Ramp up your summer content to reap winter rewards
It’s finally summer. Days are sunny and long, desks are empty and minds are wandering.
Nobody does anything in summer, it’s a fact. Best to wait until everyone’s back from holiday to get started on stuff.
If this is your approach to these lazy days of sunshine, you’re missing a trick.
Aside from the mandatory two weeks away, people are languishing at their desks, with plenty of summer time to kill. We’ve already established that hardly anybody is in full work mode, which means you’ve got a fantastic opportunity to distract people.
For starters, just think of all those Google searches made by the office-bound during summer. Their surroundings have never looked more dingy, their colleagues are away, and their bored minds are desperate to latch onto something fun and interesting for a while.
That’s where you come in!
Many people abandon their content updates during summer, because they assume nobody will be reading them. But they will. Trust me.
My career change from HR to writing began one sunny afternoon at the office. If you’re not happy at work, summer can feel unbearable. It’s all about ice-cream, fun and carefree-ness; all things a bad career stops you from enjoying properly. Not to mention the extra time you’ve got to think about it all!
So I Googled ‘career change’, then spent some time narrowing down which of the many consultancies I might want to work with. I read blogs, followed stories and made plans…which I was finally able to put into action the following year.
The moral is this: a lot of idle thoughts and half-baked plans take shape in summer, even if you don’t get to know about them until winter. Help fuel those plans, and you're far more likely to engage people. They may even want to work with you.
If you keep your content nice and fresh through the summer months; if you update your blog, if you tell your followers what you’re up to on social media, it’ll be easier for people to find you, spend some time learning more about you, and then bookmark you for later. Come September, you won’t get lost in the frantic online rabble of post-holiday updates.
The same goes for updating your CV and applying for new jobs. Summer is the ideal time to do both, because you’ll have more breathing space to think about what you’re really good at, and more time to research the companies you’d most like to work for.
That way, when you finally make your pitch it’ll be that much stronger. You’ll already know how your dream companies like to be approached, and the best people to talk to.
If you've got ideas and no time (or even time and no ideas!) I’m available all summer long - aside from one measly week - to help your content creation along. Simply get in touch to talk – if you’re local we can even go for ice-cream.
Related Articles
Straight from the heart: how to write irresistible words
When you give people a piece of yourself, you will naturally engage them.
Read moreHow to choose the right coach or training course – at the right time
"If you like someone, you might be tempted to look for excuses to work with them, even if their particular skills aren’t what you need."
Read moreWhy giving up on social media is a mistake...
Easy tips to help you fit social media nicely into your life - no mindfulness seminars required.
Read moreBeware of the flowers: why customers don't care about your business
Focus on telling interesting business stories that reflect your ideal customers’ lives back to them.
Read moreFinding your freelancing tribe: be uncompromising (and don’t be too nice!)
My advice to freelancers: never lose sight of what freelancing is all about!
Read moreWhen it comes to recruitment, manners cost nothing
Recruitment moves so fast, and so stressfully, that I think we forget how it feels to be treated like we matter.
Read moreRamp up your summer content to reap winter rewards
Keep your summer content fresh and updated to be remembered all year long.
Read moreAppreciate your freelancers, and be rewarded with their best work
How to become every freelancer's favourite client!
Read moreWhat's in a name? Captivate and connect with simple business stories
Finding the 'what's', 'whys' and 'hows' of your business will help people connect with you.
Read moreFive New Year's Resolutions for Freelancers
Are your social media posts crushing your business?
How to write interesting content for any business (even yours)
What are your customers really saying about you?
You're writing great content. So why aren't people reading it?
It takes time to craft compelling
Got a book or blog to write? Beat the block and get it done!
November means #NaNoWriMo - so whatever you're working on, it's time to get it done!
Read moreHow will I sound like me, when you're doing the writing?
Ironically, it's when you're writing about yourself that you will sound least like you. Hiring a writer to do it for you can bring a whole host of benefits.
Read moreWhy you definitely shouldn't write a book in a weekend!
Writing books is big business - or at least it can be, if you get it right. For starters, this means not rushing the process!
Read moreThe Ultimate Guide to... the Ultimate Guide!
A how-to guide for writing the ultimate downloadable guide for your business.
Read moreTry this simple formula to create a killer profile headline!
Headlines are always difficult to write, so here's an easy way to craft something original for your personal and professional profiles.
Read moreRead this before you publish you're next blog post!
Do you edit your work before you publish it?
Read moreOn creating a writer's life
This week I'm responding to the questions people have asked since my Careershifters' Success Story was published recently - all about creating a writer's life.
Read moreHome truths for aspiring remote workers
Remote working is on the increase - so here's some advice on how to work it well!
Read moreDiscovering your unique writer's voice is easier than you think
You don't have to be a professional writer to discover a unique writing voice that speaks to its readers. Finding your own voice is often easier than you might think, and it all starts when you write from the heart.
Read moreNo job for life? How a tailored approach to job-hopping can win your next career move
Did you know that so-called 'job-hopping' can be an asset to your career search? Whether you prefer stability or excitement in your career, planning your next move is all about packaging your skills and making the right kind of approach.
Read moreWhy it's sometimes OK to turn down freelance work
Going freelance doesn't mean you have to accept every piece of work that comes your way. Being discerning with your time and effort will help you reap the rewards of being your own boss...and you'll get to work with some great people too!
Read more‘CV Greatest Hits’ Countdown – 10 ultimate CV tips to prepare you for the Great 2017 Job Hunt!
'Greatest Hits' countdowns are rife at this time of year - so now, here's one featuring the best CV advice. This list will give you the ultimate steer if you're looking to get your CV on track for the new year job hunt. Wishing you a very happy 2017!
Read moreHow to pinpoint useful e-information for your business…without going crazy in the crowd!
Are you often left with the feeling that you don't quite know enough about all the online tools you can use to promote your business? How about website analytics...shouldn't you be checking them every five minutes just like the experts say? Relax - here's how to take advantage of all the advice available online, by defining exactly what YOU want to know.
Read moreGhost stories…how shadowy script can light up your life and work
BOO! Like a ripe pumpkin Hallowe'en has rolled around yet again, so what better time to extol the benefits of ghostwriting, definitely not just the province of bargain-bin bound celebrities.
Read moreBlogging - not just for hipsters and sicksters*
Regular blog posts - especially if you run a business - can drastically increase your following, as well as helping you beat the competition by describing how you do things your way. Read on for a few more great reasons why you should join the blogging revolution!
Read moreMaking meaningful business connections…in writing
Speaking up in networking groups used to bring me out in a cold sweat. So I sought out the people I really wanted to talk to and introduced myself in the way I'm best at - in writing.
Read more
