This is an update of a previous article posted on St. Patrick’s Day. Please see the original article [here].
Is your small business ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year? Successful marketing, especially holiday marketing, takes planning (and a wee bit of luck…of the Irish) to capitalize on a holiday known for rainbows, gold coins and shenanigans. Consider these 18 marketing ideas to turn a “pot o’gold at the end of a rainbow” promotion into profits.
- Offer $18.00 off to the first 18 people who purchase on March 17th.
Advertise your promotion early with your own bright green marketing flyers. Don’t forget to tag your specials with something appropriate like “Shamrock Day” on your website and social accounts leading up to the day. - Rent a photo booth.
Fill the photo booth with St. Paddy’s Day-themed props, like leprechaun hats and beards, green bow ties, funny glasses and wigs for a fun photo day. Have guests check-in on social media and post the images to receive an extra discount for same-day purchases.
- Share an Irish Blessing.
Run a postcard promotion for an extra 18% off with a traditional Irish blessing, such as this one:
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world.
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons.
bring the best to you and yours! - Host a “Find the Shamrock” game.
Hide or camouflage shamrocks in your store, on your website, in your email marketing and/or your Facebook business page for customers to find. Present a prize, like a gift card or store credit, to the first three who can identify all of them. - Advertise an oversized Pot O’ Gold promotion.
Promote an offer for 18% off the entire store before St Patrick’s Day with an additional 10% off on March 17th for those who bring in their jumbo mailers containing a promo code.
- Most spirited leprechaun.
Have customers email or tag photos of themselves using your product while wearing green. Offer a free product or service to the most creative entry. - Gift customers with Shamrock themed giveaways.
Add your logo and contact information to keepsake items like magnets or coasters that will extend your exposure well past the holiday.
- Hold a lucky drawing
Have customers sign up for a raffle to receive a free product or service. This is a great strategy for collecting new leads and gaining email subscribers. - Give away green beer or treats all day.
Show customer appreciation while enhancing brand awareness with green beer, cupcakes, cookies or other fun treats.
- Help customers avoid the pinch.
Get customers of all ages into the holiday spirit with a fun giveaway that keeps them from getting pinched, like temporary shamrock tattoos or green-colored beaded necklaces. - Give the gift (certificate) of gold.
Offer a bulk sale to promote your green themed products. Products could be green in color or made with environmentally-friendly materials, like recycled paper print products. - Green with Envy group sale.
Print rack cards or bookmarks as gift certificates ahead of St. Patrick’s Day for customers to gift to friends and family. Use this strategy to build referral business. - Promote a four-leaf clover discount.
Run a “Lucky Shamrock Sale” – customers who buy three or more products get the fourth item free.
- Run a “Feeling Lucky” social contest.
How about a social contest where customers tag your business and let you know how they’re feeling the luck of the Irish? Award the best entry with some customer love, including free products and a feature on your website. - Use St. Paddy’s Day hashtags and emojis.
Expand your reach on social media by including St. Patrick’s Day hashtags and four leaf clover emojis with each of your posts. Here are a few hashtags: #StPatricksDay, #StPaddysDay, #Shamrock, #Leprechaun, #LuckOfTheIrish.
- Partner with local businesses for a wee bit of fun.
Gather a few neighboring businesses for a contest. Each store will have different colored bookmarks for customers to collect and redeem for a prize at the “end of the rainbow.” - Quiz customers with a trivia contest.
Take to Facebook or Twitter with St. Patrick’s Day trivia questions to see who has the most Irish pride. Have followers send a private message with the correct response to receive a promo code. - Hoard the gold by incentivizing customers using alternative form of payment.
Offer an additional discount or include a free trinket for anyone purchasing using crypto-currency like Bitcoin or Litecoin.
For more small business marketing tips and trends, subscribe to blog.overnightprints.com
