Have you tried using special days of the year in your social media? You know the sort I mean – Odd Socks Day, World Gin Day, and International Women’s Day are just a few examples. They can certainly freshen up your content, can’t they?
But sometimes, I’ve spotted businesses getting a bit carried away using a special day of the year, just because they like the sound of it, because they can’t think of anything else to post, or because they think it makes them look good.
Before you go plotting days, and even national weeks, into your content plans, take a moment to think what you’re wanting to achieve by using them. How can you make sure you’re using special days of the year to maximise your impact on social media? Here are a few tips.
Does it fit with your strategy?
If you’re on it with your social media, you’ll have a plan in place. A strategy for content you want to create and a strong reason why you’re creating it. Usually this will be in line with the business goals, as what you’re doing in your marketing should be working towards achieving those objectives. So, does adding a special day of the year into your plan do this? If not, question why you want to use it.
If you don’t have a social media strategy, take a read of my blog about what you should be including in it.
Is it relevant to your audience?
Your target customer and clients should be at the forefront of your plans. Will using a particular day of the year appeal to them? What will it tell them about you and your business? Will it help to build that all important ‘know, like and trust’ that I keep banging on about?
How does it relate to your product or service?
Sure, you can use a special day of the year in your social media, but how does it relate to your products or services? Is it clear why you’re using this particular theme? If not, probably best to avoid it.
How can you find out about special days of the year?
A search on google will bring up various websites that will show you the days of the year. Be careful though, as many of them aren’t in the UK and may not be relevant in your social media. I found a really good resource is Social Media Executive’s wall planner. Each day has a special day listed on it, you can highlight the ones which are relevant to your business, and there’s even a resource to find more information and hashtags via a special website.
Please don’t use them willy nilly
As long as you are making the days of the year relevant to your business and your target audience, then it will be worthwhile planning them into your social media content. If you can’t see any reason why you would be using them, then please don’t use them haphazardly.
If you’d like help planning your social media, then please get in touch. I’d love to help you form a strategy which will mean your marketing is worthwhile.
