This presentation is from Affiliate Summit West 2017 (January 15-17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada). Session description: Expand your marketing with lesser-known “holidays” and trending events. Learn where to find them, how to use them in your content marketing and social media, and how they can boost your revenue.

1. Affiliate Summit West 2017
Boost Your Marketing with Faux Holidays and
Special Events
Tricia Meyer, MeyerTech, LLC, @SunshineTricia
Joe Sousa, Fanatics, @drcool73
Nathan Smith, Zynali Marketing Solutions @CoffeeNate

2. ●The “National Dog Day” Phenomenon
●What are “Faux Holidays”?
●Finding and Tracking Them
●Using Them in Content Marketing, Social Media, and More
●Starting Your Own “Day”
●Monetize and Track
Agenda

3. National Dog Day

4. National Dog Day

5. ●Food/Drink Holidays
●Shopping Days
●Charitable Days
●Sporting Events
What Are “Faux Holidays” and Special Events?

6. Food Days

7. Food Days

8. Food Days

9. Drinking Days

10. • Black Friday
• Cyber Monday
• Green Monday
• Free Shipping Day
• Singles Day
Shopping Days

11. Charitable Days

12. Charitable Days

13. Over 300 “Hot Markets” a year
• Championships
• Product Launches
• New Team Logos
• Trades and Free Agents
• Drafts
• Big Games
Some events are planned, some are out of the blue
“Fan” Holidays
• MLB Opening Day
• Jersey Day
• College Colors Day
Micro Moments
• Record Breakers
• Retirements
• Amazing plays
• Amazing performances
Sporting Events

14. Online Calendars
○ http://trackmaven.com/blog/2016/04/national-days-calendar
○ http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/calendar-at-a-glance
○ http://www.thenibble.com/fun/more/facts/food-holidays.asp
○ http://www.checkiday.com
Create Your Own Calendar
○ http://www.wineclubgroup.com/annual-wine-holidays
Hashtag Tracking
○ Twitter
○ Facebook
Finding and Tracking

15. • Is your content preparatory or reactionary?
• Are you helping people prep for the day or get ready for the day?
• Are you just celebrating on that day?
Example: National Taco Day is Oct. 4th. On Sept. 27th
You could write a post telling about how National Taco Day is in a week with favorite
recipes, the history of tacos, a debate of soft or crisp, etc. That is a preparatory post.
If you just happen to see a social post on the 4th and realize it is National Taco Day
your post could be more along the lines of “10 Reasons I Love Tacos” or share some
funny taco memes. This is more of reactionary content.
Content Marketing Ideas

16. Content Marketing Ideas

17. Social Media Tips

18. Social Media Tips

19. Social Media Tips

20. • Tie the occasion to your niche
• Coffee supports productivity,
Creativity, and mental function
• Use the trending hashtag for
discoverability
National Coffee Day

21. • Communicate
• Merchants, give your affiliates a heads up
• Affiliates, talk to your merchants
• Custom Graphics
• Any special products?
• Special coupon codes and promos
• Recruit around specific days or events
• Blogs
• Social
• Niche sites
Affiliate Managers and OPMs

22. Affiliate Managers and OPMs

23. Affiliate Managers and OPMs

24. Affiliate Managers and OPMs

25. • Create emails specifically around the holiday
• Link to old content in your newsletters
• Add a “holiday” section to your template and
feature new ones each day as additional
newsletter content
Newsletters and Emails

26. Newsletters and Emails

27. ● Choose Your Niche
● Research What Is Already There
● Create Content
● Choose Hashtag
● Press Release
● Reach Out to Merchants, Affiliates, Bloggers, etc.
Creating Your Own Day

28. Creating Your Own Day (Good Example!)

29. Creating Your Own Day (Good Example!)
National Jersey Day - NFLPA and Fanatics.com
● Started in 2015
● First Friday in November
● Encourages everyone to wear their favorite jersey
● #jerseyfriday - thousands of engagements
● Social contests
● Great marketing messages
● Affiliates can promote the heck out of days like this

30. Creating Your Own Day (Bad Example!)

31. Creating Your Own Day

32. What good is all of this
if you don’t make any money from it?
Monetize and Track

33. SubId Tracking

34. • Simple tool to add
UTM parameters
• Reduces “Direct/None” in
Google Analytics reports
Use Google Campaign URL Builder

35. Checkiday.com to find what ‘day’ it is
Use Publisher Toolkit (toolkit.fmtc.co)
and ShareASale Deal database to
find relevant deals
Finding Affiliate Channel Deals

37. Free Shipping Day
Conform the Occasion to Your Niche

38. Use a Faux-casion to Land a New job

39. Tricia Meyer
tricia@tricia.me
@sunshinetricia
www.tricia.me
Nathan Smith
nathan@zynali.com
@CoffeeNate
Joe Sousa
jsousa@fanatics.com
www.whatdoesjoethink.com
@drcool73
Contact Information