Welcome to my new series that features a list of monthly marketing dates to help jump start those social media campaigns. It takes time to plan and execute a marketing strategy with sales, social media posts, and print material. Planning three months in advance is a good rule of thumb for your event, product release, campaign, or whatever needs a specific date to launch. You’ll need time to make sure all your copy is spelled correctly and makes sense. You’ll need time to design graphics and follow up with printers. Printing in-house will reduce some of the cost and time, but if you want materials to look professional you call your printer. And they don’t always get it right the first time. Make sure you build in that extra time to make corrections. Planning ahead to holidays and important dates will help guide your expenses, marketing, events, and even your sale days. Hopefully this guide will help your bottom line to help you prepare events and make each one as special as you can. It will also be helpful to note which days are Federal holidays when there is no banking or mail.
I’ve included a printable calendar for easy reference. This list of holidays and events is meant to be a guide and not a hard rule for your business. Every business is different. A gaming cafe may want to run an entire weekend event around National Spaghetti Day, where the average comic book store will ignore it. Maybe a Magic the Gathering centered store will use that day to invent an Eldrazi tournament based on it’s fanfare of the nickname of Emrakul being a Spaghetti Monster.
I am hoping these dates inspire you to be creative and help you stand out from the crowd in marketing strategy.
- 1st – New Years Day (F)
- New Year’s day is considered one of ten Federal holidays, non-essential Federal Government offices are closed. This is a banking holiday as well, be sure to stock up on change.
- 2nd – National Science Fiction Day
- A day to celebrate anything science fiction based on any medium. Book, art, movie? Celebrate it.
- 4th – National Trivia Day
- This national day is a day to test or share small bits of almost useless information. Did you know that Trivia is plural for the word Trivium? Now you do.
- 4th – National Spaghetti Day
- There is a huge history based on where and how spaghetti is made and enjoyed. Don’t forget to consider the sauce or sides to spaghetti if you plan on making this an event. Adding meatballs, sausage, or a cheesy bread is a great way to add-on.
- 7th – Happy Birthday Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Marvel)
- Clint Barton is the original person behind Hawkeye. According to Screenrant Hawkeye was born January 7th, 1971. He is a Capricorn.
- 13th – National Sticker Day
- Stickers were originally invented by European Merchants who wanted to advertise their goods to people who went by. Today, we even have digital stickers and emoji. Stickers in bulk are almost laughly cheap. These 2”x2” stickers start at $35 for 1000. This is a good brand awareness day.
- 13th – National Rubber Ducky Day
- Based on a 1973 Sesame Street Calendar and an introduction to the Rubber Duckie character, this birthday has been given. After World War One and Two, the ducks’ design had changed slightly due to the invention of plastic and vinyl. The Rubber Duck is a Toy Hall of Fame inductee for the year of 2013. Rubber ducks in bulk are very inexpensive and is a rememberable give away, especially if it’s based on a sale.
- 15th – National Hat Day
- Hat’s have a very long and festive history. Wear a hat, give out a hat, celebrate the early Millinery skills needed to craft hats.
- 15th – National Bagel Day
- Enjoy a bagel and your favorite toppings. Maybe add lox. If you are not a food based business, this is an excellent day to team up with your local bakery and do some cross promotion. If you are a food based business, don’t forget to keep your spreads in temp.
- 16th – National Use Your Gift Card Day (Third Saturday of every January)
- Every year, roughly $100 Billion of gift cards are purchased. There is a certain percentage of gift cards that never get used. Making an event around this will help you encourage and remind customers that may have been given a gift card over the holiday’s to stop in.
- 17th – Happy Birthday Dr. Fate (DC Comics)
- Happy Birthday Dr. Fate!
- 18th – Martin Luther King Day (F)
- King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. It is a Federal holiday, be sure to have your banking done before the weekend.
- 18th – National Winnie the Pooh Day
- Originally created in 1926, Winnie the Pooh is a staple among many homes with young children. Don’t forget your honey on the way to the Hundred Acre Woods.
- 21st – Get To Know Your Customers Day
- Do exactly as this says. Learn more about the people who are supporting your business. Find out what they like, what they love, and what they do. Make a connection with them deeper than a transaction. This holiday happens every January, April, July, and October
- 23rd – National Pie Day
- Unlike PI day, for Math inclined people. This is actually for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, or cherry?
- 24th – National Compliment Day
- Bring some praise, love, and happiness to your community. Give out compliments all day, this should already be an every day event. This holiday is just to highlight it.
- 25th – Chinese New Year
- This is an important day to at very least, be aware of. It’s celebrated by about 20% of the -worlds- population, or by about 2 billion people. It has a long history and is one of the largest holiday’s in China and Chinese descendants. It’s generally celebrated everywhere except North America, and even then large city populations uphold the celebration. During this celebration, most production in China shuts down for holiday for about 7 days. If you are planning on orders or manufacturing, avoid this time. If you are looking to include or acknowledge your Chinese customers, look to hand them a Red Envelope with cash or chocolate coins, which symbolizes good fortune.
- 27th – Chocolate Cake Day
- Enjoy some Chocolate Cake! Reach out to a local bakery and offer some cross promotions!
- 28th – National Lego Day
- Celebrating children, creativity, and building, Lego day is a great day for a Lego event or a Lego sale. Check with your Lego representative about sales as the company usually has a MAP policy.
- 29th – Happy Birthday Aquaman (DC)
- Happy Birthday Aquaman, DC Comics
- 29th – National Puzzle Day
- Puzzles are a great option for an unplugged mental exercise. This makes a great day to highlight puzzles and possibly offering a sale.
- 31st – Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
- Art comes in so many forms and this day is dedicated to art. Pick a style or artist and celebrate it! Have an arts and crafts day, miniature building. If you sell Games-Workshop plan a paint and take event. So many options for a brand building or a sales event for this.
Looking for February 2021? It’s here.
