There’s a holiday for everything these days, National Taco Day, Pet Lover’s Day, and even Locate an Old Friend Day. Just because those holidays exist, does not mean your brand needs to recognize them. It can be very tempting to jump on a trending topic, but that doesn’t mean your brand should. If you do decide to capitalize on a social media holiday, do it correctly.
It has to make sense for your brand. It doesn’t necessarily have to be directly related, but it does need to make sense. Coke does a great job of making their brand relate to holiday trends. Coke used their Share A Coke campaign to relate to a seemingly unrelated day, making it relatable. I am sure the team at Coke has a discussion around every proposed social media holiday as they try to decide whether or not to capitalize on it.
Nerd. Moron. Worthless. Loser. If you or someone you love has been hurt by names, join us for #StandUpToBullyingDay.https://t.co/3WBba5hA1a
— Coca-Cola (@CocaCola) February 26, 2016
You want to make your brand seem relevant + relatable, not gimmicky. You want to ask yourself if referencing this day, event, etc. makes sense for your brand’s tone + vision. Next time you think you want to capitalize on a holiday, ask yourself these questions.
- Is it a federally recognized holiday?
- Does it relate to your industry?
- Does it line up with your company’s mission, value, or culture?
- Will your customers care?
- Should they care?
- Can you think of at least three relatable posts you could make about it?
- Is there enough buzz around the day to make it trend?
These obviously aren’t all the questions you should take into consideration, but it is a good start to make sure your creative + time are not wasted on hack-y social media posts.
If you’re wondering where to get started, this is my favorite website for social media holidays. At the beginning of every month, I like to make a list of any holiday I think might closely relate to each client + then later decide whether or not that holiday will be 1) trendy enough and 2) fit into their social calendar.
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