Did you know it was National Pet Parent Day on Sunday? Or that it's National Hug a Plumber Day on Monday? Were you able to celebrate National Pretzel Day on Tuesday?
Well, you might have if you own a bar, are a dog walker, or, well, hugged your plumber. For the rest of us, though, the influx of these sometimes seemingly arbitrary celebration days – and their popularity on social media – can be a bit overwhelming.
But if you're a brand that's smart enough to invest in an always-on strategy, and looking for ways to join conversations online, you're probably already getting that interplanetary content ready for National Space Day (May 6).
For social media strategists like Reese Evans, the key to joining these conversations and to being relevant with that always-on strategy is to follow the maxim of content marketing: talk about things other people care about, not just yourself.
At 26, the Toronto resident is the creative director and founder of Yes Supply, a business geared at helping creatives start small businesses, social content, and maintain a personal life that works in vibrant unison. It's her passion for empowering female leaders like herself that led her to create Yes Supply, and facilitate creating engagement-friendly content.
The most popular product Yes Supply produces is an aggregated calendar of "National Days" that brand managers can use to plan their content strategies. Still, pre-planning for these kinds of pop-culture events is only part of a good, always-on content strategy.
"Inspiration can help get you out of bed, but it won't keep you going," she said. "Finding ways to always be creating, and finding ways to be fully responsive to the people that reaffirm why you're doing what you're doing, that's the ticket."
What Ms. Evans saw from conversations with her audience was that others like herself wanted to see the brush strokes, not just admire the painting. An always-on strategy seems like a pipe dream, and many conversations later, Evans found herself talking to women with a variety of business objectives who all had a common need – an entry point.
For some small-business owners, an analytic background creates fear around leaping into creating social copy. Having a calendar laid out ahead of these junior brand managers can offer a straight sight line on a wider audience, a starting point to weave the brand's message into conversations.
But it's not just the smaller brands getting in on the action. On the most recent Pi Day (March 14), brands like Little Caesars saw a straight shot and took it. Betty Crocker's team knew they could lay claim to Pi Day just as much as more science-minded accounts.
And, well, even Red Bull made it work with a creative graphic treatment. The result was high social engagement, and a tongue-in-cheek way to celebrate something everyone could be a part of.
It's not just latching onto a notable day that makes the difference, it's seeing the calendar as an opportunity for business owners of any type to see their brand voice mirrored back in a larger social conversation. With more than 1,100 of these National Days to choose from, brands have an untethered space to be out there as storytellers.
And while calendars are a good place to start, the best teams will be reactive, always listening, and ready to create fresh content when the moment strikes. No one wants to be the next Red Lobster to miss a Beyonce moment.
Whether you use an aggregated calendar as a launch pad, or are a larger brand whose access point is already defined, the engagement with the resulting posts are really good proof that it's not about having these huge social teams internally.
It's about developing an acute awareness of what's going on, which is not a privilege reserved for the polished, that can benefit any strategy.
After all, National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15) is only a few weeks away.