The holidays don't just come around once a year. The Christmas shopping season may be over, but there are still plenty of opportunities for marketers to make the most of holiday promotions.
In addition to traditional days of observance on the horizon, such as St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and Mother's Day, there are also an abundance of "hashtag holidays" that have been taking social media culture by storm in recent years. These are unofficial holidays dedicated to people, pets, hobbies, food, and many others things. From National Ice Cream Day to Hug Your Cat Day to Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day, there seems to be a holiday for just about anything these days!
For some great sources on hashtag holidays, check out these websites:
So why should marketers take these unofficial, obscure and just plain weird holidays seriously? The idea may not be as strange as you think.
Unofficial holidays are a decades-old tradition that gave newscasters a way to talk about something when there was nothing to talk about, in order to fill the airtime. Now, in an an era where micro-content matters, using hashtag holidays as a marketing strategy is proving to work brilliantly for many brands. Not only do these holidays have universal appeal, but using them is a great opportunity to tie your brand with trends, increase customer engagement, and push products and services with creative, diversified content.
Not sure how to go about adding hashtag holidays as a part of your marketing strategy? Here are 5 best practices you can follow below:
1. Research the holiday to find its true meaning. Always make sure you understand what the holiday is celebrating before you start brainstorming content ideas. It also helps (and is interesting) to find out how the holiday originated!
2. Only choose holidays that are relevant to your customers and business. Does it make sense for your company to relate to the holiday celebration? The connection should be obvious and should also match your brand's voice. If it is too much of a stretch, then best to avoid!
3. Check to make sure you are using the correct hashtag and date. Hashtags go through alterations depending on share volume, so keep up with the social media data on each hashtag holiday you are interested in. Also always make sure to check that the holiday date hasn't changed from the previous year(s). Customers will appreciate your consistency!
4. Avoid overlapping with major holidays or other important events. Before committing to a hashtag holiday, be mindful of federal holidays (even minor ones) and global events (such as the Olympics) that may be happening simultaneously around the world. You don't want to be the brand that promotes a silly/fun holiday or event while forgetting a serious/traditional one.
5. Put your own spin on it and share on all of your social media channels. Don't just copy what another company has done with the holiday. Look for the specific ways in which the holiday relates to your product or service and the reasons why your target market would connect to this. Once you have your campaign ready, make sure to promote it on all of your advertising channels. Generate engagement by encouraging customers to share your posts, as well as their own experiences with celebrating the holiday.
What are some of your favorite hashtag holidays to celebrate? Tell us about them in the comments!
