‘May the 4^th be with you!’ 

‘It’s World Oceans Day!’ 

‘Happy Pizza Day!’ 

What are awareness days? 

Whether you’re a social media addict or you only have a scroll now and then, you’ll have seen the multitude of ‘awareness’ or themed days throughout the year. Whether it’s Stress Awareness Week or National Pet Day there seems to be a day, week, or month for almost anything.  

They take the form of both light-hearted themes, think ‘National Reading Day’, and serious topics, which often touch upon important themes, from illness to safety.  

With the calendar being so highly saturated with themed days, weeks and months, their value may be difficult to determine. However, if you take a strategic approach and identify and use the ones that work for your brand,  you’ll capitalise on a great marketing opportunity.  

Our guide to effective use 

As many marketers and content creators know, creativity and diversity can be hard to maintain when posting frequently online, whether that is a blog or tweet. Having broad topics already outlined, as in this case, can be helpful when it comes to generating ideas. But commenting on every single awareness day, week and month on the calendar will be excessive. So how do you avoid this? 

In a nutshell, using these themes effectively relies on cherry-picking based on relevance to your organisation and your values. 

Industry, sector, and marketing style, as well as your individual company, all contribute to making informed decisions about what themes are relevant to you. Most sectors will have specific days, weeks or months celebrated, for instance in the rail industry, a key industry in which we operate,  National Rail Week or Safety Week are crucial to take advantage of. There are certainly topics that are pertinent for your brand and audience or potentially to colleagues in your company.  

Ensure that your communications come across as genuine. Authenticity is valued online, especially in the digital world, which is flooded with high amounts of content constantly. This is an opportunity to showcase a more personal or ‘human’ side to your brand, for instance, capitalising on the cuteness factor of office pets on National Pet Day or showcasing how you support employees’ mental health on Mental Health Awareness week.  

Using the more light-hearted themes gives you the chance to showcase your positive company culture in a relevant and fun way. There’s no better chance to have a staff pizza party than on National Pizza Day. Not only does a positive company culture look good for you in terms of new business, attracting new employees and maintaining staff retention are also important benefits that you can reap.   

Moreover, through highlighting the more serious topics you can spread awareness and understanding of key issues and health problems which is important both internally and externally. For a client, we recently shared content on a touching story for Stroke Awareness Month which not only pulled at heart strings but ultimately spread awareness for an important issue within the client’s organisation.  

Another great example is sharing information and resources out for occasions like Stress Awareness Week. This can increase people’s knowledge and provide support for those struggling with stress and their mental health whilst also giving your wider audiences a glimpse into your values as a company.  

Ultimately, a discerning use of these awareness days, weeks and months is an opportunity beyond simply a marketing gimmick. By embracing the marketing opportunities they provide, you can showcase your values and company culture creatively whilst highlighting important topics that make a meaningful impact. 

If you’d like to gain more marketing insights head over to our blog or if you’re in need of marketing support get in contact today via communicate@heyme.co.uk