Summer tends to be the season of downturns for online shopping; consumers are more likely to be out and about, typically visiting shops in person or travelling, and there are no blockbusting gift or sale-related holidays until well into the fall. As such, Shopify and e-commerce store owners may find the summer months to be a drag, with no great events to theme any product pushes around, save the simple fact that it is summer, and much less consumer interest or traffic. That's where non-bank holidays, what are rapidly becoming known as Social Media Holidays, come in. 

What Are Social Media Holidays?

• That's where non-bank holidays, what are rapidly becoming known as Social Media Holidays, come in. A SMH can vary in importance or impact, ranging from the typically ignored Denim Day on April 28th, to more well known and traditional holidays (that, usually, don't result in business closing early), like Halloween, St Paddy's Day, or Valentine Days. These days are a boon for any store owner looking for a short burst of traffic, and for customers looking for an excuse to break up the monotony of their days, chasing novelty for novelty's sake. A clever SMH campaign, through a company like Omnisend, such as simply posting copyright-free photos of dogs on National Puppy Day can bring a welcome wave of fresh traffic and attention to any store, regardless of product or service offered, with little to no time or resource investment.

SMH campaigns however can be a double edged sword when it comes to the heavy hitters of the Social Media Holidays, like Mother's Day. Before the rise of the internet, Mother's Day was infamous among retail and restaurant workers for being the true crucible of workers, a highly profitable crunch that can yield a massive one-day gain. It may seem all too easy and obvious to, in the days of social media, bombard your channel with Mother's Day coverage, tugging at the heartstrings of consumers, and getting them to show their love to Mom with another new purchase, but some SMHs, like Mother's Day, may unexpectedly poison your well.

• Whereas in the past, advertising media had to be engaged with by a customer to be consume, a choice made by them to interact or not, modern ad methods, such as automated messaging, can side-step this barrier, and deliver what may be unwanted or even jarring alerts to otherwise interested users. Days like Mother's Day and Father's Day, along with Remembrance Day, or other SMHs that seek to address either deeply personal relationships or spotlight societal problems, can be deeply traumatic, exploitative or emotionally disruptive to some customers. Interrupting their day to interject unwelcome feelings or associations that they may have spent a lot of time and energy dealing with or avoiding can cost you a dedicated and loyal customer.

According to Pitstop host Lucas Walker, there is a simple way to not only avoid upsetting any of your consumer base or users, without a major investment in time or money from you, but deepening your customer's sense of trust and personal engagement with your store and product; before rolling out your Mother's Day SMH campaign, reach out to your members, and give them the choice to opt out. 

Presented as a direct text based message, no elaborate designs or pushes to sell, from either the company brand ambassador, head or founder, this simple choice, left up to the customer themselves, can turn your relationships with your customers from one of transactions to loyalty, humanity, and respect, and actually drive later sales even further, as returning consumers show their appreciation for your consideration.

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