There are plenty of reasons to make a video for a holiday or special occasion. You might be a busy social media manager in charge of an entire marketing calendar. You might be a business owner juggling their website, keeping up with Instagram, and fulfilling orders. You might be a marketer at a large company with a passion for video.
Either way, what could be better than a full year’s worth of content ideas?
Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Drop down to the month of your choice, and you’ll find beautifully designed, easy-to-customize templates for every holiday and special occasion under the sun.
January
New Year’s Day
New year, new content. January 1st is a fresh start for you and your audience on New Years’ Day. Try these ideas:
- Post a quick Instagram Story to commemorate the year change
- Make a slideshow video of your favorite memories from the past 12 months
- Promote an end-of-year sale with a video
MLK Day
On January 18th, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr., who used civil disobedience to fight for equal rights for Black people in America. Here are a few ideas:
- Honor Martin Luther King Jr. with clips of his best speeches
- Share your brand’s annual donation to the NAACP or other causes on social media with a thoughtful video — and encourage followers to match your donation
February
Black History Month Begins
Black History Month begins February 1st. Lean into diversity and make video ads that connect on a deeper level with audiences. This is a great opportunity to show support of your favorite Black-owned brands and take a step back in solidarity for People of Color.
- Share your story as a Black-owned business with an About Us video
- Promote social ads that communicate your guiding values
- Highlight other creators in your circle and wider community with video interviews. The best way to get ahead in ecommerce is to pay it forward
Groundhog Day
Will we have six more weeks of winter? If the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, we might. Keep promo playful for Groundhog Day, like:
- Create a teaser of an upcoming drop — if the Groundhog says winter is ending, show a sneak peek of your Spring collection
- If cooler temps are set to continue, show off your extra stock in winter-friendly apparel, home goods, or beauty products
Chinese New Year
This 16 day celebration — typically held after the New Moon in late January or early February — is for celebrating family and bringing luck in the new year. Here are a few ideas for Lunar New Year content:
- Create a recipe video on how to make classic Chinese dishes
- Make a paper-lantern tutorial video and save it to your Instagram Highlights
- Share an educational video detailing the history of Lunar New Year, including the significance of the different animals assigned to each year
Valentine’s Day
(Or, as some call it, Singles’ Awareness Day!) This iconic holiday celebrates all things love. There are plenty of things you can do to celebrate Valentine’s Day — and not just a highlight reel featuring your sweetheart.
- For small businesses, you can show off a Valentine’s promotion or sale on your Instagram feed or paid Facebook ads
- Create a vlog of your favorite DIY Valentine’s gifts
- Partner with another creator or influencer to make an Instagram Reel of Valentine’s date night looks
- Make a video gift guide for last minute shoppers who are hungry for ideas
March
Women’s History Month Begins
March is Women’s history month. Use ads that feature how women can benefit from your products and encourage your audiences to take a stand for women’s rights.
- Highlight women-owned businesses you shop from or that add to your community. Plan an Instagram giveaway with a women-owned business and share the spoils with your followers
- Tell other women’s stories in a series of interviews, whether they’re other entrepreneurs or multi-generational women you admire
- Post on International Women’s Day (March 8th) in celebration of women’s achievements around the world
St. Patrick’s Day
Celebrate Irish culture with food, dancing, and drinking. Don’t forget to wear green on March 17th or you might get pinched. Symbols include the pot of gold, leprechauns, and shamrocks.
- Promote a St. Patty’s day event on social media with an Instagram Story
- Share your OOTD or “all green” outfit ideas to successfully dodge a pinch
- Send out a St. Patrick’s Day email blast with a video offering a discount code to your products or services
April
Autism Awareness Day
April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day. Amplify the voices of friends or creators on the spectrum, and use your social media platforms to elevate and educate.
- Interview friends or family members on the spectrum to share their story with a wider audience
- Debunk myths about autism with educational videos on your social platform
Easter
Many people in the US celebrate this Christian holiday on the first Sunday after the Spring Equinox, but it’s Earth-centered roots mean that businesses can appeal to audiences of all kinds of backgrounds. Celebrate the coming of Spring with bright pastels, imagery like colorful eggs and bunnies, and a fresh vibe to welcome the changing of the seasons.
- Create a how-to video on dyeing eggs and post it to your YouTube channel
- Announce an Easter weekend sale on your website with embedded videos of “Easter eggs”
- Make a slideshow video photo album of your favorite Easter memories
Ramadan
Ramadan is a sacred time in Islamic culture, a holiday is for spiritual reflection, fasting, and prayer. Share words of encouragement on social to help those who are fasting, and refrain from posting photos or videos of food.
- Wish your followers a happy Eid Mubarak, or share the significance of the holiday with others in a brief educational video
- Share your favorite Ramadan memories in video form
- Send encouragement to others who are celebrating Ramadan
Earth Day
Many people celebrate the planet on April 22nd by picking up trash, planting a tree, and enjoying the great outdoors.
- Share your small business plan to reduce your waste or carbon footprint over time
- Create an “About Us” video that details your company’s stance on sustainability and eco-friendly practices
- Encourage followers to “Swipe Up” and donate to ecological causes
- Make a vlog about simply ways to incorporate sustainable habits into your life, whether that’s minimizing single use plastics or recycling
May
Mothers Day
The second Sunday in May is reserved for one purpose: to celebrate Moms of all varieties!
Memorial Day
Held on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day commemorates those who fought and died for America.
June
Pride Month
June is Pride Month. It’s not all rainbows — although there are a lot of them at this time of year — so make sure to shine a light on LGBTQ+ rights. Convey messages of strength and empowerment to showcase everything LGBTQ+ individuals have overcome.
- Create video testimonials sharing everyday stories of LBGTQ+ people
- Share the lesser known history of PRIDE, from the Stonewall riots and beyond
- Avoid performative activism — slapping a rainbow on your brand’s logo for a month is not the same as actively advocating for the LBGTQ+ community
Fathers Day
Every third Sunday in June, we gather to celebrate Dads around the world.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth (June 19) commemorates Black people’s freedom from slavery. Beyond wishing people a Happy Juneteenth, you can:
- Create content that shares the history and significance of the holiday
- Post a vlog highlighting a series of Black-owned businesses that people should support
- Share your brand or company’s ongoing commitment to racial justice
July
Independence Day
Americans celebrate their independence from Britain with food, fireworks, and family every July 4th. This is also a big holiday for brands to push their summer stock or seasonal goods with a 4th of July sale or promotion.
August
Black Business Owner Month
Black business owners should take advantage of this time of year to create video ad campaigns showcasing their companies and their unique stories. This is a great opportunity for other businesses to support their Black friends and neighbors by forming partnerships with Black-owned brands to help them get more visibility.
Raksha Bandhan
This traditionally Hindu holiday celebrates the unique bond between a brother and a sister. Show your siblings some love.
September
Labor Day
The first Monday in September is a very popular day for end of season sales. Every brand should be advertising for Labor Day. To stand out from other ecommerce brands, shift the focus from profits to appreciation of American workers (but still advertise your sales as well).
October
Halloween
It’s time to get spooky. Don’t forget to change your landing pages at the beginning of the month to reflect the start of the spooky season. Then, on October 31st, go all out with fun Halloween social content.
November
Dia de Los Muertos
Typically held from Nov 1-2, Dia de Los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) is A Mexican holiday that celebrates loved ones who have passed away. You can share the history of the holiday in a brief explainer video, make a Dia de Los Muertos makeup tutorial, or simply wish your social media followers a happy holiday.
Thanksgiving / Native People’s Day
Thanksgiving is typically held on the fourth Thursday in November. A day that started as a celebration of colonialism has now shifted to a day to recognize the impact that colonization had on Native People and to be thankful for friends and family. Here are a few video ideas for your small business:
- Promote a local food drive or share details about where people can find a free, hot meal on Thanksgiving
- Share a Turkey day promo code with a looping video embedded on your website product pages
- Make an Instagram poll and encourage your followers to engage with your brand
- Share video testimonials from Indigenous People on how to support their communities on holidays like Thanksgiving
Black Friday
The Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holiday shopping days of the year. Everyone is looking for great deals. Stand out with videos that have been tested and analyzed for performance so that you don’t miss out on key sales. Make sure your deals are competitive, or take a stance like REI — who notoriously “opt out” of Thanksgiving holiday sales.
Small Business Saturday
Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, there’s an opportunity for consumers to do holiday shopping with small and locally owned businesses.
Cyber Monday
Like Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday is another opportunity to find deals as a consumer, especially for things like electronics and ecommerce goods that don’t have brick and mortar locations.
December
Christmas Eve
Use video to wish your friends, family and audiences a Merry Christmas and remind them to leave out the cookies and milk for Santa on December 24th.
Christmas Day
Consumers are expected to spend $218 billion on ecommerce products this holiday season, so start your video ad campaigns early. Create ads that show all kinds of families coming together.
The options for holiday marketing are pretty much endless. Here are a few resources from the Vimeo blog to give you more ideas:
Kwanzaa
Dec 26 – Jan 1) – This Afro-American festival, typically held from December 26 – January 1st, celebrates life and abundance through foods, symbols, and reverence of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
- Create a vlog cataloguing each day of Kwanzaa and how to celebrate
- Announce a Kwanzaa sale on your Instagram Stories
- Share the seven principles of Kwanzaa in a quick explainer video
New Year’s Eve
On December 31st, it’s time to bust out the bubbly and ring in the new year. While not a major revenue generating holiday, small online businesses can still build brand awareness by encouraging audiences to set valuable intentions and resolutions for the new year.
Putting it all together
Holidays are a great opportunity to connect with your customers in a different way while also providing them with new ways to celebrate their friends and family all year round.
There are numerous costs involved when it comes to building and maintaining an ecommerce site, sometimes upwards of $10-15,000 per year. Leveraging video content that looks like it was created by a professional can cut down on costs and save you time.
With a mapped-out content schedule that includes key holidays (and some fun one-offs), you can build lasting relationships with your audience and ramp up sales at different times of the year.
Plan your next video ad campaign with Vimeo Create.
