Recent efforts by Microsoft and Amazon to develop content-licensing marketplaces for artificial intelligence models could represent an opportunity for ecommerce marketers.
Many publishers are alarmed, having built their businesses on audience reach, page views, and advertising impressions.
When AI systems summarize articles instead of referring readers, the economic model fractures. News organizations, media companies, and independent creators argue that AI platforms derive value from their work but don’t pay.
Some large publishers have made license deals, but the problem remains.
Microsoft’s Publisher Content Marketplace is one path toward a solution. The program allows publishers to license content for AI use through a centralized system that emphasizes usage-based compensation and reporting transparency.
Rather than relying exclusively on separate agreements, publishers can theoretically expose their work to multiple AI buyers while maintaining defined licensing terms.
Amazon’s reported initiative appears conceptually similar. Publishers could sell or license content to AI developers. While unconfirmed, the effort signals a broader industry shift toward formalized access to AI content rather than unstructured scraping.
Economics
These and similar marketplaces could reshape how value flows between content producers and AI builders.
For publishers, a marketplace implies more predictable compensation and greater control. For AI developers, it offers a defensible content supply chain that reduces legal uncertainty. In principle, marketplaces reduce friction by normalizing pricing, usage measurement, and participation mechanics.
Content Marketing
While the licensing debate centers on publishers, ecommerce marketers should closely watch, too.
For years, some retailers have produced publisher-like content to attract, engage, and retain shoppers. Buying guides, tutorials, recipes, and project libraries increasingly sit alongside product catalogs.
Prominent examples include:
Much of ecommerce content marketing operates on the principle of reciprocity. Retailers provide useful information, and consumers reward it with trust, attention, and eventual purchases. The strategy does not depend solely on immediate transactions. It builds long-term preference and brand affinity, similar to that of publishers.
In fact, not too long ago, publishers complained that some forms of content marketing represented direct competition.
Content Traits
The distinction between the types of ecommerce marketing content is worth noting.
The first is promoting products. Content marketers and search engine optimizers work hand in glove to expose products. AI has made this more difficult.
Product feeds are a potential solution. The feeds would originate from ecommerce platforms such as Shopify or marketplaces like Walmart, which have direct relationships with AI businesses.
The second type is publisher-style and reciprocity-driven. These are the articles, videos, and podcasts to attract shoppers. It is distinct from product-focused and has at least three aims.
Relationships first. Reciprocity-based content creates value independent of short-term purchases. It’s a back door to ecommerce sales and builds customer relationships. REI’s educational posts and videos help outdoor enthusiasts develop skills, whether or not a transaction occurs immediately.
Brand affinity and trust. In the same way publishers seek authority, content marketers instill confidence. For example, Williams Sonoma’s recipe and entertaining collections position the retailer as an authority in cooking and hospitality. Shoppers engage with the brand through expertise, not only merchandise.
Audience development, wherein the marketer is akin to a media company, with content that drives search engine rankings, repeat visits, email subscribers, and consumer preferences. Rockler operates as a niche publisher with its learning center that cultivates repeat visits and sustained engagement.
Content Opportunity
When they produce publisher-style content, marketers gain access to publisher-oriented tools, including emerging AI content marketplaces.
Yet the motivation differs. Publishers seek licensing revenue, while merchants seek discovery and visibility. Thus content-license marketplaces are a potential ecommerce opportunity to expose a brand’s products and expertise across AI-driven interfaces.
Most articles don’t make good videos. The ones that do share qualities that translate naturally to 60-second formats. Identifying them before you commit production resources saves more time than any editing shortcut.
Data and first-party guidance point to repeatable patterns in how short-form video holds attention. These patterns shape script structure in ways that written content doesn’t prepare you for.
A 1,500-word article that performs well as text may contain only 150 words worth converting to video, and those 150 words may not be the ones you’d instinctively choose.
In this guide, I’ll walk through the selection and scripting process, drawing on company guidance, third-party analysis, and creator workflows. The focus here is on two decisions that matter more than production quality. Which content to convert, and how to structure scripts that hold attention on each platform.
Some creator workflows follow an 80/20 rule: Spend most of your time choosing what article to convert, then polish the output. You may assume production quality drives results. In practice, selection matters more than polish.
How-To Content
How-to and tutorial content adapts well when converted to video. The reason is because of how it’s structured. How-to content breaks naturally into steps, and each step becomes either a standalone clip or a beat within a longer video. The segmentation is already built into the written piece.
Listicles
Listicles have this quality as well. Each list item gives you a cut point, so a “7 ways to improve X” article can become seven separate videos or one video with seven sections.
FAQs
FAQ content works well as each question-answer pair delivers complete value on its own, matching how people consume short-form video. They arrive mid-scroll, expecting an immediate payoff.
Case Studies
Case studies with clear problem-solution-result structures fit naturally into 60 seconds. Problem in the first 10, solution in the middle 40, result in the final 10. The narrative arc compresses without losing its logic.
Avoiding Content That Doesn’t Convert
Content that converts poorly has its own unique qualities.
Limited-Time Announcements
Announcements with a short shelf life rarely justify the effort because by the time you script, record, edit, and publish, the information may be stale.
Rapidly-Changing Data
Statistics-heavy pieces where data changes frequently create maintenance problems. A video claiming “X platform has 500 million users” becomes misleading within months, but it keeps circulating after the number expires.
Complex Arguments
Complex arguments that require multiple supporting points rarely fit into 60 seconds. If an article’s value comes from building a case across 2,000 words, extracting 150 words guts the logic that made it persuasive.
Audit Using Engagement Metrics
Before committing production resources, audit existing content using engagement metrics. Articles with 5%+ engagement rates or 1,000+ monthly visits make prime candidates because they’ve already validated the topic with your audience. Converting them becomes distribution rather than experimentation.
In one Diggity Marketing case study, a real estate technology company saw 148% higher referral traffic after repurposing blog content this way. They identified where their audience searched, built format-specific assets, and drove users back to core content. The blog became a hub with videos pulling attention from social platforms back to owned properties.
Script Timing That Matches Platform Retention
Each platform has different structural requirements, which means scripts optimized for one may underperform on another.
OpusClip’s retention analysis suggests YouTube Shorts see strong retention at 15-30 seconds, with tutorials often running 25-40 seconds. YouTube Shorts can run up to three minutes, but many retention-focused workflows start with shorter cuts. Many Reels strategies even skew shorter, and retention can drop as videos run longer.
TikTok for Business recommends 21-34 seconds for In-Feed ads. On TikTok, strong completion and replay behavior tend to correlate with wider distribution. If you’re aiming for TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, videos need to be at least one minute long.
These differences mean a single script may need three versions for cross-platform distribution. Your core content stays the same, but timing adjusts to match each platform’s retention curve.
For videos at least one minute long (required for TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program), TikTok’s Creative Codes recommend a three-part structure: hook, body, and close.
The math shapes everything else. Industry standard speaking pace for video runs 140-160 words per minute, which means a 60-second script caps at roughly 150 words. TikTok’s research shows 90% of ad recall happens within the first six seconds, so your hook needs to land in that window. At a typical speaking pace, six seconds gives you about 15-20 words to establish why viewers should care.
That leaves roughly 45 seconds for body content and 5-10 seconds for your close.
If you’re spending 15-20 words on the hook and 15-25 on the close, the body gets 100-120 words. That’s enough for two or three points with room to breathe between them. More than three points in that space creates rush that tanks retention.
Think about it like this: If you can only say 150 words, you have to choose the 150 most important words from your 1,500-word article. That selection process is where conversion skill lives.
Hook Formulas Backed By Retention Data
The first three seconds determine whether viewers stay or scroll. A video with a weak opening has a problem, regardless of how strong the rest of the content is.
Here are some examples of strong hook formulas.
Surprising Stat
A surprising statistic paired with immediate relevance stops the scroll. Numbers signal credibility, and the surprise creates curiosity.
In practice, it reads like this:
“60% of people admit to procrastinating regularly, even when they know it causes stress.”
There’s an attention-grabbing stat, followed by why it matters to the viewer. This works because the number is specific and the relevance is universal.
Look for the most striking data points in your articles and move them to the front. Your article may have buried it in paragraph seven, while your video leads with it.
Questions
Question hooks create tension. Once you pose a question, the mind wants an answer, and viewers have to keep watching to close that loop.
The question needs to be specific enough to promise an answer in 60 seconds but broad enough to matter to your audience.
“What’s the one thing successful people have in common?” works. “What are the 47 traits of successful people?” doesn’t work because viewers know they can’t get that answer in under a minute.
Direct Stake
Direct stake hooks can capture the attention of professional audiences.
“If your site uses Product markup, this affects your shopping visibility,” tells professionals whether this video applies to them. This respects their time because they don’t have to guess whether the content is relevant.
Vague promises like “this changes everything” underperform because they don’t commit to delivering anything specific.
Converting Articles To Scripts
Converting articles to short video scripts is all about extracting what’s most important. Start by reading your article and asking what the most surprising, useful, or consequential single fact is. That becomes your hook.
Often, the most compelling part of an article sits in paragraph three or four. Written content gives you time to build context in your opening, whereas video doesn’t.
You can simplify the extraction process by following the hook, hint, value, credibility, takeaway, action (HHVCTA) framework.
HHVCTA Framework
The HHVCTA framework maps article content to video structure. The hook at 0-2 seconds stops the scroll, and the hint at 2-5 seconds previews what viewers will learn.
Value delivery from 5-45 seconds delivers on the hook’s promise, with credibility woven throughout or concentrated in a key moment. The takeaway at 45-55 seconds lands the message, and the action in the final seconds directs viewers to next steps.
This prevents frontloading all value with nothing left for the final 15 seconds. It also prevents the opposite mistake of saving everything for the end, which viewers never reach because they swiped.
A common underperforming pattern is the hook-delivery gap. The hook asks a question, the body pivots to related content without answering it, and viewers who stayed for an answer feel cheated.
After writing your body, reread the hook and check whether you actually answered the question. If your hook says “here’s why X happens” but your body covers effects without explaining causes, the script is a fail.
Maintaining Attention Through The Middle
The middle section is where most videos lose viewers. Incorporating pattern interrupts every 3-5 seconds can help maintain viewer engagement. Effective techniques include text overlays, B-roll, camera angle changes, and graphics.
While sound is essential to the TikTok experience, captions are critical for viewers in “quiet mode” (commuting, in bed, at work) and for discoverability. Showing and saying information together boosts retention and gives platforms additional signals about your content.
SEO For Video Content
TikTok says it considers “video information” like captions, sounds, and hashtags, so captions, on-screen text, and spoken audio can help your video get understood and surfaced in recommendations and search features.
Video titles should include primary keywords while piquing curiosity, and descriptions expand on the titles with more keyword context.
Caption accuracy matters for search. Auto-generated captions contain errors that platforms can pick up as content signals, so a video about “SEO” with captions reading “CEO” may surface for wrong queries. Review and fix auto-captions before publishing.
Hashtags signal categories to algorithms. Use broad tags like #marketing to reach large audiences, and specific ones like #emailmarketing for direct relevance. Evergreen content benefits from evergreen hashtags that maintain visibility months after posting.
Batch Production For Scale
Content teams that produce video at scale typically batch their workflows. Creators like Thomas Frank and Ali Abdaal have documented their batch filming processes, and Gary Vaynerchuk’s “64 pieces of content in a day” model is built on recording pillar content and distributing clips afterward.
Creating one video from scratch each time burns hours on repetitive decisions. You can cut per-video time by 60-80% through batching.
Batching refers to scripting multiple videos in one session, filming them all together, editing in batches with consistent formats, and then scheduling across platforms.
A typical batch for four to eight videos breaks down like this. Scripting all at once using templates takes two to three hours. Filming all videos in one session with consistent setup takes three to four hours. Editing across several days takes six to eight hours total. Scheduling takes about an hour.
Per-video time drops to roughly 40 minutes. Without batching, individual videos typically take 150-180 minutes each. The savings come from eliminating setup and context-switching between sessions.
Measuring Results
Short-form video works as top-of-funnel for most content teams. A video with 100,000 views and zero conversions may matter less than one with 10,000 views and 500 email signups.
When results fall short, retention curves pinpoint the problem. Sub-60% retention at three seconds points to hook issues. Steady early retention with sharp mid-video drops suggests pacing problems. Late drops typically mean content ran long or delivered value without giving viewers a reason to stay.
Looking Ahead
The gap between written content and video content is smaller than most teams assume. The research already exists. The expertise already exists. The structure is the only new variable, and that structure fits on an index card.
Teams that struggle with video production usually aren’t struggling with production itself. They’re struggling with selection and compression. They try to convert articles that don’t fit the format, or they refuse to cut material that worked in text but dies on screen.
The 150-word constraint is a decision-making tool that cuts editing in half before you start. Pick one article from your archive that performed well and had a clear takeaway. Convert it to a script. Then record it, read the retention curve, and adjust as needed.
You can keep reading articles like this one, but doing the work and iterating on it will teach you more than I ever could.
This week’s Ask an SEO question is from an anonymous reader who asks:
“Should I be optimizing content differently for LinkedIn, Reddit, and traditional search engines? I’m seeing these platforms rank highly in Google results, but I’m not sure how to create a cohesive multi-platform SEO approach.”
Yes, you should absolutely be optimizing your content differently based on where you publish it, where you want to reach the audience, and the way they engage. This includes what you put out, what goes on your website, and what exists in your metadata. Each platform has a different user experience, and the people there go for different reasons, so your job with your content is to meet their needs where they are.
Metadata
For SEO purposes, you’re limited to a certain amount of pixels for meta titles and descriptions in a search result, whereas on social media platforms, you’re limited to a different number of characters. This means your titles and descriptions need to be modified to fit the pixel or character lengths defined by the platforms, including Open Graph, rich pins, etc. The people on the platform may also be at different stages of their journey and be different audience demographics.
If the audience on one platform that has its own metadata elements, and it is younger or skews towards one gender, cater the text and imagery in your metadata towards them. It’s worth seeing if that resonates better, but only if that is the majority from that platform. For search engines, it can be anyone and any demographic, so make it a strong sales pitch that is all-inclusive. Use your customer service and review data to find out what matters to them and use it in your messaging. The same goes for the images you use.
What fits on Pinterest won’t look good on LinkedIn, and an image for Google Discover may not work great on Instagram. Pinterest can display a vertical infographic and make it look great, but it will be illegible on platforms that have squares and landscape-oriented images. Resize, change the wording, and ensure the focal point on the image matches the platform it’ll be used on via your metadata.
Search engines and social algorithms look for different things as well. A search engine may allow some clickbait and salesy types of titles and metadata, but social media algorithms may penalize sites that do this. And each platform will be using and looking for different signals.
This is why you want to speak to the audiences on the platforms and focus on what the platform rewards, not just a search engine. Your customers on TikTok may be younger and use different wording than your customers on Facebook, but both will need a balance of the wording on your webpage. This is where using unique metadata by platform and purpose matters.
Content On Your Own Pages
Not every page on your website has to be for SEO, AIO, or GEO, and neither does the user experience. If the page is for an email blast or remarketing where you have strong calls to action, less text, and more conversion, you can noindex it or use a canonical link to the detailed new customer experience page. The same goes for SEO vs. social media visitors.
Someone from social media may need more of an education when buying a product because they didn’t set out that day to buy it; they were on social media to have fun. Someone looking for a product, product + review, or a comparison has a background on the product and wants a solution, so they went to a search engine to find one. This is where an educational vs. a conversion option can happen, and both can exist without competing, even though they’re optimized for the same keyword phrase.
The schema, the way wording is used, and elements on the page like an “add to cart” button above the fold help search engines to know the page is for conversions, while an H1, H2, and text with internal links to product and content pages mean it’s for educational purposes. Now apply this to the goal of what you want to the person to do on the page to the page, and keep in mind where they are coming from before they reach it.
You may want a more visual approach with video demonstrations or reviews, and options to shop and learn more for some experiences, vs. giving them the product and a buy now button. Both are optimized for the same keywords, but both are there for different visitors. This is where you deduplicate them using your SEO skills.
The keywords and phrases will be similar in your title tag, H1 tag, and compete directly against the product or collection page, but the page is how people from Snapchat and Reddit engage vs. someone from an email blast that knows how your brand behaves. So, set the canonical link to the main product page and/or add a meta robots noindex,nofollow. When you’re pushing your content out, share the version of the page to the platform it is designed for. Your site structure and robots.txt guide the search engines and AI to the pages meant for them, helping to eliminate the cannibalization.
It is the same content, the same purpose, and the same goal, just a unique format for the platform you want traffic from. I wouldn’t recommend this for everything because it is a ton of work, but for important pages, products, and services, it can make a difference to provide a better UX based on what the person and platform prefer.
What You Post To The Platform
Last is the content you post to the platform. Some allow hashtags; others prefer a lot of words, and platforms like X or Bluesky restrict the number of words you can use unless you pay. The audiences on these platforms pay attention to and use different words, and the algorithms may reward or penalize content differently.
On LinkedIn and Reddit, you may want to share a portion of the post and a summary of what the person will learn, then encourage engagement and a click through to your website or app. On Facebook, you may do a snippet of text and a stronger call-to-action, as people aren’t there for networking and learning like they are on LinkedIn.
Reddit may also benefit from examples and trust builders, where YouTube Shorts is about a quick message that entices an interaction and ideally a click through. The written description on a YouTube Short may go ignored as it is hidden, so the video is more important message-wise. Reddit can also be people looking for real human experiences, reviews, and comparisons from real customers. So, if you engage and publish your content, look at the topic of the forum and meet the user on the page at that specific stage of their journey.
The description still matters on most of these platforms because they are algorithm-based, and so are the search engines that feature their content. The content here acts like food for the algorithms along with user signals, so make sure you write something that properly matches the video’s content and follows best practices. If you’re publishing to Medium or Reddit and want to get the comparison queries, focus on unbiased and fair comparisons or reviews so Google surfaces it (disclosing you are one of the brands if you are). Then focus your own pages on conversion copy so as the person is ready to buy a blue t-shirt, they see your conversion page.
You should change the content based on the platform, and even your own website, when the goal is to bring users in from a specific traffic source. Someone from social media may like a video, while someone from a search engine wants text. Just make sure you code and structure your pages correctly, and you cater the experience to the right platform so the users reach their correct experience.
This is not practical for every page, so do your best, and at a minimum, customize what you share publicly and what is in your metadata. Those are easy enough and fast enough to be able to be done at scale, then pay attention to the UX on the page and make adjustments as needed.
More Resources:
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
Whether it’s spring cleaning tips, peanut butter recipes, or honoring Mr. Spock, March 2026 is full of opportunities to use content to promote your company and its products.
The aim of content marketing is to attract, engage, and retain customers. It works on the principle of reciprocity. Provide valuable content to shoppers, and they may repay with purchases.
What follows are five content marketing ideas your shop can use in March 2026.
Spring Renewal
Spring invites small changes that make everyday life feel new again.
March marks the slow turn toward spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Days grow longer. The weather turns warmer. And we shift our focus.
Many of us begin thinking about small changes that lead to larger improvements.
For some, that means spring cleaning. For others, it means reorganizing, replacing worn items, or restarting habits that faded over winter.
This seasonal mindset can lead to useful, product-centered content. Shoppers browse for ideas and try to perform practical tasks.
Thus the best content could help folks complete a project or learn a skill that also aligns with what the store sells. A home goods retailer can explain how to refresh a kitchen or bedroom. A clothing merchant can address updating a wardrobe. A fitness brand might outline a plan for restarting workouts.
When it helps a potential customer accomplish something meaningful, a business builds trust. That trust often turns into future sales.
National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
Peanut butter has many fans.
March 1, 2026, is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day in the United States. The pseudo-holiday began appearing on calendars in the 1990s.
Food-focused content can perform well in search, social, and, presumably, AI
With this in mind, peanut butter-related articles will likely work best for merchants selling kitchenware, specialty foods, and fitness products such as protein powders and supplements.
For these merchants, the content ideas are straightforward.
“5 Peanut Butter Desserts to Make in Under 30 Minutes”
“Homemade Peanut Butter That’s Better Than Store-Bought”
“Easy Snacks for Peanut Butter Lovers”
Peanut butter has a broad cultural appeal. Creative content marketers in other niches can likely find ways to participate.
For example, a retailer specializing in science and math kits might publish educational or curiosity-driven content such as:
“Who Invented Peanut Butter?”
“Peanut Butter and the World’s Fair”
“10 Shocking Peanut Butter Patents”
The goal is to create timely, interesting content that aligns with the spirit of the day and introduces shoppers to the store.
Live Long and Prosper Day
Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, famously coined the phrase “live long and prosper.”
March 26, 2026, is Live Long and Prosper Day, a nod to Leonard Nimoy and his iconic portrayal of Mr. Spock in Star Trek, The Original Series.
“Live long and prosper” was a series phrase, but it has long become shorthand for science fiction’s hopeful view of the future and humanity’s relationship with technology.
Science fiction remains one of the most popular and influential genres in popular culture. Its ideas shape how people imagine innovation, design, and progress. That influence creates an opportunity for ecommerce content marketers to frame products through a science-fiction lens without needing licensed merchandise.
Content can focus on everyday products that feel futuristic, minimalist, or inspired by speculative design. Electronics, home office gear, tools, apparel, books, hobby supplies, and gift items can all fit this theme.
The age of AI means almost everything feels like science fiction.
Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
Create a holiday that fits your business.
If Star Trek’s Mr. Spock is not a great fit, March 26 is also Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, a lighthearted invitation to invent a celebration from scratch.
For ecommerce marketers, the date offers a chance to blend entertaining content with promotions.
Unlike regular holidays, this do-it-yourself occasion can focus on a product category, a use case, or a habit.
An online liquor store, for example, might introduce “Buy Your Spouse a Bottle Day.” A coffee merchant could launch “Perfect Cup of Coffee Day.” An office supply retailer might create “Organize Your Desk Day.” Or finally, a game shop could celebrate “Family Game Night Day.”
Each of those should include products. It’s a permission to have fun while driving sales.
America at 250
Content from U.S. merchants in 2026 can focus on craftsmanship and domestically-made products.
In 2026, the United States will celebrate its 250th year as a nation. It’s an opportunity for U.S. merchants to focus on product-centered storytelling.
One angle is to emphasize goods made in the United States or rooted in long-standing domestic craftsmanship. These products naturally connect to themes of durability, heritage, and continuity without requiring overt patriotic messaging.
Shoppers learn where products come from, how they are made, and why that matters today. Example article titles might include:
“15 Heritage Brands That Have Stood the Test of Time”
“American Craftsmanship in Everyday Products”
“5 American-Made Products Worth Paying For”
These pieces can become part of a continuing “America 250” series that expands through spring and into summer, gradually building a library of heritage-focused content tied to merchandise.
Good writing takes time, which is in short supply when you’re launching or running a business.
Fortunately, there are excellent online tools that can streamline composition, check grammar, and even overcome disadvantages such as dyslexia. AI capabilities, while not perfect, make them more powerful than ever.
Writing Aids
Grammarly
Category leader Grammarly is an all-purpose workhorse that checks for errors and style faults and suggests corrections and improvements. It integrates with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and the top web browsers on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android platforms.
Grammarly offers a limited, free version and paid plans starting at $12 per user per month with a free trial.
Grammarly checks for errors and style faults and suggests corrections and improvements.
ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid goes beyond composition mechanics with features such as goal tracking, manuscript analysis, and the ability to compare your writing style to that of famous authors, such as Stephen King.
Subscriptions include a free basic version and paid plans starting at $120 per user per year.
Ginger
In addition to checking grammar and style across multiple platforms, programs, and devices, Ginger provides instant language translation into Spanish, French, German, and Japanese.
Ginger’s grammar checker is free. Paid versions start at $9.90 per month.
Language Tool
Language Tool caters to users who aren’t native speakers of the language they’re writing in. It claims to cover more than 30 languages, including Spanish, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Catalan, French, and six varieties of English.
A basic AI grammar and usage checker is free. Premium monthly plans start at $24.90 per user.
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor tightens and simplifies prose and displays the changes with brightly colored highlights.
The basic online editor is free. Downloadable desktop versions for Mac and PC cost $19.99.
Otter
Otter is an automated notetaking tool that transcribes, outlines, and summarizes meetings and conversations. It integrates with popular platforms such as Google Workspace, HubSpot, Jira, Asana, and Zoom. In my testing, the raw AI-generated audio transcripts required a fair amount of cleanup, but it learns the voices of frequent speakers.
Otter offers a free, limited subscription. Paid plans start at $16.99 per user per month.
Reference Tools
AP Stylebook. Geared toward professional journalists, the Associated Press Stylebook offers usage recommendations, style suggestions, and grammar rules. The annual printed version is $34.95. The online Stylebook starts at $30 per user per year or $42 when bundled with Merriam-Webster Unabridged.
The Associated Press Stylebook offers usage recommendations, style suggestions, and grammar rules.
Merriam-Webster Unabridged. For a monthly subscription of $4.95, the authoritative dictionary-thesaurus is worthwhile for users needing more than built-in spellcheckers or free resources.
Chicago Manual of Style. Popular among professional editors and publishers, the Chicago Manual of Style from the University of Chicago Press delves into the fine points of grammar and usage. Various printed versions include a hardback book for $75. Subscriptions to the online version start at $48 per user per year.
Purdue OWL. Purdue University’s comprehensive, free Online Writing Lab is valuable for writers of all kinds. It includes grammar guides, plagiarism-avoidance tips, research and citation advice, overviews of subject-specific writing such as healthcare, and summaries of the most widely used style guides.
Between Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, and the start of the spring buying cycle, ecommerce marketers have plenty of opportunities to publish relevant and timely content in February 2026.
Content marketing is the process of creating, publishing, and promoting articles, videos, and podcasts to attract, engage, and retain customers. For ecommerce businesses, content does more than inform. It differentiates, builds trust, and supports discovery when shoppers are researching rather than buying.
Content is also foundational for lifecycle and social-media marketing, and search-engine and genAI optimization.
What follows are five content marketing ideas your ecommerce business can use in February 2026.
Valentine How-to
Valentine-themed content could include something as simple as planning a dinner at home.
Valentine’s Day remains one of the most reliable seasonal content opportunities, especially when merchants focus on guidance as well as promotions.
Content that provides useful and actionable information can attract shoppers unfamiliar with a brand or its products.
The content should align closely with the products sold. A wine shop can explain pairings. A jewelry retailer can address how to choose materials or styles. A home goods boutique might describe how to set a table or create a Valentine’s Day dinner.
Consider the sample titles:
“How to Choose the Perfect Wine for Valentine’s Dinner,”
“Build a Thoughtful Valentine’s Gift Box,”
“How to Create a Romantic Valentine’s at Home,”
“Helpful Tips to Match Valentine’s Jewelry to Her Style.”
Here are a few articles from publishers:
Presidents’ Day
Presidents’ Day content can focus on U.S. patriotism and domestic manufacturing.
Celebrated on February 16 in 2026, Presidents’ Day is a storytelling opportunity, more than a sales event. Ecommerce marketers can publish articles or videos that explain the holiday’s origins, its meaning, or the historical figures it honors, e.g., George Washington.
Patriotic holidays can celebrate domestic companies, such as brands with made-in-America products.
Here’s an example. Origin is an apparel brand in Farmington, Maine. President Dwight Eisenhower visited the city in June 1955, passing close to what is now Origin’s manufacturing facility. The company could recount Eisenhower’s visit and retell its own story in the process.
In 2026, Presidents’ Day has extra relevance. The United States is entering its semiquincentennial year, marking 250 years since independence. Celebrations will peak in July, yet February is not too early to publish 250th-themed content.
A Complete Guide
A “complete” guide is akin to a store owner explaining her wares to an in-person shopper.
Content marketers are familiar with “complete guides” or “ultimate guides.” These are typically long, “pillar” articles that demonstrate topical authority.
The goal is usefulness, not brevity. A merchant that sells loose-leaf tea could publish a comprehensive guide to tea types, brewing methods, and storage. A cycling retailer could create a guide to bike maintenance or gear selection.
Over time, these guides become evergreen assets that support internal linking, featured snippets, and AI-generated summaries. They can be gold for optimizing for search engines, generative AI platforms, and answer engines, especially when updated annually.
Examples of guides include “Complete Guide to Loose-Leaf Tea” and “Ultimate Guide to Choosing Cookware.”
The idea is clear enough: Pick a product or category and be the authority.
Curated Newsletters
This idea aims to help businesses that struggle to produce content. Instead of composing or generating (and then editing) loads of articles, a company can mix product info with content from other publishers.
Put another way, curated newsletters allow ecommerce businesses to publish consistently without creating content from scratch. The idea is to select quality articles, videos, or social posts from trusted sources and add brief editorial context.
The newsletter for Better Kitchen Gear, an affiliate marketing site, links to external recipes.
Consider an example from Better Kitchen Gear, an affiliate marketing site. Its email newsletter blends curated recipes with links to affiliate content. A recent issue on sourdough bread included summaries and links to recipes from the King Arthur Baking Company and cookbook author Alexandra Stafford.
Another link was to an original article titled “The Tools Behind Great Sourdough,” which included six products on Amazon.
Merchants could do much the same. For example, a golf accessories seller could publish a weekly newsletter featuring curated golf news and links to products.
American Heart Month
American Heart Month is an opportunity for stores selling health or fitness products.
President Lyndon Johnson established American Heart Month in 1964 with a proclamation encouraging Americans to focus on cardiovascular health.
It occurs in February because of Valentine’s Day, reinforcing the symbolic connection between the heart and daily life. Since then, the month-long observance has promoted education about heart health, prevention, and sustainable lifestyle habits.
Ecommerce marketers promoting products in fitness, food, wellness, apparel, and home categories can focus content on everyday behaviors, routines, and product use that support an active, balanced lifestyle.
Imagine a content marketer for a fitness gear retailer. She wants to honor American Heart Month while promoting the company’s products. She decides on an article titled “5 Ways to Turn a Spare Room into a Cardio Studio.”
Key dates and notable events throughout the year can feed your content strategy and your social media marketing strategy. Timely aligning your digital campaigns with the right seasons for your brand is a staple part of creating a content calendar.
The SEJ marketing calendar includes dates from holiday dates to big sporting events to awareness months that you can plan content around for maximum engagement. We also include a template for you to plan your own calendar of relevant awareness dates.
Just review the full calendar of dates and copy across the dates you want to select for each month to create your own marketing calendar for 2026.
Use the dates as a starting point to help you brainstorm ideas and find opportunities for content that you can align to events throughout the year for a better chance of engagement.
Free Marketing Calendar And Template For 2026
Below, are listed many of the major holidays, events and obscure awareness days for 2026, month by month. There should be an event for every day of the year.
The full marketing calendar and template are available at the end of the article, with a breakdown of each month.
This calendar focuses mainly on the U.S. and Canada, with some major international and religious holidays included.
Your 2026 Holiday Marketing Calendar
Note: You can use this marketing calendar with our social media planner to keep your ideas, posts, and scheduling organized.
January
January is a time of resolutions and fresh starts, with many picking a goal for the year or looking to make a change.
It can be a slow start, given that many people are still recovering from the end of last year, but that gives you time to plan your calendar and ease into a new year of content.
There are plenty of broad activities to lean into, like Veganuary and National Hobby Month, to connect with audience lifestyles.
Events in January always have all eyes on them, too, like the Golden Globes and Winter X Games, so content around them can kickstart your 2026 engagement.
Monthly Holidays And Observances
International Creativity Month
National Blood Donor Month
National Braille Literacy Month
National Hobby Month
Dry January
Veganuary
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
National Polka Music Month
National Skating Month
National Slow Cooking Month
National Soup Month
National Staying Healthy Month
National “Thank You” Month
National Train Your Dog Month
Weekly Observances
January 1 – 7 New Year’s Resolutions Week
January 1 – 7 Celebration of Life Week
January 12 – 18 National Pizza Week
January 12 – 18 Home Office and Security Week
January 19 – 25 Healthy Weight Week
Days
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 1 – Global Family Day
January 2 – National Science Fiction Day
January 4 – World Braille Day
January 5 – National Screenwriters Day
January 6 – Epiphany
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas Day
January 11 – International Thank You Day
January 11 – 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards
January 13 – Korean American Day
January 13 – Stephen Foster Memorial Day
January 14 – Orthodox New Year
January 14 – Ratification Day
January 17 – Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day
January 17 – Benjamin Franklin Day
January 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 21 – National Hug Day
January 22 (to February 1) – Sundance Film Festival
January 23 – National Pie Day
January 23-25 – Winter X Games
January 24 – International Day of Education
January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 28 – Data Privacy Day
Popular Hashtags For January
#NewYearsDay
#ScienceFictionDay
#NationalTriviaDay
#NationalBirdDay
#NationalStickerDay
#GetToKnowYourCustomersDay
#CheeseLoversDay
#MLKDay
#NationalHuggingDay
#PieDay
#NationalComplimentDay
#PrivacyAware
February
Despite being the shortest month, February is full of interesting events you can leverage for your marketing campaigns. The month is centered on the theme of love (along with timely observances like American Heart Month), so it’s a relatable theme for brands to craft creative campaigns around couples and community.
The colder days can leave people looking for things to get involved with from the comfort of their homes. So, make sure your content is working in line with popular days to attract people to your organization’s content.
February may be short, but it offers plenty of opportunities to tap into the heart of the season and connect with your audience.
Monthly Holidays And Observances
Black History Month
American Heart Month
National Heart Month
National Weddings Month
National Cancer Prevention Month
National Library Lovers Month
Celebration of Chocolate Month
Weekly Observances
February 7-13 – African Heritage and Health Week
February 9-15 – Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
February 9-15 – International Flirting Week
February 11-16 – New York Fashion Week
February 14-20 – Random Acts of Kindness Week
February 16-22 – Engineers’ Week
February 17-23 – National Pancake Week
February 24-March 2 – National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Days
February 1 – First Day of Black History Month
February 1 – National Freedom Day
February 1 – National Change Your Password Day
February 1 – 68th Annual Grammy Awards
February 2 – Groundhog Day
February 4 – World Cancer Day
February 5 – National Girls and Women in Sports Day
February 8 – Super Bowl LX
February 9 – National Pizza Day
February 11 – International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 12 – Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
February 12 – Red Hand Day
February 12 – Georgia Day
February 12 – Darwin Day
February 13 – World Radio Day
February 13-15 – NBA All-Star Weekend
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
February 15 – Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday
February 16 – Presidents’ Day
February 17 – Lunar New Year
February 17 – Mardi Gras
February 17-18 (estimated) – Ramadan Begins
February 22 – George Washington’s Birthday
Popular Hashtags For February
#GroundhogDay
#WorldCancerDay
#NationalWeatherpersonsDay
#SendACardToAFriendDay
#BoyScoutsDay
#NationalPizzaDay
#ValentinesDay
#RandomActsOfKindnessDay
#PresidentsDay
#LoveYourPetDay
March
March marks the beginning of spring, and the days start to get longer. Whether March Madness turns up the heat or Pi Day inspires a little fun, there are plenty of exciting events to get your content involved with.
Some of the monthly observances, such as Women’s History Month or The Great American Cleanup, can serve as great causes for regular engagement this month.
Monthly Observances
Women’s History Month
Nutrition Month
Music in Our Schools Month
National Craft Month
American Red Cross Month
Irish-American Heritage Month
Ramadan (projected to end on March 18-19)
Weekly Observances
March 9-15 – Girl Scout Week
March 9-15 – National Sleep Awareness Week
March 18-24 – National Agriculture Week
March 23-29 – National Cleaning Week
Days
March 1 – Zero Discrimination Day
March 3 – World Wildlife Day
March 3 – National Anthem Day
March 4 – International HPV Awareness Day
March 6 – Global Unplugging Day
March 7 – Employee Appreciation Day
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 8 – Daylight Saving Time
March 13 – Purim
March 13 – World Sleep Day
March 14 – Pi Day
March 15 – The Ides of March
March 15 – 98th Academy Awards Ceremony
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – Global Recycling Day
March 18-19 (expected) – Ramadan ends
March 19-20 (expected) – Eid Al-Fitr
March 20 – Nowruz
March 20 – Spring Equinox
March 22 – World Water Day
March 26 – Epilepsy Awareness Day
March 27 – World Theatre Day
March 27 – MLB Opening Day
March 29 – Palm Sunday
Popular Hashtags for March
#PeanutButterLoversDay
#EmployeeAppreciationDay
#ReadAcrossAmerica
#DrSeuss
#WorldWildlifeDay
#NationalGrammarDay
#BeBoldForChange
#DaylightSavings
#PiDay
#StPatricksDay
#FirstDayofSpring
#WorldWaterDay
#NationalPuppyDay
#PurpleDay
#NationalDoctorsDay
#EarthHour
April
April is probably best known for April Fools’ Day, and a chance to get creative with parody and spoof content for your calendar that can make your customers smile.
Earth Month also means you can make more eco-friendly posts about your organization’s commitment to reducing its impact on the planet.
You also might want to get your cape out of storage on April 28 for National Superhero Day.
Monthly Observances
Earth Month
National Autism Awareness Month
Parkinson’s Awareness Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
Stress Awareness Month
Weekly Observances
April 20-26 – National Volunteer Week
April 20-26 – Administrative Professionals Week
April 21-25 – Every Kid Healthy Week
April 21-27 – Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week
Days
April 1 – April Fool’s Day
April 1 – Passover starts
April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day
April 2 – International Children’s Book Day
April 2 – National Walking Day
April 2 – Maundy Thursday
April 3 – Good Friday
April 4 – Holy Saturday
April 5 – Easter Sunday
April 6 – Easter Monday
April 7 – National Beer Day
April 7 – World Health Day
April 9-12 – Masters Tournament PGA
April 9 – Passover ends
April 11 – National Pet Day
April 11-13/18-20 – Coachella Music Festival
April 13 – Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
April 13-14 – Yom HaShoah (Begins evening, ends April 14)
April 13-15 – Songkran
April 15 – American Sign Language Day
April 15 – Tax Day
April 16 – Emancipation Day
April 20 – Patriots’ Day
April 21 – World Creativity and Innovation Day
April 22 – Yom Ha’atzmaut (sundown April 21 to nightfall April 22)
April 22 – Earth Day
April 25 – Arbor Day
April 27 – World Design Day
April 28 – National Superhero Day
April 30 – National Honesty Day
Popular Hashtags For April:
#AprilFools
#WAAD
#FindARainbowDay
#NationalWalkingDay
#LetsTalk
#EqualPayDay
#TaxDay
#NH5D
#NationalLookAlikeDay
#AdministrativeProfessionalsDay
#DenimDay
#EndMalariaForGood
#COUNTONME
#ArborDay
#NationalHonestyDay
#AdoptAShelterPetDay
May
May brings a lot of variety with it as there are plenty of good causes to raise awareness for, plus major sporting events and unique celebrations you can join in with.
Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, and Memorial Day are just a few examples of events that will have lots of people paying attention and can make for great marketing themes.
Monthly Observances
ALS Awareness
Asthma Awareness Month
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
National Clean Air Month
Better Sleep Month
Lupus Awareness Month
Weekly Observances
May 4-10 – National Pet Week
May 4-10 – National Travel & Tourism Week
May 4-10 – Drinking Water Week
May 6-12 – National Nurses Week
May 11-17 – Food Allergy Awareness Week
Days
May 1 – May Day
May 1 – Law Day
May 1 – Lei Day
May 1 – World Password Day
May 2 – Kentucky Derby
May 4 – Star Wars Day
May 4 – International Firefighters Day
May 5 – Cinco De Mayo
May 6 – National Nurses Day
May 8 – World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
May 10 – World Lupus Day
May 10 – World Fair Trade Day
May 10 – Mother’s Day
May 15-18 – PGA Championship
May 15 – International Day of Families
May 15 – Malcolm X Day
May 17 – Internet Day
May 18 – National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
May 18 – Victoria Day (Canada)
May 20 – World Bee Day
May 21 – World Meditation Day
May 24-June 7 – French Open
May 25 – Geek Pride Day
May 25 – Memorial Day
May 28 – World Hunger Day
Popular Hashtags For May:
#RedNoseDay
#MayDay
#WorldPasswordDay
#StarWarsDay & #Maythe4thBeWithYou
#InternationalFirefightersDay
#CincoDeMayo
#MothersDay
#BTWD
#MemorialDay & #MDW
June
Once June has arrived, it’s finally starting to feel like summer. Everyone wants to make the most of the sunshine, and the positive energies are flowing.
Given that June also marks Great Outdoors Month, this is a great opportunity to make your brand a must-have companion for planning a beachside vacation or hosting a cookout.
You can also show your support for LGBTQ+ Pride, Flag Day, and Father’s Day, along with all the other events listed here.
Monthly Observances
LGBTQ Pride Month
Caribbean-American Heritage Month
Great Outdoors Month
Men’s Health Month
National Safety Month
National Zoo and Aquarium Month
Weekly Observances
June 1-7 – National Garden Week
June 1-7 – National Headache Awareness Week
June 9-15 – National Men’s Health Week
June 15-21 – National Roller Coaster Week
Days
June 1 – Global Parents Day
June 5 – Hot Air Balloon Day
June 5 – World Environment Day
June 6 – D-Day
June 6 – Belmont Stakes
June 8 – World Oceans Day
June 8 – National Best Friends Day
June 8 – Tony Awards TBD/expected timeframe
June 9 – Donald Duck Day
June 11 – Kamehameha Day
June 11-14 – Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 14 – National Flag Day
June 15 – Trinity Sunday
June 18-21 – U.S. Open PGA
June 19 – Juneteenth
June 19 – Chinese Dragon Boat Festival
June 21 – Father’s Day
June 21 – Summer Solstice
June 23 – International Widows Day
June 25-26 – Ashura
June 29-July 12 – Wimbledon
June 30 – International Asteroid Day
Popular Hashtags For June:
#NationalDonutDay
#FathersDay
#NationalSelfieDay
#TakeYourDogToWorkDay
#HandshakeDay
#SMDay
July
July presents lots of opportunities for savvy marketers, from the 4th of July to the International Day of Friendship.
As we enter the summer slowdown period, there’s a lot to celebrate that can help feed your social media content to keep customers engaged.
So celebrate your independence, indulge in a little ice cream, and bring people together with one of the many events in July.
Monthly Observances
Family Golf Month
Ice Cream Month
National Parks and Recreation Month
National Picnic Month
National Independent Retailer Month
National Blueberry Month
Weekly Observances
July 6–12 – Nude Recreation Week
July 14-20 – Capture the Sunset Week
Days
July 1 – International Joke Day
July 2 – World UFO Day
July 4 – Independence Day (Observed Friday, July 3)
July 4-26 – Tour de France
July 6 – International Kissing Day
July 7 – World Chocolate Day
July 8 – National Video Games Day
July 11 – World Population Day
July 12 – Pecan Pie Day
July 14 – MLB All-Star Game
July 16 – Moon Landing Anniversary
July 17 – World Emoji Day
July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day
July 20 – International Chess Day
July 20 – National Moon Day
July 21 – National Junk Food Day
July 24 – Amelia Earhart Day
July 26 – Aunt and Uncle Day
July 27 – Parents’ Day
July 28 – World Hepatitis Day
July 30 – International Day of Friendship
July 31 – World Ranger Day
Popular Hashtags For July:
#NationalPostalWorkerDay
#WorldUFODay
#WorldEmojiDay
#DayOfFriendship
August
We’ve hit the hottest days by August as back-to-school looms, and we welcome the return of football.
While many are topping up their tans and making the most of the final Summer days, August still provides lots of opportunities to align your content with wider events.
Make sure you’re using your marketing calendar to the fullest extent to post any sunny seasonal content promptly before fall arrives.
Monthly Observances
Back to School Month
National Breastfeeding Month
Family Fun Month
National Peach Month
Weekly Observances
August 1-7 – International Clown Week
August 3-9 – National Farmers’ Market Week
August 10-16 – National Smile Week
August 25-31 – Be Kind to Humankind Week
Days
August 1 – National Girlfriends Day
August 2 – NFL Hall of Fame Game & Pre-season
August 2 – National Friendship Day
August 7 – Purple Heart Day
August 7 – International Beer Day
August 8 – International Cat Day
August 9 – Book Lover’s Day
August 11 – National Son and Daughter Day
August 11 – Victory Day
August 13 – Left Hander’s Day
August 15 – Assumption of Mary
August 15 – National Honey Bee Day
August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
August 20 – National Radio Day
August 21 – Senior Citizens Day
August 26 – Women’s Equality Day
August 28 – Raksha Bandhan
August 30 – Frankenstein Day
August 30 – National Beach Day
Popular Hashtags For August:
#InternationalCatDay
#NationalBookLoversDay
#WorldElephantDay
#LefthandersDay
#WorldPhotoDay
#WorldHumanitarianDay
#NationalLemonadeDay
#NationalDogDay
#WomensEqualityDay
September
As fall begins, some of the bigger events happening in September are Hispanic Heritage Month, Grandparents Day, and, of course, Labor Day.
There are also plenty of other events to inspire you, from Oktoberfest to National Yoga Month. Plus, a National Coffee Day for those who struggle to start their day without a caffeine fix.
Monthly Observances
Wilderness Month
National Food Safety Education Month
National Yoga Month
Whole Grains Month
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15)
Weekly Observances
September 7-13 – National Suicide Prevention Week
September 13-19 – National Indoor Plant Week
September 15-21 – Pollution Prevention Week
September 21-27 – National Dog Week
Days
September 2 – VJ Day
September 4 – National Wildlife Day
September 5 – International Day of Charity
September 6 – National Fight Procrastination Day
September 7 – Labor Day
September 8 – Pardon Day
September 11 – 9/11
September 11 – Patriot Day
September 12 – Video Games Day
September 13 – Uncle Sam Day
September 13 – National Grandparents Day
September 15 – Greenpeace Day
September 17 – Constitution Day
September 19 – Oktoberfest begins
September 20 – Yom Kippur
September 21 – International Day of Peace
September 22 – World Car-Free Day
September 23 – September Equinox
September 24 – World Bollywood Day
September 25 – Native American Day
September 27 – World Tourism Day
September 29 – National Coffee Day (US)
September 29 – Confucius Day
September 29 – World Heart Day
Popular Hashtags For September:
#LaborDay
#NationalWildlifeDay
#CharityDay
#ReadABookDay
#911Day
#NationalVideoGamesDay
#TalkLikeAPirateDay
#PeaceDay
#CarFreeDay
#WorldRabiesDay
#GoodNeighborDay
#InternationalPodcastDay
October
It’s that time of year when pumpkin spice lattes roll around again.
While October is known as the spooky season to many, there’s much more to this month than just Halloween. There’s Teacher’s Day, World Mental Health Day, and Spirit Day, to name a few, around which your organization can look to create content.
Monthly Observances
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bully Prevention Month
Halloween Safety Month
Financial Planning Month
National Pizza Month
Weekly Observances
October 5-11 – Fire Prevention Week
October 13-19 – Earth Science Week
October 19-25 – National Business Women’s Week
Days
October 1 – International Coffee Day
October 1 – World Vegetarian Day
October 3 – National Techies Day
October 5 – World Teachers’ Day
October 5 – Oktoberfest ends
October 5 – Child Health Day
October 10 – World Mental Health Day
October 11 – National Coming Out Day
October 12 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day
October 12 – Columbus Day
October 12 – Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
October 16 – World Food Day
October 16 – Spirit Day (Anti-bullying)
October 17 – Sweetest Day
October 24 – United Nations Day
October 24 – Make a Difference Day
October 30 – Mischief Night
October 31 – Halloween
Popular Hashtags For October:
#InternationalCoffeeDay
#TechiesDay
#NationalTacoDay
#WorldSmileDay
#WorldTeachersDay
#WorldHabitatDay
#WorldMentalHealthDay
#BossesDay
#UNDay
#ChecklistDay
#Halloween
November
During the month in which we all give thanks, there is also a wide range of causes you can help out with or raise awareness for, like Movember and America Recycles Day.
You should also mark your marketing calendar for arguably the biggest sales events of the year – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – which are sure to be on everyone’s radar.
Monthly Observances
Native American Heritage Month
Movember
World Vegan Month
Novel Writing Month
National Gratitude Month
Weekly Observances
November 17-21 – American Education Week
November 20-26 – Game and Puzzle Week
Days
November 1 – Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
November 1 – World Vegan Day
November 1 – Daylight Saving Time ends
November 3 – Melbourne Cup Day
November 8 – STEM Day
November 8 – Diwali
November 9 – World Freedom Day
November 10 – Marine Corps Birthday
November 11 – Veterans Day
November 13 – World Kindness Day
November 14 – World Diabetes Day
November 17 – National Entrepreneurs Day
November 24 – Evolution Day
November 26 – Thanksgiving Day
November 27 – Black Friday
November 28 – Native American Heritage Day
November 30 – Cyber Monday
Popular Hashtags For November:
#WorldVeganDay
#NationalSandwichDay
#DaylightSavings
#CappuccinoDay
#STEMDay
#VeteransDay
#WKD
#WDD
#BeRecycled
#EntrepreneursDay
#Thanksgiving
#ShopSmall
December
December is here, and the end of the year is in sight.
Although 2027 is right around the corner, and you might want to start planning your content calendar for next year, don’t neglect your content in the run-up to the holidays.
Send your year off in style with marketing campaigns dedicated to events like Nobel Prize Day, Rosa Parks Day, Green Monday, and more.
You can even do a content wrap-up of your best moments from the year – and make sure to get your 2027 marketing calendar sorted early before the post-Christmas wind-down.
Monthly Observances
Human Rights Month
Operation Santa Paws
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
World Food Service Safety Month
Weekly Observances
December 4-12 – Hanukkah (Chanukah)
December 26-January 1 – Kwanzaa
Days
December 1 – World AIDS Day
December 1 – Rosa Parks Day
December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 6 – St. Nicholas Day
December 7 – Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
December 7 – National Letter Writing Day
December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 10 – Nobel Prize Day
December 10 – Human Rights Day
December 11 – UNICEF Anniversary
December 12 – Hanukkah (end of)
December 15 – Bill of Rights Day
December 18 – National Twin Day
December 21 – Winter Solstice
December 22 – Forefathers Day
December 23 – Festivus
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 26 – Kwanzaa
December 26 – Boxing Day
December 31 – New Year’s Eve
Popular Hashtags For December:
#IDPWD
#NationalCookieDay
#NobelPrize
#WinterSolstice
#NYE
The Complete Marketing Calendar And Template To Plan 2026
A content plan mapped out months in advance gives you a reliable foundation to work from all year, without trying to think of ideas at the last minute.
Track what performs well throughout the year and use those insights to inform your 2026 marketing calendar, so you can invest more heavily in the content themes that consistently deliver results.
“What is the threshold between keyword stuffing and being optimized? Is there a magic rule for how often to use your main keyword and related keywords in a 2,000-word page? Should the main keyword be in the Headers AND the body in the same section?”
Great question!
There is no such thing as “being optimized” when it comes to keywords and repetitions. This is similar to looking at “authority” scores for domains. The optimization scores you get are measurements based on what an SEO tool thinks gives a domain trust, and not the actual search engines or LLM and AI systems. The idea of a keyword needing to be repeated is from an SEO concept called keyword density, which is a result of SEO tools.
Each tool would have a different way to say if you repeated a word or phrase enough for it to be “SEO friendly,” and because people trust the tools, they trust that this is a valid ranking factor or signal for a search engine. It is not because the search engines do not pay attention to how many times a word is on a page or in a paragraph, as that doesn’t produce a good experience.
Panda reduced the effectiveness of low-quality, keyword-stuffed content, and Google’s later advancements, BERT and MUM, allowed better understanding of context, relationships between terms, and the overall structure of a page. Google is now far better at interpreting meaning without relying on repeated exact-match keywords.
Keywords help to send a signal to a search engine about the topic of the page. And they can be used in headers, within text, as internal links, within title tags, schema, and the URL structure. But worrying about using the keyword for SEO purposes can lead to trouble. So, let’s define keyword stuffing for the sake of this post.
Keyword stuffing is when you force a keyword or keyword phrase into content, headers, and URLs for the sole purpose of SEO.
By forcing a keyword into a post, or forcing it into headers, you hurt the user experience. Although the search engine will know what you want to rank for, the language won’t feel natural. Instead of worrying about how many times you say the keyword, think about synonyms and other ways to say things that are easy to understand. Many search engines are getting better and better at understanding how topics, words, sentences, and phrases relate to one another. You don’t have to repeat the same words over and over anymore.
If you Google the word “swimsuit,” you’ll likely see it in a couple of title tags, but also see “swimwear.” Now type “bathing suits” in, you’ll likely not see it in a ton of the title tags, but the title tags will say “swimwear” and other synonyms, even though “bathing suits” is a popular name for the same product.
Now try “hairdresser near me,” and you’ll likely not see “hairdresser” in a lot of the results, but you will see “hair salon” and similar types of businesses. This is because search engines produce solutions to problems, and if they understand the page has the solution, you don’t need to keep repeating keywords.
For example, instead of saying “keyword stuffing” in this post, I could say “overusing phrases for SEO.” It means the same thing. Readers on this column will get bored pretty fast if I keep saying keyword stuffing, and by mixing it up, I can keep their interest, and search engines are still able to determine it is one-in-the-same. This also applies to header tags.
I don’t have any solid proof of this, but it seems to work well for our clients and the content we create, and it has worked for more than 10 years. If the main keyword phrase is in the H1 tag, whether it is a menu item or a blog post, we don’t worry about placing it in H2, H3, etc. I won’t be upset if the keyword shows up naturally, as that creates a good UX.
The theory here is that headers carry the theme and topic through the sections below. If the top-level header has the word “blue” in it, I make the assumption that theme “blue” carries through the page and applies to the H2 tag as the H2 is a sub-topic of “blue.” “H2’s” for blue could be “t-shirts” and “shorts.”
If this is true, by having the H1 be “blue” and the H2 be “shorts,” a search engine will know they are “blue shorts,” and I feel very confident users will too. They clicked blue or found a SERP for blue clothing, and they clicked shorts from the menu or found them from scrolling.
If you stuff “blue” into each link and header, it is annoying for the user to see it over and over. But many sites that get penalized will have “blue cargo shorts,” “blue chino shorts,” “blue workout shorts,” etc. It looks nicer to just say the styles of shorts like “cargo” or “chino,” and search engines likely already know they’re blue because you had it in the H tag one level up. You also likely have the “blue” part in breadcrumbs, site structure, product descriptions, etc.
One thing you definitely do not want to do is have a million footer links that match the navigation or are keyword-stuffed. This worked a long time ago, but now it is just spam. It doesn’t benefit the user; it is obvious to search engines you’re doing it for SEO. Sites that stuff keywords tend to use these outdated tactics too, so I want to include it here.
I hope this helps answer your question about overusing specific topics or phrases. Doing this only makes the tool happy; it does not mean you’ll be creating a good UX for users or search engines. If you focus on writing for your consumer and incorporate a keyword or phrase naturally, you’ll likely be rewarded.
More Resources:
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
“Slop” is the word of the year for 2025, according to the human editors of the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
“We define slop as ‘digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.’ All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again,” the editors wrote.
The folks at Merriam-Webster may have reacted to technology that likely challenges their livelihood. Yet while it’s a problem for ecommerce marketing, mediocre content is not new.
Generative AI did not introduce slop so much as streamline its speed and quantity. Recognizing this distinction is key to creating content that delivers a return on investment.
“Slop” is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2025.
Before AI
Long before genAI, content mills mastered the art of large-scale, low-cost production.
These word-factories relied on vast pools of underpaid writers, rigid templates, and keyword-driven briefs to publish thousands of articles quickly. Editorial oversight was minimal. Speed mattered more than accuracy, originality, or even usefulness.
For ecommerce brands, this often meant competing for search engine rankings against threadbare “best of” lists, affiliate bait, and generic product pages written by folks who had never seen the products they described. These pages existed to capture search traffic, not to help shoppers.
So long as search engines rewarded keywords and recency, low-cost content arbitrage was profitable, despite frequent algorithm updates aimed at combating it.
AI Amplification
Generative AI dramatically lowers the cost of content. What once required thousands of writers now consists of simple prompts, scripts, and publishing pipelines.
AI agents replaced underpaid writers.
The output even looks better. AI-generated content is readable, structured, and confident. It rarely reads like the keyword-stuffed search-engine bait of the early 2010s. That polish makes it hard for shoppers to distinguish genuine expertise from synthetic fluency.
Unfortunately, AI content can be wrong. Large language models hallucinate and make errors in logic. They are biased.
Compared to human-made versions, AI content is often clearer yet more fallible. The difference is not so much the quality of the prose as its relative trustworthiness and the thinking behind it.
Using AI
Nonetheless, marketers still aim to attract, engage, and retain readers. The need is not to avoid AI-generated content, but rather to use it well.
AI should not replace human thinking, but instead research, clarify, and facilitate it, such as:
Research and first drafts. AI can research and generate a starting point, not a final asset. Humans — merchandisers, marketers, experts — shape the final output through experience, nuance, and learning.
Clarity and purpose. Is the goal education, engagement, or conversion? AI performs best when guided by intent rather than vague prompts.
Facilitate human context and insights. This includes common customer questions, product comparisons, usage notes, and merchandising expertise. No model can scrape direct human knowledge.
For example, an ecommerce team might use AI to draft a buying guide for cordless drills. A product manager could then refine it based on real-world catalog constraints, such as in-stock models, warranty differences, and customer feedback. The AI provides structure and speed. The human provides judgment.
The same approach applies to product descriptions, FAQs, and category pages. AI accelerates first drafts and variations, but humans ensure claims are accurate, benefits are correct, and language aligns with brand voice. This hybrid workflow produces content that scales without sacrificing trust.
It’s not slop. It’s AI output guided by humans. And it might be the best way to create marketing content.
Not All Slop
The web survived keyword stuffing, article spinning, and content farms. It will survive AI slop, too.
The lesson is clear for ecommerce marketers: AI changes the tools, not the fundamentals. Genuine content that helps shoppers decide will outperform the mass-produced alternative.
The winners will be the most useful marketers, not the loudest.
Each new year is a time to reset, restart, and renew, even for content marketing.
In January 2026, ecommerce marketers can publish content celebrating the U.S.’s 250th year, share Wikipedia’s anniversary, take a deep dive into what makes products great, or even appreciate simple pleasures such as puzzles and Bloody Marys!
What follows are five content marketing ideas your business can use in January 2026.
250 Years
America’s 250th birthday will likely be a widespread event.
In 2026, the United States will celebrate its 250th year as a nation. The event will go by a few names (keywords) such as “anniversary,” “sestercentennial,” “quarter-millennial,” or “semiquincentennial.”
If America’s bicentennial in 1976 is an indication of what to expect in 2026, there will be promotions, parties, and opportunities. Many referred to the 1976 occasion as the “buycentennial” because of the increase in marketing and spending.
Promotional content can focus on patriotic products or emphasize history and how-tos.
For example, an apparel retailer could publish a 250-year fashion series that included videos, articles, and even interactive elements.
Two hundred fifty years of fashion might reveal more continuity than change.
For a how-to content, something as simple as “How to Celebrate the Sestercentennial” could work.
Bloody Mary Day
The Bloody Mary is a classic cocktail, often heavily garnished.
The classic Bloody Mary cocktail is a mixture of vodka, tomato juice, and spices, including salt, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco.
While it has no curative properties, the Bloody Mary is a popular hangover remedy. As such, Americans celebrate Bloody Mary Day each January 1.
The idea is simple enough. Folks drink a lot on New Year’s Eve and wake up suffering from the aftereffects. The drink’s tomato juice is hydrating. The salt helps to restore electrolytes. The spices wake one up a bit. And, ultimately, the vodka prolongs recovery.
Bloody Mary’s offer plenty of content opportunities. For example, a travel retailer selling high-end luggage and travel accessories could focus on the cocktail’s history. Fernand Petiot invented the drink in 1921 while bartending at the famous Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. The establishment on 5 Rue Daunou is still open and remains a favorite for tourists.
Other article ideas include various Bloody Mary recipes, New Year’s recovery checklists, and entertainment ideas.
Wikipedia at 25
Wikipedia home page.
On January 15, 2001, Larry Sanger and Jimmy Wales created Wikipedia, the human-edited encyclopedia that focuses on “verifiability, not truth.”
The result was an information source shunned by academics — scholarly papers do not cite it — but which approaches the accuracy of classic encyclopedias for many topics.
The platform has also faced a recent challenge from Elon Musk’s upstart Grokipedia, which attempts to challenge Wikipedia’s alleged inaccuracies and political biases.
Both the anniversary and recent publicity make Wikipedia a good topic for content marketers. A common (and entertaining) approach is calling out Wikipedia errors, such as those related to the products your business sells.
For example, music-and-pop-culture-related businesses could write about Wikipedia’s false claim that a member of the band Bilk left after being implicated in a Jamaican corned beef theft. Or the same shop might cover another Wikipedia claim that the U.S. military used Yoko Ono’s music during interrogations.
Those errors from April 2024 and August 2025, respectively, have been corrected, but the humor remains.
National Puzzle Day
Puzzle solving turns chaos into a satisfying sense of order.
Established in 2002, National Puzzle Day occurs each January 29. The occasion reminds us of the joy and benefits that puzzles provide.
The topic is relevant for many types of ecommerce businesses. Here are examples.
Marketers could also publish puzzles, such as themed crosswords, visual challenges, or various product-related games. And producing puzzle content could be a good way to try out AI-powered vibe coding.
Bill of Materials
Product quality can hide in details that most consumers never see.
Consumers purchase some products on impulse and others through inference — cues of quality, durability, and craftsmanship, even when they can’t articulate why.
A “bill of materials” article or video describes a product’s construction or the sourcing of its materials. Such content might interview a supplier or take apart a product to show its inner workings.
The audience of potential customers may not remember each material name, but they will remember the impact, thinking, “These people know what they are making, and they are not afraid to show it.”
