0498 70 98 60Seasonal Content Marketing: Why Recurring Calendar Moments Matter
In French, there’s a word for it: the marronnier, or “chestnut tree.” In English, you might call it seasonal content, a perennial story, or a calendar hook. Journalists have relied on it for generations, and since the rise of social media and community management, marketers have too. Here’s what recurring calendar moments can do for your seasonal content marketing, and how to use them well.
What Is a Seasonal Story, and How Has It Evolved?
The idea started in journalism, a long time ago.
The French name tells the story. A chestnut tree in the Tuileries Garden in Paris bloomed at the same time every year over the grave of the Swiss Guards (the regiment that protected the kings of France) who died there in 1792.
Every year, at the same time, when the tree flowered, a newspaper ran an article retelling their story.
The concept is still very much in use. In newsrooms, it describes the topics that come back every year, especially during slow news periods: summer traffic jams, back-to-school season, holiday shopping, and so on.
Since then, social media has taken a central place in our lives, and that’s where you’ll now find these recurring moments too, even if brands use them differently than journalists do.
Let’s look at why they matter and how they fit into your marketing strategy.
Seasonal Content in Your Digital Marketing Strategy
In a digital marketing strategy, seasonal content has little to do with the repetitive, sometimes dull filler stories newspapers use to plug the gaps on a slow news day.
In community management, these are key dates that aren’t just there to fill a gap. They’re a chance to mark an event or an important date in your industry and to share information your audience genuinely cares about.
Calendar moments will become an integral part of your marketing strategy, so choose them carefully.
In any communication strategy, each post should be designed with your audience in mind. Seasonal content is no exception.
The dates that resonate with someone else’s audience won’t necessarily resonate with yours.
So pick your dates with care and focus on the moments your audience will enjoy and care about.
Why Calendar Moments Matter So Much in Your Communication
Seasonal content is a core part of your editorial strategy, for several good reasons.
First, it lets you highlight a timely, relevant topic that ties in with your industry. These key dates speak to your audience and help you build a connection with your community.
Let’s be honest: they’re also a simple, effective way to find ideas to fill your editorial calendar.
If you’re a community manager, you already know that building a content calendar is a step you can’t skip.
Calendar moments help you fill it with events that can get your community engaged. (See also the benefits of a content calendar.)
But you still have to choose them well.
Choose Your Calendar Moments Carefully
Seasonal content can bring you closer to your community and let you share events that bring people together. But the wrong choice can have the opposite effect and genuinely hurt your relationship with your audience.
Some topics are sensitive and can cause real backlash in your community, especially divisive subjects such as religion, sexuality, or politics.
Posting about one of these thornier subjects could alienate part of your audience, who may feel left out or unconcerned.
So keep the diversity of your target audience in mind when you build your editorial calendar and pick the dates you want to cover.
How to Communicate Well Around Calendar Moments
Picking a date just because it’s easy is never the right move.
Whenever you decide to cover a seasonal topic, as with any other topic, it has to be thought through, and you need to weigh several criteria.
Choose Based on Your Industry and Brand Image
Ask yourself: “Will this topic interest my audience, and is it consistent with my communication strategy?”
That’s why you should choose your dates based on your company’s DNA.
Take a simple example: a brewery that wants to post about a calendar moment. International Beer Day, on the first Friday in August, would be the perfect opportunity to engage its community. International Cat Day, a few days later on August 8, would make far less sense. Your audience should immediately see the link between you and the date, and your message should stay consistent with your brand image.
Don’t Post Just for the Sake of Posting
The calendar moment shouldn’t just be an easy post. It should add value and give your audience useful or interesting information.
Ask yourself what the event can offer your target audience. What can you teach them through this date?
Back to our brewery: International Beer Day would be the perfect time to show the atmosphere in your taproom and what you have on offer, not just to repeat that it’s International Beer Day.
Find a Fresh Angle Every Year
It can be hard to keep things fresh year after year. A calendar moment, by definition, comes back at the same time every year. But that doesn’t mean you have to cover it the same way every year.
Explore the different angles a topic offers, and always aim to bring something new to your audience rather than repeating the same information every year. Changing the format helps too: a carousel one year, a short video or a poll the next (check the right social media image sizes before you design).
Finding the calendar moments that speak to your audience, the angle to take on each topic, building an effective editorial calendar that fits your brand, and showing up consistently on social media is no small task. Référenceur is a French-speaking agency from Belgium and Luxembourg that helps businesses build their visibility on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest (often the most underrated social network), and we work with U.S. companies remotely. Get a free assessment of your social media presence.
Key Dates to Watch in 2022
Here is a month-by-month selection of holidays, awareness days, and events for U.S. brands in 2022. Pick only the ones that fit your audience and your brand.
January 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| January 4 | World Braille Day |
| January 5 | CES opens in Las Vegas |
| January 17 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day / Blue Monday |
| January 19 | National Popcorn Day |
| January 21 | National Hugging Day |
| January 23 | National Handwriting Day |
| January 24 | Community Manager Appreciation Day |
| January 27 | International Holocaust Remembrance Day |
| January 28 | Data Privacy Day |
February 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Black History Month |
| February 1 | Lunar New Year |
| February 2 | Groundhog Day |
| February 4 | Facebook’s birthday / World Cancer Day / Opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics (through February 20) |
| February 8 | Safer Internet Day |
| February 9 | National Pizza Day |
| February 11 | International Day of Women and Girls in Science |
| February 13 | Super Bowl LVI / World Radio Day |
| February 14 | Valentine’s Day |
| February 21 | Presidents’ Day |
March 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Women’s History Month |
| March 1 | Mardi Gras |
| March 8 | International Women’s Day |
| March 13 | Daylight saving time begins |
| March 14 | Pi Day |
| Mid-March | NCAA March Madness tournaments tip off |
| March 17 | St. Patrick’s Day |
| March 20 | First day of spring / International Day of Happiness |
| March 22 | World Water Day |
| March 26 | Earth Hour |
April 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| April 1 | April Fools’ Day |
| April 2 | World Autism Awareness Day / Start of Ramadan |
| April 7 | World Health Day |
| April 15 | Coachella, first weekend |
| April 17 | Easter |
| April 18 | Tax Day (federal filing deadline) |
| April 22 | Earth Day |
| April 29 | National Arbor Day / International Dance Day |
| April 30 | International Jazz Day |
May 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month / Mental Health Awareness Month |
| May 2 | Teacher Appreciation Week (through May 6) |
| May 4 | Star Wars Day |
| May 5 | Cinco de Mayo |
| May 7 | Kentucky Derby |
| May 8 | Mother’s Day |
| May 20 | World Bee Day |
| May 29 | Indianapolis 500 |
| May 30 | Memorial Day |
| May 31 | World No Tobacco Day |
June 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Pride Month |
| June 3 | National Donut Day |
| June 5 | World Environment Day |
| June 8 | World Oceans Day |
| June 14 | Flag Day / World Blood Donor Day |
| June 18 | International Sushi Day |
| June 19 | Father’s Day / Juneteenth (federal holiday observed June 20) |
| June 20 | Cannes Lions festival (through June 24) |
| June 21 | First day of summer / International Day of Yoga / Make Music Day |
| June 27 | Wimbledon begins |
July 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| July 1 | Tour de France begins |
| July 4 | Independence Day |
| July 12 | Amazon Prime Day (July 12–13) |
| July 17 | World Emoji Day / National Ice Cream Day |
| July 29 | International Tiger Day |
| July 30 | International Day of Friendship |
August 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Back-to-school season |
| August 5 | International Beer Day |
| August 8 | International Cat Day |
| August 12 | International Youth Day |
| August 13 | International Left-Handers Day |
| August 19 | World Photography Day / World Humanitarian Day |
| August 26 | National Dog Day / Women’s Equality Day |
| August 29 | US Open tennis begins |
| August 31 | World Blog Day |
September 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| September 5 | Labor Day |
| September 11 | Grandparents Day / Patriot Day |
| September 13 | Programmers’ Day |
| September 15 | National Hispanic Heritage Month begins (through October 15) |
| September 19 | International Talk Like a Pirate Day |
| September 21 | International Day of Peace |
| September 22 | First day of fall |
| September 27 | Google’s birthday / World Tourism Day |
| September 29 | National Coffee Day |
October 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Breast Cancer Awareness Month / Inktober |
| October 1 | International Coffee Day / World Vegetarian Day |
| October 4 | World Animal Day |
| October 5 | World Teachers’ Day |
| October 7 | World Smile Day |
| October 10 | Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day / World Mental Health Day |
| October 16 | World Food Day |
| October 31 | Halloween |
November 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| All month | Movember / Native American Heritage Month |
| November 6 | Daylight saving time ends |
| November 11 | Veterans Day |
| November 13 | World Kindness Day |
| November 14 | World Diabetes Day |
| November 15 | America Recycles Day |
| November 20 | FIFA World Cup in Qatar begins (through December 18) |
| November 24 | Thanksgiving |
| November 25 | Black Friday |
| November 26 | Small Business Saturday |
| November 28 | Cyber Monday |
| November 29 | Giving Tuesday |
December 2022
| Date | Key Dates |
|---|---|
| December 1 | World AIDS Day |
| December 3 | International Day of Persons with Disabilities |
| December 5 | International Volunteer Day |
| December 7 | National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day |
| December 10 | Human Rights Day |
| December 16 | National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day |
| December 18 | Hanukkah begins at sundown (through December 26) |
| December 21 | First day of winter |
| December 25 | Christmas |
| December 26 | Kwanzaa begins |
| December 31 | New Year’s Eve |