Memorial Day is right around the corner—are you going to be posting Memorial Day content to commemorate it?
For millions of Americans, Memorial Day is a yearly reminder of the servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending the United States as members of the military. It should be spent brushing up on American history, touring some of the Memorial sites and events, or paying it forward by finding related causes they can join or donate to in order to help current servicemembers, veterans, or to maintain some of the Memorial events and sites they find.
For millions of others, Memorial Day is a holiday to officially welcome the warmer weather and kick off the summer with what is often the first large family gathering of the year. It's a time to celebrate and (yes) even go shopping as stores of all sizes mark the occasion with sales and discounts and even residents start scheduling their first tag sales.
If you're planning on posting Memorial Day content, you're probably trying to find a balance between these two areas: how do you add your personal brand into the conversation while also respecting the weight of the sacrifices that made the holiday so important?
Read on to get our best tips for posting Memorial Day content for your direct sales business.
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Tips for Posting Memorial Day Content on Your Direct Sales Business Page
DO: Post something general and respectful.
Messages of remembrance for those who have fallen don't have to be long or complicated at all. You can use apolitical images such as the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, and the Bald Eagle to convey your respects without conveying your political viewpoints or messages.
Some people shy away from posting patriotic images because they're afraid of “getting political,” but these symbols aren't meant to represent one party or viewpoint over another, and people on all sides of the political spectrum hold respect for Memorial Day and the servicemembers who've died, so it's okay to commemorate the day with a simple post honoring that.
DON'T: Post a generic photo of you.
Especially when there is no context or attachment to the day at all. You don't want to use the #MemorialDay hashtag to try to take advantage of the traffic being seen by that hashtag or the number of people that hashtag seems to be attracting if you don't have any connection to it or if your post has no context relevant to it.
Your post will still get traffic and views by the right people even if you don't use the #MemorialDay hashtag while it's trending. But without the connection to the day, it's best to leave the hashtag off rather than letting it get lumped into the celebration.
DO: Post a simple post explaining any changes in your schedule.
If your normal hours of operation are changing for Memorial Day or the Memorial Day Weekend, let your customers know what those changes are. You don't need to divulge your plans or really even explain why your hours are changing—your audience can figure that out on their own.
For posts like these, avoid mentioning the military at all and avoid phrases such as “Happy Memorial Day.” Instead, go with a more understated notion like “Enjoy your weekend.”
DON'T: Create a post thanking the wrong servicemembers and forgetting what the day is actually about.
It's natural to want to thank veterans and current servicemembers on Memorial Day. And with so many different holidays celebrating the United States Armed Forces, it's easy to get confused over when to thank whom for their service. But Memorial Day was created with the explicit purpose of remembering and honoring those servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice: dying while in service.
So, while you might want to acknowledge that sacrifice by paying it forward and thanking the servicemembers who are still alive or retired, it's not always accepted well. But leaving off mention of the sacrifice entirely is sure to draw negative attention.
DO: Give people information about Memorial Day events happening in your area
There are millions of people out there looking for events, parades, and other activities they can do to celebrate Memorial Day. If you know of any such events happening in your area, you can create a post letting people know what they are and how to get to them.
These posts work best when they do not make a separate mention of your own business, although in this example we do love how the only mention of their own business was to say “right up the road from us!” (notice, there's not even a watermark on the image). A helpful post focused solely on letting their audience know about an event they might enjoy.
DON'T: Try to make the focus of the day your brand.
While some simple posts showing images like the American Flag can be respectful and a nice way of recognizing the day, using these images just to cover them up with your own branding completely defeats the purpose of adding your recognition.
This is especially true when there is no direct connection between the image you're sharing and your brand or your message. As we said before, you don't want to try to just hijack the #MemorialDay hashtag for the sake of views because it's trending. the last impression you want your customers to get of your brand is that you will use any cheap stunt or holiday to make a money grab.
Always make your post relevant to both the time and your brand; and consider whether or not slapping your brand all over the post is appropriate.
DO: Post about your American-Inspired products in the days leading up to Memorial Day.
People love to show off their love of country and summer with food, clothing, hair accessories, and even makeup looks. If you sell any products that are inspired by American patriotism or have special editions of items coming out that are inspired by American patriotism, then the days leading up to Memorial Day are the perfect days to share your information about them!
By posting about your products a few days before Memorial Day, you also minimize your risk of accidentally leaving out the necessary context or of trying to direct focus onto your brand rather than onto the day people want to experience.
One thing is for sure, no matter how you choose to celebrate Memorial Day, this holiday has a strong emotional effect on millions of Americans every year. So it's no wonder that you want to make sure you're posting Memorial Day content that remains respectful of the day and still allows you to mark the start of your summer.
Are you planning on posting content for Memorial Day?
Which of the above DOS that we listed are you planning to post?
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