60+ Engaging Social Media Content Post Ideas for May
As a small business owner and content creator myself, I understand how challenging it can be to come up with and plan content for social media posts, blog posts, and other content ideas.
I created this blog post, so you don't have to worry about creating a social media calendar.
The list of ideas below includes what to post in May. This will help you create engaging social media posts for your audience.
These social media content ideas are specifically tailored for small business owners, from Coffee Shop Owners to Travel Bloggers. These ideas will help you.
Ideally, you will create and plan your content a couple of weeks before the posting date, but if you need to grab a quick template, make it your own, and post it, I highly recommend Canva.
With thousands of editable templates, there is always something you can quickly apply your brand colors, add a logo, and share with your audience.
I'll share some of my favorite templates in this post and link them to the creator on Canva so you can edit and use them yourself.
Better Content Creators Profile on Canva
Some dates I mention in the list will change slightly from one year to the next, depending on the rules around that day.
Currently, I have these social media dates for May set to be for 2024, but I always ask that you double-check, as there can be some international differences for Bank Holidays and other international holidays like Mother's Day, etc.
Remember:
The goal isn't to tackle every holiday with a post but to leverage them strategically to boost your social media presence. For each holiday, consider a unique way to engage your audience. This will vary based on your business type.
It’s also a great opportunity to collaborate with other local business owners on ideas, and you could even hold Q&A sessions if something fits your business. For the month of May, this could involve something like working with a local mental health coach.
Monthly Awareness for May
There are other monthly awareness events for the month of May at the bottom of this blog post, but one I feel strongly about is Mental Health. If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health, always reach out to a trained professional.
Find out more https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Template by Irena Trigubova
Engaging Social Media Content Post Ideas for May
New post Ideas for the Month of May
May 1st
May Day & Labour Day (note Labor Day is the first Monday of September in America)
May 2nd
National Chocolate Day, World Password Day & National Day of Prayer (First Thursday of May)
Ideas:
Who doesn't like chocolate? Ask your followers what their favorite chocolate is.
Create your own "Diet Coke" moment but with chocolate. You could also film yourself relaxing and enjoying yourself and share some information on the screen or in a caption encouraging people to take a moment for themselves (this also expends on to it being mental health month).
It's also World Password Day. You can also share tips on creating strong passwords and enhancing online security. If you have an online store, it’s a great option for reminding customers to create stronger passwords and update them often.
Template by Socially Sorted
May 3rd
National Paranormal Day and National Space Day (First Friday of May)
Ideas:
Share something spooky that happened to you. We all love a good story time.
May 4th
Star Wars Day & International Firefighters' Day
Star Wars has one of the largest followings and is a great way to attract new followers to your brand.
Ideas:
Share fun facts, trivia, or memorable quotes from the Star Wars universe.
Run a themed contest or poll to engage followers who are fans of the franchise.
Ask your followers what their favorite Star Wars film is or their favorite character
May 5th
Cinco de Mayo & World Laughter Day (First Sunday of May)
Ideas:
Share your favorite joke and ask your followers for their favorite joke from childhood. Remind them to keep it clean.
May 6th - National Nurses Day
May 7th - National Teacher Appreciation Day
May 8th - World No Socks Day & World Donkey Day
(Maybe see if you can ride a donkey wearing no socks? haha.)
May 9th - National Sleepover Day
May 10th - National Public Gardens Day
Ideas:
Encourage followers to go for a walk and tag you in their favorite garden spaces. Again this leans in to mental health awareness month.
May 11th - National Eat What You Want Day & National Train Day (closest Saturday to May 10th) & National Miniature Golf Day (Second Saturday of May)
Ideas:
The strangest combination of food you like
Team social event at a miniature golf
May 12th - Mother's Day (America) & International Nurses Day & National Limerick Day
May 13th - National Apple Pie Day & Start of National Smile Month and National Stationery Week (who doesn't like stationery)
May 14th - Dance Like a Chicken Day
Ideas:
This is one to have a little fun with and can show a more humourous side of your business.
Fim yourself or your team doing the funky chicken dance.
May 15th - National Chocolate Chip Day
May 16th - Global Accessibility Day
May 17th - International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia & National Bike to Work Day (Third Friday of May) & Endangered Species Day (Third Friday of May)
May 18th - International Museum Day & World Whisky Day
May 19th - Ride a Unicycle Day & National Devil’s Food Cake Day
Ideas:
Host a giveaway to encourage user-generated content for anyone baking a cake or trying to ride a unicycle.
May 20th - World Bee Day & National Be a Millionaire Day
Note: National Be a Millionaire is more about starting a savings plan or doing something financial that going crazy and pretending to be a millionaire.
Template by Better Content Creators
May 21st - National Waitstaff Day & National Memo Day & National Strawberries and Cream Day
May 22nd - Boss Babe Day & Numeracy Day
May 23rd - World Turtle Day & National Title Track Day (fave music track)
May 24th - National Road Trip Day and also National Scavenger Hunt Day
May 25th - National Tap Dance Day & National Brown-Bag It Day
May 26th - National Paper Airplane Day
May 27th - Memorial Day (Last Monday of May)
Ideas:
Share thoughtful posts honoring veterans and their families
Offer Memorial Day discounts or promotions to show appreciation.
May 28th - National Hamburger Day & Brisket Day
May 29th - National Biscuit Day & Flip Flop Day & World Otter Day
May 30th - National Creativity Day
May 31st - National Smile Day & National Macaroon Day
Month-Long Holidays for May
Along with these daily national events, the month of May also has month-long holidays or awareness events that happen all month. These include:
Mental Health Awareness Month
If you or anyone you know is struggling, check out https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
National Walking Month and National Bike Month
National Hamburger Month
For month-long awareness campaigns, you can share resources, tips, and information during the month to help promote the awareness.
Maybe partner with national or local mental health organizations for collaborative campaigns or events like live Q&As
Get to meet your customers at a more social event by creating a local walking or cycling event.
If you are a small business and serious about increasing your social media marketing, I've put together a full list of 12 months in my annual social media holiday planner https://www.bettercontentcreators.com/shop/p/social-media-calendar-for-12-months.
This plan includes over 31 engaging ideas and prompts.
Including ideas like offering special promotions, showing behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage of your business, and conducting live Facebook or Q&A sessions.
Your audience will love it when you share your favorite things relevant to that social media holiday.
Personalized Social Media Calendar
If you'd like personalized suggestions for your business, book an hour with me, and let's come up with ideas together. It's all about finding a fun way to engage with your following on social media accounts.
We can hold sessions online or in person (depending on your location, but I can travel).
Why Use Canva for Social Media Posts
Canva has a social media content calendar where you can schedule your posts for Facebook, Instagram, and X (which will always be Twitter to me). I wrote a post on how to schedule posts to Instagram in Canva (https://www.bettercontentcreators.com/blog/can-canva-schedule-to-instagram)
If you want to use the scheduling feature in Canva, you will need to have Canva Pro. Start your free trial of Canva Pro today.
Benefits of Canva Pro for Small Businesses and Social Media
As a small business owner, Canva is my go-to for creating any social media post or blog image. Here are a few other ways Canva Pro can help you as a business owner who wants to increase their following on social media platforms.
Not only can you quickly edit and resize images in Canva, but you can also access:
1000's more pro templates included in your subscription
1000's more pro elements to add a unique look to your designs
Quickly add your business logos and branding colors to templates from the Canva Brand Kit
Advanced options for exporting images at higher quality
Access to Canva Magic for editing images in Canva
Increase Brand Awareness on Social Using Canva
Consistently posting engaging content that reflects your brand's values and personality will help increase customer engagement and loyalty.
Another way to increase your brand awareness is to collaborate with influencers or other businesses to expand your reach.
You can also encourage user-generated content (UGC) by featuring customer testimonials or reviews as social media posts or even sharing customer videos using your product or service.
By leveraging these social media ideas and staying active across various platforms, small business owners can increase brand awareness, drive engagement, and foster a strong connection with their audience throughout the month of May.
Let’s connect and work together on your next social media campaign.