Wow 'Em With Off-The-Beaten-Path Holidays

If you are a corporate refugee like me, you are all too familiar with the standard 7 - 9 holidays that you get during the year. However, did you know that there are literally thousands of holidays during the year that people celebrate? For example, did you know that September is "Shameless Self Promotion Month" as well as "People Skills" and "Healthy Aging Month." October is "Eat Better Eat Together Month." One of personal favorites is "Bubble Gum Day" in February!

What does this mean for business owners? Plenty!

There is a handy reference book in almost every library across the country called Chase's Calendar of Events. This is the official reference source for national celebrations and various observances throughout the year. You can also subscribe online if you like at chases.com.

I like to encourage my clients to look through this reference guide and find a holiday or two that they can use to promote their businesses. For example, one of my clients is a life coach and she published a book about self improvement in June. June also happens to be "National Rebuild Your Life Month." So we developed a pitch to the media about how her book addresses this national holiday and she was covered in multiple media outlets that month.

Getting media coverage is just on thing you can do to use holidays to promote your business. Here a just a few other ideas for you to consider after you locate a holiday that relates to your business:

1. Create a month-long celebration: a sale, a percentage off, an extra bonus for the month, etc.
2. Develop a direct mail campaign.
3. Throw a party: an open house, free balloons, bring a friend and receive a gift, etc.
4. Partner with another business to create a joint celebration, thereby introducing your businesses to each other's lists.
5. If you write articles or publish an ezine, you can use different holidays as topics for an article. For example, April is "Stress Awareness Month." If your business addresses stress, write an article about this topic.
6. Pick funky holidays to celebrate during the year and create client touch-points around them. For example:

o For "National Ice-Cream Day" you can send your best clients and customers a $5 gift card to your favorite ice creamery and say, "Here's the scoop... I appreciate your businesses!" (See if you can get the local ice creamery to split the cost with you for the advertising opportunity!)
o For "Bubble Gum Day" - Send a pack or stick of gum and say "Chew on this" and make a special offer.

How you celebrate a holiday is only limited by your imagination! Have fun deciding which holiday or holidays to celebrate and creating your unique marketing program that "wows" your client and prospects.

© 2011 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing

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