Besides being a few of my favorite things, they all happen to have designated national days of celebration and appreciation (August 17, January 20, January 10, respectively), also known as social media holidays. While it may seem silly to have dedicated holidays for everything under the sun, these special days can, and often do, offer value for brands looking for timely content to share on their social media channels and websites. They also provide a great alternative to posting about larger holidays that might not fit your brand’s tone or strategy due to religious affiliations or audience nuances.
As with all social media marketing, there’s a right and wrong way to incorporate this content. Let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts, along with a few ideas for incorporating these fun holiday social media celebrations into your content calendar.
The Dos and Don’ts of Posting About Social Media Holidays
Generally speaking, national days of celebration should be used only if and when they make sense for your brand and corresponding content strategy. Below is a list of holiday social media posting tips, broken down into simple Dos and Don’ts.
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How to Leverage Social Media Holidays for Customer Engagement
Now that we’ve established when you should and shouldn’t weave this holiday content into your social media strategy, it’s time to talk execution. How exactly do you use social media holidays? How do you ensure they feel seamless and purposeful? How often should you leverage this content? Read on to find out!
Test the Waters with Low-Lift Social Media Posts
The good news is you don’t have to go all-in on social media holidays right away, especially if you’re not sure how the holiday content will resonate with your target audience. As part of a well-rounded social media strategy, most brands reserve a small percentage of their planned posts for contextual content. Try incorporating a couple of holidays that align with other assets you post or are tangentially related to your brand. For example, a dog food brand may consider posting something in honor of National Pet Travel Safety Day (January 2) because the information could be valuable and insightful to its social media followers. When done correctly, there may even be a relevant tie-in to the brand’s products. It’s a matter of framing the content in a way that feels cohesive.
Once you’ve landed on a few holidays to celebrate, be sure the social holiday post copy clearly explains the purpose of the holiday and why your brand is celebrating it. Remember to include imagery that complements your messaging. It’s preferable to use custom creative that fits with the overall look and feel of your established social media imagery. As a lower lift option, you can source a stock photo.
HAPPY NATIONAL COMPLIMENT DAY! Today & every day, tell your friend how smart she is, tell your daughter how proud you are of her, tell the stranger in line how much you love her style, because the power of positivity is endless. Give a friend a compliment to make their day! 💚 pic.twitter.com/CQVwlzoLjy
— Aerie (@Aerie) January 24, 2021
Engage Followers and Align with Larger Business Initiatives
Take your social media holiday celebrations to the next level by creating posts that encourage engagement from your followers. Consider adding polls to your Twitter or LinkedIn posts that ask a question about the holiday you’re promoting to help start a conversation. You can also ask followers to share user-generated content (UGC) that relates both to the holiday and your brand so you can leverage the images in future social calendars.
Want to go a step further? Look for opportunities to create synergy between social media holidays and business promotions. For example, an existing coupon code for online orders could be updated to align with the name of the holiday and shared on social for that one special day.
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Draw Inspiration from Social Media Holidays to Drive a Content Marketing Strategy
If you’ve found the perfect social media holiday that speaks to everything your brand represents and offers a genuine way to connect with your followers, consider building a larger strategy around it. A one-day promo code is a great start, but there are ways to get more mileage out of a single holiday. Consider leveraging the holiday as a jumping-off point for a cohesive, themed month of content. Get inspired to write new blog content on similar topics, especially if those blog posts ladder up to a content pillar in your SEO strategy. On the flip side, you may have existing evergreen blog posts or social media platform images relating to the holiday that can be repurposed for new social posts.
Related: Utilizing Instagram for Influencer Marketing Campaigns
Be the Social Media Holiday You Wish to See in the World
This last holiday marketing suggestion is not for the faint of heart, but it is fun. If you really want to own a social media holiday, you can create one! Many companies have taken to establishing their own, branded social media holidays. National Day Archives allows you to apply for a designated national day that gets added to its official registry upon approval, so you can celebrate on social year after year. The holiday’s webpage will list the date of celebration along with your brand story.
National Sunkist Citrus Day on March 1 was created by none other than Sunkist. The brand recently honored the holiday on its Instagram account by sharing a reel celebrating its multi-generational growers. It also leveraged a relevant influencer (Healthyish Foods) to do a sponsored post about a recipe using Sunkist fruit, providing extra value to followers.
Go Forth and Celebrate
Ready to connect and engage with your current and potential customers over a shared topic of interest? Follow the tips outlined in this blog to do so in an authentic way. If you’re still unsure how your brand should celebrate social media holidays, or if you’re looking for more guidance on your social media marketing strategy and digital marketing campaigns, contact us.
