May Marketing Ideas and Inspiration

By Mary Clayton, Digital Marketing Manager

Month Long Celebrations:

Barbeque Month

1. Celebrate the nice weather and host a cookout for your customers and prospects!  Send them a tasty invite inside of a full color envelope with an image that looks so delicious, they’ll have to RSVP instantly!
2. Are any of your coworkers a grilling god or goddess?  Gather your staff’s favorite cookout recipes and print a booklet for your clients, customers, and prospects.  You could even go one step further and sell them with all proceeds benefitting a local nonprofit like a foodbank.
3. Grab yourself some branded promotional products for grilling like a basting brush, grill tool set, apron, digital food thermometer or even a hot dog stress reliever. You’ll be able to use these into the summer months as giveaways, for contests, or thank you gifts!

Photo Month

1. Host an online photo contest for your customers, prospects, and followers.  Some popular photo contests ideas include pets, babies, the colors in your logo, or even your product in action.  To maximize engagement, allow for entries in multiple ways like email, a hashtag, posting to your social sites, or even commenting on your contest blog with their photo entry.
2. Now is a great time to refresh your company’s headshots!  Hire a local photographer to get fresh shots of the staff.  Don’t forget to update them on your website, email signatures, and LinkedIn!  If you use the photographs on your business cards or brochures, don’t forget to get new ones printed.  
3. Have an in office event for staff and set up a photobooth.  Get a cool banner backdrop with your logo on and let people pick some fun props to put on in their photos.  Encourage people to take selfies.  You can never have too many photos with your logo in them!

Military Appreciation Month

1. Did you know more than 90% of military families base their shopping decisions on whether or not a business offers a military discount?  Give a discount or special specifically for Active Military and Veterans. Spread the word affordably with an Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) announcement to carrier routes surrounding bases and around your location.
2. Do you have employees that have past or present military connections?  Highlight them in an upcoming blog!  Encourage your followers on social media to share your discount with their networks to spread the word about your military discounts or specials.
3. Print business card sized coupons and distribute them specifically in locations like VFWs, Legions, Chambers of Commerce, and on bases.  Have them on your counter and encourage people to take them for their military family members and friends.
4. Place a patriotic themed outdoor banner or yard sign highlighting your military discount in a prominent area in front of your location.

 

Physical Fitness and Sports Month

1. Spread the word on social media about fun ways your staff likes to squeeze fitness into their lives.  Make sure to snap eye-catching photos to snag 2.3 times more engagement.
2. Encourage employee wellness and host a Lunch Break Walk Challenge!  Invite everyone in your office to take a walk before lunch each day.  You can plan to walk together or stagger walkers in groups to make sure your office has adequate coverage.
3. Pump up your newsletter readers by adding an article or tips about physical activity to both your print and email newsletters.  
4. Want to grow your email and mailing list?  Hold a contest where new subscribers can be entered to win a local gym membership or certificate to fitness classes.

 

Holidays:

May 1 – 7 – National Small Business Week

Did you know that more than 1/2 of Americans either own or work for a small business?  Don’t forget to celebrate small business this week!  Do you have clients that own businesses?  Be sure to send them a special thank you for stimulating the local economy and supporting your community and highlight them on your social media pages each day of small business week!  For more information on Small Business Week visit https://www.sba.gov/nsbw/.

May 4 – Star Wars Day

There’s no denying it – Star Wars is one of the best branded movie series of all time.  Fans span multiple age groups from kids to grandparents!  Have a little bit of fun with your marketing and post a Star Wars quote or meme on your social networks

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo

Have a margarita networking happy hour for your customers, clients, and employees.  Getting to know one another in a more casual setting is a great way to build relationships and customer loyalty!

May 8 – Mother’s Day

Don’t forget to stock up on gift certificates!  Consider printing a feminine full color gift certificate envelope.  Display it to help show customers that a certificate is a great gift for Mom or Grandma!

May 30 – Memorial Day

Are you closed Memorial Day?  Don’t forget to let your customers know in your email newsletter and on social media.

 

Next Month Preview:

Great Outdoors Month
Entrepreneurs Month
Effective Communication Month
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
June 14 – Flag Day
June 18 – Father’s Day