Each year on 17th March, millions of people gather to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. The annual day of feasting and merrymaking is like a pot of gold for the Irish economy. Overall, Ireland records over €70 million between 16th and 17th of March.
Whether it’s leveraging a social media campaign or hosting an exclusive event, Paddy’s Day presents the perfect opportunity for business owners to capitalise by getting creative with their marketing campaigns.
Read on to discover seven St Patrick’s Day marketing tactics to help drive traffic to your business and boost your sales this March.
1. Leverage social media
Social media marketing can reap many benefits for small business owners. It is one of the best ways to advertise your products or services and increase brand awareness. Not to mention holiday posts tend to generate great engagement.
Keep your social activity active with St. Patrick’s Day-themed posts or promotions. Make use of trending hashtags on Instagram to increase your visibility or create Facebook ads to promote your St Paddy’s deals.
2. Engage customers
Another St. Patrick’s Day marketing idea is to focus on tactics that engage customers. Keep customers entertained by asking fun and open-ended questions to your followers. Instagram stories are a great way to do this, for example you could create mini polls on Irish trivia.
Another way to engage customers is through email marketing campaigns. Keep them informed with offers and news about any upcoming events or promotions you have planned. With Squares email marketing software software, you can easily design custom emails and set up automated campaigns in just a few clicks.
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3. Utilise seasonal offers
Everyone loves a bargain. According to Hawk Incentives, 97% of customers search for deals when shopping. So, if you want to attract customers to your business now is the perfect time to get creative with St Patrick’s Day seasonal offerings.
For clothing and retail stores, St Patrick’s Day is a great way to boost sales by offering special discounts on green clothing attire. If you run a local brewery, consider running promotions on Guinness to entice customers through your door.
4. Run competitions
Chanel some ‘luck of the Irish’ by running a competition this St Patrick’s Day. Competitions are a brilliant way to attract and engage customers. Centre your competitions around popular St Patrick’s Day themes such as the colour green, leprechauns, and rainbows. Competitions can be anything from as simple as guessing the number of gold coins in a jar, to fancy dress competitions and Guinness drinking contests.
Host your competitions in store or run a ‘like and share’ social media content. Running competitions online are a fast way to build a strong following. On average, 34% of customers are acquired through contests. Whatever type of contest you decide to run, the opportunities are endless so don’t be afraid to get creative and have fun with it.
5. Showcase special items
Another popular St. Patrick’s Day marketing tactic is to showcase special items. If you have anything that can be tweaked to be St Patrick Day-themed, push this on your website or social media.
From green t-shirts and facials to cupcakes and candles, no matter what type of business you own, there are plenty of opportunities to tailor your product offerings.
According to Wallet Hub, St. Patricks Day is the most popular holiday for beer drinking, with an average of 4.2 drinks consumed per person on the day. Given the significance of the holiday for bar owners, it’s the perfect chance to get creative with your menu by showcasing St Paddy’s Day-inspired cocktails and beverages. Perhaps more importantly, 13 million pints of Guinness will be consumed on St Patrick’s Day. If you haven’t already, consider adding Guinness as a special item to your menu.
6. Host a themed event
A fun way to get involved in the St Patrick’s Day celebrations is by hosting your very own event. Your event can be anything from an Irish-inspired trivia contest to a karaoke night.
Restaurants can get in on the action by serving up traditional Irish fare such as hearty Irish stew served with generously baked soda bread. If you’re hosting a party, make sure you decorate with green food, green drinks and invite everyone to come along in green attire or fancy dress.
7. Go Green
An independent study carried out by SmartestEnergy revealed that consumers are increasingly favouring brands with a commitment to environmental sustainability . So instead of focusing your St. Patrick’s Day marketing efforts on the colour green, why not make a pledge to literally go green instead? Incorporate eco-friendly practices into your daily business operations and promote your sustainable commitments to your customers on St Patrick’s Day.
There you have it, seven simple St. Patrick’s Day marketing tactics. With a little luck and strategic planning, you can leverage the opportunities this season presents to your business. While luck may be the common theme for St. Patrick’s Day, if you want to drive sales and engagement all year-round Square can help you transform your businesses with expert advice and digital marketing solutions.