On this day (8.30.22) it is National Beach Day, National Grief Awareness Day, and National Toasted Marshmallow Day. In addition, August is National Dog Month, Black Business Month, International Peace Month and about twenty other things. Wow! Who knew there were so many different topics to celebrate each and every day?  As someone in charge of social media content creation for your business or brand, you might be wondering why or how you can use this National Day of content to engage with your online audience. 

In this post we are going to share exactly what this “National Day of” content is and how it started, how you can make it applicable to your brand, what days to celebrate, and how to make your National Day of content stand out. 

 

What are National Days of? 

Unlike National or International holidays, the National Day of are sometimes seemingly random or quirky days where we can take the opportunity to celebrate something we want to give recognition to. Some of the days we recognize were given importance by government leaders in response to a historical event while others are formed by individuals –– groups or organizations who simply want to consistently celebrate a topic or idea, or support a cause or initiative. 

For example, the National Day Calendar states that it isn’t entirely sure how we started to celebrate National Umbrella Day but it started somewhere around 2004. There are many reasons to celebrate the invention of the umbrella and on the National Day Calendar you can read some history and gather some ideas on how to join the conversation. Speaking of inventions, National Inventors’ Day was proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 and takes place on Thomas Edison’s birthday each year, February 11th. This day is meant to honor those amazing inventors of our past. 

 

How can this content add value to a brand? 

The most important question of all is the one in the above header. Content from the National Day of Calendar should only be used if it adds value or aligns with your brand. These days can be a fun and gain engagement, but it will only be valuable to your business, or your audience, if it makes sense. Therefore, you need to make sure that the days you support have some connection to your organizational brand. 

For example, if you are working with a Counseling center it would make perfect sense to align with National Recovery Month, World Teen Mental Wellness Day or Self-Injury Awareness Day. It might not make any sense to recognize National Umbrella Day or National Red Sock Day.

If your organization supports a non-profit or community initiative, it can be good to add days to your content calendar that celebrate those relationships or mission-driven causes you support. 

Once we have decided that these days align, there are 3 main ways they can add value.

1. Join an existing conversation and build brand awareness. According to the blueprint, “Adding popular, brand-relevant, and audience-related dates to your content calendar can boost your brand awareness while giving you plenty of opportunities to engage with your followers.” 

2. Highlight more than just the services or products they provide. Your audience loves you, but they want to see more than “buy my stuff” or “look how great we are” in their social media feeds. Let your customers know more about what your brand believes in, how you support the community, or causes you are passionate about. This makes your brand more relatable and supports brand loyalty. 

3. Adds fun. Whether you choose to celebrate National Ice Cream Day or highlight a cause like Red Nose Day, you can do so in a fun and inviting manner. The mission of Red Nose Day is “to end child poverty – one nose at a time.” If this cause aligns with your brand, it is a great opportunity to put some fun red noses on your staff and take pictures for social media. Tell your audience why and help them get involved in ending child poverty.

 

Making your content stand out.

When choosing to participate in National Days of calendar events, make sure that you get creative and use original content. For example, on National Photography Day the National Institute for Social Media shared a class that they held on how to get the best images from your phone. Relevant to the day, but also in line with the brand and the information they offer to their community of social media professionals.

Encourage your community to join in on the fun. ShortStack, a contest, forms, and landing pages company jumped on the National Pancake Day train and ran a, get this, contest.  They collected a ton of user-generated content and contest entries during their week-long event. The outcomes were outstanding and the company was pleased with their results. 

While the National Day of Calendar can be a great way to spark creativity and join an already existing conversation, it needs to be done strategically. Don’t simply post something from the calendar everyday. Be sure that it fits with your brand, has a purpose and opens up conversation. 

Get creative and have fun. 

 

Author: Jennifer Radke

Jennifer Radke, CEO of NISM, is a dedicated, passionate and strategic business leader with 15+ years in sales and recruitment management, leadership, coaching, development and training. Most recently, she was the owner and chief strategist at Socially Inspired, a social media training and consulting company. In addition, she is an NISM-certified Social Media Strategist (SMS), serves on the board for Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota and can be found speaking and presenting to job seekers and businesses alike, on how to better utilize social media in the workplace. Jennifer believes that lifelong learning is the key to continued growth and your networks are the best way to expose yourself to new opportunities.