Content Marketing Ideas for your January calendar
Janus, the two-headed Roman god after whom the first month of the year is named, is said to look both, at the past and the future. As 2021 dawns, perhaps it is best that we do the same – learn from the lessons of the previous year while rebuilding the future with hope. Use these content marketing ideas to fuel a sense of renewed energy for the new year in your customers, from the fervent Republic Day to the International Day of Cleanliness.
What’s new in January 2021?
Potential roll out of COVID-19 vaccine
With multiple vaccines set to go on the floor in January, it looks like we will be one step closer to controlling the pandemic. So, what should your brand be talking about?
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Common tips to follow before getting vaccinated
Infographic idea: Who will be the first to get the vaccine?
Video idea: How are vaccines developed?
Podcast idea: Should you wait before getting the vaccine?
New rule for check payments
RBI has introduced a new “positive pay system” for safer check payments. Here are some conversation starters so that your customers can understand this better.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Types of checks you should be aware of
Infographic idea: What details are you required to reconfirm under the positive pay system?
Video idea: Here’s how your check can be used to commit fraud
Podcast idea: Alternative payment options you can consider apart from checks
Fixed Days
New Year’s Day – 1 January
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Financial planning tips for the year ahead
Infographic idea: Realistic New Year’s resolutions you should consider
Video idea: What can we learn from 2020?
Podcast idea: What to do if you’re ringing in the new year by yourself
Brand campaign that worked:
This ad by H&M articulates everyone’s hopes for 2021 after all the difficulties of 2020.
World Braille Day – 4 January
This day is celebrated to raise awareness of the braille language as a means of communication.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Government schemes that can help the visually impaired
Infographic idea: X Similarities between braille and Morse code
Video idea: A brief look at Helen Keller’s life
Podcast idea: How famous people with disability have overcome their challenges
Brand campaign that worked:
This video by Intel shows Shubham Banerjee, a young student who was able to build a low-cost braille printer thanks to Intel’s technology.
NRI Day – 9 January
This day is marked to recognize the contributions of the Indian overseas community towards the development of India.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Bestselling Indian authors of the last decade
Infographic idea: How can you stay connected to your roots if you’re living abroad?
Video idea: How do NRIs invest in India while earning abroad?
Podcast idea: How difficult is it to return to India after settling abroad?
Brand campaign that worked:
This series of videos by DBB Mudra for SBI shows how easy it is for NRIs to perform banking functions such as opening an account or transferring funds, thanks to the SBI app.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4gAFERVwB8
World Hindi Day – 10 January
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Hindi poets whose works you must read
Infographic idea: What are the most widely spoken languages in the world?
Video idea: What is the modern Hindi script based on?
Podcast idea: How have Hindi serials evolved with streaming platforms?
National Youth Day – 12 January
This day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Online platforms to upskill yourself
Infographic idea: What’s the difference between Gen X, Y, and Z?
Video idea: 30 under 30: Here are some young changemakers you should know about
Podcast idea: How can you teach your child to start saving from a young age?
Army Day – 15 January
This day is celebrated to mark the day Field Marshal KM Cariappa took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: How to take care of your financial responsibilities before joining the army
Infographic idea: What is the eligibility criteria of joining the Indian Army?
Video idea: Realistic movies and series about war that you must watch
Podcast idea: How do veterans cope with PTSD?
Brand campaign that worked:
This ad by Hyundai has an army officer narrate the story about how his train broke down on his way to report for his first posting, and how an unexpected meeting helped him get there on time.
International Day of Education – 24 January
This day is celebrated to recognize the role of education in achieving peace and development.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: The best countries for your child’s higher education
Infographic idea: Countries around the world that provide free education
Video idea: How was India’s education system designed?
Podcast idea: Is the education system in India still relevant to these times?
Brand campaign that worked:
This video by P&G proves that no matter your age, you can become a student if you harbor a passion for learning within you.
National Girl Child Day – 24 January
This day is commemorated in India to spread awareness about the inequalities girls face in society.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Financial schemes to invest in for your girl child
Infographic idea: How have the richest women in India made their money?
Video idea: X Young girls who have pushed for social change on a national level
Podcast idea: Here’s how we can unlearn toxic masculinity as a society
Brand campaign that worked:
This ad by Samsung shows how a girl child, when given the opportunity to further her education, not only improves herself but also becomes an asset to her community.
National Voters Day – 25 January
This day is observed by the Government of India to raise awareness about voting and encourage young voters to take part in the political process.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Here’s how you can change your place of residence on your voter’s ID
Infographic idea: A timeline of the women’s suffrage movement in India
Video idea: How does the world’s largest democracy prepare for elections?
Podcast idea: How does social media influence our voting patterns?
Brand campaign that worked:
This ad by Google features Shyam Saran Negi, independent India’s first voter, and aims to ask everyone to #PledgeToVote.
Republic Day – 26 January
This day commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Rights and duties you must know about as an Indian citizen
Infographic idea: Peculiar constitutional provisions around the world
Video idea: The best Republic Day floats
Podcast idea: Why did it take so long to write the constitution?
Brand campaign that worked:
This ad by Red Label brilliantly illustrates the fact that there’s no one ‘Indian’ look and to get rid of stereotypes while identifying someone as Indian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2UKuz28OJE
International Customs Day – 26 January
This day recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining the flow of goods across the world’s borders.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Unusual customs rules around the world
Infographic idea: Why are customs duties important?
Video idea: How did 9/11 change customs rules around the world?
Podcast idea: What are the customs rules you should be aware of when you shop internationally?
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust – 27 January
This day is observed as a tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and underlines the commitment to counter antisemitism, racism, and other forms of intolerance.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Cinematic coverage of the Holocaust: Iconic movies and documentaries to watch
Infographic idea: How did Jews hide during the Holocaust?
Video idea: What happened in Nazi Germany during the Night of the Broken Glass?
Podcast idea: What we can learn from the Germans about learning from history
Data Privacy Day – 28 January
This day is commemorated to raise awareness about data protection and to promote practices that ensure online privacy.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Apps you can install to protect the data on your phone
Infographic idea: What skills does one need to become an ethical hacker?
Video idea: The worst data breaches of the last decade
Podcast idea: How do targeted ads work?
Brand campaign that worked:
What would happen if everyone overshared their personal information? This ad by Apple explores the concept in a humorous ad while reassuring viewers that its data is protected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l61NE0eqkw
National Cleanliness Day – 30 January
This day is observed across the nation to promote and raise awareness of the importance of cleanliness, hygiene, and safe sanitation conditions.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Must-have organizing products for your home
Infographic idea: Tunes to accompany your deep-cleaning session
Video idea: How is cleaning therapeutic for some people?
Podcast idea: Here’s how decluttering can improve your mental health
World Leprosy Day – 30 January
World Leprosy Day is observed to raise awareness about the early detection of leprosy or Hansen’s disease in children and to fight the stigma faced by people living with this condition.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Here’s how Mother Teresa helped fight the stigma of leprosy
Infographic idea: Signs of leprosy you shouldn’t ignore
Video idea: How does leprosy spread?
Podcast idea: The psychological impact of living with leprosy
Martyrs’ Day – 30 January
Martyrs’ Day pays homage to the brave men and women who laid down their lives fighting for India’s freedom, glory, and progress. The date was chosen as it marks the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: Pay tribute to our martyrs by going to these war memorials
Infographic idea: Famous places that were named after revolutionaries
Video idea: X Courageous modern martyrs you need to know about
Podcast idea: The good and bad of learning about martyrs on television
Fun days
National Hangover Day – 1 January
Thesaurus Day – 18 January
Winnie-the-Pooh Day – 18 January
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Drinks that won’t give you a hangover
Infographic idea: X Drinks to cure your hangover
Video idea: What does each Winnie-the-Pooh character represent?
Podcast idea: Does reading a thesaurus play a significant part in a child’s early development?
Festivals
Lohri – 13 January
Sankranti/Pongal – 14 January
Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti – 20 January
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Easy Punjabi dishes you should try making
Infographic idea: Different harvest festivals celebrated across India
Video idea: Why is Pongal celebrated?
Podcast idea: What lessons can we learn from Guru Gobind Singh?
Birthdays
Vidya Balan – 1 January
JRR Tolkien – 3 January
Deepika Padukone – 5 January
Bradley Cooper – 5 January
AR Rahman – 6 January
Bipasha Basu – 7 January
Elvis Presley – 8 January
Stephen Hawking – 8 January
Farhan Akhtar – 9 January
Hrithik Roshan – 10 January
Kalki Koechlin – 10 January
Rahul Dravid – 11 January
Swami Vivekananda – 12 January
Zayn Malik – 12 January
Jeff Bezos – 12 January
Michelle Obama – 17 January
Jim Carrey – 17 January
Martin Luther King Jr – 20 January
Subhas Chandra Bose – 23 January
Ellen DeGeneres – 26 January
Oprah Winfrey – 29 January
Justin Timberlake – 31 January
Content marketing ideas
Listicle idea: X Scientific advancements pioneered by Stephen Hawking’s discoveries
Infographic idea: X Movies you didn’t know Farhan Akhtar was part of
Video idea: Exercises you can do to get Hrithik Roshan’s abs
Podcast idea: Is the fact that we have more billionaires than ever worrying?