Trying to figure out what to post all summer long? I hear ya!

While you’re busy running events, serving your clients or just trying to enjoy a few days of summer yourself, content creation can feel like the easiest thing to brush under the rug.

But it’s still important to show up online for your audience!

Luckily for you, summer is full of moments to capture and share with your followers! The best-performing content is simple, authentically you, and easy to create.

Here are four content types that are working really well this season (especially for seasonal businesses, tourism operators, and local brands like yours):

📸 Photo Dumps

Yes, the “casual carousel” trend is still going strong, and it’s perfect for summer.

What is it? A set of 5–10 pictures from your day, week, event, or experience. (More if you’re turning it into a reel!) No need to match colours, over-edit, or explain every detail.

Ideas for your next photo dump:

Snaps from a local market or festival
The setup, middle, and aftermath of an event
Candid moments with customers or your team
A mix of signs, scenery, products, or fun little moments

🎥 Short, Real-Time Reels

Okay, so we’ve all stumbled upon a Reel in our feed where the creator was obviously reading from a script? Right? It’s so common that most people scroll right past them.

Want to pause that scroll? Post something in real time without a script. As it’s happening.

Reel ideas that perform well in summer:

A 5-second pan of a busy patio, boardwalk, or boutique
Waves crashing, doors opening, or guests arriving
A quick morning routine at your business
A fast “before and after” of your setup

Add trending audio, text overlays, or just let the story speak for itself. Real-time = relatable.

🧡 UGC (User-Generated Content)

I’ve talked about how much I love User-Generated Content before. User-generated content refers to any type of content (photos, videos, reviews, testimonials, or social media posts) created by your customers or followers. It’s authentic, relatable, and trusted more by consumers than polished branded content.

If someone tags you in a Story, posts a photo of your product, or leaves a glowing review, you can share it! It’s trustworthy for your audience because it came from someone who’s spent their hard-earned money with you and loved it enough to post about it.

Why it works:

It builds trust like nothing else
It celebrates your community by sharing the content they create
It fills content gaps when you're too busy to post

✨ Tip: Create a saved folder of “reshare-worthy” content from your audience and pull from it during your busy weeks. It’s a lifesaver!

🌊 Behind-the-Scenes

Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with watching behind-the-scenes content on Instagram. I could watch about a dozen videos of Eclair Lips scraping her lip balms while talking about the latest comment on her Instagram feed.

And I’m not alone. People LOVE to see the process behind your business, not just that polished final result.

Here’s some ideas to try:

You restocking or unpacking inventory
Morning coffee before opening your doors
A timelapse of your market setup
The “real” side of serving tourists, making products, or prepping for events

These posts are gold because they feel personal, and they show your dedication without feeling salesy.

What performs best in summer?

So now that you’re armed with a few ideas of posts that will be easy to create AND perform well, make sure you don’t overthink it too much!

Summer is a little slower online in some industries and while that can seem kinda scary, it’s a good time to try new things!

✨ Try posting content that feels like summer.

✨ Aim for content that’s quick, casual, and human.

✨ Don’t overthink it! Look around. Snap a quick photo. Capture a moment.

Try new posts and see what works for you and what doesn’t. Take the summer to experiment and come back to watching your analytics like a hawk in September.

📣 Want Help Creating UGC This Summer?

If you're a local business in Nova Scotia and you're looking for fresh, authentic user-generated content, I'd love to help!

Whether you're a boutique, cafe, tourism operator, or seasonal event, I create real, scroll-stopping content that showcases what makes your brand special.

🎥 Photos, Reels, Stories & on-location content

📍 Based in Nova Scotia

📱 Real reviews. Real experience. Real reach.

✨ If you want UGC with a local voice, reach out at kerra@kasocialmedia.ca

The Best Performing Summer Content Types