6 Important Questions to Ask Before Adding Social Media Holidays to Your Content Calendar

We’re all guilty of it— panic Googling “Social Media Holidays 2020” when our content calendars feel a little light and engagement could use a boost. As I was planning my social media schedule this week, I felt a little relief knowing that I could easily mark Monday off my list of content to brainstorm thanks to Memorial Day. This instant relief gave me pause. As a social media marketer, I could welcome the official start of summer as well as honor those who have served this country with a post on my social feed— but does that mean I should?  Not necessarily. 

Here are six things you should ask yourself before adding a national holiday or social media holiday to your marketing plans:

1. Does This Holiday Align with Your Branding?

Take a step back when planning to add a holiday to your content calendar and ask yourself how the holiday complements your branding. While you may love a good glass of wine in honor of National Wine Day on May 25th, ensure the holiday is a brand fit for the product, service, or person these social media channels represent. If you represent a winery, restaurant, or a retailer who sells products related to wine, National Wine Day is bound to tie back to your brand. If you represent a local non-profit organization, this holiday may not be for you.

2. Is Your Audience Interested in This Holiday?

If the holiday is aligned with your brand, consider your audience demographics and their interests. If prepping a post to celebrate National Wine Day and your audience has historically shown more interest in beer (either through purchase behavior, engagement with past posts, etc.) don’t pencil this holiday into your content calendar. Even the most timely post can fall flat if your audience is not interested in the topic. 

Additionally, consider your followers’ locations. If 55% of your audience lives outside of the United States, consider skipping holidays like Memorial Day and Thanksgiving.

While each social channel’s algorithm is different, engaging content is key for account performance. Creating a post that flops could affect overall engagement for days or weeks to follow. This brings us to the next question you should ask yourself.

3. Do You Have Branded Creative Available for This Holiday?

Creating content is time consuming! Creating effective content even more so. If planning your calendar for the short term, do you have branded, engaging content at the ready? I’m talking about a post that not only celebrates the holiday, but is based on content that has historically performed well for you. When your followers look at your holiday post, they should immediately connect it back to your brand in a meaningful way. This content should present your own unique take on the holiday and drive your followers to act based on the goals of your account. If engagement is your goal, the creative and the caption should drive your followers to like, comment, or share with others. 

4. Are You Adding To The Conversation Surrounding This Holiday?

This question may seem like a subset of the last question, but it’s equally important. I want to emphasize the importance of a branded post as opposed to a repost of content from another account you follow or admire. If your post is not adding to the overall conversation on social media about this trending topic or holiday, why post it? Each post on your social channels should make a statement to your followers and further your brand’s goals. This doesn’t mean it has to push your product or service. The post can simply be a value add— a simple nod to a shared belief or interest between you and your followers in your own unique brand voice. Adding to the conversation in a meaningful way is the key to authenticity on social media.

5. Have You Been A Little Holiday Crazy Lately?

You may have checked all of the boxes above, but give your content calendar a once over. If you’ve gone a little holiday happy, it might be time to cut back or skip one in favor of less fluff. Engagement is great, but ensure you’re providing true value to your followers. As an example, May 25th is both Memorial Day and National Wine Day. Choose one to feature rather than attempting to squeeze both into your feed. 

If your brand message and goals are getting lost in the celebration, take a step back and aim for more meaningful content over hashtag holidays.

6. Can You Appropriately Celebrate This Holiday?

Last but not least, can your brand accounts celebrate this holiday in an appropriate and positive way? From Cinco de Mayo to Yom Kippur, many holidays find their roots in historical, cultural, and religious events. It’s critical that when celebrating these holidays on social media, your brand is sensitive and does so with the utmost respect to those the date honors. 

Year after year, one holiday makes retail marketers cringe more than all of the others: Columbus Day. While considered a national holiday in the United States and other countries worldwide, Columbus Day becomes more and more contested with time. Yet, like clockwork, each year retailers roll out the Columbus Day Sales with cutesy “Discover Great Deals” messaging. 

If you cannot promote a holiday appropriately on your social channels, or have any unease about it, air on the side of caution and fill that slot in your marketing calendar with something else.

There you have it! Those are the six things you must think through ahead of planning your content calendar around a holiday. If you’ve done your due diligence and the holiday is right for your brand, happy celebrating! I can’t wait to see your branded content and how you add to the conversation. Share your post with me on Instagram @IceCreamSocialUSA so I can see what you come up with and leave you some love.

If you’ve decided to eliminate a holiday or two from your schedule after reading through these social media holiday tips and tricks, I know you’ll come up with the perfect branded content to replace them.

Looking for a little more guidance on how to bring out the best in your social media channels? Sign up for a FREE one-on-one consultation here.

So what do you think about social media holidays? Are there any tips or tricks I missed? Leave me a note in the comments and let’s chat about it.

-Alyssa

Founder of Ice Cream Social Media Co.