Should I include holiday social media posts in my social media strategy?
This is a question we get a lot from Milwaukee businesses looking into improving their social media presence and strategies.
And we understand why it’s asked so often. On one hand, having too many holiday social media posts about obscure holidays can make your channels seem disingenuous and come across as a bit lazy.
However, we believe that posting about holidays can be a great thing for businesses to do, especially when it is done strategically.
As a marketing agency based in Milwaukee, we love to acknowledge national days and have holiday social media posts in our strategy that are known here locally and that people in the area look forward to every single year. These local ‘holidays’ are great additions to your small business social media strategy that allows you to engage with your audience in a very focused way that makes them feel more connected to you and the community.
Here are some of our favorite local holidays that Milwaukee businesses should mark on their calendars to post about on social media!
414 Day
How convenient is it that our area code is also a date on the calendar?
414 day, or Milwaukee Day, is a Milwaukee staple that celebrates everything that the city has to offer. While this day of celebration is still relatively new, it has a HUGE following and the people of Milwaukee expect to see businesses get in on the celebration!
While you can just do something simple, we find this holiday to be one that your business should consider going “all in” on and really make a splash with your content.
Want some ideas:
- Offer a special discount to get one of your popular products or services down to $4.14 or $41.40
- Ask what people love most about Milwaukee in the comments section
- Tell your audience about what the city of Milwaukee means to you or give a thank you to the community
Brewers/Bucks Opening Day
If we know one thing for sure, it’s that the people of Milwaukee love their sports.
Make sure you mark your calendar for when both the Bucks and Brewers (and the Packers too why not) kick off their seasons. These days are full-blown holidays for those that follow the team and find fun ways to engage with your audience. These days can go a long way with your audience.
Even if you feel like your business has nothing to do with sports, we can almost guarantee that you can find some way to relate what you are doing to one of our local sports teams – even if that is simply good luck on the season.
But it doesn’t need to end with the opening day! Also, keep a finger on the plus of the teams throughout the year and be sure to work on something about them from time to time.
Want some ideas:
- Show pictures of your staff or team wearing their gear for the season kickoff
- Offer deals and discounts related to the team (ex. 34% off for Giannis)
- Ask what everyone is excited about the most for the upcoming season
Festival Season (Summerfest, State Fair, Italian Fest, etc.)
At first, this section was going to be about Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair, but then I realized festival season in Milwaukee is so much more than just those two events!
Sure, SummerFest and Wisconsin State Fair are the big staples, but Milwaukee offers so many other festivals and celebrations that are worth acknowledging and posting about on social media.
Italian Fest, Irish Fest, and German Fest are just a few of the cultural celebrations that Milwaukeeians celebrate over the summer – each with its own close following of attendees.
Do you need to post about all these events? Certainly not! But knowing the days that these festivals kick-off can certainly open the food to some fun content and easy ways to engage with the Milwaukee community with your social media strategy.
Want some ideas:
- Offer free tickets as a prize for a contest
- Ask your audience what festival they are most excited about this year
- Run a poll to see which food they are most excited about at the state fair
- Ask people to tag the smaller bands they plan to see at Summerfest in the comments
National Cheese Day + National Beer Day
Go ahead and mark April 7th and June 4th down on your calendar now because these two-day celebrations are something that people all around Milwaukee love… beer and cheese.
There is no need to make posting about these holidays more complicated than it needs to be… just celebrate! Obviously, use your best judgment based on your industry and ideal customer profile, but this is your opportunity to just have some fun and engage with your audience.
Want some ideas:
- Run a simple poll asking your audience about their favorite beer or cheese
- Just post an image showing how your company is celebrating
- Find clever ways to relate these items to what your business does or the products you sell
There are plenty of holidays to celebrate for Milwaukee businesses and you can incorporate some holiday social media posts into your calendar for them. Local Milwaukee holidays are a great way to connect with the community and have some fun within your social media strategy. Be sure to add these holiday social media posts to your calendar and watch as the engagement comes rolling in!