If you are here looking for help on what to post you are in the right place!
October is almost here! Falling leaves and candy corn are some of my favorite things but as I was prepping for the challenge this month, I was not as excited as I thought I would be. I was a little worried that the challenge may feel a little repetitive. It took me a moment to remember that the whole point!
Here is how this challenge can help you:
This challenge is set up in a user-friendly pattern and made so that just about anyone can utilize it. I use the same principles to set this challenge up as I do when I am planning my own social media content. With just some basic steps you can do the same thing.
To start, I have a generic theme by day of the week. The reason I choose a generic theme by day of the week is to have a jumping-off point in case I don't already have a specific idea in mind for that date. Doing this helps me share my brand touchstones and ensure I am posting content that my dream client will find valuable.
Here are my daily themes for the October challenge.
Monday: Motivational Quote- Think about your dream client, what do you think would help motivate them on a Monday? Do a simple google search and you will find so many to choose from. #quoteoftheday #motivation #letsdothis #S&SChallenge
Tuesday: Tip Tuesday – Share a tip your dream clients will appreciate. Tips about your business, industry-related tips or even tips about topics that are more personal focused (if your dream client will respond to that). You can do these as videos, infographics or just a nice long how to post. Have fun with it. I included a different tip goal for each tip Tuesday to help inspire you. #tiptuesday #tips #S&SChallenge
Wednesday: What we do Wednesday. This is not a sales pitch but more of a show and tell, share a product or service. This could be a detailed post on why your product or service is beneficial, how to use it, who needs it, or even a demo. Try creating a slide show video on Canva. You may find that these types of posts sell your product or service even better then your actual sales posts do. #whatwedowednesday #checkthisout #S&SChallenge
Thursday: Throw Back Thursday- Back Behind the scenes I mean. Don’t overthink this one, if you have got nothing going on worth sharing, share something anyway. Coffee break, I see a selfie opportunity. Writing a report, desk shot. Wishing you had a better idea for lunch then tuna again? Create a post and ask for ideas for tomorrow. For Tuesday I included a different idea for each Thursday of the month. #BTS #behindthescences #showme #S&SChallenge
Friday: Fri-YAY! Share some love this could be in the form of client testimonials, Sharing a big accomplishment you are particularly proud of or bragging a client for their success. This is a great opportunity to share the love you receive with the rest of your followers; nothing works better than social proof to show others all the awesomeness you have to offer. You can do this easily with a pretty graphic, a simple screenshot, or even just repost a client’s post about you. #fri-Yay #sharethelove #thanks #S&SChallenge
Saturday: Saturday Selfie - post a selfie and share a little bit about you, what you do and why. You could also choose to share a picture of your family, dog or favorite taco just make the most personal. Personalizing what you do helps create connections and build trust! #saturdayselfie #S&SChallenge
Sunday: Show me the money sales post. Are you are on social media for your business to make money? Of course, you are! It is important to share your current offers, promotions, or specials. As a general rule of thumb, your post should be 20% sales and 80% value. So if you are posting one post a day then only one- maybe two posts a week should be obvious sales posts. Don’t worry, your other post should be adding value to your dream client which builds brand recognition and loyalty. #mysmallbusiness #saletime #S&SChallenge
This challenge is meant to help you create a posting pattern so you are consistent and so you can see what your audience likes to see from you. Keep in mind these themes are what I use as a kick-off point for my month. What you post completely depends on whom you are speaking to and what they want to hear from you. It may also depend on how often you post. If you do not post every day then choose a consistent schedule and your daily themes for those days. No matter how often you post or what you want to post about you will want to create a plan that includes value add content, brand information, and sales-focused content.
Now that you know the daily themes you had a post idea for every single day and that takes off a lot of pressure.
The first thing I do when starting my plan is to plug these into the calendar. Then I add any major holidays, October you have Halloween.
Next, I recommend you think about your specific business. What do you have coming up? Yes, promotions but also events, new products or services, and collaborations. Write down what you need and want to post about and select the appropriate days for those posts. When I am planning my month these posts will sometime replace my daily theme post or I may post twice that day. This month is a great example of that because this time of the year I have a bunch of families, holidays, and senior photography sessions. I run more promotions then I do most of the year for the holiday. I don’t want my sales post to be more than 20% of my total content for the week so I may do two posts on a few days.
Keep in mind that people do not see all of your posts so sharing the promos often is Ok. If you do not post about what you have coming up they may not know about it at all.
Last but not least I love to add fun, weird, and offbeat "holidays”. If there is a “National Day” coming up that works with my brand you can bet I am going to use it. I recommend choosing ones that give you a chance to express your personality or relates directly to your business. If it doesn't play to one of those two things, I would avoid it. There are so many, and you can find them all over the internet. I have found that the team at "National Day Calendar" does a fantastic job at sharing these, and you can sign up for regular reminders if you love them. Try to have fun with it, post a question, or create a give-a-way. Maybe celebrate it and share what you did. I included some below that I think many people reading this could use but trust me one google search and you will find a ton more.
Download the October challenge and use it to build your social media plan, don’t forget to play along. Each day has at least one post idea. Be sure to hashtag your posts so I can see you and engage.
I hope you participate in the Simple & Savvy Social Media Challenge (#S&SChallenge) not only will you have an idea for what to post every day, you may even find it to be easier than ever to stay consistent. Having a plan is the key to being successful. So use the challenge exactly how it is or take this basic idea and create your own plan.
October Challenge
Date |
Day |
Post Idea |
10/1/20 |
Thursday |
Behind the Scenes introduction. Show off a favorite tool, task or introduce a team member
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International Coffee Day |
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Tonight is the first full moon of autumn and this is just the first full moon of the month. |
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10/2/20 |
Friday |
Breast Cancer Awareness post |
Fri-YAY! Share something new you tried recently |
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National Body Language Day - recognizes the significance of nonverbal communication in your life.
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10/3/20 |
Saturday |
Saturday Selfie – Selfie of you being you. This is a great way to show off a little of your personality and how it relates back to your business and your dream client.
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10/4/20 |
Sunday |
Show me the money - Sales Post- Share your current or upcoming promo. |
10/5/20 |
Monday |
National Do Something Nice Day |
Motivational Quote |
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World Teacher’s Day, celebrated for the first time in 1994 it is observed globally but not an official public holiday. |
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10/6/20 |
Tuesday |
Tip Time- Share a piece of industry news, this could be a repost, article share or your own blog. |
10/7/20 |
Wednesday |
National coffee with a cop day. |
What you do- Use a video this time, you can do it.
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10/8/20 |
Thursday |
Behind the Scenes – Oops! Share a mistake or clumsy moment. |
10/9/20 |
Friday |
Fri-YAY!- Share a client's success. This could be something you helped with or that they did with your product |
10/10/20 |
Saturday |
Saturday Selfie- Share a selfie of you and a client |
National Handbag Day Show us your style by taking photos of your favorite handbags. Don’t forget to post them on social media using #nationalhandbagday. |
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10/11/20 |
Sunday |
Show me the money - Sales Post Create a video post about a product or service.
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10///12/20 |
Monday |
Motivational Quote |
10/13/20 |
Tuesday |
Tip Time – How to post. This could be a video, blog post or even a funny meme |
10/14/20 |
Wednesday |
National Dessert Day |
What you do- images of a product or service you offer. |
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10/15/20 |
Thursday |
Behind the Scenes – Show off your workspace. Clean or disaster you choose. |
Get to Know Your Customers Day reminds businesses to reach out to patrons and get to know them better. The day is observed annually on the third Thursday of each quarter (January, April, July, October). |
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10/16/20 |
Friday |
Boss’s Day- Celebrate your boss, or that you are your own boss. |
Fri-YAY! - New accomplishment: Show one thing you accomplished recently. |
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10/17/20 |
Saturday |
Saturday Selfie – You and a loved one. This shows a little more about your why so talk about this person and how they affect what you do. |
10/18/20 |
Sunday |
Show Me the Money-Sales Post- Show value of your product or service in relation to a current event. For example, Fall is a great time to consider your budget for next year…… |
Today is also the start of National Business Women’s Week: 18-24* |
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10/19/20 |
Monday |
Motivational Quote |
10/20/20 |
Tuesday |
Tip Time- what not to do. Be playful or serious with this one. I was thinking “what not to wear” but it could also be funny photos of something in your industry. |
10/21/20 |
Wednesday |
What you do – outside of your business, for fun. |
National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day – share a recipe, indulge in a piece yourself or ask people “love it or hate it?” |
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10/22/20 |
Thursday |
Behind the Scenes – Final Product. You what you do is service this may be a selfie with a client, a testimonial on how you made a difference or closing notes on a recent project. |
10/23/20 |
Friday |
Fri-YAY! - Share a client testimonial or review. |
10/24/20 |
Saturday |
Saturday Selfie of you and a group |
National Make A Difference Day brings community service to a whole new level each year. Organizations join forces on the fourth Saturday in October to make a difference, big or small.
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10/25/20 |
Sunday |
Show me the money, sales post. Highlight what makes your product or service unique |
10/26/20 |
Monday |
National Day of the Deployed on October 26 is our day to say “Thank You” to all military serving outside the US and to their families who keep things running at home in their absence. |
Motivational Quote
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10/27/20 |
Tuesday |
Tip Time – Top 5. People love lists. Share a top 5 list related to what you do. Could be anything. |
National Black Cat Day |
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10/28/20 |
Wednesday |
What you do – Least favorite part. No matter what you do and how much you love it there is something that you put off doing. Sharing that can make you more relatable. |
10/29/20 |
Thursday |
Behind the Scenes – Share your inspiration. Example: if you create earrings and the design was inspired by the fall foliage maybe share a picture of the earrings with some fall leaves. |
10/30/20 |
Friday |
Fri-YAY! - Express Gratitude! This could be for a client, loved one, or even your morning cup of coffee. A grateful heart is a happy one. |
10/31/20 |
Saturday |
Selfie Saturday calls for a Halloween-Selfie |
Spooky full moon tonight! |
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National Magic day! |
A few other ideas just for fun!
Consider celebrating any team or client birthdays this month.
Honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Now you have a plan I highly recommend you sit down and create as much content in one sitting as possible. This will save you time and stress later. If some of your post will need to be more organic, say a selfie with your client, just create a reminder so you do not forget to post it.
If you are looking for a more personal touch to your social media I would love to chat with you, take a look at what services I offer. Click here to learn more.
BUT FIRST.....
Social Media Tip of the Month!
If you have been posting regularly and still seem to have low engagement my first suggestion try changing up the time of day that you are posting. Personally, I like to do my social media while drinking my morning coffee but I have learned that not many of my followers see stuff I post at 4:30 in the morning. Funny, right? Not really, it sucks but knowing when your audience is on is critical to getting your post seen.
I would love to hear what posts have been the most successful for you? Leave a comment below.