Take a breath, inhale the breeze, a mixture of prolonged summer heat tinged with the crispness of fall. Welcome to September, the transition month between seasons, holidays, and school years. Just as the month brings physical change, social content also adjusts accordingly: the blue-pink-green color palette of summer shifts to the orange-yellow-red palette of fall and the aisles of Target replace their sun lounges with the ever-dreaded “Back to School” advertisements. As the appeal of summer draws to a close, content marketing is as important as ever to capture your audience’s attention and reassure them that yes, the shorter days and longer nights are actually something worth celebrating.
Content:
Not yet winter and no longer summer, September can pose a visual challenge for content. However, before jumping into the pumpkin spice lattes and leaf piles content lure of fall (which technically does not start until September 22nd), try to gradually expose your readers to the changing seasons. Focus on warmth, comfort, community, and relaxation. Your content should help transition your readers from the light-hearted excitement of summer fall’s family-oriented nature. Highlight spending time with others, giving back, and reflecting on virtues and thankfulness. Whether you feature a story on the neighborhood kid’s leaf pile, a student receiving a full scholarship to their dream university, or ten ideas on how to prepare for the holiday season, September offers limitless content opportunities.
Visual:
Know that within social content, color holds great power: it can evoke both negative and positive emotions and it is your job as a content creator to target your audience with an intentional color scheme. Incorporate inviting colors such as golds, ambers, and oranges into your images, and try to avoid the upcoming browns and greys of late fall/early winter. Instead, your images should excite readers about the prospective month and coming changes. Include images of the famous fall pumpkin patches, fireplace scenes, and tree leaves, however avoid relying entirely on fall-based imagery. To counteract possible redundancy, also include shades of green (take advantage of the little that trees have left!) and yellows. As we transition from summer to fall, color schemes in September can combine the two seasons into one remarkably unique blend.
Holidays:
Sandwiched between the fun of Fourth of July and the magic of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, September holidays are often considered underwhelming. However, September begins with a final ode to Summer: Labor Day. Celebrated on September 6th, Labor Day appreciates the workers of the United States and typically includes picnics, beach days, and barbecues. In terms of content, Labor Day marks the finality of summer holidays and offers an opportunity for some last-minute summer sales. September also includes some odd-ball holidays, such as Bring Your Manners to Work Day (September 4th,) National Salami Day (September 7th,) International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19th) and many more. Play around with the holidays, include silly pictures and interactive quizzes, yet also discuss the importance of certain holidays, such as Native American Day (September 24th.) September also hosts the infamous “Back to Season” in which content should focus on the appeal of education, possibilities, and opportunities. Creators need to take advantage of an otherwise dreaded period, and highlight how their content helps 1. Make school more affordable, 2. Make school more enjoyable, or 3. Make school more accessible.
So take the leap! Publish that pumpkin cookie recipe, add that touch of green from your fleeting summer palette, go crazy with the pumpkin spice, finalize that late summer playlist. Creators— use September as a final excuse to mix components of Summer and Fall into the perfect blend of early autumn-ness.