day

22 Be an Angel Day

22 National Tooth Fairy Day – and/or February 28

23 Ride the Wind Day

24 Vesuvius Day

25 Kiss and Make Up Day

26 National Dog Day

26 Women’s Equality Day

27 Global Forgiveness Day

27 Just Because Day

28 Race Your Mouse Day -but we are not sure what kind of “mouse”

29 More Herbs, Less Salt Day

30 Frankenstein Day

30 Toasted Marshmallow Day

31 Internaional Bacon Day – Saturday before Labor Day

31 National Eat Outside Day

31 National Trail Mix Day

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Planning doesn’t have to be difficult. It does need to be organized. :O)

Content is the NOW – and future – of marketing

The true difference between content marketing and the other informational garbage you get from companies, is that garbage is trying to sell your readers “stuff” and CONTENT tries to engage them before you sell. Your readers are smart and resistant to “STUFF”.

Don’t be “THAT” guy.  Make sure that everything you are sharing is relevant or valuable (don’t fall into the SPAM-A-HOLIC trap). 

The old “Why fit in, when you were BORN to stand out?” Dr. Seuss Rule definitely needs to apply to every post, blog, or email you send out!