It seems like every time you go on Facebook or Twitter that someone is celebrating an obscure holiday. At the time of writing, it’s ‘celebrate your unique talent day’. So, I am – with a blog post about how social media marketers can use these niche holidays to their advantage.
No matter what industry you are in, whether it is retail, telecoms or even something as bland as insurance, these niche holidays is a great way to engage and connect with your customers and target audience. These holidays are universal (either humorous, silly or informative) and can easily be incorporated into your branding. This can result in some great engagement for your social profiles, such as increased followers, sales and brand perception – which results in a healthy bank balance.
So how can you utilise these holidays to their full potential?
Like any marketing and branding exercise, knowing your audience is fundamental. Research your industry and find out the holidays that are relevant and universal. Websites such as daysoftheyear.com will be helpful to find many niche holidays. While most of them will not be related to your brand or industry, they can be tweaked in your favour. It is also important not to celebrate holidays that will have a negative impact on your brand.
For instance, a dentist should be active on ‘Flossing Day’ (25th of November) and reflect the importance of flossing. On the other hand, a dentist would be unlikely to celebrate ‘Junk Food Day’ (21st July) – due to the majority of junk food causing cavities.
That said, a dentist shouldn’t go out and denounce ‘Junk Food Day’ as they will likely come off as a ‘party pooper’ and likely hurt the brand.
Personality
Social media is built for personalisation and many brands are great at giving an inside view to their company. Niche holidays only enhance this personalisation. On ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater Day’ (16th December), the dentist can come in their most hideous Christmas jumpers and take a photograph for social media.
Because other people will be celebrating the day in some way, it brings a common interest and value – making your brand feel authentic and more relatable.
Deals & Competitions
Christmas is the busiest time for many industries, especially retail. After the Boxing Day sales, revenue drops and there aren’t many other major commercialised holidays to conduct sales – especially in summer.
By using deals that are only available on specific niche holidays, it gives you the element of surprise. Your audience won’t be expecting a discount code on ‘Flossing Day’ and, by creating urgency for a discount for a single day, your audience will share it with their friends and drive traffic to your website.
On top of single days, there are also niche holidays that last weeks and months. These give much more leeway for bigger promotions. For example, a dentist may post a puzzle a week during ‘Brainteaser Month (April 2016) and run a promotion, such as a discount, for the winner of each teaser.
The great thing about these niche holidays is that those who are interested in the same holiday as your business will be more likely to find you. For example, those who are interested in ‘Floss Day’ will likely be interested in dental health. For a dentist, these are the exact people they would want to target.
However, while these niche holidays are universal and internationally celebrated on social media, a brand shouldn’t neglect those holidays that are local to their business. For example, a dentist in Newcastle may want to post about the Great North Run during the event to increase exposure to the local population.
Take advantage of these opportunities to connect with your audience and your rewards will be an increase in engagement and revenue. We can’t tell you what holidays you should celebrate and what you should do for them, but what we can tell you is that you shouldn’t ignore them – it’s a missed opportunity.
