National days are a great tool for bulking up your marketing calendar and mixing up the content on your socials. From recognising wacky hobbies to raising awareness of important social issues, there’s a huge range of events you can celebrate throughout the year.
So, why use national days in your digital strategy? By creating content centred around dedicated days, you will not only keep your socials relevant, but start conversations with your audience about causes, movements and social events that align with your brand’s core values. We’re not just talking about the classic holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas Day here; whilst these are important, you have the opportunity to be way more strategic and creative with the themes you engage with. With the right day and delivery, you can achieve fantastic engagement rates and make a genuine connection with your audience.
For example, International Women’s Day (March 8th) is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the women in your team and recognise their personal and professional achievements. Alternatively, you could use the day promote any relevant charity work your business has participated in. If you’re an eco-conscious brand, Earth Day (April 22nd) is a great time to share informative materials and promote the sustainability of your business, positioning you as a prominent, credible voice in your industry.
No matter how niche your business is, there'll be a day that’s relevant to your brand and field. Here’s some of our favourite examples…
Professional picks:
National Apprenticeship Week, 5th - 11th February
National Science Appreciation Day, 26th March
World Marketing Day, 27th May
National Take Your Dog to Work Day, 21st June
Independent Retailer Month, 1st - 31st July
World EV Day, 9th September
The weird and the wonderful:
National Polka Dot Day, 22nd January
World Book Day, 3rd March
Star Wars Day, ‘May the 4th’ Be With You
National Fish & Chips Day, 6th June
National Selfie Day, 21st June
National Ice Cream Day, 21st July
World Photography Day, 19th August
National Yorkshire Pudding Day, 13th October
National Black Cat Day, 27th October
World Kindness Day, 13th November
Here’s some top tips to help you effectively use national days in your digital marketing strategy…
Plan in advance
When using national days on social media, it’s important to plan ahead. Map out the specific days you want celebrate on your marketing calendar and think carefully about what type of content you will create for each campaign (e.g photos, videos or custom graphics), setting realistic timelines for each one. Click here for a great place to start your research. By planning ahead, you’ll ensure your content is well-balanced and positioned to compliment key business events throughout the year (e.g new product launches, seasonal promotions).
Keep it relevant
No matter how trivial a national day may seem, if it authentically connects to your brand, it could produce great results. However, not all national days will be the correct fit for your brand, so it’s important you choose wisely.
If you focus on a day that is irrelevant to your field, you may appear insincere and fail to connect with your audience. Imagine a skincare brand that randomly decides to celebrate National Heimlich Manoeuvre Day (June 1st)—a theme that lacks any connection to the beauty industry. On the other hand, if they were to promote National Selfie Day by encouraging people to share photos of themselves with their favourite products, they’ll likely inspire a wealth of user-generated content.
As a rule, think carefully about whether the theme authentically links to your brand, your goals or your team. Does it compliment your company values? Is it controversial? If your answers to these questions are ambiguous, it’s a sign it's not the best fit for your socials.
Be creative
National days provide a huge creative canvas for your brand, enabling you to explore innovative ways to illustrate its unique identity and ethos.
From holding a sales-focused promotion to posting a humanising photo of your team, you have the freedom to approach each national day from any angle you want. Whether the day directly links to your brand or is a joyful event you choose to make a connection with, have fun with it! Just remember to alter your tone to suit each theme and your intention, e.g to entertain or educate.
For expert help shaping up your social media marketing - getting your Facebook fitter, lifting up your LinkedIn, invigorating your Instagram, and so much more – contact OCOCO Media today for a complimentary consultation.
