When I was young, the hashtag was still called the pound sign. Well, times have changed and hashtags are now an important facet of everyday communication. Just take a look at any major social network, like Twitter’s Trends for You or Instagram’s Explore Page. But hashtags are also a small, yet significant, component to posting, discovering, and engaging with employer brand content across digital channels. Often in employer brand, we talk about posting timely and relevant content. One way to do this is to incorporate “hashtag holidays” into your content strategy.

Here are nine, hand-picked hashtags to consider adding to your editorial calendar between now and the end of 2018. In addition to holiday-specific hashtags, remember to include your employer brand-approved hashtag(s) to promote awareness for your organization.

August 5: #FriendshipDay  

Having a best friend at work has long been studied and connected to employee engagement. In fact, Gallup’s research shows a “link between having a best friend at work and the amount of effort employees expend in their job.” So, why not celebrate National Friendship Day and encourage employees to post a photo at work with a best friend?

August 9: #NationalBookLoversDay

What books are your employees reading? Do you have an employee-focused book club? Do you have a leader who encourages reading and learning within the team? Gather the Harry Potter fans, Shakespeare lovers, and John Green zealots, and share your employees’ love of books on Book Lovers Day.

August 31: #CollegeColorsDay

Do you have a university recruitment team? Is campus recruiting a component of your talent acquisition strategy? Encourage all your employees to show their school spirit by hosting a “college gear day” and posting photos via your social channels. And, don’t worry, August 31 is a summer Friday, so often dress codes are relaxed enough to support College Colors Day.

September 5: #GlobalTADay

When was the last time you thanked a recruiter? Join talent acquisition (TA) professionals all around the world for the first-ever Global TA Day and shine a light on these important employer brand ambassadors. Learn more about the celebration at ilovetalentacquisition.com.

October 1: #InternationalCoffeeDay

Is your team fueled by java? Coffee can boost productivity in the workplace, so what better way to show your appreciation for your team than by perking them up with a cup of joe.  Celebrate International Coffee Day by snapping some photos of your coffee-drinking colleagues with their logoed coffee mugs.

November 13: #WorldKindnessDay

Is part of your employer brand promise to be caring, kind, or to give back to others? Use World Kindness Day as a way to remind your employees to lend a helping hand to others and spread kindness like confetti everywhere they go.

November 20: #NationalEntrepreneursDay

Are you a start-up organization? Or an internal start-up within an existing business? Do you hire people with an entrepreneurial spirit? Inspire others and share the stories of entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, innovation, disruption, and boundary-breaking moments on Entrepreneurs Day.

December 4: #NationalCookieDay

How much better are those 2 p.m. meetings when someone brings cookies? Be the MVP of your afternoon meetings and bring cookies on National Cookie Day. Take a picture to remember the sweet memories.

December 26: #ThankYouNoteDay

While most of us are on vacation during this time, let’s not forget the importance of showing appreciation and thanks at work. Consider starting an internal social campaign where you can tag co-workers -- just start somewhere and encourage others to do the same. Even if someone is out of the office until 2019, this will be a nice way to feel welcomed back to work in the New Year.

Do you need to celebrate every hashtag holiday?

No, especially if they do not fit within the context of your business, your culture, or your employer brand strategy. For example, September 12 is Video Games Day. If you are Nintendo, EA, or Blizzard, you may want to share stories of the people behind the games using #NationalVideoGamesDay. But if you are a global management consulting firm, probably not.

Don’t feel pressured to jump on a hashtag bandwagon. Be sure to review the hashtag holidays, put some rigor around your selection process, and thoughtfully choose relevant ones that align with who you are and what you stand for. Your employees and your audience notice authenticity, and they will appreciate you for that.