Social media marketing – Dotdigital https://dotdigital.com Thu, 15 Aug 2024 15:56:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://mkr1en1mksitesap.blob.core.windows.net/staging/2021/11/favicon-61950c71180a3.png Social media marketing – Dotdigital https://dotdigital.com 32 32 September 2024 social media calendar https://dotdigital.com/blog/september-social-media-calendar/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:51:16 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=76415 September is packed with opportunities to connect with your audience and make a difference. From raising awareness for important causes like Greenpeace Day to the start of a new school year, there’s something for everyone.

This social media calendar highlights key dates, themes, and inspiration to help you create engaging content throughout the month. Whether you’re looking to boost brand awareness, drive engagement, or support a worthy cause, this guide has you covered.

Let’s dive into September and make the most of this exciting month.

Important social media calendar dates in September

Themes for the month 

  • Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
  • Suicide Prevention Month
  • Friendship Month
  • Back to School
  • September 2 – Labor Day #LaborDay
  • September 2 – World Coconut Day #WorldCoconutDay
  • September 4 – Eat An Extra Dessert Day #EatAnExtraDessert
  • September 5 – International Day of Charity #CharityDay
  • September 6 – Read a Book Day #ReadABookDay
  • September 7 – Superhuman Day #SuperhumanDay
  • September 8 – International Literacy Day #LiteracyDay
  • September 8 – Summer Paralympics ends #Paris2024
  • September 8 – Stand Up To Cancer Day #KissCancerGoodbye
  • September 11 – Day of Service and Remembrance #911Day
  • September 13 – Positive Thinking Day #PositiveThinkingDay
  • September 15 – Greenpeace Day #GreenpeaceDay
  • September 19 – Talk Like a Pirate Day #TalkLikeAPirateDay
  • September 21 – International Day of Peace #PeaceDay
  • September 21 – Miniature Golf Day #MiniGolfDay
  • September 21 – World Alzheimer’s Day #Alzheimer’sDay
  • September 22 – Car-Free Day #CarFreeDay
  • September 22 – Hobbit Day #LordOfTheRings
  • September 22 – National Ice Cream Cone Day #NationalIceCreamConeDay
  • September 22 – First Day of Fall #1stDayOfFall
  • September 24 – National Punctuation Day #NationalPunctuationDay
  • September 26 – European Day of Languages #EDL2024
  • September 27 – World Tourism Day #WTD2024
  • September 28 – International Rabbit Day #InternationalRabbitDay
  • September 28 – Good Neighbor Day #GoodNeighborDay
  • September 29 – World Heart Day #HeartDay
  • September 30 – Love People Day #NationalLovePeopleDay

Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month. It’s a time to raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma, and provide support resources. Let’s prioritize mental well-being and encourage open conversations about suicide prevention. By sharing information, promoting help-seeking behavior, and creating a supportive community, we can make a difference.

Wysa buddy, Suicide Prevention Month social media campaign.

Back-to-school

Back-to-school season is a great time to connect with your audience. Whether you’re targeting students, parents, or teachers, there are plenty of opportunities to create engaging content.

Stadium Goods back-to-school-marketing email.
Justice, back-to-school email marketing campaign.
Satechi, back-to-school giveaway social media campaign.
Casetify back-to-school SMS message.

If you need more inspiration for back-to-school, you can read our blog on back-to-school email marketing tips to inspire your next campaign.

September 2 – Labor Day

Labor Day is a public holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September. This day honors the contributions of workers to the country’s prosperity and well-being.

Gold Belly, Labor Day email marketing campaign.
Candy Warehouse, Labor Day email marketing campaign.
Isaac Mizrahi social media campaign.
City Furniture, Labor Day SMS message.

If you need more inspiration, you can read our Labor Day email marketing examples.

September 2 – World Coconut Day

World Coconut Day celebrates this versatile fruit and its many uses. From the creamy meat to the refreshing water, coconuts are a tropical treasure. Why not join the celebration? Share your favorite coconut recipes, products, or memories. You could also highlight the environmental benefits of coconuts or support coconut farmers. Get creative and show your love for this amazing fruit.

Bubbleology, World Coconut Day social media campaign.

September 4 – Eat An Extra Dessert Day

Indulge your sweet tooth on September 4. It’s Eat An Extra Dessert Day. Whether you prefer classic cakes, decadent cookies, or frozen treats, this is your day to enjoy an extra helping without guilt. Share your favorite dessert pics, recipes, or local dessert spots. Let’s celebrate the joy of sweet treats together.

Aldens Ice Cream Eat An Extra Dessert Day social media campaign.

September 6 – Read a Book Day

Encourage your audience to unplug and unwind with a good book. Share your favorite reads, book recommendations, or author spotlights. You can also host a book club or giveaway to engage your followers. Let’s celebrate the joy of reading together.

Scholastic, Read a Book Day email marketing campaign.
One Carlyle, Read a Book Day social media campaign.

September 15 – Greenpeace Day

On September 15, Greenpeace Day celebrates the organization’s efforts to protect the environment and promote peace. Participating in Greenpeace Day is a great way to show your commitment to environmental and social responsibility. You can incorporate Greenpeace Day into your brand’s marketing and customer outreach by offering relevant content, advice, and initiatives that encourages your customers to make more sustainable choices. This engagement with environmental issues can enhance your brand’s reputation and make a genuine difference in the world.

Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace Day email marketing campaign.

September 21 – World Alzheimer’s Day

World Alzheimer’s Day aims to raise awareness of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Share information about the disease, support resources, or personal stories. You can also encourage your audience to donate to Alzheimer’s research or participate in fundraising events.

Women's Alz Movement, World Alzheimer’s Day social media campaign.

September 22 – National Ice Cream Cone Day

It’s time to scream for ice cream. September 22 is National Ice Cream Cone Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the perfect union of creamy ice cream and a crispy waffle cone. You can capitalize on this sweet occasion by offering limited-edition flavors, running cone-themed contests, or partnering with local ice cream shops for exclusive deals.

Baskin-Robbins, National Ice Cream Cone Day email marketing campaign.

September 27 – World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day celebrates the impact of tourism on culture, economy, and environment. Share your travel experiences, destination highlights, or sustainable tourism practices. You can also run a travel-themed contest or giveaway to engage your audience.

Statista World Tourism Day social media campaign.

September subject line ideas

Crafting compelling subject lines is essential for capturing your audience’s attention and driving email engagement. To help you create standout subject lines, we’ve analyzed top-performing email campaigns from last September.

Our data shows that subject lines incorporating personalization, urgency, and a strong call to action generated the highest click-through rates. Popular elements included:

  • Personalization: Using recipient names (e.g., @firstname@)
  • Urgency: Creating a sense of time-limited offers (e.g., “last chance,” “1 week to go”)
  • Value proposition: Communicating the benefit (e.g., “save up to NUMBERPERCENT%”)
  • Event-specific language: Use to improve engagement for event-related communications (e.g., “Thank you for attending or registering”).

September-inspired subject line ideas

Leveraging these insights, here are some September-themed subject line ideas to inspire your campaigns:

Labor Day: ⏰ Last chance to register for our Labor Day event
World Coconut Day: @firstname@ don’t miss out on our World Coconut Day special offer
Eat an Extra Dessert Day: 😋 Indulge in our September treats
Summer Paralympics Ends: 🏅 2 weeks to go until our Summer Paralympics Closing Ceremony watch party
Read a Book Day: 📚 Immerse yourself in a captivating read
Stand Up To Cancer Day:🎗 Stand united in the battle against cancer
First Day of Fall: 🍁Welcome autumn’s enchanting charm
World Heart Day: ❤ Prioritize your heart health today
World Tourism Day: 🌴 Dreaming of a getaway? Explore our travel deals – save up to 25
Love People Day: 🤗 Spread kindness and embrace humanity

While the ideas provided can be a starting point, it’s important to customize them to match your distinct brand voice. Feel free to try out emojis, playful language, or a sense of urgency to capture attention.

For an added creative spark, you can also use AI-powered generative tools like WinstonAI to brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of your subject lines.

Spark engagement with your September marketing campaigns

September is packed with opportunities to connect with your audience. Our comprehensive social media calendar highlights key dates and themes to help you create engaging content that resonates.

By aligning your marketing efforts with these popular moments, you can boost visibility, increase engagement, and build stronger relationships with your customers. Let’s make this September your most successful yet.

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August 2024 social media calendar https://dotdigital.com/blog/august-social-media-calendar/ Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:57:24 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=75259 Get ready to light up your social media channels in August 2024. Our social media calendar is filled with important dates and exciting themes to drive your content strategy for the month.

August offers a fantastic range of holidays and observances to boost your engagement. This guide not only provides dates but also offers curated key events and creative ideas to inspire not only your social media campaigns but also your email and SMS marketing efforts. So let’s get started. 

Important social media calendar dates in August

Themes for the month 

  • National Immunization Awareness Month
  • Black Business Month
  • August 1 – National Girlfriends Day #NationalGirlfriendsDay
  • August 2 – International Beer Day #BeerDay
  • August 2 – Coloring Book Day #ColoringBookDay
  • August 3 – Watermelon Day #WatermelonDay
  • August 4 – National Sisters Day #SistersDay
  • August 5 – Blogger Day #BloggerDay
  • August 8 – National Bowling Day #BowlingDay
  • August 8 – International Cat Day #CatDay
  • August 9 – Book Lovers Day #BookLoversDay
  • August 10 – Lazy Day #LazyDay
  • August 11 – Summer Olympic Games end #Olympics2024
  • August 11 – Sons and Daughters Day #SonsAndDaughtersDay
  • August 12 – World Elephant Day #WorldElephantDay
  • August 13 – International Lefthanders Day #LefthandersDay
  • August 15 – Relaxation Day #RelaxationDay
  • August 16 – Tell a Joke Day #TellAJokeDay
  • August 17 – Non-Profit Day #NonProfitDay
  • August 18 – Never Give Up Day #NeverGiveUp
  • August 18 – Men’s Grooming Day #MensGroomingDay
  • August 19 – World Photo Day #WorldPhotoDay
  • August 19 – World Humanitarian Day #WorldHumanitarianDay
  • August 20 – National Lemonade Day #NationalLemonadeDay
  • August 23 – Sponge Cake Day #SpongeCakeDay
  • August 25 – Banana Split Day #BananaSplitDay
  • August 26 – Dog Day #DogDay
  • August 27 – World Rock Paper Scissors Day #RockPaperScissor
  • August 28 – Summer Paralympics begins #Paris2024
  • August 29 – Chop Suey Day #ChopSuey

Let’s delve into specific ideas for each date to help you create successful campaigns this August.

Black Business Month

August is Black Business Month, a time to acknowledge the remarkable contributions and rich history of Black-owned businesses. This month provides a fantastic opportunity to amplify the voices of Black entrepreneurs and showcase the vibrant diversity within the business community. Consider partnering with Black-owned businesses, featuring customer testimonials, or running contests to highlight their unique products and services.

Reel, 7 black-owned businesses in a sustainability email campaign.

August 2 – Coloring Book Day

August 2nd is Coloring Book Day. This event is a great opportunity to express your creativity and have fun, regardless of age. Consider organizing a coloring contest to encourage participation and promote user-generated content. You can also share interesting facts about the history of coloring books to evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Official Peter Rabbit, Coloring Book Day social media campaign.

August 3 – Watermelon Day

Watermelon Day is a great chance to celebrate this delicious fruit. You could collaborate with a local watermelon farm for a giveaway, showcase a collection with a fruity theme to boost engagement or create a visually appealing post with watermelon carving ideas to inspire creativity.

Ciate London, Watermelon Day social media campaign.

August 8 – National Bowling Day

Channel the competitive energy of May Day celebrations into a lighthearted game. Share funny bowling memes or GIFs to add humor or partner with a local bowling alley for a discount or special offer to incentivize participation.

Notable Novels, Bowling Day social media campaign.

August 8 – International Cat Day

International Cat Day provides a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation. Collaborate with an animal shelter for an adoption drive to give back to the community, or share interesting cat facts and adorable cat videos to spread joy.

Litter Genie, International Cat Day social media campaign.
Winky Lux, International Cat Day SMS message.

August 10 – Lazy Day

Lazy Day offers a chance to unwind and recharge. Consider offering a discount on loungewear or relaxation products to cater to this desire, or create a lighthearted and humorous post about the joys of laziness to connect with your audience on a relatable level.

Pusheen, Lazy Day social media campaign.

August 12 – World Elephant Day

World Elephant Day provides an opportunity to give back and educate your audience. You can share educational content about the importance of elephant conservation to raise awareness. You can also host a Q&A session with an elephant expert to provide valuable insights.

Peppermint Narwhal, World Elephant Day social media campaign.

August 15 – Relaxation Day

Relaxation Day is an opportunity to focus on well-being. If you have a skincare, beauty, or health and wellness brand, consider highlighting your product offerings. Alternatively, you could collaborate with a spa or wellness center for a giveaway to promote relaxation or create a calming and visually soothing post using nature imagery to inspire tranquility.

Nuxe, Relaxation Day social media campaign.
Biezenl, Relaxation Day social media campaign.
OandoPLC, World Humanitarian Day social media campaign.

August 17 – Non-Profit Day

Nonprofit Day is an important opportunity to show gratitude and recognition to the people and organizations who work tirelessly to create a positive impact. If you are a nonprofit, this is a chance for your organization to highlight the meaningful contributions you have made and to inspire your supporters to participate. This could involve volunteering, donating to causes that are important to them, or sharing inspiring stories of nonprofit achievements.

NNEDV, Non-Profit Day social media campaign.
Charity Water, Non-Profit Day email marketing campaign.

August 18 – Men’s Grooming Day

Men’s Grooming Day is the perfect excuse to celebrate self-care. Run contests or polls to spark conversations about men’s grooming routines and product recommendations. You can also partner with influencers or barbershops to create engaging content.

Dr Squatch, Men’s Grooming Day SMS message.

August 19 – World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day is a powerful moment to celebrate the courageous individuals and organizations dedicated to alleviating global suffering. Whether it’s providing emergency aid, advocating for human rights, or fostering peacebuilding initiatives, humanitarians selflessly strive to make a difference. 

It’s a day to not only recognize their tireless work but also to inspire action within your communities. Consider encouraging your audience to donate to a cause they care about or amplify the stories of notable inspiring heroes in your marketing campaigns.

OandoPLC, World Humanitarian Day social media campaign.

August subject line ideas

Crafting catchy and engaging subject lines is an important part of any successful marketing campaign. To help you create standout subject lines, we’ve analyzed top-performing email campaigns from last August.

Key trends from last year

Our data revealed that subject lines combining a sense of urgency with personalized touches were most effective in driving click-through rates.

  • Create a sense of urgency: Leverage phrases like “time is running out,” “don’t miss out,” or “there’s still time to” to encourage immediate action.
  • Highlight value and benefits: Communicate the value proposition to the reader (e.g., “save up to NUMBERPERCENT%,” “important information, or “get your hands on”).
  • Build strong relationships: Personalize your messages and focus on customer engagement (e.g., “thank you for,” or “we’d love to hear from you”).

August-inspired subject line ideas

To help you brainstorm effective subject lines, we’ve categorized some common phrases used in high-performing campaigns:

Watermelon Day: 🍉 Are you ready for a juicy summer with our refreshing promotions?

International Beer Day:
🍺You’re invited to celebrate with our Beer-tastic deals

Coloring Book Day: 🖍 Tell us what you can create with our artistic offers

National Sisters Day: 👭 Join us for a sisterhood celebration with special discounts

Bowling Day: 🎳 Roll into excitement with our strike-worthy promotions

International Cat Day: 🐈 Paws-itively adorable deals for feline fanatics

Book Lovers Day: 📚 Join us for a celebration of books. Book Lovers Day deals are here.

Lazy Day: 💤 Unwind and relax with our stress-free special offers

National Lemonade Day: 🍋 Sip and savor our thirst-quenching deals

Sponge Cake Day: 🍰 Indulge in sweet layers of our irresistible offers

Banana Split Day: 🍌 Go nuts for our mouthwatering promotions

Dog Day: 🐕 Welcome to your one-stop destination for tail-wagging treats and discounts

While the ideas provided can be a starting point, it’s important to customize them to match your distinct brand voice. Feel free to try out emojis, playful language, or a sense of urgency to capture attention.

For an added creative spark, you can also use AI-powered generative tools like WinstonAI to brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of your subject lines.

Spark engagement with your August marketing campaigns

Get ready to maximize your marketing campaigns in August by leveraging the month’s social media calendar holidays and observances. This detailed social media calendar is packed with key dates and compelling themes to spark ideas for your content strategy for the entire month of August. 

By staying organized and tapping into the buzz surrounding these significant dates, your brand can stand out from the competition and create memorable experiences for your customers all through August. Happy posting.

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July 2024 social media calendar https://dotdigital.com/blog/july-social-media-calendar/ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=73974 Prepare to boost your social media presence in July 2024. This month offers a fantastic range of holidays and observances that are ideal for enhancing your content strategy.

This guide will help you know the important dates and creative themes for your July social media calendar. We have picked out key events and creative ideas to inspire not only your social media campaigns but also your email marketing and SMS marketing efforts.

Important social media calendar dates in July

July 1 – Joke Day #JokeDay
July 1 – Canada Day #CanadaDay
July 2 – World UFO Day #WorldUFODay
July 4 – Independence Day #July4th
July 5 – Bikini Day #BikiniDay
July 6 – Fried Chicken Day #FriedChickenDay
July 7 – World Chocolate Day #WorldChocolateDay
July 9 – Fashion Day #FashionDay
July 10 – Pina Colada Day #PinaColadaDay
July 11 – Cheer Up the Lonely Day #CheerUpTheLonelyDay
July 11 – National Mojito Day #MojitoDay
July 12 – Malala Day #MalalaDay
July 12 – French Fries Day #FrenchFriesDay
July 14 – Mac and Cheese Day #MacCheeseDay
July 15 – Give Something Away Day #GiveSomethingAwayDay
July 16 – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day #GuineaPigs
July 17 – World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay
July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day #MandelaDay
July 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers
July 20 – Lollipop Day #LollipopDay
July 20 – National Moon Day #NationalMoonDay
July 20 – National Father-in-Law Day #FatherInLawDay
July 21 – Ice Cream Day #IceCreamDay
July 21 – Junk Food Day #JunkFoodDay
July 23 – Prime Day #PrimeDay
July 24 – International Pineapple Day #PineappleDay
July 24 – Tequila Day #TequilaDay
July 24 – National Drive-Thru Day #NationalDriveThruDay
July 25 – National Wine and Cheese Day #WineAndCheeseDay
July 26 – All or Nothing Day #AllOrNothing
July 26 – Summer Olympic Games begins #Olympics2024
July 27 – National Intern Day #NationalInternDay
July 28 – Milk Chocolate Day #MilkChocolateDay
July 29 – Lipstick Day #LipstickDay
July 30 – International Day of Friendship #DayOfFriendship
July 31 – Harry Potter’s Birthday #HappyBirthdayHarry

Themes of the month

  • National Ice Cream Month
  • National Grilling Month
  • National Independent Retailer Month

Let’s delve into specific ideas for each date to help you create successful campaigns this July.

July 4 – Independence Day

Vineyard Vines, 4th July email marketing campaign - social media calendar.
Vineyard Vines, 4th July email marketing campaign.
Converse 4th July email marketing campaign.
Chick-fil-A, 4th July email marketing campaign.
Snap Kitchen, Independence Day SMS message.

July 7 – World Chocolate Day

Eat, click, travel Instagram social media campaign.

July 21 – Ice Cream Day

Baskin-Robbins, National Ice Cream Day, email marketing campaign.
Dairy Queen, Ice Cream Day email campaign.

July 23 – Prime Day

The Honest Company, Prime Day email marketing campaign.
Liquid IV, Prime Day email marketing campaign.
Cora, Prime Day email marketing campaign.

July 24 – International Pineapple Day

Hint, Pineapple Day, SMS message.

July 24 – Tequila Day

Sesion Tequila, Instagram social media campaign.

July 26 – Olympic Games

Lacoste, Olympics email marketing campaign.
Healthyish, Paralympics celebrity social proof email marketing campaign.
Debenhams Olympics & Paralympics activewear email marketing campaign.

July 29 – Lipstick Day

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Lipstick Day edit, email marketing campaign.
MAC Cosmetics, Lipstick Day email marketing campaign.
Hourglass Cosmetics, National Lipstick Day, SMS message.
Caracharel parfums Instagram social media campaign.

July 30 – International Day of Friendship

Manduka, International Day of Friendship, SMS message.

July subject line ideas

Crafting catchy and engaging subject lines is an important part of any successful marketing campaign. Here are some July-themed ideas to inspire your inner email wordsmith:

Independence Day: 🎆 Celebrate 4th of July with our summer savings

Bikini Day: 👙 Dive into summer with our new bikini collection

World Chocolate Day: 🍫 Satisfy your sweet tooth with our delicious treats

Pina Colada Day: 🍹 Escape to paradise with a refreshing piña colada

National Mojito Day: 🍃 Mix up a classic mojito with our recipe

Ice Cream Day: 🍦 Beat the heat with our delicious ice cream

Tequila Day:🍸 Craft the perfect margarita this tequila day

Summer Olympic Games: 🏅 Get ready for the games with our Olympic essentials

Lipstick Day: 💄 Find your perfect pout with our new lipstick collection

International Day of Friendship: 💝 Celebrate friendship day: gift your BFF

While the provided ideas can serve as a springboard, remember that the key lies in tailoring them to your unique brand voice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with emojis, playful wording, or a touch of urgency to grab attention.

For an extra creative spark, explore AI-powered generative features like WinstonAI that can help brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of subject lines.

Spark engagement with your July marketing campaigns

With key events and creative ideas in hand, you’re all set to create a captivating social media calendar for July. By staying organized, and diversifying your content, you can enhance your brand’s social media presence and create memorable experiences for your audience throughout the month. Happy posting.

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June 2024 social media calendar https://dotdigital.com/blog/june-social-media-calendar/ Wed, 15 May 2024 08:00:00 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=73269 June brings a wave of energy, and your social media strategy can reflect that. It’s time to connect with your audience.

This blog post is your go-to guide for planning an exciting social media calendar for June. We have picked out key events and creative ideas to inspire not only your social media campaigns but also your email marketing and SMS marketing efforts.

Important social media calendar dates in June

Themes for the month

  • Pride Month
  • Men’s Health Education and Awareness Month
  • June 2 – National Cancer Survivor’s Day #NCSD2024
  • June 2 – Rocky Road Day #RockyRoadDay
  • June 5 – World Environment Day #WorldEnvironmentDay
  • June 6 – Drive-in Movie Day #DriveInMovieDay
  • June 7 – Donut Day #DonutDay
  • June 7 – Chocolate Ice Cream Day #ChocolateIceCreamDay
  • June 8 – World Oceans Day #WorldOceansDay
  • June 8 – Best Friends Day #BestFriendsDay
  • June 11 – Make Life Beautiful Day #MakeLifeBeautiful
  • June 14 – National Flag Day #FlagDay
  • June 14 – World Blood Donor Day #GiveBlood
  • June 16 – Fudge Day #FudgeDay
  • June 16 – Father’s Day #HappyFathersDay
  • June 17 – Eat Your Vegetables Day #EatYourVegetablesDay
  • June 18 – International Picnic Day #PicnicDay
  • June 19 – Martini Day #MartiniDay
  • June 19 – Juneteenth #Juneteenth
  • June 20 – World Refugee Day #WorldRefugeeDay
  • June 20 – First Day of Summer #FirstDayOfSummer
  • June 21 – National Selfie Day #NationalSelfieDay
  • June 21 – Take Your Dog To Work Day #TakeYourDogToWorkDay
  • June 21 – World Music Day #WorldMusicDay
  • June 21 – International Yoga Day #InternationalYogaDay
  • June 27 – Sunglasses Day #SunglassesDay
  • June 30 – Social Media Day #SMDay, #SocialMediaDay

Let’s delve into specific ideas for each date to help you create successful campaigns this June.

Pride Month

Show your support for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month. Celebrate love, equality, and inclusion with colorful content, exclusive collaborations, product launches, or charitable donations that reflect your brand’s values.

Verve Coffee Roasters, Pride email campaign.
Levis, Pride email campaign.
Mavi, Pride email campaign.

June 16 – Father’s Day

Father’s Day is an important occasion to celebrate the dads and father figures in our lives. You can create heartwarming content that resonates with your audience and shows appreciation for dads everywhere. You can share inspiring stories, offer special promotions, or simply express your gratitude for all that dads do. 

The Hut, Father’s Day social media campaign.

If you want to dive into even more Father’s Day marketing ideas, we’ve got your back. Head over to our dedicated blog post on 5 inspiring Father’s Day email marketing examples and treat yourself to more tips that can help make your Father’s Day campaign a soaring success.

June 17 – Eat Your Vegetables Day

You can take advantage of Eat Your Vegetables Day by incorporating it into your marketing strategy. Make sure to share nutrition tips that resonate with your target audience and offer irresistible deals that incentivize customers to make healthier choices. By connecting to the occasion, you can showcase your commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle and engage with your audience in a meaningful way.

Women's Health, vegetables to reduce inflammation email campaign.

June 19 – Martini Day

Shake things up on Martini Day with captivating cocktail recipes, chic glassware promotions, and exclusive offers. Raise a glass to stylish social media content that’ll have your audience raising their own.

Smirnoff Europe, Martini Day social media campaign.
Graza, Martini Day email campaign.

June 19 – Juneteenth

Celebrate freedom and acknowledge the ongoing fight for equality on Juneteenth. Share educational content, spotlight Black-owned businesses, and join the conversation to make a positive impact.

Akira, Juneteenth Day email campaign.

June 20 – World Refugee Day

Use World Refugee Day to showcase your support for refugees worldwide. Share inspiring stories, collaborate with relevant organizations, and address the issues that affect millions of displaced individuals.

Penguin Kids, World Refugee Day social media campaign.

June 20 – First Day of Summer

With the arrival of summer, it’s the perfect time to spread some cheer by sharing bright and sunny content that will appeal to your audience. Showcase your brand’s summer-themed products and services with beautiful visuals. Make the most of the season by promoting seasonal sales, offering discounts and special deals to entice customers to take advantage of their summer adventures. 

Everlane, summer email campaign for social media calendar.
Chick-fil-a, summer email campaign.
Jot, summer email campaign.
Penguin, summer email campaign.

June 22 – Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice is a great chance to recognize the changing seasons and appeal to a diverse audience. It may fall on a different date depending on your location, but you can still take advantage of this day by sharing cozy and inviting content that showcases products or services offering comfort and warmth during the colder months. Additionally, you can provide tips and ideas for creating the perfect winter atmosphere, whether indoors or outdoors, and highlight how your brand can contribute to these moments.

Banana Republic, winter email campaign.
Smith Optics, winter email campaign.

June 27 – Sunglasses Day

Let your social media campaigns shine bright on Sunglasses Day. Showcase the latest trends, offer exclusive discounts, and encourage your audience to step out in style with their favorite sunnies.

Polo India, Sunglasses Day social media campaign.
Tifo Optics, Sunglasses Day social media campaign.
Blenders Eyewear, Sunglasses Day SMS campaign.

June subject line ideas

Crafting catchy and engaging subject lines is an important part of any successful marketing campaign. Here are some June-themed ideas to inspire your inner email wordsmith:

Father’s Day: Celebrate Dad this Father’s Day with our gift ideas 🎁
Best Friends Day: Make your best friend’s day with our gift guide 💕
Rocky Road Day: Satisfy your sweet tooth this Rocky Road Day 🍫
Martini Day: Shaken or stirred? Martini recipes and tips 🍸
Sunglasses Day: Look cool, stay cool: top sunglasses styles 😎
Selfie Day: Strike a pose 📸
Pride: Pride is in the air 🏳️‍🌈
Men’s mental health: Let’s break the stigma 🧠
General: Unwrap summer savings in June – don’t miss out ☀

While the provided ideas can serve as a springboard, remember that the key lies in tailoring them to your unique brand voice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with emojis, playful wording, or a touch of urgency to grab attention.

For an extra creative spark, explore AI-powered generative features like WinstonAI that can help brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of subject lines.

Spark engagement with your June marketing campaigns

June offers plenty of opportunities to engage with your audience in your marketing campaigns. From fun occasions like Donut Day to important events such as World Refugee Day, our social media calendar provides you with a roadmap and creative ideas to develop a successful campaign strategy. Remember, the crucial aspect is to personalize these ideas to your brand’s voice and audience. Inject humor, storytelling, and interactive elements to spark conversations and make your campaigns truly resonate. 

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May 2024 social media calendar https://dotdigital.com/blog/may-2024-social-media-calendar/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 10:46:12 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=72372 May is almost here, and with it comes a fresh opportunity to create timely and engaging content for your audience. Whether you’re looking to raise awareness for your brand or drive sales, there’s no better time to strategize than with the upbeat atmosphere of the spring season. To help you make the most of May, we’ve picked out key events from our social media calendar, along with creative email marketing, and SMS marketing ideas to inspire your campaigns.

Important social media calendar dates in May

Mark your calendars. Take note of these essential dates and hashtags you can use to create engaging marketing campaigns:

  • May 1 – May Day #MayDay
  • May 1 – Labor Day #LaborDay
  • May 2 – World Password Day #WorldPasswordDay
  • May 3 – Write a review Day #WriteaReviewDay
  • May 4 – Star Wars Day #MayThe4thBeWithYou
  • May 4 – Bird Day #BirdDay
  • May 5 – Cinco de Mayo #CincoDeMayo
  • May 6 – Music Monday #MusicMonday
  • May 6 – Nurses Day #NursesDay
  • May 8 – World Donkey Day #DonkeyDay
  • May 8 – Parents’ Day (Korea) #ParentsDay
  • May 10 – World Lupus Day #LupusDay
  • May 11 – Eat What You Want Day #EatWhatYouWantDay
  • May 12 – Limerick Day #LimerickDay
  • May 12 – Mother’s Day (US) #MothersDay
  • May 13 – World Cocktail Day #CocktailDay
  • May 15 – International Day of Families #FamilyDay
  • May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day #ChocolateChipDay
  • May 16 – Love a Tree Day #LoveATreeDay
  • May 17 – Endangered Species Day #EndangeredSpeciesDay
  • May 17 – World Baking Day #BakingDay
  • May 18 – Visit Your Relatives Day #VisitYourRelativesDay
  • May 20 – World Bee Day #BeeDay
  • May 22 – Sherlock Holmes Day #SherlockHolmesDay
  • May 24 – National Scavenger Hunt Day #NationalScavengerHuntDay
  • May 24 – Brother’s Day #BrothersDay
  • May 25 – Wine Day #WineDay
  • May 27 – Memorial Day #MemorialDay
  • May 28 – Hamburger Day #NationalHamburgerDay
  • May 30 – National Creativity Day #NationalCreativityDay
  • May 30 – Web Designer Day #WebDesignerDay
  • May 31 – Heat Awareness Day #NoFryDay

Themes for the month

  • National Barbeque Month
  • Lupus Awareness Month
  • Mental Health Awareness Month

Let’s delve into specific ideas for each date to help you create successful campaigns this May.

May 1 – Labor Day

May 1 is Labor Day in many parts of the world, a day to honor and appreciate the contributions of workers. Take a moment to celebrate the hard work of your team members and reflect on the achievements of workers around the country.

GlassesUSA, Labor Day sale email.
Perfect Keto, Labor Day sale SMS message.
Vineyard Vines, Labor Day email.

May 2 – World Password Day

On World Password Day, give your customers a friendly reminder to give their online security a little TLC. You can encourage your customers to take measures to protect themselves from potential threats by creating strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and avoiding phishing scams. You could also consider hosting a Q&A session on cybersecurity to educate people about online safety and help them understand the risks.

Pick your trail, Word Password Day social media post.

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a perfect occasion to spice up your marketing campaigns with a touch of fun and excitement. With bold colors, festive themes, and attention-grabbing offers, you can create a vibrant campaign that stands out. Share recipes, traditional decorations, or interesting facts about the holiday to engage your audience.

Aerie's Cinco de Mayo email marketing campaign.
Hydrant, Cinco de Mayo SMS message.

May 10 – World Lupus Day

World Lupus Day is observed on May 10 to raise awareness about Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs in the body. On this day, people share informative posts and stories about Lupus to increase awareness and support research, advocacy, and patient care for those living with Lupus.

All on board, social media post.
Queensland Health, social media post.

May 10 – Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is celebrated to honor mothers, motherhood, and maternal bonds. It’s an opportunity to show appreciation to all the wonderful moms who have selflessly cared for their children and families. You can plan a variety of activities and events, such as sharing heartwarming stories, hosting a “mom appreciation” contest, or offering special promotions. With a little planning and creativity, you can make this day a memorable celebration for everyone involved.

Women's Aid, social media campaign.
Baskin Robbins' Mother's Day email marketing campaign.
Kidpik, Happy Mother's Day email.
Function of Beauty, Give the gift of custom for Mother’s Day email.

If you want to dive into even more Mother’s Day marketing ideas, we’ve got your back. Head over to our dedicated blog post on “5 Mother’s Day email marketing ideas” and treat yourself to more tips that can help make your Mother’s Day campaign a soaring success.

May 13 – World Cocktail Day

World Cocktail Day is the perfect opportunity for brands to showcase creativity and stir up some buzz. Mix fun and excitement by sharing captivating cocktail recipes, hosting a virtual happy hour, or running a contest for the best follower-created cocktail. Remember to be creative with your language and maintain a lively, engaging tone throughout your posts.

Vineyard Vines' World Cocktail Day marketing campaign.
Joma Jewellery, social media campaign.

May 16 – Love A Tree Day

Love A Tree Day encourages environmental awareness and tree appreciation. This day is an opportunity to share educational content about the benefits trees provide and to encourage sustainable living habits like planting trees or using eco-friendly products. By doing so, you can make a positive environmental impact and ensure a healthy planet for future generations. So, let’s take this day as an opportunity to show your love and appreciation for trees and work towards a greener and healthier environment.

Symphony Limited, social media campaign.

May 20 – Bee Day

May 20 is Bee Day, which raises awareness about the vital role bees play in our ecosystem. Bees pollinate one-third of the food we eat. Sharing informational posts and resources on social media platforms and other communication channels is a great way to raise awareness about the importance of bees and how we can protect them.

Anthropologie Europe, social media campaign.

May 27 – Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to pay tribute to the brave people who have served and sacrificed for the USA’s freedom. On this day, you can share heartfelt stories, quotes, or dedicate a moment of silence to express your gratitude and honor their courage, skill, and sacrifice.

Tillys, Memorial Day sale email campaign.
Forever 21, Memorial Day SMS message.

Mental Health Awareness Month

May’s Mental Health Awareness Month highlights the importance of mental well-being. Use this opportunity to share resources, tips, and inspiring stories to break the stigma around mental health. Collaborate with experts for Q&A sessions or webinars, and focus on self-care and work-life balance tips. Encourage open discussions to create a supportive online community and show your commitment to your audience’s well-being.

Penguin Classroom shared a social post recommending mental health books for young readers.

May subject line ideas

Crafting catchy and engaging subject lines is an important part of any successful marketing campaign. Here are some May-themed ideas to inspire your inner email wordsmith:

Bird Day: Happy Bird Day. Celebrate our feathered friends 🐦

Music Monday: 🎵 What’s on your Monday playlist?

Eat What You Want Day: Treat yourself. It’s Eat What You Want Day 🍽

Mother’s Day: 💐 Make mom’s day with these unique gifts

Mental Health Awareness Month:🧠 You’re not alone: Tips for mental wellbeing

World Cocktail Day:🍹 Cheers to World Cocktail Day: Mix some fun

Cinco de Mayo: Olé. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us 🪅

Love a Tree Day: Show some love: It’s Love a Tree Day 🌳

Bee Day: Save the Bees 🐝

Wine Day: It’s time to raise a glass 🍷

General: Freshen up your look with our May sale 🌼

While the provided ideas can serve as a springboard, remember that the key lies in tailoring them to your unique brand voice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with emojis, playful wording, or a touch of urgency to grab attention.

For an extra creative spark, explore AI-powered generative features like WinstonAI that can help brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of subject lines.

Spark engagement with your May marketing campaigns

May is brimming with opportunities to connect with your audience through creative and engaging marketing campaigns. From celebrating mothers and mental health awareness to the festive spirit of Cinco de Mayo and World Cocktail Day, there’s an event for every brand to leverage within their May social media calendar.

Remember, the key to success lies in understanding your audience and tailoring your message accordingly. Infuse your campaigns with the vibrant energy of spring, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different content formats – social media posts, email marketing blasts, or SMS messages can all be powerful tools in your marketing arsenal.

So, put on your creative thinking cap, leverage the ideas and examples we’ve provided, and watch your May marketing campaigns blossom into engagement and sales success.

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Easter marketing: Email, SMS, and subject line ideas https://dotdigital.com/blog/easter-marketing-campaign-ideas/ Tue, 27 Feb 2024 10:52:35 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=69926 As Easter gets closer, it’s time you start preparing your marketing campaigns that capitalize on the spirit of the holiday and drive sales. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, Easter spending is expected to reach $24 billion in the US alone.

Whether you’re selling Easter-themed products or utilizing the festive atmosphere to showcase your latest collection, the key to a successful promotion is having an egg-ceptional strategy in place.

In this blog, we’ll explore a variety of Easter marketing campaign ideas, including email, SMS, and attention-grabbing subject lines. These ideas will help you breathe new life into your brand and captivate your customers for the best possible results.

Why should you send an Easter marketing campaign?

Here are some reasons why you should launch an Easter marketing campaign:

  1. Increased customer spending: Holidays like Easter often inspire consumers to shop more for gifts, decor, food, and other celebratory items. You can take advantage of this surge in spending by offering exclusive discounts, promotions, and product bundles through your marketing campaign.
  2. Seasonal themes: Easter-themed emails provide a chance to refresh your email copy and design, using lighthearted visuals, puns, and images that resonate with your audience. This seasonal creativity can attract your subscribers’ attention and delight them, leading to higher open rates and engagement.
  3. Strengthen customer relationships: Use your Easter marketing campaign to send personalized greetings and messages of appreciation to your customers. This strategy helps build a more personal connection, strengthens customer loyalty, and nurtures long-lasting relationships.
  4. Drive traffic to your website: Easter-themed emails and SMS messages with exciting offers, compelling calls-to-action, and exclusive content can drive more traffic to your website. This gives your customers a reason to explore your products and services further.
  5. Showcase new products or offerings: Use your Easter marketing campaign to introduce seasonal products or exclusive promotions that may interest your audience. This tactic helps generate interest and excitement for your brand while potentially spurring more purchases.
  6. Boost social media engagement: An Easter marketing campaign can also encourage subscribers to engage with your brand on social media. Leverage this opportunity by promoting Easter-themed contests or sharing content that encourages user-generated content using specific hashtags.
  7. Stand out from competitors: Use the festive season to differentiate your brand from competitors with unique SMS offers, creative email designs, and standout subject lines. Easter marketing campaigns that offer genuine value and capture your audience’s attention can set your brand apart and create lasting impressions.

Engaging and creative Easter subject line ideas

Easter is a great opportunity to make your email subject lines more creative and engaging. You can use witty puns, personalized greetings, and time-sensitive offers to grab your audience’s attention and increase your email open rates. Check out these fantastic Easter subject line ideas for inspiration:

  1. Spring into savings: Major discounts are hatching this Easter🌷
  2. Your Easter basket just got better: Save 30% sitewide💰
  3. Hop to it. Unwrap these egg-sclusive Easter deals🐰
  4. Celebrate Easter in style: Fresh deals just for you🎉
  5. Indulge yourself. Our mouth-watering Easter treats await🍫
  6. Easter basket bonanza: Curated collections for the perfect gift 🎁
  7. Crack open your Easter savings. Limited time only🥚
  8. Last chance: Peep our irresistible deals before they’re gone⏳
  9. Add a touch of magic to Easter with our special offers✨
  10. Ready, set, hunt. Reveal your mystery Easter discount inside🔎
  11. Bloom into savings with our exclusive Easter discounts🌼
  12. Sweet deals to satisfy your Easter cravings: Shop now 🍬

If you’re struggling to come up with Easter email subject lines for your marketing campaign, you can use WinstonAI’s generative AI capability when building your email on Dotdigital. This feature can suggest new subject lines, adjust the tone, shorten or expand text, rephrase, and even include emojis to make your email more engaging.

7 Innovative Easter campaign ideas

Creating captivating campaigns that catch your customer’s attention and spark their imagination is important. That’s why we’re here to help you achieve precisely that. We’ve put together seven innovative Easter marketing campaign ideas that will make your brand stand out and set you apart from the competition. So let’s get cracking.

1. Create a cracking Easter sale

As the seasons change, it’s always a good idea to freshen up your marketing strategies and create new incentives for your customers to make purchases. When seasons change, it’s a great opportunity to promote your latest products and offer discounts and sales to attract more customers.

A great example of an effective Easter marketing campaign is the one created by the personalized children’s book brand, I See Me. The brand has come up with a cracking Easter sale that is sure to catch the attention of potential customers. The brand offers a sitewide discount of 30%, which is a great incentive for shoppers to make a purchase.

I See Me's Easter marketing campaign features a 30% off sitewide discount promotion and a curated selection of personalized Easter-themed books.

What’s more, the email also showcases a curated selection of personalized Easter-themed books, which are perfect for inclusion in any Easter basket. This boosts relevancy and ensures its emails appeal to customers who are looking for unique gift ideas for their loved ones. 

By highlighting its spring savings and offering personalized Easter-themed products, I See Me has created a compelling Easter sale that is sure to drive more traffic to its website and boost sales during this holiday season. Take inspiration from this strategy and come up with your own creative Easter sale that resonates with your audience and drives revenue.

2. Show off your Easter collection with MMS

Easter is a great opportunity to display your new seasonal product collections to your customers. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages. MMS uses rich media, such as images and videos, to create engaging and informative shopping experiences for your audience.

A prime example of a brand that executes this strategy successfully is a children’s clothing store, SugarBabies Boutique. By sending a visually appealing MMS message, SugarBabies Boutique highlights its Easter product offerings and makes it easy for customers to visualize the potential of creating a delightful Easter basket for their loved ones. The message not only showcases the brand’s cute and curated product lineup but also employs creative Easter language for a festive touch.

SugarBabies Boutique, MMS message showcasing a colorful and festive Easter basket along with a discount code offer.

In addition, SugarBabies Boutique entices customers further with the offer of a ‘SAVE10’ discount code to use on purchases, adding an incentive for recipients to act swiftly and make a purchase.

3. Throw a virtual Easter egg hunt

Easter egg hunts are a classic and beloved activity to celebrate the season. But have you considered taking this traditional event online to engage your customers?

Reese Witherspoon’s clothing line, Draper James smartly incorporates a virtual Easter egg hunt into its email marketing campaign. The email features a simple and clear design, paired with concise copy that entices recipients to visit the brand’s website and start hunting for hidden Easter eggs. These eggs contain discount codes that shoppers can apply to their purchases, adding an incentive to engage with the website actively.

The email also includes an on-brand hero image, a specific call-to-action (CTA) button, and helpful hints as to where the eggs can be found. These elements create a seamless and enjoyable virtual egg-hunting experience for enthusiastic participants.

Draper James virtual Easter egg hunt email encouraging customers to explore the website for hidden eggs containing discount codes.

4. Leverage Easter FOMO with a countdown timer

Countdown timers are a popular tactic you can use to create a sense of urgency among your customers. By setting a deadline for a limited-time promotion, you can encourage your customers to act quickly before the offer expires. This marketing strategy plays on the fear of missing out (FOMO) and inspires subscribers to shop promptly to benefit from the promotion. Simply add a countdown timer to your website and see the powerful impact of FOMO in action.

One brand that executed this strategy incredibly well is the sustainable denim company Frank and Oak. Its Easter marketing campaign included a countdown timer at the top of the email, emphasizing the limited-time offer. By placing the timer prominently, the brand grabs its recipients’ attention with a time-sensitive message, encouraging them to act quickly to take advantage of the promotion. The result was a successful marketing campaign that generated buzz and encouraged customers to shop promptly to avoid missing out on the deal.

Frank and Oak Easter countdown timer email featuring a limited-time offer.

5. Host an Easter-themed social media contest

Easter-themed social media contests are an excellent way to engage your audience while boosting your brand exposure and promoting your products or services. Hosting a creative contest can foster excitement, encourage user-generated content (UGC), and increase interaction with your brand during the holiday season.

For example, create an Instagram photo contest where followers share pictures of their decorated Easter eggs, Easter outfits, or homemade treats using a specific hashtag. Offer a tempting prize, such as a gift voucher or product bundle from your Easter collection, for the participants with the most creative or popular submissions. Make sure to carefully outline the contest rules, participation guidelines, and entry deadlines to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for your audience.

Announce the contest in your email or SMS campaigns and use attractive visuals and compelling copy to encourage your subscribers to participate. By holding an Easter-themed social media contest, you can captivate your audience, showcase your products, and foster a sense of community around your brand.

The online boutique, Little Party Dress effectively promotes its Easter social media contest on Instagram. This is done by encouraging participants to engage with the brand and offering a choice of prizes from its Easter collection. The post explains how to enter, where to find more information, and the closing date for entries. By providing clear instructions and appealing prizes, Little Party Dress ensures a successful contest that excites and connects with its audience.

Little Party Dress's Instagram post promoting their Easter-themed social media contest.

6. Curate your Easter gift guides

Gift guides are an excellent way to showcase and curate your Easter product selection, making it easier for customers to find the perfect gift for their loved ones during the festive season.

The Luxury department store, Fortnum and Mason’s Easter gift guide showcases a stunning collection of Easter eggs that were expertly curated by the brand. The email campaign also mentioned that customers can visit their store to build their own Easter eggs, providing a unique and interactive experience. This is a great way for the brand to not only showcase their products but also to engage with their customers and offer them an unforgettable experience.

By curating and presenting a visually appealing Easter gift guide through your email marketing, you can effectively guide your customers to ideal gift options and entice them to explore your product offerings. This approach simplifies the decision-making process for your customers and helps boost your overall sales during the Easter season.

Fortnum and Mason's Easter email campaign showcasing an elegant Easter egg gift guide.

7. Use creative copywriting to enhance your Easter marketing

To make your Easter marketing messages more compelling and memorable, you can utilize creative copywriting techniques that capture the attention of your target audience. By using creative copywriting in your Easter marketing, you can stand out in the crowded marketing landscape and drive better results for your campaigns.

LUSH Cosmetics is an excellent example of a brand that understands the power of imaginative copywriting. The brand uses vibrant language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of wonder and excitement around its Easter-themed products.

Its email campaign, for instance, invites readers to “Spring into a world of pure imagination,” which blends the festive Easter ambiance with the brand’s colorful, nature-inspired offerings. LUSH’s copywriting is captivating, creating a mesmerizing connection with its audience that goes beyond the product itself.

LUSH Cosmetics' email campaign with creative copywriting.

Kickstart your Easter marketing strategy

Easter is a time of joy, renewal, and celebration. The season presents a great chance for you to connect with your audience and enhance your sales with innovative marketing campaigns. To make the most of this opportunity, it’s essential to develop a comprehensive Easter marketing strategy that fully embraces the festive essence and engages your customers through every touchpoint, including email, SMS, and social media. By doing so, you can increase your brand’s visibility and effectively capture the attention of your target audience during this festive season.

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How to use social media for customer acquisition https://dotdigital.com/blog/social-media-and-customer-acquisition/ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=65217 Are you struggling to convert your social media followers into paying customers? You’re not the only one. Many marketers find it hard to use social media platforms for customer acquisition. In this blog post, we will go through strategies to help you use social media to attract, engage, and convert your audience into loyal customers.

What is customer acquisition?

Customer acquisition is the process of attracting potential customers and converting them into actual customers who purchase your products or services. This process is typically carried out through a series of steps, which include marketing, engaging, nurturing and ultimately convincing a prospect to take action.

For successful customer acquisition, it’s important to have a well-planned strategy that combines a deep understanding of your target audience, a focus on providing value, and effective marketing techniques. Implementing a customer acquisition strategy can help drive growth, increase revenue, and build a loyal customer base, making it an essential aspect for all brands.

What is organic and paid social media in social media marketing?

It’s essential to understand the difference between organic and paid social media strategies. Both approaches have their unique benefits and contribute to the overall success of your social media marketing campaigns.

Organic social media

Organic social media is the content and activities that you share on your social media profiles without paying for them. These can include regular updates, engaging with your audience, responding to comments, and sharing useful information. The main goal of organic social media is to increase brand awareness, grow your online presence, and establish connections with your followers. The benefits of organic social media marketing are:

  • Establishing a genuine relationship with your audience
  • Building brand trust and credibility
  • Showcasing your company’s culture and values
  • Having a cost-effective approach to audience engagement

Paid social media involves the use of sponsored content and advertising campaigns on social media platforms. By investing in paid advertising, you can reach a larger audience and target specific customer segments based on their interests, demographics, and location. Some of the key benefits of paid social media marketing are:

  • Expanding your audience’s reach and visibility
  • Targeting specific user groups for higher conversion rates
  • Tracking and measuring ad performance for data-driven optimization
  • Achieving faster results compared to organic efforts

To create a successful social media marketing campaign, it’s important to use both organic and paid strategies. By combining these approaches, you can engage with your audience, increase your brand’s visibility, and achieve tangible results for your business.

The importance of social media in customer acquisition

Social media has become an essential tool for marketers who want to acquire new customers. With billions of active users on various platforms, marketers have the opportunity to reach and engage with their target audience more effectively than ever before. The significance of social media in customer acquisition cannot be overstated, and here are some reasons why:

Extended reach and visibility

Social media platforms provide unprecedented reach, allowing brands to showcase their products and services in front of a global audience. This increased visibility enables brands to tap into new markets and expand their customer base.

Cost-effective marketing

Social media marketing offers a cost-effective way for businesses to engage with their target audience, as many platforms offer free organic reach and affordable advertising options.

Authentic engagement

Social media marketing is a cost-effective way for businesses to engage with their target audience. By engaging with customers through comments, messages, and direct conversations, businesses can build trust and foster long-lasting relationships.

Enhanced brand perception

A well-executed social media presence can improve your brand perception. Through the consistent sharing of relevant and valuable content, brands can position themselves as industry experts, further piquing the interest of potential customers.

Customer insights

The data collected through social media platforms provides valuable insights into customer preferences, behaviors, and pain points. These insights can help businesses tailor their marketing strategies to better target and acquire new customers.

Viral potential

Social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, make it effortless to share content, which significantly increases the likelihood of your content going viral. A single piece of captivating content has the potential to reach thousands, or even millions, of users and can significantly enhance customer acquisition efforts.

How to choose the right social media platforms

With so many social media platforms available, it can be daunting to choose the most suitable ones for your target market. However, it can be made easier by considering the following three factors:

  1. Analyze the demographics and usage habits of each platform’s user base to determine which suits your target audience best.
  2. Align the selected platforms with your marketing objectives and goals.
  3. Develop a consistent brand presence across all platforms. Consistency in visuals, messaging, and tone is important in ensuring that your marketing is memorable and recognizable to your target market.

Craft compelling and shareable content

Now that you’ve understood the role of social media and picked the right platforms for your brand. Now, it’s time to create engaging content that your audience will love and share. Here are some tips to help you generate shareable content:

  1. Attention-grabbing headlines: Pique your target audience’s curiosity with headlines that are enticing, relevant, and memorable.
  2. Compelling visuals: Stand out in social feeds by using eye-catching images, videos, and graphics that capture the essence of your brand and accompany your written content.
  3. Embrace storytelling: Weave captivating narratives into your content, connecting with your audience on an emotional level and generating a sense of relatability with your brand. 
  4. Try out influencer marketing: Partner up with influencers to create authentic content that resonates with both their audience and yours. Influencers have a unique voice and style, and combining it with your brand’s identity can lead to share-worthy content that reaches a larger audience.
  5. Diversify your content formats: Experiment with various content formats such as blog posts, long-form social captions, videos, and infographics. A mix of formats keeps your audience engaged and caters to their diverse preferences.
  6. Offer value and provide solutions: Create content that offers value to your audience, such as educational, informational, or entertaining posts. Address your audience’s pain points and provide actionable solutions to their problems, making your content indispensable and share-worthy.

Boost your social media customer acquisition with SEO

In addition to creating compelling content, optimizing your social media profiles and content with appropriate keywords is crucial for increasing organic traffic. Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Optimize your social media profiles: Incorporate the right keywords into your profile descriptions, bios, and URLs to increase visibility and search engine rankings.
  2. Use keyword-rich captions and hashtags: Use relevant keywords and trending hashtags to increase the discoverability of your content.
  3. Track and analyze SEO performance: Regularly monitor social media analytics such as impressions, engagement rates, and click-throughs to evaluate and improve your SEO efforts.

Expand your reach with targeted social media advertising

Sponsored content and ads on social media channels can significantly expand your audience and improve your marketing campaign’s effectiveness. Here’s some social media promotion tips:

  1. Know your ad formats: Each social media platform offers different ad formats such as Facebook carousel ads or Instagram story ads. Familiarize yourself with these options to choose the most effective format for your brand. 
  2. Create compelling ads: Invest in high-quality visuals and persuasive copy to increase your ad’s conversion rate.
  3. Use automation: Sync your Facebook Lead Ads data with the Dotdigital platform to personalize your content and deliver a seamless customer experience.
  4. Targeting and retargeting strategies: Use audience segmentation and retargeting features to reach the most relevant viewers and account for bounced traffic.
  5. Measure your campaigns: Continuously monitor your ad campaigns’ performance and optimize them to maximize your ROI.

Engage with your audience and build relationships

Creating a strong connection with your audience isn’t just about posting great content; it’s also about engaging with them and nurturing relationships that turn casual followers into loyal brand advocates. Here’s how you can establish genuine connections with your audience on social media platforms:

  1. Respond to comments and messages: Show your audience that you’re listening and value their input by actively responding to their comments, messages, and questions. A prompt response and friendly demeanor can leave a lasting positive impression on your followers.
  2. Initiate discussions and include questions: Spark conversations with your followers by posing thought-provoking questions or discussing relevant topics in your niche. Encourage them to share their opinions and experiences, which can further enrich the discussion and foster a sense of community.
  3. Share user-generated content: Recognize and celebrate your customers by sharing their content featuring your products or services. This can build a sense of pride and enhance customer loyalty, encouraging others to share their experiences as well.
  4. Like, comment on, and share other users’ posts: Be an active member of the social media community and engage with other users’ content, especially those relevant to your niche. This can help foster relationships and extend your brand’s reach by tapping into new audiences.
  5. Organize giveaways and contests: Host fun social media contests or offer giveaways to encourage interaction and engagement among your followers. Not only does this showcase your appreciation for their support, but it also promotes a sense of excitement around your brand.
  6. Address negative feedback constructively: Respond to any negative comments or reviews in a professional and empathetic manner. Addressing concerns and providing solutions in public can demonstrate your brand’s commitment to customer satisfaction and problem-solving.
  7. Showcase your brand personality: Lastly, let your brand’s unique voice shine through in your engagement efforts. Showcase the human side of your business by sharing behind-the-scenes moments, team highlights, or company milestones to create relatability and build a more profound connection with your audience.

Keep track and analyze your customer acquisition efforts

It’s important to continuously monitor and measure your social media marketing efforts, so you can gain valuable insights and ensure that your strategies remain effective. You can use tools like Google Analytics and each social media platform’s built-in analytics to help you with this. Regular analysis of this data can help you make necessary adjustments to improve your efforts continuously.

Summary

Using social media for customer acquisition offers a powerful and cost-effective way to reach, engage, and convert potential customers. By implementing the strategies discussed in this blog post, your brand can leverage social media to drive growth and foster loyalty among your target audience.

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Key social media dates for 2024 https://dotdigital.com/blog/social-media-marketing-calendar/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://dot.tiltedchair.co/social-media-marketing-calendar-2021/ It seems as though the internet is celebrating a holiday almost every day. Whether it’s Pizza Day, Star Wars Day, or National Dog Day, there’s always something going on to help you connect with audiences.

How you use them and which you choose to include in your social media marketing plan will vary depending on your brand and your audience. Remember, the goal is to surprise and delight, and sometimes, the weird and wonderful is what it takes to engage customers and stop the scroll. Of course, you know we love a cross-channel approach, and social media and email marketing can really help each other out.

We’ve compiled a list of key social media dates for 2024. This list is extensive, it’s not exhaustive. With so many more holidays popping up, there are sure to be some we’ve missed. But this list is designed to help inspire some new campaigns and help you plan unique ways to engage your customers.

January 2024

Themes for the month

Dry January #DryJanuary

National Mentoring Month #Mentoring Amplifies

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January hashtag calendar

January 1 – New Year’s Day #NewYearsDay

January 2 – National Motivation and Inspiration Day #MotivationandInspirationDay

January 2 – Science Fiction Day #ScienceFictionDay

January 2 – World Introvert Day #WorldIntrovertDay

January 3 – Festival of Sleep Day #FestivalOfSleepDay

January 4 – National Spaghetti Day #NationalSpaghettiDay

January 6 – Epiphany #Epiphany 

January 7 – The Golden Globe Awards #GoldenGlobes 

January 8 – Clean Off Your Desk Day #CleanOffYourDeskDay

January 8 – Bubble Bath Day #BubbleBathDay

January 11 – Human Trafficking Awareness Day #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay

January 13 – National Sticker Day #NationalStickerDay

January 13 – Make Your Dreams Come True Day #DreamsComeTrue

January 14 – Organize Your Home Day #OrganizeYourHomeDay

January 14 – National Vision Board Day #VisionBoardDay

January 14 – Dress Up Your Pet Day #DressUpYourPetDay

January 15 – National Hat Day #NationalHatDay

January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day #MLKDay

January 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

January 18 – Winnie The Pooh Day #WinnieThePoohDay

January 19 – Popcorn Day #PopcornDay

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January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day #PenguinAwarenessDay

January 23 – National Pie Day #PieDay

January 21 – National Hugging Day #NationalHuggingDay

January 24 – National Compliment Day #NationalComplimentDay

January 25 – Opposite Day #OppositeDay

January 27 – Chocolate Cake Day #ChocolateCakeDay

January 28 – Data Privacy Day #DataPrivacyDay

January 30 – Croissant Day #CroissantDay

January 31 – Backwards Day #BackwardsDay

February 2024

Themes for the month

National Black History Month (USA)

LGBT+ History Month (UK)

February hashtag calendar

February 2 – Groundhog Day #GroundhogDay

February 2 – World Wetlands Day #WorldWetlandsDay

February 2 – National Bubble Gum Day #BubbleGumDay

February 2 – National Wear Red Day #WearRed

February 3 – Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day #IceCream

February 3 – Golden Retriever Day #GoldenRetrieverDay

February 4 – World Cancer Day #WorldCancerDay #WeCanICan

February 5 – The Grammy Awards #Grammys2024

February 6 – Frozen Yoghurt Day #FrozenYoghurtDay

February 6 – Safer Internet Day #SaferInternetDay

February 7 – National Send a Card to a Friend Day #SendACardToAFriendDay

February 8 – National Boy Scouts Day #BoyScoutsDay

February 9 – National Pizza Day #PizzaDay

February 9 – New York Fashion Week begins #NYFW

February 10 – Chinese New Year #YearOfTheDragon

February 11 – Super Bowl LVIII #SuperBowl2024

February 13 – Self-Love Day #SelfLoveDay

February 13 – Shrove Tuesday #PancakeDay

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February 13 – Galentine’s Day #GalentinesDay

February 13 – Mardi Gras #MardiGras

February 14 – Valentine’s Day #ValentinesDay

February 15 – Singles Awareness Day #SinglesAwarenessDay

February 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day #RandomActsOfKindnessDay

February 16 – London Fashion Week begins #LFW

February 19 – Presidents Day #PresidentsDay

February 20 – London Fashion Week ends #LFW

February 20 – Love Your Pet Day #LoveYourPetDay

February 29 – Leap Year Day #LeapYear

February 29 – Toast Day #ToastDay

March 2024

Themes for the month

Women’s History Month

American Red Cross Month

Ramadan: March 10, 2024 – April 9, 2024

March hashtag calendar

March 1 – Employee Appreciation Day #EmployeeAppreciationDay

March 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day #PeanutButterLoversDay

March 2 – Dr. Suess Day #DrSuessDay

March 3 – World Wildlife Day #WorldWildlifeDay

March 7 – Cereal Day #CerealDay

March 7 – World Book Day and Copyright Day #BookDay

March 8 – International Women’s Day #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2024 #EachforEqual

March 9 – Meatball Day #MeatballDay

March 10 – International Day of Awesomeness #IDOA

March 10 – Mother’s Day (UK) #HappyMothersDay

March 10 – The Academy Awards #Oscars2024

March 11 – National Napping Day #NationalNappingDay

March 12 – Organize Your Home Office Day #OrganizeYourHomeOfficeDay

March 12 – National Girl Scout Day #GirlScoutDay

March 12 – National Organize Your Home Office Day #WFH

March 14 – Potato Chip Day #NationalPotatoChipDay

March 15 – World Sleep Day #WorldSleepDay

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March 16 – Panda Day #PandaDay

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day #StPatricksDay

March 18 – Awkward Moments Day #AwkwardMomentsDay

March 19 – National Let’s Laugh Day #NationalLetsLaughDay

March 20 – First Day of Spring #FirstDayofSpring

March 20 – International Day of Happiness #InternationalDayofHappiness

March 20 – World Storytelling Day #WorldStorytellingDay

March 21 – Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day #RacialDiscriminationDay

March 21 – World Poetry Day #WorldPoetryDay

March 22 – World Water Day #WorldWaterDay #Water2me

March 23 – Puppy Day #PuppyDay

March 23 – Earth Hour Day #EarthHourDay

March 25 – Tolkien Reading Day #TolkienReadingDay

March 26 – Good Hair Day #GoodHairDay

March 29 –  Good Friday #GoodFriday

March 31 – Easter Sunday #HappyEaster 

March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility #TDOV

March 31 – National Taco Day #NationalTacoDay

April 2024

Themes for the month

Stress Awareness Month

National Poetry Month

April hashtag calendar

April 1 – Easter Monday #HappyEaster 

April 1 – April Fools Day #AprilFools

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April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day #AutismAcceptance

April 3 – Find a Rainbow Day #FindARainbowDay

April 3 – World Party Day #PartyDay

April 5 –  Walk To Work Day #WalkToWorkDay

April 7 – World Health Day #LetsTalk

April 9 – Unicorn Day #UnicornDay

April 10 – Siblings Day #SiblingsDay

April 11 – Pet Day #PetDay

April 15 – World Art Day #WASD2024

April 16 – Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day #PJDay

April 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

April 18 – National High-Five Day #NH5D

April 20 – National Lookalike Day #NationalLookalikeDay

April 21 – World Creativity and Innovation Day #Innovate

April 22 – Earth Day #EarthDay2024

April 23 – National Picnic Day #NationalPicnicDay

April 24 – Pigs in a Blanket Day #PigsInBlanketsDay

April 25 – Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day #COUNTONME

April 25 – World Malaria Day #EndMalariaForGood

April 28 – National Superhero Day #SuperheroDay

April 29 – International Dance Day #InternationalDanceDay

April 30 – Adopt a Shelter Pet Day #AdoptAShelterPetDay

May 2024

Themes for the month

National Barbeque Month

Lupus Awareness Month

May hashtag calendar

May 1 – May Day #MayDay

May 2 – World Password Day #WorldPasswordDay

May 3 – Write a review Day #WriteaReviewDay

May 4 – Star Wars Day #MayThe4thBeWithYou

May 4 – Bird Day #BirdDay

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo #CincoDeMayo

May 6 – Music Monday #MusicMonday

May 6 – Nurses Day #NursesDay

May 8 – World Donkey Day #DonkeyDay

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May 8 – Parents’ Day (Korea) #ParentsDay

May 10 – World Lupus Day #LupusDay

May 11 – Eat What You Want Day #EatWhatYouWantDay

May 12 – Limerick Day #LimerickDay

May 12 – Mother’s Day (US) #MothersDay

May 13 – World Cocktail Day #CocktailDay

May 15 – International Day of Families #FamilyDay

May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day #ChocolateChipDay

May 16 – Love a Tree Day #LoveATreeDay

May 17 – Endangered Species Day #EndangeredSpeciesDay

May 17 – World Baking Day #BakingDay

May 18 – Visit Your Relatives Day #VisitYourRelativesDay

May 20 – World Bee Day #BeeDay

May 22 – Sherlock Holmes Day #SherlockHolmesDay

May 24 – National Scavenger Hunt Day #NationalScavengerHuntDay

May 24 – Brother’s Day #BrothersDay

May 25 – Wine Day #WineDay

May 27 – Memorial Day #MemorialDay

May 28 – Hamburger Day #NationalHamburgerDay

May 30 – National Creativity Day #NationalCreativityDay

May 30 – Web Designer Day #WebDesignerDay

May 31 – Heat Awareness Day #NoFryDay

June 2024

Themes for the month

Pride Month

Men’s Health Education and Awareness Month

June hashtag calendar

June 2 – National Cancer Survivor’s Day #NCSD2024

June 2 – Rocky Road Day #RockyRoadDay

June 5 – World Environment Day #WorldEnvironmentDay

June 6 – Drive-in Movie Day #DriveInMovieDay

June 7 – Donut Day #DonutDay

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June 7 – Chocolate Ice Cream Day #ChocolateIceCreamDay

June 8 – World Oceans Day #WorldOceansDay

June 8 – Best Friends Day #BestFriendsDay

June 11 – Make Life Beautiful Day #MakeLifeBeautiful

June 14 – National Flag Day #FlagDay

June 14 – World Blood Donor Day #GiveBlood

June 16 – Fudge Day #FudgeDay

June 16 – Father’s Day #HappyFathersDay

June 17 – Eat Your Vegetables Day #EatYourVegetablesDay

June 18 – International Picnic Day #PicnicDay

June 19 – Martini Day #MartiniDay

June 19 – Juneteenth #Juneteenth

June 20 – World Refugee Day #WorldRefugeeDay

June 20 – First Day of Summer #FirstDayOfSummer

June 21 – National Selfie Day #NationalSelfieDay

June 21 – Take Your Dog To Work Day #TakeYourDogToWorkDay

June 21 – World Music Day #WorldMusicDay

June 21 – International Yoga Day #InternationalYogaDay

June 27 – Sunglasses Day #SunglassesDay

June 30 – Social Media Day #SMDay, #SocialMediaDay

July 2024

Themes for the month

National Ice Cream Month

National Grilling Month

National Independent Retailer Month

July hashtag calendar

July 1 – Joke Day #JokeDay

July 1 – Canada Day #CanadaDay

July 2 – World UFO Day #WorldUFODay

July 4 – Independence Day #July4th

July 5 – Bikini Day #BikiniDay

July 6 – Fried Chicken Day #FriedChickenDay

July 7 – World Chocolate Day #WorldChocolateDay

July 9 – Fashion Day #FashionDay

July 10 – Pina Colada Day #PinaColadaDay

July 11 – Cheer Up the Lonely Day #CheerUpTheLonelyDay

July 11 – National Mojito Day #MojitoDay

July 12 – Malala Day #MalalaDay

July 12 – French Fries Day #FrenchFriesDay

July 14 – Mac and Cheese Day #MacCheeseDay

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July 15 – Give Something Away Day #GiveSomethingAwayDay

July 16 – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day #GuineaPigs

July 17 – World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay

July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day #MandelaDay

July 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

July 20 – Lollipop Day #LollipopDay

July 20 – National Moon Day #NationalMoonDay

July 20 – National Father-in-Law Day #FatherInLawDay

July 21 – Ice Cream Day #IceCreamDay

July 21 – Junk Food Day #JunkFoodDay

July 24 – Tequila Day #TequilaDay

July 25 – National Wine and Cheese Day #WineAndCheeseDay 

July 26 – All or Nothing Day #AllOrNothing

July 26 – Summer Olympic Games begins #Olympics2024

July 27 – National Intern Day #NationalInternDay 

July 28 – Milk Chocolate Day #MilkChocolate Day

July 29 – Lipstick Day #LipstickDay

July 30 – International Day of Friendship #DayOfFriendship

July 31 – Harry Potter’s Birthday #HappyBirthdayHarry

August 2024

Themes for the month

National Immunization Awareness Month

Black Business Month

August hashtag calendar

August 1 – National Girlfriends Day #NationalGirlfriendsDay

August 2 – International Beer Day #BeerDay

August 2 – Coloring Book Day #ColoringBookDay

August 3 – Watermelon Day #WatermelonDay

August 4 – National Sisters Day #SistersDay

August 5 – Blogger Day #BloggerDay

August 8 – National Bowling Day #Bowling Day

August 8 – International Cat Day #CatDay

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August 9 – Book Lovers Day #BookLoversDay

August 10 – Lazy Day #LazyDay

August 11 – Summer Olympic Games end #Olympics2024

August 11 – Sons and Daughters Day #SonsAndDaughtersDay

August 12 – World Elephant Day #WorldElephantDay

August 13 – International Lefthanders Day #LefthandersDay

August 15 – Relaxation Day #RelaxationDay

August 16 – Tell a Joke Day #TellAJokeDay

August 17 – Non-Profit Day #NonProfitDay

August 18 – Never Give Up Day #NeverGiveUp

August 19 – World Photo Day #WorldPhotoDay

August 19 – World Humanitarian Day #WorldHumanitarianDay

August 20 – National Lemonade Day #NationalLemonadeDay

August 23 – Sponge Cake Day #SpongeCakeDay

August 25 – Banana Split Day #BananaSplitDay

August 26 – Dog Day #DogDay

August 27 – World Rock Paper Scissors Day #RockPaperScissor

August 28 – Summer Paralympics begins #Paris2024

August 29 – Chop Suey Day #ChopSuey

September 2024

Themes for the month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Suicide Prevention Month

Friendship Month

Back to School

September hashtag calendar

September 2 – Labor Day #LaborDay

September 2 – World Coconut Day #WorldCoconutDay

September 4 – Eat An Extra Dessert Day #EatAnExtraDessert

September 5 – International Day of Charity #CharityDay

September 6 – Read a Book Day #ReadABookDay

September 7 – Superhuman Day #SuperhumanDay

September 8 – International Literacy Day #LiteracyDay

September 8 – Summer Paralympics ends #Paris2024

September 8 – Stand Up To Cancer Day #KissCancerGoodbye

September 11 – Day of Service and Remembrance #911Day

September 13 – Positive Thinking Day #PositiveThinkingDay

September 15 – Greenpeace Day #GreenpeaceDay

September 19 – Talk Like a Pirate Day #TalkLikeAPirateDay

September 21 – International Day of Peace #PeaceDay

September 21 – Miniature Golf Day #MiniGolfDay

September 21 – World Alzheimer’s Day #Alzheimer’sDay

September 22 – Car-Free Day #CarFreeDay

September 22 – Hobbit Day #LordOfTheRings

September 22 – National Ice Cream Cone Day #NationalIceCreamConeDay

September 22 – First Day of Fall #1stDayOfFall

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September 24 – National Punctuation Day #NationalPunctuationDay

September 26 – European Day of Languages #EDL2024

September 27 – World Tourism Day #WTD2024

September 28 – International Rabbit Day #InternationalRabbitDay

September 28 – Good Neighbor Day #GoodNeighborDay

September 29 – World Heart Day #HeartDay

September 30 – Love People Day #NationalLovePeopleDay

October 2024

Themes for the month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Black History Month (UK)

October hashtag calendar

October 1 – World Vegetarian Day #WorldVegetarianDay

October 1 – International Coffee Day #CoffeeDay

October 2 – Name Your Car Day #NameYourCarDay

October 4 – World Animal Day #WorldAnimalDay

October 5 – World Teachers Day #WorldTeachersDay

October 6 – Grandparents Day #GrandparentsDay

October 6 – Noodle Day #NoodleDay

October 10 – World Sight Day #WorldSightDay

October 10 – World Mental Health Day #WorldMentalHeathDay

October 11 – World Egg Day #WorldEggDay

October 11 – International Day of the Girl #DayOfTheGirl

October 13 – Train Your Brain Day #TrainYourBrainDay

October 15 – Global Handwashing Day #GlobalHandwashingDay

October 16 – World Food Day #FoodDay

October 17 – Spreadsheet Day #Spreadsheets

October 17 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

October 19 – Evaluate Your Life Day #EvaluateYourLife

October 21 – Reptile Awareness Day #ReptileAwarenessDay

October 24 – United Nations Day #UNDay

October 25 – Greasy Foods Day #GreasyFoodsDay

October 26 – Make a Difference Day #MDDAy

October 26 – Pumpkin Day #PumpkinDay

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October 30 – Checklist Day #ChecklistDay

October 31 – Halloween #Halloween

November 2024

Themes for the month

Men’s Health Awareness Month #Movember

Epilepsy Awareness Month

November hashtag calendar

November 1 – World Vegan Day #WorldVeganDay

November 2 – International Stress Awareness Day #StressAwarenessDay

November 3 – Sandwich Day #SandwichDay

November 4 – Candy Day #CandyDay

November 4 – Use Your Common Sense Day #CommonSense

November 8 – Cappuccino Day #CappuccinoDay

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November 9 – World Freedom Day #Freedom Day

November 10 – Tongue Twister Day #TongueTwisterDay

November 11 – Veterans Day #VeteransDay

November 11 – Singles Day #SinglesDay

November 12 – Happy Hour Day #HappyHourDay

November 13 – World Kindness Day #WKD

November 14 – World Diabetes Day #WDD

November 15 – Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day #CleanOutYourRefrigeratorDay

November 16 – International Day for Tolerance #ToleranceDay

November 16 – Fast Food Day #FastFoodDay

November 18 – Mickey Mouse’s Birthday #MickeyMouse

November 19 – International Men’s Day #InternationalMensDay

November 19 – Women’s Entrepreneurship Day #WomensEntrepreneurshipDay

November 21 – World Hello Day #WorldHelloDay

November 23 – Espresso Day #EspressoDay

November 26 – National Cake Day #NationalCakeDay

November 28 – Thanksgiving Day #Thanksgiving

November 28 – French Toast Day #FrenchToastDay

November 29 – Black Friday #BlackFriday2024

November 30 – Small Business Saturday #SmallBusinessSaturday

December 2024

Themes for the month

Christmas: December 24-26

Hanukkah: December 25, 2024 – January 2, 2025

Kwanzaa: December 26, 2024 – January 2, 2025

December hashtag calendar

December 1 – World AIDS Day #WAD2024

December 2 – Cyber Monday #CyberMonday

December 2 – Play Basketball Day #PlayBasketballDay

December 3 – Giving Tuesday #GivingTuesday

December 3 – Make A Gift Day #MakeAGiftDay

December 4 – Cookie Day #CookieDay

December 5 – International Ninja Day #DayOfTheNinja

December 7 – Cotton Candy Day #CottonCandyDay

December 8 – Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day #PretendToBeATimeTravelerDay

December 8 – Brownie Day #BrownieDay

December 9 – Christmas Card Day #ChristmasCardDay

December 10 – Human Rights Day #HumanRightsDay

December 11 – International Mountain Day #InternationalMountainDay

December 12 – Gingerbread House Day #GingerbreadHouseDay

December 14 – Monkey Day #MonkeyDay

December 15 – 10 Days to Christmas #10DaysToGo

December 18 – Bake Cookies Day #BakeCookiesDay

December 21 – Crossword Puzzle Day #CrosswordPuzzleDay

December 21 – First Day of Winter #WinterSolstice

December 24 – Christmas Eve #ChristmasEve

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December 25 – Christmas Day #MerryChristmas

December 31 – No Interruptions Day #NoInterruptionsDay

December 31 – New Year’s Eve #NYE2024

Let’s wrap up

Ensure you never miss an opportunity to connect with your audience and create content that drives engagement by planning your social media strategy well in advance. Use this comprehensive list of key social media dates for 2024 as a reference and schedule your content around these special events to see your brand’s engagement soar throughout the year.

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iOS 17: don’t worry – clicks aren’t dead https://dotdigital.com/blog/ios-17-dont-worry-clicks-arent-dead/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:12:18 +0000 https://dotdigital.com/?p=58398 It’s happening again – new privacy updates at Apple! In June 2023, they previewed some of the new features that’ll be arriving with the next version of its mobile operating system – iOS 17. Just like previous privacy-focused updates by Apple, the latest update includes some features expected to disrupt some standard marketing practices. This has caused concern for brands; on the face of it, iOS 17 could break the way many have traditionally personalized content and measured engagement. It’s change – change is scary.

What exactly is causing the concern? Broadly, iOS 17 automatically removes tracking parameters from messages, mail, and links, making it more difficult to tie an interaction to a specific user. This new feature is termed Link Tracking Protection.

Don’t panic: link tracking is still going to be a viable tool and metric. Only specific link types for specific user cases will be affected, and Dotdigital customers will likely see less than a 1% effect on the data they get from their link tracking. This means we can applaud Apple for wanting to be a safer place for consumers while knowing our customers will still have access to data that will help them build successful strategies.

Why are they doing this?

Apple is taking further steps to make things more secure for its users. In this update, they are targeting cross-site tracking because of the way it violates privacy; their goal is to make this better for the community. Causing change for marketers is a side effect of wanting to be better. As part of the sending community, we can embrace these changes by learning about them and helping our customers understand what they mean and how they will impact their marketing strategies. 

Some links that are shared by organizations, marketers, or within social media may include a ‘query string’. Query strings can be used to track clicks and user journeys on websites, allowing marketers to analyze their users’ behavior in detail. Query strings in links are easy to spot; they start with a question mark, and multiple metrics can be tracked by conjoining parameters in the string with ampersands.

Here’s an example that tracks campaign id (1405123), marketing medium (email), and the recipient’s SnowYo customer ID (101):

https://snowyo.co/?utm_campaign=1405123&utm_medium=email&SnowId=101

Through our testing and interpretation of what’s been shared so far, we’ve determined that Apple’s Link Tracking Protection appears to pick up query strings and remove them from the link. The link is still functional and delivers the user to the target landing page, but the sanitization prevents marketers and organizations from tracking users who have clicked and arrived at their website through such links.

Apple stated when referencing Private Browsing for Safari that When a tracking parameter is detected, Safari strips the identifying components of the URL, while leaving nonidentifiable parts intact.They also indicated that links will be sanitized when Private Browsing users copy a link containing a tracking parameter.

The changes to the new iOS primarily impact the Private Browsing Mode within Safari, and users with this mode enabled sharing links in mail or messages. This means that other browsers without similar limitations to tracking would not be affected under iOS 17. It is not fully clarified what the effect will be for iOS users who don’t primarily use Safari in Private Browsing Mode.

Apple further clarified that Link Tracking Protection applies to messages and mail which are sent and opened by users of iOS 17. Not much additional detail was shared so there are still questions to be answered: is this a feature that can be disabled? Will links be sanitized if messages are being sent between 2 users? If a link is shared but the default browser is Google Chrome, will the link be sanitized of the tracking query link? There’s much to test and learn.

How does this impact Dotdigital services?

First of all, if you’re adding links to your marketing campaigns that don’t contain query strings, you’ll be entirely unaffected. If link click tracking is enabled, click reporting in your Dotdigital account is going to continue to work just fine – we use a hashed string in the URL for tracking and redirection purposes, and Apple’s Link Tracking Protection doesn’t remove this

However, you may use query strings within your marketing to track your users and traffic for contact data insights and analysis – for example, to track ROI, feed into your Google Analytics account, or in our Pages and Forms functionality so you can bind data from a query string directly from an email.

These insights are useful to surface recipient patterns and allow for analyzing how your marketing campaigns are progressing. They empower you to identify where improvements can be made and ultimately lead to the success of the strategies being used.

Based on our testing, the potential disruption to your marketing campaigns from Link Tracking Protection seems as though it will be small. It appears to be limited to Safari’s Private Browsing mode only, which will likely account for less than 1% of individuals within a Dotdigital account’s contact list. And if you’ve got our link click tracking enabled, you’ll still at least get click data in your Dotdigital reporting for these contacts.

What’s next?

When the beta release of iOS 17 happens this month, we will be monitoring the development of the new features so we can continue to understand and communicate how they operate and affect you and our Dotdigital platform. 

We know having the right data to help make sure you get the most from your marketing strategies is key to the success of your business. Continuing to be up to date with what’s happening is something you can trust we are doing. If you need further help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

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How to combine your email and social strategies https://dotdigital.com/blog/how-to-combine-your-email-and-social-strategies/ Thu, 14 Jul 2022 08:00:00 +0000 https://dot.tiltedchair.co/how-to-combine-your-email-and-social-strategies/

How to combine your email and social strategies

Customer retention and customer loyalty are super important right now. In a turbulent and busy market, where the consumer has plenty of choices, you want your brand to stand out as a positive experience.

One way you can enhance the customer experience, beyond the header and footer of your emails, is to look at your other channels. Social media is where it’s at. With 4.59 billion people, that’s over half of the world’s population, having a social media account, it’s a safe bet your customers are already on social media. The channel has evolved hugely in recent years, and is now a marketers dream.

Marketers are increasingly prioritizing social media in their digital marketing strategy. In a study of B2C marketers in the UK, when asked what their primary marketing channel was, social media came out on top at 25.65%, followed closely by website at 20.83%, and then email coming in third place at 12.74%.

So, what do email and social media have in common? Your customers of course. Our recent report into the value exchange customers expect when signing up to a brand, found that a third of consumers visit and/or engage with the brands they’re subscribed to on social media every day. This cross-channel population means it’s a ready-made opportunity for companies to utilize cross-channel strategy to grow brand loyalty, trust, and retention within their customer base.

Email and social media are undeniably two key digital marketing channels. Both channels offer an excellent way to communicate with your customers and prospects, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. But how can you use them together to improve customer trust, generate customer buy-in, and achieve the ultimate goal in marketing, create loyal customers? Let’s take a look.

1. Include social icons to your emails

Email footer with social icons

Let’s start simple, and effective. Use that valuable real estate that is your email campaign to advertise your social channels. Include social icons for the platforms you’re active on in the footer of all of your emails. Once you’ve added this to your email template, it’s a super quick and easy win that will continue to work, with no ongoing work from you required. Dreamy. 

2. Shout out things that are on each other’s channels

Social competitions email

Let customers on each channel know what’s going on elsewhere. If you’re running a competition on your social media, let your email subscribers know. Have a block in your campaign explaining the competition, and encourage your email subscribers to head over to your social channels and enter. Include a clear CTA, and you’ll soon see your followers engaging on both channels. This example from ice-cream brand Jude’s does this well, the email points people towards their social channels, and also placates anyone not on social media by letting them know there’s a newsletter competition coming soon.

Equally if your email subscribers are about to get early access to a sale, or an email exclusive discount code, shout about it on your social media channels. Use email-only initiatives like this to entice your social media followers into signing up to your emails. Include a clear way to sign up to your emails, either by a form within the social media platform itself, or a CTA link to your website and watch those subscriber numbers rise.

3. Utilize hashtags across channels

Email with hashtags

Hashtags, they’re traditionally a huge part of the social media scene, but there’s no reason you can’t bring this into your email campaigns too. Pepper them into your email copy, especially if you have a core brand hashtag that you tend to use.

Including hashtags in your email campaigns mean that your subscribers will be familiar with them, and will use them when interacting with you on social media, possibly even when creating that valuable UGC. This example from Top Cashback is exactly how it should be done.

4. Encourage newsletter sign ups on your social profiles

Lots of social media channels offer functionality to collect email addresses from within the platform. Utilize this technology to run social campaigns which collect email subscribers, and also add a link to your sign-up form in organic posts like NASA demonstrate here.

Our recent report found that people often sign-up to a brand’s emails to get discounts and to be a part of a loyalty scheme. If you offer these benefits to your email subscribers, use this as the hook to attract new subscribers.

5. Retargeting ads

Social media ads are really valuable to a marketer. Use the data you have on customers who are engaging, but not converting, and hit them with social ads which target their interest. This example from Coursera is serving Instagram story ads to a user who signed up to their newsletter, but hasn’t yet converted. This is a great way of keeping front-of-mind with your prospects as they travel around the web.

6. Overall increased touchpoints

Overall, social media and email marketing working together is all about the cross-channel experience. The internet is a huge place, if you can have your brand popping up in different places across the web, you’re ensuring that your brand stays front-of-mind for your customers and prospects. You want your messaging on both channels to be in sync, and complimentary of each other. This example from Hotel Chocolat shows that the two channels are in sync, sharing a similar message and imagery. Adding in more temptations to purchase can only be a good thing.

Conclusion

Email and social media are both incredibly powerful channels in their own right. When utilized to work together, they will be sure to keep your customers engaged, and your brand front-of-mind as your customers navigate the online world.

Our recent report discovered that respondents visited and/or engaged with the brands they’re subscribed to on social media more frequently than they visited a brand’s website. A huge 31% of respondents said they engage with a brand’s social media every day, and 57% do so at least once a week.

There’s no doubt that your email subscribers, and a whole world of prospects, are on social media, so tap into this pool of opportunity. Utilize this massive audience by further sharing your brand’s message, showcasing your product offering, and using the channel in tandem to your existing marketing mix. Combining the power of email and social media will lead to a winning cross-channel strategy that sees real results.

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