Content ideas for Winter 2023/2024

How to use this guide

This pick ‘n’ mix guide is packed with inspiration and ideas for your marketing efforts over the winter period, from December 2023 to February 2024.

For each month, I’ve prepared an event calendar, which might inspire a post, promotion or tie-in. I’ve included links where possible, so you’ll find all the information you need, including themes and full event details.

Please double-check the 2023/24 dates and that the events are still going ahead before you invest time and money on marketing.

There’s also a selection of content ideas for each month, which you should be able to adapt for your brand and your audience.

Remember, your content should be about helping rather than selling, so make sure it’s customer focused with a clear What’s In It For Me (WIIFM).

This is an evolving post that I return to and update every year. For advance notification of updates, make sure you’re following me on LinkedIn.

If you need more ideas, you’ll find plenty in my blog post:
101 Blog post ideas for your business.

*Denotes events held on the same dates every year.

Content ideas for December 2023

December 2023 event calendar

Month-long events

1st* — Decembeard, for bowel cancer (UK)

Week-long+ events

2nd — National Grief Awareness Week (UK)
7th — Hanukkah

Days

1st* — Word AIDS Day
1st — Cyber Monday
2nd* — International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
2nd* — English Breakfast Day (UK)
3rd* — International Day of Persons with Disabilities
3rd — Small Business Saturday (UK)
3rd* — World Wildlife Conservation Day
5th* — World Soil Day
5th* — Annual Day of the Ninja
5th* — International Volunteers’ Day
7th* — International Civil Aviation Day
7th — Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children (UK)
10th* — International Animal Rights Day
10th* — Human Rights Day
11th* — International Mountain Day
12th* — National Workplace Day of Remembrance (UK)
18th* — International Migrants Day
20th* — International Human Solidarity Day
21st* — Winter Solstice, shortest day
24th* — Christmas Eve
25th* — Christmas Day
26th* — Boxing Day
31st* — New Year’s Eve
31st* — National Champagne Day

December 2023 content ideas

1. A countdown or top ten

A countdown of your most popular blog articles from 2020
A look at your 10 most popular products this year
Your top ten favourite moments from the year
A top 10 of your recommendations for…

2. Something festive

Unveil a festive special offer
Promote your Christmas gift guide
Run an on-brand competition or prize draw
Host a fun quiz, challenge or event.

3. End of the year business round-up

What happened in your business this year?
Did you achieve any of your goals for the year?
Did you pivot or differentiate your services?
Did you introduce anything new?
What were you most proud of?
How did you adapt your business during Covid-19?
Did you do any charity work or fundraising you want to mention?
Did you do any special work to help during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Did you have any notable achievements or anniversaries?

Content ideas for January 2024

^{Image by Christoph Maier from Pixabay}

January 2024 event calendar

Month-long events

1st* — Buy Nothing New Month
1st* — Dry January
1st* — Ginuary
1st* — Veganuary
1st* — Walk Your Dog Month

Week-long events

15th — Energy Savers Week, with Citizens’ Advice
22nd — Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (UK)
22nd — Farmhouse Breakfast Week (UK), TBC
27th — National Storytelling Week (UK)

Days

1st* — New Year’s Day
2nd* — World Introvert Day
4th* — World Braille Day
5th* — Harbin Ice & Snow Festival, China, official opening
6th — Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA
9th — Rio Carnival, Brazil
14th* — International Kite Festival, Gujurat
16th* — International Hot and Spicy Food Day
15th — Blue Monday, third Monday in January
15th — Brew Monday, for the Samaritans, TBC
18th* — Thesaurus Day
18th* — Winnie the Pooh Day
21st* — International Squirrel Appreciation Day
21st* — International Sweatpants Day
23rd* — Handwriting Day
24th* — International Day of Education
25th* — Burn’s Night
25th — Stroke Prevention Day
26th* — Australia Day
26th — RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (UK)
27th* — International Chocolate Cake Day
27th* — Holocaust Memorial Day
27th — Big Schools’ Birdwatch, TBC
27th — Wakakusa Yamayaki, mountain burning festival, Japan
28th* — International Lego Day
28th — World Leprosy Day, last Sunday in January
30th — Up Helly Aa, galley burning, Scotland
31st* — Inspire Your Heart with Art Day
31st* — Self-assessment tax deadline

January 2024 content ideas

1. Your business plans for 2024

As we enter a new year, it’s a good time to talk about new plans for your business and how they will benefit your customers.

What are your business plans for 2021?
Are you making any changes?
Do you have more products/services planned?
What will you be doing more/less of?
What will you be investing more in?
Who are you looking to work with?

2. New Year, New Start

The New Year is a great time for making resolutions, changes and improvements. And for launching new initiatives, services and product ranges. All of which you can write about on your blog. Some ideas to think about:

Environment: sustainability, energy saving
Productivity: streamlining, automating, digitising
Health initiatives: walking, cycling, healthy lunches
Embracing new ways of working
Customer loyalty: rewards, bonuses, benefits
Customer initiative: suggestion box, engagement.

3. Health, safety and winter wellbeing

Health and safety is important all year round, but comes to the fore during winter. Some themes to think about:

Darker days, reliance on artificial light
Risks caused by frost and ice, slips and falls, frozen plumbing
Greater strain on power and heating systems
Keeping warm while working outside
Staying safe on the roads, in your vehicle
Emergency precautions and preparations.

Content ideas for February 2024

February 2024 event calendar

Month-long events

1st* — LGBT+ History Month (UK)
1st* — Raynaud’s Awareness Month (UK)
1st* — Walk 100 Miles in a Month, for Cancer Research UK

Week+ long events

1st* — African Heritage and Health Week
4th — Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan
4th — Freelance Writers’ Appreciation Week
5th — Children’s Mental Health Week (UK)
9th — Fairtrade Fortnight
10th — Chinese New Year (Year of the Dragon)
17th — Real Bread Week
24th — Taiwan Lantern Festival
26th — Eating Disorders Awareness Week (UK)

Days

1st — Dignity Action Day, for health and social care (UK)
1st — Time to Talk Day, first Thursday in February (UK)
2nd* — World Play Your Ukulele Day
2nd* — World Wetlands Day
2nd — NSPCC Number Day (UK)
2nd — Wear Red Day, for congenital heart disease (UK), TBC
4th* — World Cancer Day
4th — British Yorkshire Pudding Day, first Sunday in February
5th* — World Nutella Day
7th — National Sickie Day, first Monday of February (UK)
7th — Safer Internet Day (UK), TBC
7th — World Read Aloud Day, first Wednesday of February
10th* — World Pulses Day
10th* — National Umbrella Day
10th — Welsh Language Music Day, TBC
11th* — International Day of Women and Girls in Science
11th* — World Day of the Sick
12th* — International Charles Darwin Day
13th* — World Radio Day
13th — International Epilepsy Day, TBC
14th* — Valentine’s Day
14th* — International Book Giving Day
15th* — Singles Awareness Day
17th* — World Human Spirit Day
20th* — Love Your Pet Day
21st* — International Mother Language Day
22nd* — World Thinking Day, for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
23rd* — International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
23rd — National Toast Day, TBC
27th* — World NGO Day (Non-Governmental Organisation)

February 2024 content ideas

1. Winter

Winter exercise and activity
Home cooking: healthy comfort food, hot drink ideas
Best/most efficient heating systems
Ways to pass the time at home: DIY projects, fun things to do
Things to learn: courses, self teaching, 5-day challenges
Practical things you can do for your business now
Helpful guides: checklists, how-tos.

2. The month of love

With Valentine’s Day dominating this month, it’s a great opportunity to talk about all the things you’re loving/recommending at the moment. Some examples to think about:

New apps and tools you’ve been trying out
Inspiring books, blogs or articles you’ve been reading
New discoveries in your local area
Share glowing testimonials your customers have left
Share what your customers are loving this month
Recommend other products or services that complement your own.

3. Start creating a comprehensive buyer guide

Depending on the nature and complexity of your product, this could be done in one post, or in a content hub as shown in the diagram below. Either way, it’s a chance for you to answer all your customers’ buying questions in one place.

^{Image created by Jenny Lucas Copywriting}

A content hub consists of a main pillar article (orange) that links to several more detailed articles (blue), covering all the different aspects of the buyer decision-making process.

This could be a good idea if you’re selling to buyers with different awareness levels of your product or service, because they can pick and choose which of the more detailed articles they want to read.

And you don’t have to have eight different topics — that was just to make my diagram look pretty! You would choose the number of topics that’s relevant for what you’re selling.

Want to add an event?

My aim is to build a comprehensive calendar of UK and international events. If there’s a great event that’s missing and you’d like me to consider including it, please get in touch with the details and official website.