How to write a holiday-themed blog post
Even if you waited 'til the last minute
by Brittany Taylor
Last updated July 29, 2019
If I see another “10 things I’m grateful for this year” article, I’m going to scream into the gigantic bowl of cranberries parked on my dining room table.
It’s not that I don’t like gratitude; gratitude is great. I’m all for humility and marking the season of thanks by, you know, giving it. What I don’t like is this stream of posts with the same title, the same theme, and the same homogeneous list of things we professionals are thankful for.
This is why:
When you publish a cookie-cutter list, you fade into the background. There’s nothing about “10 things I’m grateful for this year” that makes you stand out. You could twist it—think: “10 things I survived this year that made me stronger” or “10 pieces of humble pie I swallowed this year—and what I learned from them”—but following the standard theme is pretty darn “blah.”
Worse?
It looks like you’re publishing according to a quota rather than quality or creativity. You see Thanksgiving circled on the calendar and think, “Oh! Gotta post something Thanksgiving-themed!” It feels gratuitous rather than thoughtful. With so much content on the ‘net, we don’t need another meaningless list.
What do we need? More of you, but with a holiday twist. Here’s how to get it right, even at the very last minute.
How to write a holiday-themed blog post
Enough of the Grinch-y gripes. It’s my favorite time of the year, guys. “Jingle Bells” is on the radio. Cinnamon brooms are in the produce aisle. And Elves on Shelves are destroying homes across America. Sigh. Isn’t it beautiful?
Let’s get down to business. If you’re determined to write a holiday-themed blog post, first you need to decide what kind it will be. There are three types of holiday blog posts:
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We’re going to take a closer look at each type of blog post as well as the best practices for writing them. Onward!
How to write a holiday gift guide blog post
I love a good gift guide. The problem is that most gift guides are trash. They’re too short and they’re too predictable. Buying pencils for a writer? Yawn. Jack Daniels for a guy? Obvious.
Crafting a gift guide that people actually use to shape their giving takes time, focus, and extraordinary attention to detail. You need to be consistent in the way you present and format your items and the purchase information.
Your gift guide also needs to be at least one of two things: epic or niche. “100 gifts for girly-girls” is more intriguing than “10 gifts for girls.” More examples: “37 gifts for Ravenclaw bosses” and “21 white elephant swap gift ideas for coworkers."
5 tips to make creating your gift-guide go as smoothly as possible:

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How to write a blog post inspired by the holiday season
Not to sway your brainstorming, but clever holiday-inspired blog posts are my favorite. A good inspired-by blog post salutes its source of inspo and follows through on the spirit of the idea. Think: tongue-in-cheek rather than on-the-nose.
(Psst! Click here to learn how to write a killer fluff post your audience will go nuts for)
I love a play on words, which is what makes these posts shine. Go funny, go raunchy, go niche, go dorky, go expected-with-a-twist. Whatever pun you pick, make it a running joke throughout your post. Let it carry over to your formatting. For example, a Rudolph-themed headline could include eight sub-headlines for each of Santa’s other reindeer.
3 ways to write a holiday-themed blog post that’s eminently shareable
Bio
Hello! My name is Brittany Taylor, and I am a ghostwriter based in Charleston, S.C.

Bio
Hello! My name is Brittany Taylor, and I am a ghostwriter based in Charleston, S.C.
Bio

Hello! My name is Brittany Taylor, and I am a ghostwriter based in Charleston, S.C.