  Leave the "Happy" out of it. Filling social media calendars with quality content often means digging for engaging, relevant material. Holidays are a big source of content, especially holidays that create connections between your business and consumers. (If you're looking for a source for all those fun holidays like "National Donut Day" and "Mismatched Sock Day", check out HubSpot's social media calendar here, or timeanddate.com). Fun holidays are one thing and there is almost certainly at least one a month that can be applied to your business, but bank holidays are something most businesses routinely acknowledge on their social media, even when it's not tied to a sale. It's not difficult to stay on brand or find free-for-commercial-use images to slap on your channels, but there is one holiday that needs a great deal of re-focus on social media: Memorial Day. Memorial Day began, at least in part, thanks to freed slaves in Charleston following the Civil War to commemorate fallen soldiers and has seen some evolutions over the years like changing dates and names (it was originally known as Decoration Day). But the reason has always been the same- to commemorate fallen soldiers. In recent decades, Memorial Day has become a cherished three day weekend, celebrated with gatherings of family and friends over grills and beer and is generally seen as the official kick off to summer. As a Wisconsinite, the value behind this official summer kick off really can't be ignored because everything outdoors finally opens. We've spent more than six months shivering beneath six feet of snow in -20° weather. Warmer days are absolutely something to celebrate. BUT. (It's a big but). Tread lightly in your social media focus on the day of, out of respect for fallen soldiers and their loved ones. It's important to keep in mind what Memorial Day, as a holiday, actually is: A day to honor soldiers who fought for the US and died as a result. This makes what it's not very clear- It is not a day to thank veterans (that's Veteran's Day) or active duty soldiers. It's also not a day to say "Happy". Hear me out. Saying "Happy Memorial Day" is akin to telling someone to have a good time at a funeral. Thanking veterans on Memorial Day is equally inappropriate and I have several veteran friends who put out PSAs every year on the subject. They appreciate your acknowledgement, but wish you wouldn't take away from who the holiday is meant for- soldiers who lost their lives in battle. No one else. So what can you do to observe Memorial Day on behalf of your business? Use reverence and respect in your social media graphic and copy. Try things like "In remembrance of those who gave all on this Memorial Day" or "Remember and Honor". Keep it simple, keep it patriotic, keep it respectful. I promise, many of your followers will appreciate it. If you're struggling with content creation, reach out for a free quote and site or channel audit to see how NEW Towns Marketing can help your business grow, get seen and get results for your business.
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