It’s November, and the holiday season is upon us! (How does it manage to sneak up on me every single year?) While I always look forward to the holidays, I have to admit there are a few things I could do without. Like the sticker shock as I try to pick up thoughtful gifts for all the special people in my life without going bankrupt. Or the mile long to-do lists with cleaning, cooking, shopping, and decorating items piling up faster than the presents under the Christmas tree. Or—and I know you small business owners feel me here—the continued responsibility of keeping up with business, blogging, and social media schedules.
Which leads to the question I see popping up in my inbox a lot at this time of year: “Can I take a from blogging over the holidays?”
It’s so very tempting, I know. All you want to do is light a few candles, brew yourself a cup of something hot, and go into hibernation for a while. And it can’t hurt, right? Just take a few weeks off, and then you’ll jump right back into it, better than ever, in January.
Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. Here’s why:
Momentum
When you stop blogging and then have to restart again later, you lose momentum. Continuing to blog may feel like a lot of work, but it is way less effort than trying to restart after a break. When I hear from clients that they’re going to take the month off, I know that they really and truly only intend to take that one month off. I also know that the likelihood is, it’s going to be a good three months before we get their blog up and running again. This isn’t a reflection on my clients, it’s just a simple reality that an object in motion tends to stay in motion. It’s true in physics, and it’s true in blogging. So keep going–it’s worth it!
Consistency
Great content isn’t enough. One of the keys to getting the results you want from your blog is consistency. Which means (and I can’t really over-emphasize this) it’s crucial to establish a consistent schedule. (While I recommend at least once a week, if you’ve found that twice a month or some other schedule works well for you, that’s great. As long as it’s–you guessed it–consistent!) And then? Stick. To. Your. Schedule. Seriously. The way tinsel sticks to everything except the tree.
SEO
Being consistent isn’t only about keeping your momentum and being dependable for your readers. It’s also about SEO. Search engines like consistency. They like to see that you are serious about keeping your site updated with quality content and that you do it on the regular. Even in the event that you do manage to take only a few weeks off, and blogging doesn’t fall off your calendar for the next three or fourth months, even a short break from your normal schedule can cause your site results to take a dive later in the year.
So, in short, the answer to “Can I take a break from blogging over the holidays?” is “Not really.”
Sorry. But if you don’t want to be playing catch up (or essentially starting again from scratch), then you have to keep up with your blog. And this is especially true if you’ve already put in a significant amount of time and effort (or money, if you outsource) into building up a consistent blog on your website. You don’t want that investment to go to waste!
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to keep yourself on track this year and make sure holiday blogging fatigue doesn’t happen again in the future.
How to Handle Your Blog…For Now
Ok, you need answers now. You’re up to your neck in wrapping paper and fake garland and starting to feel as frenetic as those flashing Christmas lights on your neighbor’s house. So, if you can’t take a break from blogging, how do you survive the next couple of months without losing the benefits from your blog?
Try one of these ideas:
Better Once than Never
Just post once or twice a month over the holidays. Obviously, if you can swing more (especially if your usual posting schedule is multiple times a week), then go for that. But if you’re feeling super overwhelmed, just make sure you get at least one post up per month, so readers (and search engines) know you haven’t fallen off the planet. Your results may dip a little down the line, but it will be a lot better than the skipping the month entirely.
Go Green
Recycle old content. If you already have a year or more of blog posts on your site, you may be able to grab an old post and freshen it up with a shiny new title, a quick rewrite, and a few updated pics. It’s like regifting—only you don’t run the risk of offending anybody.
Keep it Short
Try shorter, breezier posts instead of anything super in-depth. While longer, more informative posts tend to perform better for SEO, there’s nothing wrong with mixing things up a little—especially when you’ve got a lot on your plate. Post some favorites from holiday themed photo sessions, do a quick writeup about how your products make amazing gifts and cards, or just hop on to tell people about your favorite holiday traditions.
Outsource
Or outsource! If you normally enjoy doing your own blogging but just need a break for a month or two, I’d love to help you out! You can check out my month-to-month packages on the main page, or get in touch to let me know your specific needs and I’ll put together a quote for you. You really don’t need to choose between baking cookies with your kids or getting your blog updated. With minimal effort from you, I’ll take care of your blog until you’re ready to take over the keyboard again.
Ask for Help
If you’re already outsourcing, be in touch with your blogger about how your needs might be a little different over the holidays. I don’t know about other ghostbloggers, but I’m happy to accommodate my clients wherever possible. For example, if you feel like you don’t have the time and energy to come up with topics this month, let your blogger know. If they’ve been working with you for any length of time, they’ll probably be very comfortable with your style and have plenty of ideas to post on the blog if you want to be hands-off for a while.
How to Plan for Blogging over the Holidays…For Future
The beginning of the new year is coming right up, and that’s the perfect time to plan ahead! For next year, here’s what you’ll want to do:
Step 1: Schedule
First, if you don’t already have one, figure out a rough blogging schedule. This should include how often you want to post, how long you want your posts to be, and topic ideas. (This doesn’t have to be set in stone, but it should give you a decent outline for the year. And yes, I’m more than happy to help with this if you need a brainstorming buddy.)
Step 2: Identify Busy Season
Next, identify potential busy times like holidays, summer vacations, back-to-school—whatever seems to throw you off track with your blogging.
Step 3: Identify Slow Season
Now, identify slow seasons. (Hint: for most photographers, the post-holiday winter slow season is coming right up. Be sure to check out my post on Why Photography Slow Season Exists and How to Stay Busy Anyway.)
Step 4: Work Ahead
Now that you have a general breakdown of your year, you can use that knowledge to work ahead so you’re prepared for whatever the year throws at you. During your slow seasons, write up the blog posts you have planned for those busy times and squirrel them away until needed. (I do this for my own site all the time. My favorite way is to write the post and save it as a draft to my site, fully formatted, so all I have to do is hit publish. In case you’re wondering, yes, I totally did that for this blog post: planned it for December, wrote it in August. Which is why I now have time to take care of your blog posts!)
While you may not be able to quit blogging over the holidays (at least not if you want to keep up the good results you’ve worked so hard to achieve), it is possible to feel like you get to take a break from blogging—and really, that’s all we want, right? With a little creativity (or outside help) you can get through the next couple of months with no ill effects to your site. And with a little planning, you’ll be all set to enjoy a much more festive and relaxing holiday season this time next year!
Please be in touch if you have questions or if there are any other ways I can support you. And enjoy the holidays!
