Which events spark the most content

In any marketing endeavour, great results are dependent on getting your timing right. To help you find the best time to publish content this research-backed content calendar from content marketing agency Fractl, is based on the analysis of the publishing dates of 83,932 articles to determine the high-volume publishing ranges around holidays. This  information was used to compile the ideal start dates for creating annual content as well as a breakdown of potential publishing dates. 

Key findings

• New Year's, Black Friday, Easter, and Halloween are the top four UK holidays that spark the highest number of stories.  
• Men vs. Women. Female writers are more likely to cover Mother's Day, Father's Day, National Beer Day, and award shows like the Brit Awards and BAFTA. Men are more likely to cover Red Nose Day and festivals like Glastonbury. 

High-competition calendar events
- Which events spark the most content

Ashlea Green, digital marketing manager at Fractl, discusses the dates which are key for content placement: “As New Year’s, Black Friday, Halloween, Easter, and Christmas are the five most popular holidays, sites will be most interested in publishing content around these times. The publishing range provided for each occasion is one of the most valuable pieces of this editorial calendar. The darker the horizontal bar, the more popular that day is for content.”

It is not enough to time placement of content, obviously the type of content matters too. Green says: “It’s important to note that you will also have more competition when pitching publishers at these times. To stand out from the masses, make sure your content is high-quality and be mindful of your promotional timing. These two factors will be crucial to getting your content noticed and placed”

The secret is in the planning. As Green concludes: “Digital PR specialists will want to start their outreach early if they stand any chance at getting coverage for their content around these holidays.”

Event coverage, by author's gender

Methodology

To collect this data, Fractl used an online content analysis tool BuzzSumo to search all of the major holidays, from November 29, 2015 through November 29, 2016. BuzzSumo allowed the analysis of the publishing dates of 83,932 articles to determine the high-volume publishing ranges around holidays.

The colour coding on the editorial calendar correlates to the volume of published articles on those days from the previous year; only dates near the actual holiday (or nominations of an awards show) were included.

The full Fractl study can be found at http://www.fractl.co.uk/2017-uk-content-marketers-calendar/