To general audiences, March means wall-to-wall basketball coverage. In the land of online publishing, however, it brings a glimpse of the light that exists at the end of the first-quarter ad-slump tunnel. These weakest-of-the-year performance rates begin to increase as March approaches, making March the right time to get your blog ready for new opportunities.
Try a Content Calendar Purge
While your entire Instagram feed is going KonMari on their sock drawers, why not turn a similarly critical eye toward your blog? This is the season to refresh and renew, and that may mean getting rid of dead content weight on your editorial calendar. Are there types of posts, theme days and the like that aren’t pulling their weight? If they’re not engaging your readers on-site, generating new traffic, or killing it with social media interactions, dump ‘em. Plan to point your energy toward the type of content that your audience is telling you they want to read. If the posts you’ve got planned don’t align with what is working, take a red pen to that calendar.
Make More of March Madness
College basketball doesn’t have to be your jam in order to claim a piece of the March Madness action. With 67 games slated to be played over 19 days, the brackets and the betting will be buzz-worthy enough to warrant coverage on most sites. For foodies, there’s a golden opportunity to bring fun and flavorful ideas to the table for game-day snacks. Readers’ appetites for a fun finger-food recipe, a trendy dip redux or a few sofa-friendly dessert ideas will be well whetted. Infographics and quizzes about fan food are also a productive place to begin when brainstorming content concepts. Best time for traffic spikes are around Sweet 16 and Final Four weekend, starting March 28th.
Don’t Forget those Other Spring Flings
Spring Cleaning tips are always a popular search term this time of year. Users are looking for tips to de-clutter everything form closets to kitchens. And suggesting the latest time-saving and/or space-saving kitchen gadget can get you some affiliate revenue in addition to increased page views. And for others, Spring Cleaning takes on a new meaning by tidying their diet and lifestyle. Recipes surrounding clean eating, healthy meal prep and allergen-free might therefore may prove to be good traffic producers. With Saint Patrick’s Day arrives interest in Irish recipes that celebrate the holiday, Pinterest-worthy green breakfasts and treats that will delight young palettes and of course don’t forget green beer for the grown-ups! And as March winds down you’ll find family minded folk searching for all things egg-related. Time to whip out and round-up those frittata and quiche recipes! Because every egg that gets blown in preparation for Easter means an egg that could go into some sort of edible concoction.
