It's SO awesome to work when everyone else is on vacation

Well, it’s officially here.

School’s out. My husband and kids are officially on break. But guess who’s still working?

Oh yeah, that’d be this girl.

It’s not that I begrudge them their summer break (but kinda).

It’s just... I love summer. Like really love summer.

And trying to crank out work while the people around me are off mountain biking, swimming at the beach, hiking, grabbing ice cream, or (perhaps the worst) laying around watching a mid-day movie? It SUCKS! It’s brutal.

And this is totally compounded by the fact I also happen to work in a seasonal tourist town, where the busiest season is when everyone else is on vacation (IYKYK.)

I'd love to say I have some magic remedy for this summer work-life conundrum, but I don't. Not even therapy can fix this one.

But I do have one tactic we lean into heavily on for our social media clients this time of year...and it may be something you can implement, too!

I'm talking about user-generated content (UGC).

This time of year, it is running rampant! Because while I (and you?) may be stuck inside...everyone else is out snapping gorgeous photos and tagging all the places. And let me tell you, that’s content GOLD.

It’s low effort. High value. Super authentic. And a total sanity-saver when your just not feeling like putting a whole lot of effort into your own socials.

Cool. But how the hell do I use UGC?!

Here are my three quick tips on how to leverage this summer content stash so you can (gasp!) save yourself an hour and actually get out there to do something you love...

☀️Search for hashtags + location tags
Try things like #yourtown, #yourbusinessname, or activities you want to promote like #patiodining, #summerartscene. etc. When you find a post you love, DM the user and ask if you can share it. Most people are thrilled to have their posts shared!

☀️ Encourage your customers and clients to tag you
No contest needed. A sign on your counter, a quick post, or a line in your email signature that says, “Tag us! We love sharing your adventures” can go a long way.

☀️Make a weekly habit
Block 10 minutes each week to scroll through recent tags and mentions. Save what you find. Share it (with credit). Done.

Let's get out from behind the counter, behind the computer screen, behind the scenes this summer. If you're watching the paddleboards roll by while you answer emails, I see you.

Time to save ourselves a few minutes this week so we can get out there with the summer masses!

Just don't turn left (that's a whole other topic for a whole other time). 💛