St. Paddy’s Day celebrations are big business for bars, clubs, and restaurants. Since brands in those industries have almost a readymade promotional strategy for the month of March, I’m going to focus on brands in not-so-easy industries. Bars and restaurants are welcome to steal these ideas in the days leading up to March 17th, but the list below should be equally appealing to small biz retailors as well as service providers.
17 Ways to Make Your Customers Feel Lucky in March 2014
#1) Shamrock hang tags- Put a little green in your product displays, gift bags, and online orders. You don’t have to go all out for the die cut shamrock shaped hang tags, although that would be pretty awesome. As long as you have shamrocks in your design, you’re good to go. You don’t even have to use Illustrator. Try decorating your tags with shamrock stamps and stickers!
#2) Get in on the March Madness- College basketball inspires rabid fans across the nation. Your local biz can express support for the community with a show of team spirit for a nearby University. Don’t have a basketball team close by? Latch on to a regional favorite. Send an email campaign offering 20% purchases for fans who stop by in college basketball team apparel.
#3) Reward loyal ladies for Women’s History Month– Show your female clients special treatment to celebrate women’s achievements. Keep in mind that the spirit of the occasion is about respecting the female gender intellectually, so handing out pink roses probably sends the wrong message. You want to avoid anything that could be considered a negative stereotype; think brainy. A branded bookmark or a month long smart women’s discount will do the trick.
#4) Decorate for the 1st day of spring – This year’s record snowfall’s got everybody daydreaming about warmer weather. Well, everyone outside of Southern California. The season officially starts on March 20th, but shoppers will welcome cheerful colors, pretty flowers, etc. a bit earlier this year.
#5) Allow pets on puppy day- March 23rd is for our 4 legged friends. You can let dog owners bring their fur babies in your store, pass out puppy treats at the register, or have a local shelter set up an educational booth about pet adoption. This is a great way to express your inner animal lover and make a positive impact on the community.
#6) Spring fever postcard promo- Make space for the new summer inventory by getting rid of your winter merchandise. Since the items are out of season, slash prices to as low as you can. Use a postcard direct mail campaign to get the word out about your spring fever bargains.
#7) Honor Employee Appreciation Day- Your customers like knowing that their dollars go to support businesses who respect their employees. With all the bad press about big companies paying low wages and whatnot, let them know your small biz cares about your staff! Have a pizza party in the office, and post photos on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
#8) Spring theme Pinterest boards- Create a special Pinterest board to show signs of spring in the neighborhood! Take pictures of flowers, little leaguers, guests walking by your store in short sleeves, anything you find inspiring that reminds you of the fun times ahead.
#9) Spring break survival kits- Kids, teens, and college students usually have time off from school in March or early April. Collect fun items in your store and group them together in spring break survival packages. Don’t forget the parents; they’ll need stuff to relax while the kids run wild!
#10) Organize a “spring cleaning” trash pickup- As soon as the snow melts, you’ll start to notice trash that’s accumulated over the winter. Team up with a school or organization/charity and volunteer for a day to keep the neighborhood clean!
#11) Display new banners – Spruce up the place with outdoor signage. Print vinyl banners to advertise your sales, events, or just to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick’s Day outside your store.
#12) Salute Girl Scouts- March 12th marks the anniversary of the Girl Scout’s founding in 1912. This milestone easily ties in with Women’s History Month as the Scouts are all about empowering young girls to become independent leaders. Invite the troops to your store for goodies or sponsor an outing they’re raising money for this summer.
#13) Educate about Deaf History- National Deaf History month starts on March 13th and runs till April 15th. For many years, Deaf people have struggled with the perception that they’re disabled. Show your customers that you’re above the ignorance by sharing information about local events through the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and other organizations.
#14) Dye potato chips for Tater Day- March 14th is about addictive snack foods. We say take it a step further by making your own potato chips with a green twist! Your customers will love munching on homemade taters.
#15) Tweet St. Paddy’s Day hashtags- Up the volume on your tweets by using the right hashtags for your marketing. Just make sure your shares apply to the tags—no one likes a hashtag hijacker! You’ll find a handy list of useful St. Paddy’s Day hashtags on Social Media Today.
#16) Time sensitive email offers- Urgency increases response rates, so send emails with marketing messages that customers must act on immediately. For example, watch the weather report and plan a 3 hour sunny afternoon special to blast to your customers a few hours ahead of time.
#17) St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt- This works best when you team up with other local businesses. Leave “clues” for your customers in your store, on your blog, etc. You can even print out clue cards to put in packages. Reward the winners with big deals, such as BOGO (Buy 1, Get 1 Free).