5 Ways to use National Social Days to inspire your marketing.

I love unofficial silly national holidays.  They are fun and yes a little ridiculous but they are also intriguing and trendy.  I share several a month that I believe can be used in one way or another to boost your small business marketing. 

Before you think I am crazy, I do agree that many are foolish and over the top and frankly can appear useless.  I am pretty sure some husband petitioned for “National Buy Nothing Day” which just so happens to coincide with Black Friday.  Yet, when stores started opening for Black Friday at 6 pm on Thanksgiving I kind of got behind that one before I even knew it existed! 

Some of these social holidays support valid causes others just a fun idea and I would not be surprised if half of them were made up by a creative marketer trying to gain some social awareness for their product or service.  Which brings me back to the point I am trying to make.  Using social holidays can be an effective and easy way to create content or build awareness.  In this post, I want to give you some reasons why I use them and how you can put them to use too!

5 Ways to Use National Social Holidays as a part of your marketing strategy.

1.  Conversation Starter
2. Client Gifts
3. Contests
4. Promotional Ideas
5. Boost Searchability

Conversation Starter

50% of all marketers say that posts that entertain are more effective in helping them reach their goals the discounts and sales content.  A fun national holiday could be just what you need to start a conversation with your audience.  Be it National Candy Corn Day or National Dress Up Your Pet Day you can get people talking and most importantly commenting on your post, which boosts your engagement and helps you with the social platform algorithms.    

Fall brings out plush sweaters but also many pumpkin spice haters.  This time of the year, candy corn seems to get a whole lot of hate to as it seems to be a controversial candy.  Silly I know but tell me, do you love it or hate it?  Share your opinion and ask people theirs. Who doesn’t love to share pictures of their pets?  You can create a post encouraging your audience to share pictures of their pets all dressed up, Ask for suggestions on what to dress your pet up in or create a poll that is a simple as do you dress your dog up, YES or NO.

Even if these topics are not related to what you do, they can be a light-hearted way to share your opinions or talk about things you like and the social holiday is a fun reason to bring it up.

Client Gifts

Running out of ideas for what to give out to potential clients?  I like to give out gifts that are related to what I do, are very useful, and have my logo on them or somehow make them think of me.  That is what promotional items are good for but if you visit your clients often running out of ideas that fit into those buckets can be hard and while cookies or candy are fine they get old.  Using a national day as a reason for an off base fun gift could be a great way to stand out.

What about a s’mores making kit, the box could have your logo but the treat is really inside.  I love s’ mores, I promise that would go camping with me.  National Holidays you could use that one on?

In July: National Graham Cracker Day or National Grilling Day

In August:  National S’mores Day or National Campfire Day

In October: National Dessert Day

In November: National Camp Day

There are also lots of other treats and simple gift ideas that have their own “national day”.  If you can find a way to tie the gift back to what you do, even better.   For example, I help businesses be seen for all the awesomeness they provide the world.  To their dream client, they are like unicorn, magical, skilled, and beautiful.  On National Unicorn day in April, I could do some fun unicorn themed give away with a card that said something like “the world deserves to know you are magical but not mythical”!  Don’t steal that one, I think I am going to do it!

Contest

In June there is a “National take back the lunch break day”    I could see a small business giving away a gift card for a local lunch place or a restaurant giving out lunch for two on this day.

If I was a restaurant marketer I would run a selfie/check-in contest.  Come into the restaurant any time before now and X date, check-in on Facebook with a selfie and use this special hashtag to be entered to win a lunch for two.  

Promotional Ideas

Use a national holiday as a fun excuse for a promotion.  Marketers use “real holidays” for sales and promotions all the time.  Labor day weekend is a big reason to go shop, or so they want us to think.  It is all about having a way to grab your dream clients' attention and give them a reason to buy.

December 5^th is Bathtub Party Day.  If I sold bath bombs this would be a great day to create a promotion around a national social holiday.  For example: “Bathtub party day is coming up and it no Bathtub party would be complete with our one of our fizzing bath bombs.   Order today with code partybomb and save 10%!”  Then maybe you can include a party invitation, a balloon and some confetti in the package.  On the invitation, you could encourage them to submit an image of their bathtub party to be used on your social media.”  Okay, that may be risky, but then again I don’t sell bath bombs so I will just leave that there.

Boost Search-ability

Using hashtags associated with these national days will help people interested in similar topics or causes find you.  Do you sell bikes or run a cyclist club? #nationalbiketoworkday may help people who love to ride find you and hopefully follow you on social media.  Just make sure the hashtags are relevant to the post.  If you are posting a picture of your newest hair care product and using this hashtag just because you heard today was #nationalbiketoworkday people will be confused. Unless you add in the caption that you ride every chance you get and that may not be kind to your hair which is why you are so glad you found this product

There is a national social holiday for every day of the year and many days have several different holidays to choose from.  This could make them lose their perceived value, too much of something is rarely a good thing but when used strategically I believe these national social holidays can be a large asset.   

I hope this post helped get your marketing mind pumped up.  Next month when you are looking for ideas maybe you will head over to the list of National Holidays, they may hold a more significant purpose to you now.