If you’ve noticed that there’s a day dedicated to almost every food, place, object and so on, you’re right! To say that hashtag holidays are growing in popularity and reach is an understatement. A hashtag holiday is a trending theme on social media on a designated day, week or month. Just last week, we at Fort Lauderdale PR firm Durée & Company celebrated National Publicist Day (how could we not?) and used the hashtag #NationalPublicistsDay throughout the day. And while it may seem easy to get carried away, we’re here to provide a few tips and best practices that can optimize audience engagement.
- Be Aware of Current Events – Due to the sheer volume of celebratory dates, there’s bound to be some overlap between hashtag holidays, federal holidays and world events. It’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the world before posting on social, as you don’t want to come off as inconsiderate.
- Keep Your Brand and Audience in Mind – While there are numerous national holidays out there, that doesn’t mean your brand should jump on all of them. As with any other social post, it’s essential to keep your brand and audience in mind. It’s always best to participate in the days that are a natural fit.
- Plan Ahead & Know Some Dates Fluctuate – The nature of social media empowers brands to engage with their audiences in an organic and spontaneous way. That doesn’t mean, however, that a lot of thought and planning shouldn’t go into joining a national day conversation. In starting with a solid hashtag holiday calendar, your communications team can plan and produce content weeks or even months in advance.
- Research Before Engaging – Always look into a national day before participating, and know that brands can pay to play in this space. Double check to ensure you’re not engaging in a date that may be “owned” by a competitor. Hashtag Holidays are also invented to drive awareness to specific initiatives.
- Organically Engage with Other Brands – Hashtag holidays give brands the opportunity to organically engage with other brands. These impromptu interactions help humanize a brand through a more fun and personal voice.
- Act as an Advocate for a Good Cause – While there are many silly hashtag holidays out there, there are also many that are dedicated to a greater purpose. These national days provide an opportunity for your brand to act as an advocate and raise awareness for the causes you believe in.
About Durée & Company
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Aspen, Colorado. The firm serves the corporate, agency and non-profit arenas for local, national and international clients focusing on public relations for real estate, public relations for restaurants, public relations for law firms, public relations for charities, public relations for healthcare, and many more. Durée & Company services include Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Special Events, and Radio Promotions and Outreach.
