Weird Holidays: How to Use Them for Business Marketing

What’s with weird holidays?

Are they just wacky and nonsensical – or could they make sense (and dollars) for marketing your business?

Count me as a fan of funny holidays.

Why? People are attracted to different. Our brains are wired to notice the odd and unusual.

I suggest you try them! There are enough weird holidays to find ones that work for any type of business – even if the people you sell to are more of the corporate type.

This wacky image went viral on Donut Day, June 3.

As I noted in my post about content types, current holidays are trending. People see content about them all day (or season) long, and realize that you’re in the know when they see your content in the mix.

About holiday content, Business2Community said:

It ensures that you get traffic and engagement because it’s simply timely.

And about funny content, Buffer noted:

Content that entertains is often funny, frequently highly shareable, and often is able to quickly transform a “company” into a “group of people just like me.”

How Many Weird Holidays Are There?

There’s a unique holiday for every day of the year!

Each offers a golden opportunity to latch onto the weird and wonderful and spin it into something uniquely yours.

Everyone does promotions for the Christmas holidays. If you want memorable marketing, try Opposite Day or Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day — and make your customers smile!

Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day got BIG engagement on my Instagram!

How Many Silly Holidays Should You Use?

It’s unlikely that you want to build your entire marketing strategy around oddball holidays. Frankly, you’d look a little spastic!

Use fun holidays when you need content ideas to stay in touch with your customers, followers, and subscribers.

You should choose offbeat holidays that:

• Directly relate to your business OR
• Give you a chance to express your personality OR
• Provide an interesting topic of conversation.

Any of those are useful for either directly promoting your business, OR creating a connection or conversation with your audience. You don’t want to promote all the time!

Avoid the unique holidays that:

• Don’t align with your business personality.
• Might offend your audience.
• Interrupt a promotion you’re running.

Those could create a disconnect, mistrust, or confusion about who you are and what you stand for.

A quote graphic is an easy way to tie into a trending holiday.

How to Find Unique Holidays

To get ideas of what’s available, you can check one or more of the many crazy holiday websites.

Or, make it easier on yourself by purchasing my Social Media Content Planner. It offers:

• Daily holidays at a glance.
• Ideas on how to use them.
• A way to keep track of those you’ll use, and how they perform.
• A balance of funny and more business-oriented marketing ideas.

The 2017 Planner will be available soon! Get a FREE Guide now, and be notified when the Planner releases at the BEST price available!

• • • CLICK to Get your FREE Social Media Content Guide! • • •

How to Use Crazy Holidays for Marketing

Brainstorm which holidays make sense for your business, your brand (or business “personality”), and your audience.

• Fitness, health, and wellness businesses are a natural for healthy foods and stress relief.
• Family-oriented businesses match up with kid-themed days and many food holidays.
• Business-to-business can find holidays like Clean Out Your Computer Day.
• Your specific industry may have a holiday like National Toothache Day for dentists.

But don’t shy away from using some purely silly holidays that resonate with your audience. These help you stand out and find your tribe of like-minded people, who love to do business with you – because you’re you!

I’m big on creativity and expressing oneself, so I pick a lot of oddball holidays like Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day.

I encouraged followers to comment on Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day.

Ways to Use Wacky Holidays

You can tie a theme into a business promotion: Hold a moonlight madness sale on International Observe the Moon Night.*

Create a quote graphic for a holiday like Lincoln’s Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien Day, MLK Jr Day, or Presidential Joke Day.

Stir people to good deeds with ideas like bringing in canned food on Good Neighbor Day (perhaps give them a discount coupon in return).*

Hold a photo or video  contest on Dress Up Your Pet Day or Chicken Dance Day (and so many others!).

Share delectable recipes (and ask followers for theirs) on any of the food-related holidays.

Spread joy with upbeat images on Happiness Happens Day, Cheer Up the Lonely Day, and so many more.

Show appreciation for customers on National Thank You Day, National Compliment Day, or You Matter to Me Day.

Share a selfie on Hat Day, Wear Something Gaudy Day, or Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day.

*Ideas from Groupon.

So many ways to use weird holidays for marketing! Which will you choose?

For Weird Holidays and more marketing ideas, you’ll want my 2017 Planner! Get a FREE Guide now, and be notified when the Planner releases at the BEST price available!

• • • CLICK to Get your FREE Social Media Content Guide! • • •