1. Health:

“Time to work for that summer body”

Winter is forgiving with the need to pack on layers of clothes that camouflages in-built layers of fat, but summer isn’t!

Remind your audience that getting that summer body takes hard work and time, and March is perfect to kick-start your Tabata or Zumba program.

The changing season also wreaks havoc on the skin. Therefore, posts and videos on skin care tips and celebrity beauty regime works well and is also a great way to enjoy the cumulative benefit as the post picks up momentum later in the month with summer inching closer.

Content ideas: “Just how many glasses of water should you drink everyday” “5 must-have skin care products in your bag” “5 effortless ways men can take care of their skin this summer” “How to lose 7 kg by May” “How to get a leaner and fitter body”, etc.

2. Zero Discrimination Day 1st March:

“Equality isn’t all of us being the same; it means our differences don’t matter”

Zero Discrimination Day is observed to celebrate diversity and reject discrimination on grounds of age, sex, race, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

At a time when the world is polarized and rife with discrimination of all sorts, brands can push educative content against the stigma – whether racial, social or disease-associated, albeit on a calibrated note.

Generic posts on how to eliminate discrimination at school/work place, as well as digressing into specific areas like “working towards higher gender parity”, “what Indian education institutes can do to make international students feel at home”, etc. would make for a good read.

3. World Wildlife Day, 3rd March:

“Protect animals or we’d only see them in alphabet books”

A global observance, the theme of World Wildlife Day 2017 is ‘Listen to the Young Voices’. With an attempt to educate and sensitize future leaders of the world towards protecting endangered species, this is an opportunity for brands to link youth empowerment and wildlife conservation in one.

UN encourages mass participation through two ways – by donating to Back a Ranger program wherein you monetarily equip rangers who defend animals, especially the hapless species considered trophy elements, and two; by signing pledges urging governments to pass stricter laws.

Content ideas: “6 species that might go extinct by 2020”, “A day in the life of a trophy animal”, “5 fantastic ways governments deter wildlife hunting”, “How to ingrain compassion towards animals in children”, “5 hero kids’ stories that reaffirm our faith in a better tomorrow”.

4. Employee Appreciation Day (First Friday in March):

“Some in-office permitted napping would be good”

This is a great day to categorically appreciate employees for their contributions.

Companies can host an event to praise employees who made a difference and publish about it on their blogs and social media.

Thought-leadership posts on keeping employees first, how can companies work towards better employee health, suggestions from employees to make work a fun place for them, etc. showcases that brands care about their human assets.

5. International Women’s Day 8th March:

“BeBoldForChange”

THIS IS A BIG SOCIAL MEDIA DAY – PERIOD! One of the most important days of the month, International Women’s Day is a great way to push out light-hearted, emotional content praising the women in our lives and even take on serious issues like gender inequality.

The theme for this year is “Women in the changing world of work: Planet 50-50 by 2030” reflects on the need for women empowerment, gender-responsive economic reforms and policies, and access to technology for the fairer sex.

With women empowerment at the heart of international agendas for sustainability development, brands can trigger massive user-generated content through contests and social media campaigns. Quirky greetings, quotes on women, women achievers, ways to promote gender parity, especially at the grass root level are some talking points to build content around.

Additionally, CSR activities like celebrating successful women at the work place will resonate well with your audience. Some content ideas: “Women who made ISRO’s satellite launch a reality”, “7 everyday encounters women face that are actually sexist”, “10 boss lady tweets shattering sexism”, “This International Women’s Day, which important women in your life are you celebrating”, etc.

6. World Kidney Day 9th March:

“#moveforkidneys”

With the theme #moveforkidneys, this year’s campaigns primarily link obesity with kidney health.

Not generally labeled a potent cause of kidney-related issues, obesity however, catalyzes the development of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) through triggering lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

Educating your audience about the same as well as giving them insights into keeping kidneys healthy is a safe bet to play. Kidney-friendly food ideas, how much water to drink for healthy kidneys, how to test for kidney diseases, how can diabetics keep their kidneys healthy, kidney theft stories that shook the nation, etc. will be a worthy read for your audience.

Additionally, brands can organize awareness walks, invite users to share stories, and raise public awareness through social media.

7. Holi 13th March:

“A riot of colorful content points!”

A spring festival although native to Bihar, Holi has inched its way to not just the rest of Indian and South Asia but also to various other countries.

Synonymous with colors, Holi is the perfect time to bring the fun side out of brands. Play with your website and social media pages to sync with the Holi vibe, talking about fusion recipes you can try this Holi, how to ring in the festival in fashion, skin care tips to Holi-proof your skin, Holi greetings, quirky ways to celebrate Holi, etc. make for good bite-sized social media content pegs.

Brands can also opine on the need for water conservation, highlighting the ginormous quantity of water wasted during Holi and what could have been the alternatively productive usage. Tips on fun ways to celebrate Holi without water wastage will drive the point home without killing the fun.

8. International Day of Happiness 20th March:

“Happiness is the ultimate drug”

Although there’s no objectively agreeing on the definition of happiness, Vanessa King’s book ‘10 Keys to Happier Living’ lists 10 key factors that make us happy. Ranging from giving, acceptance, emotions to exercise, there are ten points to link happiness to, giving brands a lot of base material to write on.

This day also is an opportunity to talk about mental health and the need for conversations around it. From teen depression to workplace stress, educative content around such topics will be much appreciated by your readers.

9. World Water Day 22nd March:

“Doesn’t water taste like it’s drawn from God’s well when you wake up parched in the middle of the night?”

The theme for World Water Day this year is ‘Water and Wastewater’. With a different theme each year, this day recognizes the need for fresh water for every individual in this world.

Building content around water-related issues and the steps we can take today to ensure water isn’t a luxury for our coming generations as well as posts on quick water-saving and harvesting tips will promise good readership.

Individual CSR activities like pledging to save water at the work place, reducing water wastage, finding alternative possible replacements again will position your brand as an inspiration.

10. Earth Hour 25th March:

“It’s the only place we have to live in”

Initially started as a lights-off event in Sydney in 2007, the significance of Earth Hour has doubled since then. Earth Hour day pose is an occasion to emphasize on the urgency to reduce and undo the damage human race so indifferently inflicts upon it.

To be celebrated on 25th March from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Earth Hour gives brands an opportunity to showcase their initiatives towards reducing carbon footprint. Pledging to save electricity and reduce wastage on social media as well as inviting readers to do the same would gain good traction.

Additionally, topics like “What Earth 2050 would look like if we don’t stop the damage now” “5 everyday things you can do to leave a greener Earth for your children” “Teaching children to be environmental-conscious”, etc. resonates well with the essence of the day.

11. Assembly Election 11th March

With 5 states – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur – slated to have their elections this month, brands can participate in trending conversations, but on a measured note.

Posts on introducing individual candidates, how can voting change certain situations in the state, why you should vote even if you don’t support any candidate, how NOTA is a bigger symbol of democracy than diverse candidature, etc. will make for an interesting read.

12. Festivals and Fun days

Nawroz, 21st March is the Persian New Year and celebrated with much pomp among the Parsi community in India. Content around ‘mouth-watering Parsi dishes’ ‘best heritage Irani cafes in India’ “Parsis who made a difference in different fields’ etc. will be a fruitful attempt at throwing light on an important community.

Proofreading day, 8th March. An event for the writers, editors, and translators of the world, brands can host proofreading contests, post memes, and publish posts on glaring proofreading mistakes in famous books.

Pi day 14th March For the math geeks out there, on Pi Approximation day you can push math facts, a brief history, and invite readers to answer questions like ‘did you know why Pi day is celebrated on the 14th of March’. For the non-math geeks, make this day about eating loads of pie.

Everything you think is wrong day 15th March. Although intended to be a fun day, this is also an opportunity to talk about serious issues like age-old superstitious beliefs and customs.

13. Sports: “Who’s playing this March?”

For cricket fanatics, March comes loaded with a month-long dose of cricket. From India playing Australia and Afghanistan v/s/ Ireland in ODI, South Africa v/s New Zealand in a test series to Pakistan v/s West Indies in T20 international series, this looks like a great month for you.

For those seeking the thrill of the chase, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is scheduled to be held in Melbourne from 24th through 26th March.

Searches around players, past matches and broadcast schedules surge, creating a lot of online buzz. Athletes and their fitness regime make for an interesting read. Additionally, topics like ‘5 tourist destinations in Melbourne you should visit,’ ‘5 epic match moments’ etc. as well as live updates and post-match analyses will keep readers tuning into your page.

14. Upcoming movies: “Will I boast about it or roast it on Facebook?”

Logan, 3rd March – The movie will see Logan caring for Professor X in a hideout when a young mutant arrives, jeopardizing his attempt to stay low-key.

Power Rangers, 24th March – Based on the popular TV show of the yesteryears, Power Rangers follow the journey of five kids who transform to save their hometown.

The Boss Baby 31st March– An animated flick that shows the camaraderie between two brothers who are out to restore order in the world, the movie will have both adults and children lining up at the theatres.

Badrinath ki Dulhaniya 10th March – The movie pairs the much-loved Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt again in a fun romantic comedy plot.

An opportunity for brands to talk about individual actors and snippets of their lives as well as push content on epic scenes from the movie, movie bloopers, how did actors prepare to play a certain role, etc.

15. Celebrity Birthdays in March

Justin Bieber, 1st March– Multiple Grammy winning American Pop Singer of Baby, Baby, Baby fame

Dr Seuss, 2nd March– American writer and illustrator best known for authoring popular children’s books under the pen name Dr. Seuss

Daniel Craig, 2nd March– Hollywood Actor of James Bond fame

Albert Einstein, 14th March– German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity

Aamir Khan, 14th March– Bollywood Actor known for movies like Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par and PK

Alia Bhatt, 15th March– Bollywood Actress known for movies like Student of the Year, 2 states and Highway

Kalpana Chawla, 17th March– was an Indian-American astronaut and the first Indian woman in space

Adam Levine, 18th March– Multiple Grammy winning American musician who is the lead singer of pop rock band Maroon 5

Bruce Willis, 19th March– American actor, producer, and singer known for movies like Die Hard and The Sixth Sense amongst others

Kangana Ranaut, 20th March– Bollywood Actress known for movies like Queen and Tanu Weds Manu

Jim Parsons, 24th March– Hollywood Actor famous for playing Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory

Kiera Knightley, 26th March– Hollywood Actress known for films like Bend it like Beckham, The Imitation Game , Pirates of the Caribbean

Lady Gaga, 28th March– Multiple Grammy winning American musician known for her crazy fashion sense and her album Born This Way

Closing Note:

March brings with itself tons of talking points to connect and engage with your readers. From light-hearted days to weave in some fun to talking about serious issues that needs a forum, brands can produce a mix of contents for different audiences.

Make the most of the month to reach out and connect and strengthen your digital foothold.