It’s time to run through our December observances and unique author brand enhancements and content ideas for your monthly book marketing plan!
Without a regular connection to readers, you’re just another book on the shelf.
Take the time to make yourself stand out by using our monthly observances and tips to create interesting content with your own unique twist.
This is part of really refining your author brand!
Timely content that uses popular and trending search terms and hashtags is a great way to enhance your visibility and improve SEO in a very simple way.
And what’s really key: content ideas don’t always have to stem from your genre or topic.
When it comes to author marketing and building an author brand, ensuring that your fans and followers have ways to connect with you on a more personal level is as powerful as speaking about your genre and topic.
How to Use My Content Ideas
Below are holidays and just plain wacky and fun December observances for 2021.
I’ve also included a few content ideas and angles to help spark your creativity and help you wrap your mind around how to work them into your author branding.
Not all of these are worth an entire blog post or article, but nearly all of them can be turned into a fun or thought-provoking social media post or blurb in your newsletter – so it’s like getting triple the ideas!
There are always a lot of holidays around food, drink, and cooking, so get ready to share recipes or tag local fave establishments and ask followers to share theirs. The same goes for activities: this is a great chance to take selfies and/or to share a bit about yourself outside of being a writer.
These also open up opportunities for you to make recommendations for products – no, not official ads, but again, people love to follow someone who’s a great resource. Think outside the box to come up with ways you can help people out and make their lives easier or more exciting.
Keep in mind: ALL of your posts should encourage your fans and followers to respond, chime in, share their feedback, insight, stories, etc. Don’t forget to work that angle: let them know you want to hear from them!
Also remember: Your goal is to encourage engagement – never post flat content; be creative with how you pull others into the conversation and offer ways for them to easily engage.
Giving yourself a bar to reach is the first step to upping your author branding game.
Do polls, giveaways, fan art contests: remember to make it about your readers – not about you – and you’re guaranteed to see better engagement.
If you need some additional support on how to translate these ideas into actual content and posts, consider signing up for email coaching with me and we’ll get personal!
And don’t forget to grab our Monthly Book Marketing Planner from the Free Resources and Downloads section at the end of this post.
Getting Started with December Observances
Start with these month-long ideas! Several offer opportunities to support a cause close to your heart by sharing stories, raising awareness, and/or giving your followers ways to donate money, time, and love to your favorite issues.
Bingo Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
World Food Service Safety Month
Write a Friend Month
Read a New Book Month- I think you know what to do here!
December Observances by the Day
December 1
Eat a Red Apple Day
World Aids Awareness Day
December 2
National Fritters Day
December 3
National Roof over Your Head Day
December 4
Santa’s’ List Day – we hope you are on the “Nice” list!
Wear Brown Shoes Day- This is an opportunity for you to show off your personal style. Take it as seriously (or not so seriously) as you want and encourage your readers to share their favorite pair of brown shoes too!
December 5
Bathtub Party Day
Repeal Day – The 21st Amendment ends Prohibition. I’ll drink to that! Share your favorite cocktail recipe.
December 6
Bartender Appreciation Day – in Europe
St. Nicholas Day
Mitten Tree Day
Put on your own Shoes Day
December 7
International Civil Aviation Day
Letter Writing Day- We all want to feel connected during the holidays, and writing letters is a beautiful way to tell someone you’re thinking of them. Encourage your readers to send a letter to an old friend, family member, or anyone else in need of some holiday cheer.
National Cotton Candy Day
Pearl Harbor Day
December 8
National Brownie Day
Take it in the Ear Day- No one really knows where this holiday came from, but let’s use it as an excuse to communicate with each other! What’s something you’ve been wanting to tell your readers? Maybe ask if there’s anything they would like to say to you. Open up your ears and get the conversation flowing!
December 9
Christmas Card Day
National Pastry Day
December 10
Human Rights Day
Nobel Prize Day
Dewey Decimal System Day (Melville Dewey’s birthday)
December 11
National Noodle Ring Day
December 12
International Children’s Day
National Ding-a-Ling Day
Poinsettia Day
December 13
Ice Cream Day
Violin Day
December 14
International Monkey Day
National Bouillabaisse Day
Roast Chestnuts Day
U.K. National Postal Worker Day
December 15
Bill of Rights Day
National Lemon Cupcake Day
December 16
National Chocolate Covered Anything Day- Get creative with a poll asking what item is best covered in chocolate! Or what items should never be…
Jane Austen’s Birthday
December 17
National Maple Syrup Day
December 18
Bake Cookies Day
National Roast Suckling Pig Day
December 19
Look for an Evergreen Day
Oatmeal Muffin Day
December 20
Go Caroling Day
December 21
Crossword Puzzle Day- Create a fun crossword of your own to share with your readers! Make the answers about you, or about your book for a creative way to share information. Perhaps create a giveaway for the first few people to send you the completed puzzle!
Forefather’s Day
Humbug Day
Look on the Bright Side Day
National Flashlight Day
Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year, date varies.
Celebrate Short Fiction Day – The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. Why not celebrate with some of your favorite short stories?
December 23
Roots Day
December 24
National Chocolate Day
National Egg Nog Day
December 25
Christmas Day
National Pumpkin Pie Day
December 26
National Candy Cane Day
December 27
Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day
National Fruitcake Day- The debate about fruitcake will never be over! Have your readers weigh-in with their opinion on this controversial dessert.
December 28
Boxing Day – date can vary
Card Playing Day
December 29
Pepper Pot Day
December 30
Bacon Day
National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
December 31
Make Up Your Mind Day
New Year’s Eve- Setting goals for the new year is a wonderful way to stay real with your audience. Also take a moment to reflect back on 2021, and celebrate! There are no goals too small to be recognized and it’s nice to start a new year off on a positive note.
Unlucky Day
The Takeaway
Remember, being an author demands creativity, and it also demands authenticity when developing a marketing plan to support your author brand.
Coming up with unique content ideas for authors as part of your marketing plan is a great way to take your success seriously, without taking yourself too seriously! And these December observances should really help.
Resources and Free Downloads
Monthly Book Marketing Planner
Bonus Holiday Sales Strategies
5 Surprisingly Simple Book Marketing Tips to Help You Stand Out From the Competition
How to Market Your Book with Reviews to Get Stronger Engagement
This article stimulated some fun ideas for me and my sleepy private FB group.
Thanks,
b
What resources do you get these dates from? Would you share the links?
Great ideas to get that drowsy/reluctant marketing side of my brain into action! Many thanks!