Complete Guide to Social Media Holidays

Aside from the fan favorites, like Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day, there are countless other national holidays — and as cultural and social issues continue to evolve, the list of holidays only continues to grow, expanding to recognize important issues, such as equal pay and data privacy. Today we’re highlighting the most popular holidays to promote on your social media by quarter and month. We’ve also highlighted federal holidays so you can best strategize your social media calendar throughout the year.

At first glance, the sheer number of social media holidays may seem overwhelming, but the good news is there’s more variety, which means there’s room to select holidays that’ll help support marketing your small business and will work best with your unique flair. So, if a traditional approach isn’t your preference, you’re in luck — there’s a nice selection of odd holidays too, like Awkward Moments Day, World UFO Day, and Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day to play with for this year's holiday social media posts. Even Donald Duck has his own day — June 9th if you want to mark your calendars.

How to Create Your Own Social Media Calendar

Now that you have a better idea of all the social media holidays, you need a plan of action, and here are a few tips to help you get started:

Step 1.

Assess your marketing goals.

Before diving head first into a detailed social media marketing plan, you’ll want to determine your goals for the year. For example, do you want to increase brand awareness and generate high-quality leads? Maybe you want new customers or to increase web traffic. Understanding and defining these goals should be the first step in any marketing plan.

Step 2.

Pick relevant holidays.

First, take some time to determine which holidays make the most sense to your industry, business, and interests — and which align best with your goals. Most businesses hit the big ones each month, but consider how some smaller ones may benefit a specific niche. For example, if you’re a clothing retailer, Denim Day and National Sunglasses Day might be the most relevant options. Or, if you’re in the restaurant business, Greasy Foods Day or National Cake Day could spark some fun marketing ideas for your business. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Step 3.

Strategize.

Consider your product or service offerings and reflect if any particular campaigns or launches align best with a specific quarter or holiday. You’ll also want to consider how these will work with your other marketing streams, including email, text, and social.

Step 4.

Identify your social media channels.

Depending on your industry, certain channels are more effective than others. Consider what channels are typically most successful for you, and if necessary, perform an audit.

Step 5.

Use a social media management tool.

To help centralize and streamline the process, organize and plan your seasonal posts alongside your evergreen content in social media management tools like Hootsuite, Zoho, or Sprout Social. If you’re not ready to invest in a platform, brainstorm with a social media content calendar template. You’ll also want to research the best times to post on social media and factor that into your planning.

Step 6.

Integrate.

Ensure all your marketing streams work together, including syncing your social media management with your CRM and SMS platforms. As technology improves, most platforms offer API and integrations to create more efficient and seamless workflows.

Step 7.

Assess metrics.

Keeping track of what’s working (and what’s not) is an important part of the marketing process. Increase your audience reach by digging into key metrics to gauge engagement, conversion, and social ROI. Luckily, there are tools out there that can help, such as Google Analytics, ShortStack, and SHIELD App. EZ Texting also offers text analytics so you can keep track of metrics such as bounce and reply rates, and click and unsubscribe data.

Celebrate Social Media Holidays with Text Marketing

EZ Texting is a fast, reliable, and adaptive communication tool for driving engagement and connectivity with your supporters, members, or customers. Throughout the year, text marketing is a great way to ensure your messages reach the right people at the right time. Join over 210,000 customers who have used EZ Texting to slice through the noise of other communication channels and reach audiences where they live – on their phones.

If you have any questions about text marketing for social media holidays, request a demo or contact our team today!