Readers will love these November ideas

With elections, cooler weather and the holidays on everyone’s minds, November offers some pretty unique audience opportunities I’d take advantage of.

I’m going to spend time in today’s newsletter talking about ideas for November:

1. Post-election impact: I’m sure you’ve got election night covered, but don’t forget about the day or two after. Consider stories that rewind the biggest things that happened after (a 5 things to know article is always great with highlights of big wins, referendum decisions), as well as a breakdown on how the vote went from a demographic or geography standpoint.

2. Veterans Day content: There are a host of good and useful angles to feature: What’s open/closed, deals Veterans can get and of course coverage of events. It’s not too late, so why not ask a local classroom to write essays on what veterans mean to them or even ask them to create cards for veterans that you could showcase in your products (galleries or a pullout spread). There’s a nice sponsorship opportunity here.

3. Heating costs and energy assistance: There has been reporting in several states that the cost for energy bills is going to be higher this winter. Explain in a Q&A why that is (think about the queries readers might be typing in to Google and write about those things). But also create useful tips that people can apply. Consider doing some of that in a Reel showing readers what to do.

4. Food insecurity ahead of Thanksgiving: Food pantries often see a demand surge before the holidays so providing a list of what they need would be very useful. If there are numerous food pantries in your market, break down the needs of each along with how to get the materials to the pantries.

5. School calendar changes: Many school districts are starting to talk about calendar changes for the next school year. The district our kids attend just offered up two options. Show parents the options and even show how they compare to other nearby districts. If there are two options, create a poll.

6. Winter infrastructure by the numbers: City crews are probably prepping for the winter so why not create a nice breakdown of the numbers someone needs to know (number of trucks, pounds of salt). Doing a by the numbers story doesn’t mean it needs to be short (each number can have a few sentences, attribution and quotes).

7. Cold and flu season: It’s that season when everyone seems to get sick, so create a reminder story on the shots that people are supposed to get and who qualifies. Added brownie points for building guides of places to go to get free vaccinations along with maps.

8. School break childcare solutions: It can be challenging to have kids home during the break and still have to work, especially if you aren’t a remote worker. So create a list of options parents can tap into from camps to daycare to kids day out programs.

9. Unique Thanksgiving restaurant menus: Are there any restaurants in your market that offer unique holiday takeout options or sit-down dinners? These can make for great lists or even a profile. There’s a popular restaurant in the Texas town we live in that offers Cajun-style fried turkeys. They are incredible. Write about places like that.

10. Thanksgiving weekend holiday tree lightings: I am sure you will have a guide on holiday lights, but what about creating something just for the Thanksgiving weekend on tree lightings? This would be particularly helpful for people entertaining guests.

+ Bonus idea: You could create even more content to help families entertain guests like the best restaurants to take family to, Thanksgiving Day walks or hikes and the must-see attractions for out-of-town guests.

Let us help craft your content strategy

We have the expertise of working with dozens and dozens of publishers on strategies that drive audience growth. Contact me today at david@davidarkinconsulting.com to find out how we can help you.