There is something magical about content. Articles, video, and interactive web pages can engage potential customers and build trust and a sense of reciprocity.
Content marketing is the act of creating, publishing, and distributing content with the aim of attracting, engaging, and retaining customers for your business. It works because content gives site visitors something of value for free. Shoppers are grateful, and they may trust your business more or be more likely to shop with your business in the future because of the content.
To achieve these ends in August 2018, you might create content around independent music and film, the PGA Championship, emotional stories, summertime experiences, or even back-to-school shopping.
1. International Film & Music Festival: August 29
The 5th Annual Long Beach Indie International Film and Music Festival begins August 29 and runs into September. The event draws a few thousand attendees to the Cinemark at the Pike theaters in Long Beach, California, and has shown more than 600 independent films since its inception.
The 5th Annual Long Beach Indie could help connect your business and your content to the independent film and music industry. That might make for some interesting content.
The event also includes the LBI International Entertainment and Music Industry Conference, drawing music and entertainment industry leaders and scholars.
For content marketing, your business has a few options.
- Write articles about the films or the conference, especially as you find connections to the industry your business serves. Online music stores could have an obvious connection since one of the categories is Art & Music documentaries.
- Write articles or make videos about independent film or music generally. It may be the case that there is already an independent film or musical composition that has a connection to your store’s industry segment.
- Cover the event. Put on a journalist’s hat, attend the Long Beach Indie, and report on it. This will work well for online businesses with customers that have an interest in independent films and music.
2. PGA Championship: August 6
The PGA Championship, the annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, is celebrating its 100th anniversary August 6 – 12, 2018, at the Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.
Golf is a popular pass time and an opportunity to create content.
If there is a connection between the niche your business serves and golf, you should have plenty to write about in August. Here are five possible article or video titles.
- “The History of the Bellerive Country Club”
- “10 Tips for Watching the PGA Championship”
- “The 5 Greatest PGA Champions of All Time”
- “How to Hit at Hole in One at the PGA Championship”
- “11 Ways the Golf Industry Affects You”
3. August Storytelling
Content marketing can take the form of storytelling. This can be a historical story, a story about a person, a story meant to evoke an emotional response, or even a story about a business.
A recent favorite of mine is this five-minute story about a family-owned tire retailer, Commercial Tire. The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018. It released a video on what is important to the company.
The same company also tells customers’ stories. In August 2017, it released a profile of Milly Whitted. The story is worth the four minutes it takes to watch because it is a good example of a customer story that is also a testimonial.
For August, try telling your own stories. These can be similar to the Commercial Tire examples shown above.
4. August Images on Instagram
In North America, some of the hottest days of the year will fall in August. August is also one of the most popular months for vacations and outdoor activities. So why not use the month to heat up your company’s Instagram presence with summer-inspired images.
Let’s take a look at a few examples. Chubbies, which sells “radical shorts for your weekend,” has been combining summer images and humor on its Instagram feed.
If Chubbies can do summer on Instagram, so can your business.
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Divinity Bracelets seemingly includes sun, sand, or summer in every one of its Instagram images.
The water and sun remind Instagram followers of August vacations.
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Lilly Pulitzer, which has more than 840,000 Instagram followers, always seems to have a summer state of mind.
Retailer Lilly Pulitzer’s apparel can focus on summer experiences. But just about any business can create some summertime photos.
5. Back-to-school Listicles
In the United States, moms and dads spend more than $80 billion on back-to-school shopping, according to the National Retail Federation. What’s more, about 33 percent of parents surveyed will do at least some of their back-to-school shopping online. Likely an even greater percentage will research everything from shoes to pencil sharpeners online before making a buying decision.
Content around back-to-school may attract shoppers who are researching online before making back-to-school purchases. Image: Aaron Burden.
In August, consider creating back-to-school-related list articles — listicles — aimed at providing your audience of potential customers with useful tips.
Here are a few example article titles, to inspire.
- “11 Credit Cards That Offer a Discount on Back-to-school Buys”
- “8 Back-to-school Trends to Boost School Performance”
- “9 Back-to-school Items Your STEM Student Must Have”
- “5 Ways Shopping Online for Back-to-school Items Saves Money”
- “Back-to-school: 17 Tips for the Best Dressed Students”