A good email marketer always needs to be two steps ahead in terms of planning.  Using a calendar to map out content and campaigns is a great way to stay motivated and reach your 2024 marketing goals.

Now is a great time to start looking at your email marketing plan for 2024. When deciding on your campaign ideas throughout the year, it’s useful to have a clear overview of all key events taking place over the next 12 months. This will help you create email content which is relevant and interesting to your target audience.

Our 2024 marketing calendar will help you get started with your email marketing planning for the coming year – available for you to download free!

Want more inspiration for 2024? Keep reading to discover more unique marketing opportunities you can get involved in this year…

12 dates you need in your 2024 marketing calendar 

Every year has those key marketing dates that a marketer can't do without, such as Valentine's Day, Halloween, Black Friday, etc. What really sets your business apart from the rest is getting involved with unique holidays and events that keep your campaigns fresh and interesting to your target audience.

Here's a monthly breakdown of exciting events coming up in 2024 that you can adapt for your own creative campaigns.

January 11th - International Thank You Day

January 11th is International Thank You Day and poses the perfect opportunity for your business to show your gratitude to customers in whichever way you see fit.

One idea could be to launch a "thank you" sale or promotion, allowing customers to save money after the costly holiday period. You could also hold a special event in store, offer a free gift with every purchase, or simply send out a warm thank you email to all your subscribers. Tip: Here are some great ideas for thank you emails.

Say thank you to your customers this January on International Thank You Day

February 10th - Lunar New Year 2024

The Lunar New Year is a major celebration throughout China and the rest of the world and coincides with the first new moon of the lunar calendar. According to tradition, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon!

If you or your audience are also celebrating, take a moment to recognize this significant event by sending a New Year greeting or organising a promotional email campaign.

Use this fiery Mail Designer 365 Design Idea as inspiration for your Chinese New Year campaigns or get more tips in our dedicated marketing guide.

March 23rd - Earth Hour

There's never been a more important time to raise awareness about climate change and sustainability. The Earth Hour movement is all about taking time out to reduce our impact on the planet and switching off the lights to reduce global energy usage.

There are so many ways your business could get involved in raising awareness for this cause, for example by using your platform to share tips and ideas and to get the word out there. The Earth Hour website also has plenty more ideas and resources for you to explore.

April 12th - Coachella weekend begins

Coachella is known worldwide for being one of the biggest music festivals of the year and for many, marks the start of the summer season. With major stars headlining each year, thousands of celebrities, influencers and members of the public flock to this huge musical event, taking place over two weekends in the California desert.

As well as music, festival fashion is also a hot topic during Coachella. Perhaps your business can find a way to incorporate some of these themes into your April marketing campaigns. Some ideas may include organising a special event, creating a Coachella lookbook consisting of your products, or sharing travel tips.

May 6th - Met Gala

For years, the first Monday in May has been well known by the fashion community to mark the date of the Met Gala – considered by many to be "fashion's biggest night". The Gala is held annually in support of the New York Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute.

Each year there is a theme which invitees (largely consisting of prominent celebrities and influencers) are expected to reflect in their outfit choices. For 2024, the theme is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion".

As one of the most talked about events of the year, this could be a unique campaign opportunity for your business, especially if you are operating in the fashion or lifestyle industries. Met viewing parties or live commentaries are growing in popularity, or you could try creating content that provides insight on this year's theme.

June 1st - LGBT Pride Month begins

In the USA, and many other countries worldwide, June 1st signifies the beginning of LGBT Pride Month. During this time, events and parades are often held to celebrate LGBT people and promote tolerance and equality.

In recent years, more and more businesses have been getting involved and showing their support for the LGBT Pride movement. Whether that be for their LBGT members of staff, LGBT customers, or simply to demonstrate the company's overall values.

Consider taking this opportunity to hold a special Pride event, give LGBT voices a platform, or simply share a few words with your email subscribers about the importance of acceptance and tolerance.

The Mail Designer 365 Pride Collection contains a selection of bold email templates you can use to celebrate love and equality for everyone this Pride Month.

 

July 26th - Start of the 2024 Olympic Games

Held every four years, the Olympics are without a doubt one of the world's biggest sporting events and have people worldwide glued to their TV screens. In 2024, the Olympic Games will take place in Paris, France.

Like any major sporting event, the Olympics offer a great amount of marketing potential for your business – whether you're creating a special product range, holding an event or viewing party, or encouraging people to get active. See how you can incorporate these themes into your marketing strategy from July 26th - August 11th!

August 26th - Women's Equality Day

Most have heard of International Women's Day (March 8th), but August 26th also marks another important occasion for women in the US. Women's Equality Day is an annual day of recognition, commemorating the anniversary of women receiving the right to vote in the USA.

If a percentage of your audience is based in the US, this is a great opportunity to show your support for equal rights by sending out a dedicated email campaign. Need inspiration? Check out our marketing guide.

 

 

September 21st - Oktoberfest begins

Taking place annually in Munich, Germany since 1810, Oktoberfest is the world's largest beer festival (Volksfest). Each year, millions of visitors travel from within Germany and abroad to Munich to join in the celebrations which usually take place during the last two weeks of September up until the first Sunday of October.

Oktoberfest or Wiesn is renowned for its fun, party atmosphere – something which you could try incorporating into your campaigns during this period. For example, an Oktoberfest themed menu at your restaurant or a community beer festival.

October 10th - World Mental Health Day

The importance of taking care of your mental health is something which is being emphasised more and more. World Mental Health Day allows your business to use your platform to raise awareness.

You could run a social media campaign inspiring people to open up and support one another, or set up a charitable campaign encouraging donations to leading mental health organisations. Alternatively, sharing tips and resources on dealing with common mental health problems is another useful way your business can help show support.

November 25th - Small Business Saturday

Everyone's heard of Black Friday but have you heard of Small Business Saturday? As the name suggests, this is a day to show support for small, independent businesses in the run up to the holiday sales season.

If you are a small business owner, this is a great focus for your main seasonal sales campaign to drive more customers to your physical store or website.

Taken from the US Chamber of Commerce website:

"Small Business Saturday... encourages consumers to support local businesses by shopping small. American Express launched this shopping holiday in 2010, at the height of the Great Recession, as a way of redirecting holiday shopping to local stores. A decade later, it’s observed in all 50 states, and in 2011, the Senate passed a resolution recognizing Small Business Saturday."

December 6th - St Nicholas Day

St Nicholas Day is a Christian celebration based on the origins of Father Christmas. The holiday is celebrated in many countries throughout Europe, including France, Germany and Belgium, and provides a chance for your business to get super festive in early December. Especially if you have a big target audience in Europe, holding a sale or special event around this time could be a great warm up for Christmas.

Getting started with Email Marketing in 2024

We hope we have given you some ideas and inspiration for your 2024 email marketing calendar. Alongside the regular holidays and events in your planner, these events should give you some fresh and interesting new subject matter to create engaging emails with in 2024.

Want to get started with your campaigns asap? Check out Mail Designer 365! Download the app free today to discover all the Design Ideas, creative tools and resources you need to create and send amazing emails in 2024…

Until next time,
Your Mail Designer 365 Team