Are you struggling to develop promotional ideas for holiday events or perhaps need some inspiration for your 2022 holiday season marketing campaign?
From holiday shopping marketing campaigns to creating happy customers, we’ve got a few great marketing ideas in this free guide to holiday marketing for each of the Federal holidays and a few bonus holidays to get you started!
Customer Birthday Marketing Ideas:Â Every birthday is a Holiday!
Treat your returning guests’ birthday like it’s a federal holiday!
Birthdays are a chance to encourage customers to join an email marketing list so that you can send them promotions and create short-term discounts catered to their needs!
You always want to make sure you get your customers to sign up for your email marketing so that your ads are always in their hands – on their mobile devices.
There are some basic ideas that you can use like free shipping, coupons, discounts, and more if they allow you to send email marketing. Once they’re signed up, you can do fun things like give away gift cards, host contests on Facebook or Instagram, or encourage them to rate the customer service they received before they leave.
Once you have them hooked into your loyalty program for customer birthday marketing, think about the perfect gift to make your customer feel special and award your company more business with your email campaign. Maybe send a handwritten note or give them a small gift like a coupon for a product or service.
You could also write a birthday message on their social media profiles and offer free shipping sitewide. Whatever you do, be sure to make your customer feel appreciated and loved!
New Year’s Eve – December 31st
(New Year’s Eve is obviously at the end of the year, but we feel it should be next to New Years Day) You could run a contest for New Year’s Eve where customers submit photos of themselves wearing festive hats, New Year s-themed outfits, and other holiday flair. You could also offer customers party favors such as noisemakers, hats, and confetti.
New Years Day- January 1st
One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to get in shape, so a great marketing idea for the New Year would be to promote your fitness center or gym during the new year holidays.
Offer a giveaway of free trial memberships or discounts on monthly memberships to help people stick to their resolutions.
You could also run a contest on social media that revolves around the theme of ‘starting fresh.’ Have interested customers submit photos of themselves committing to their fitness goals. The person with the most creative or inspiring post could win a membership or another relevant prize at the end of the year.
Martin Luther King Jr Day – January 17th
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day and the civil rights movement, you could hold a charity event or fundraiser to support a local organization dedicated to helping people of color.
Promotions for online shoppers could include a percentage off of purchases or free shipping on orders over a certain amount. You could also donate a portion of your proceeds from the holiday sales to a charity related to Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy.
Inauguration Day – January 20th
There are plenty of non-political marketing campaign ideas that your business could use to capitalize on the inauguration day holiday. Suppose you are in the baking industry. In that case, you could run a special promotion where customers can get a slice of cake on the house with the purchase of any regular-priced existing products.
Groundhog’s Day – February 2nd
February is a great time to use Groundhog’s Day to offload your retail winter stock, or you could have deals on winter activities. Businesses like ice skating rinks and skiing or snowboarding parks don’t always stay open all year, so use this time to gain as many new followers as possible!
For instance, you could put up a sign that says “Winter Blowout!” Offer discounts on lift tickets or coupons for lessons to draw people into your business. You could also run a contest where customers post pictures of themselves enjoying their winter activities with family and friends. The person with the cutest picture wins a gift certificate.
Valentine’s Day – February 14th
Everyone knows that February is the month for love. Hence, promotions and social campaigns are a great way to grow your audience on this holiday.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to promote your romantic dining options or unique Valentine’s Day packages. You could also run a promotion for your target audience in the form of a contest on the business’s media profiles where you offer a prize for the best love poem or Valentine’s Day artwork created by customers.
This promotion is a fantastic way for businesses to gain new, loyal customers and recognition!
Presidents Day – February 21st
Another holiday in February is Presidents’ Day, a day to celebrate the accomplishments of our nation’s leaders. An idea would be to offer discounts at your establishment with a presidential twist, such as a promotion of 10% off for anyone who can name the last five presidents.
Suppose you maintain a bookstore. In that case, you could sell books about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Have a sale on replica presidential coins for a coin shop.
Daylight Savings – March 13th
Starting March 14th, it will be time to spring forward and turn your clocks ahead one hour. Daylight Savings Time isn’t just a fun way to get an extra hour of sleep; it’s also a great marketing opportunity for small business owners!
For example, you could offer free products or discounts to customers coming in to shop during the morning hours when most businesses open, or you could run a contest where people submit photos of themselves enjoying the extra hour of daylight.
St. Patrick’s Day – March 17th
The luck of the Irish is usually in high demand around March 17th, so promotions are likely to be an effective strategy for reaching new audiences on this holiday. Irish-themed products are a popular way to celebrate this holiday without being stereotypical, and sales of beer and corned beef increase on this day as well. Promote the sale of Irish beers or offer special discounts on green beer and traditional Irish food like corned beef and cabbage.
April Fools Day – April 1st
April Fools’ Day is a great opportunity for businesses to have some fun with their marketing strategies.
One idea would be to create a special promotion only available for guests who visit your location on April 1st. A great idea would be to change up the promotions every hour. You can post vague hints about the sale on Twitter or Facebook!
Or, you could say you are having a 10% off sale for your online shoppers in a blog post, but it would be a higher percentage when they get to their cart!
Easter – April 17th
One great Easter marketing idea is to partner with a local children’s hospital or charity and donate a percentage of your sales to the organization. Another idea is to hold an Easter egg hunt at your store or in your local community.
Tax Day – April 15th
On Tax Day, a brick and mortar store could offer a 10% discount on their products or services to help ease the stress of tax season, while an online store could offer to cover the shipping.
You could also run a contest where consumers submit their best “grumpy” selfies while they’re doing their taxes to your website for a chance to win a prize. Whatever approach you choose, make sure your promotions are creative and engaging to get the most out of this holiday!
Cinco de Mayo – May 5th
Possibly one of the best Cinco de Mayo marketing ideas is to host an event at your store or business where guests can enjoy food, drinks, music, and entertainment. You could also see if any local companies would like to partner with you and sponsor the event together.
Mother’s Day – May 8th
Mother’s Day is an excellent opportunity to show your appreciation for the mothers, grandmothers, and women in your community. For example, you could run a special promotion where you are giving away freebies popular with moms, like coupons for local restaurants or salons. Or you could showcase gift ideas perfect for all moms during their special day.
Memorial Day – May 30th
For Memorial Day, your best marketing idea would be to stock up on American flag-themed items in your retail store or other memorabilia that relate to Memorial Day. If you’re a restaurant or bar owner, you could provide patriotic-themed Memorial Day drinks and food specials. You could also run a Memorial Day charity event in partnership with a local veterans’ organization.
Juneteenth – June 19th
A great marketing idea for Juneteenth is to host a special event that commemorates the day. For example, you could have live music, food, drinks, dancing, or even activities for children during the day. You could also find other companies to partner with to host the event together. Make sure to advertise your event on your website or anywhere on the internet it may be relevant!
Father’s Day – June 19th
Father’s Day is a great opportunity to promote products or services that are especially beneficial to fathers. For example, for Father’s Day, you could host a special event at your store where children create cards they can mail to their dads on behalf of themselves. If you are in the restaurant business, you could offer a special on food and drinks to consumers for Father’s Day or even host a brunch where dads can check out new products!
The 4th of July – Independence Day – July 4th
As far as national holidays go in our country, it seems like everyone has a party to attend on Independence Day! Therefore, Independence Day is an excellent opportunity to start marketing campaigns that showcase products or services that are especially beneficial for the holiday. For example, you could have Independence Day Sales on fireworks, grills, picnic supplies, your store’s new collection of decorations for your home, or other goods related to celebrating the holiday.
Parents Day – July 24th
Parents Day is an excellent opportunity to advertise products or services that are especially beneficial to parents. For example, you could offer coupons for small gifts or discounted services that would relax hard-working parents, such as a day at the spa, a home cleaning, or a meal delivery service. In addition, you could host an event at your store or restaurant that celebrates parents and gives them a chance to enjoy some free time while the kids are off doing activities such as making cards or crafts.
Labor Day – September 5th
In honor of the (sometimes long) holiday weekend, you could partner with a charity supporting working families and donate a percentage of your sales to the organization. You could also hold a contest where customers post pictures of themselves using Labor Day as an opportunity to take a break from work. Another idea is to offer discounts on products or services related to relaxation, such as massages, pedicures, or days at a luxury hotel.
Back to School – Early September (Michigan)
For back to school, one great marketing idea is to host an event at your store where parents can bring their children to make cards, crafts or hang out in a rented bounce house or other activity before it’s time to get back to school. This would give the parents a chance to do some shopping without worrying about their children.
Indigenous People’s Day – October 10th
For Indigenous People’s Day, you could partner with a charity or organization that supports Native Americans and donate a percentage of your sales to the organization. You could also hold a contest on social media where customers post pictures of themselves celebrating Indigenous People’s Day.
Columbus Day – October 10th
For Columbus Day weekend, your best marketing idea would be to partner with a charity or organization that supports Native Americans and provide donations from your store or restaurant profits. Another idea is to offer discounts on products or services related to America and its histories, such as memorabilia or new books on American history.
Sweetest Day – October 15th
For Sweetest Day, you could offer discounts on products or services related to sweetness, such as chocolate candy or cakes; this can be a massive day for bakeries! You could also host an event at your store where customers come in and decorate their own cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles. Or, if you’re a florist, you could hold a class for customers to learn how to make their own floral arrangements with their significant others!
Halloween – October 31st
In honor of Halloween, you could host a contest on social media where customers post photos of themselves and their children dressed up in their best costumes for a chance to win a prize. Another idea is to host a trick or treat night where kids come to your “haunted” store and get free candy while parents get discounts on other products and services related to the holiday.
Daylight Savings Time Ends – November 6th
Your best marketing idea for the end of Daylight Savings Time would be to offer a discount on energy-saving lights or appliances. For example, a hardware store might use this holiday to offer vouchers that give customers the chance to win free energy-saving gadgets.
Veterans Day – November 11th
Similar to Memorial Day, you could start a holiday campaign where you partner with a charity or organization supporting veterans and donate a percentage of your sales to the group for Veterans Day. You could also hold a social media contest where customers post pictures of themselves honoring veterans. Winners could be featured on your landing page! Another idea is to offer discounts on products or services for military veterans on things such as clothing, vehicles, or home repairs.
Thanksgiving – November 24th
To get into the holiday spirit for Thanksgiving, a restaurant could host an event at your store where customers come by to enjoy a specially catered meal with family and friends during the holiday season. For restaurants, offering discounts on products or services related to the holiday, such as turkey dinner catering or party platters, can be a great way to attract customers.
Black Friday – November 25th
Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year around the world! One of the best marketing ideas for Black Friday would be to reward your current client base with a special discount on products catered to their past sales. You could also offer percentage discounts on items such as TVs or home appliances for those who want to upgrade their living spaces. To entice customers, you could give out scratch-off coupons that allow them to take an extra random percentage off any item in your store.
Small Business Saturday – November 26th
Your best marketing idea for Small Business Saturday would be to offer a free gift or entry into a contest for anyone who spends over a decided amount of money. In addition, you could offer discounts on add-ons such as gift wrapping or engraving to reward current customers. You can also offer coupons that give customers a chance to win big prizes for shopping small.
Cyber Monday – November 27th
For Cyber Monday, you could run a contest on social media where customers post pictures of themselves shopping online and explaining why they like to shop online during the holiday season, and then decide which one is the best. The winner could receive a $50 gift card to your store. You could also offer discounts on packages where customers buy multiple items and get a discount on shipping for all of them.
Christmas Eve – December 24th
Your best marketing idea for Christmas Eve would be to offer a discount on all items that are already discounted. You could also provide last-minute gift wrapping services or free shipping on orders over a certain amount.
Another idea is to hold a contest on social media where customers post pictures of their Christmas trees and the best one wins a prize.
Christmas Day – December 25th
One hands-on idea this holiday season is to set up a Santa Tracker on your website at the beginning of the month! You can have all kinds of fun with people trying to track Santa. Make sure that kids know about it and get them involved. Santa Tracker will help get people through a rough holiday season with kids and can be a great conversation starter for your brand. Also, make sure that you have sales on Christmas day, as many people do online shopping on the holiday!
Contact Fusion Marketing with All of Your Marketing Needs Through the Holidays!
Fusion Marketing is a full-service marketing firm specializing in helping small businesses reach their target markets using methods that align with the brand’s values. We offer a wide range of services on top of holiday marketing strategies, including branding, website design, digital marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, help with your next promotion, and more. We’re here to help your business grow and succeed!
At Fusion Marketing, we know how to make your holiday marketing campaign efforts a success. We can help you with everything from brand awareness to creating a holiday shopping campaign plan and executing it flawlessly. Contact us today to get started!
Reach out to us on our website to start sharing ideas to help you create the perfect brand for your business.
