There are many things to keep in mind when trying to create content for clients. There are several different types of content that writers create—basic webpages, correspondence, informative articles and blog posts, among other writings. Each of these must be tackled differently, to give just the right angle. Writing around the holiday season gives these freelance business writers something new to consider: whether or not the holidays should be acknowledged, and if so, how they should be covered.
The first thing you should consider is the company for which you are writing. Look at some of the previous work that has been published by the business. Does the writing take a more personal approach, or is at all business? Often, “regular” web page content and articles are written to be fairly impersonal and informative, while blog posts and correspondence is created to forge a connection with readers. However, this is certainly not always the case.
If you are writing something, such as a blog post, that has a more personal style, you may want to integrate some mention of the holidays into your work. Before doing anything, check with someone from the organization. They may have an opinion one way or another about how you should handle the holidays.
There are two schools of thought when creating content. The first is that you would simply write it with mention of the holiday most likely celebrated by the vast majority of the customer base. In much of the United States, this would mean mentioning Christmas. However, in certain areas there are other holidays (such as Hanukkah) that are commonly celebrated. The other way of handling the holidays is by calling them just that. A quick “happy holidays” may not be as personal, but it does make certain no one is excluded.
For many people, the holiday season is very important. Because of this, acknowledging the season is often beneficial for business. For instance, consider the large number of big companies that do something special around Christmas. Coca-Cola, for one, almost always has seasonal commercials and packages. While they are Christmas-themed, they are fairly secular in nature. This type of balance is often the perfect solution for sharing the warmth of the holidays.
As you can see, there is a lot that must be kept in mind when creating holiday content. The most important thing is making certain you meet the needs of your client. As a freelance business writer, you may have to share a holiday sentiment you do not agree with, or tone down your own thoughts. While this may be difficult, remember that it is all about making the client happy when it comes to content creation.
Tracy S is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
