Labor Day honors the contributions that Americans make to the U.S. economy. It’s also an opportunity to market your small business and generate a quick boost in sales.
In the U.S., Labor Day is a federal holiday, meaning many people have the day off of work and are out, about, and available to shop at your store. A timely marketing campaign can pique their interest at the right moment and convince them to buy from your company.
Engage More Customers With Marketing Campaigns.
Learn MoreIn this post, we’ll look at some of the most successful Labor Day campaigns and discuss what small business owners can learn from them.
12 Labor Day Marketing Ideas
Here are 12 Labor Day marketing campaigns that are perfect for small businesses.
1. Offer a Labor Day sale.
Labor Day sales are incredibly popular. Car dealerships do them every year, and brands like Home Depot and Target offer storewide deals. It’s an effective form of seasonal marketing that usually gets people’s attention.
Here’s an example from Watertown Toyota, offering a sale on its 2019 inventory.
When you offer a Labor Day sale, clarify how much the offer is for (and what exactly the customer is getting), and when the deal ends. It’s important to share this information upfront so customers don’t miss out on your sale.
2. Post about Labor Day on your social media accounts.
One way to spread the word about your Labor Day sale is to promote it on social media. Social channels like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are great for marketing your business.
Here’s an example from The Confetti Code, advertising a promo code for Labor Day.
Sites like Canva are great for designing social media graphics. As for captions, use one of these below or come up with your own for your business:
- Our Labor Day Sale is here! Enjoy up to X% off your favorite items this weekend only. Don’t miss out on these incredible deals!
- Get ready to save big this holiday weekend! Our Labor Day Sale is on, with deals that you won’t want to miss.
- Labor Day is here, and so are the savings! Shop our Labor Day Sale and enjoy huge discounts on everything you love.
- Happy Labor Day! We’re celebrating with huge savings — up to X% off storewide. Shop now and save big!
Pro Tip: Use social media management tools to schedule and plan your Labor Day campaign.
3. Host, sponsor, or attend a Labor Day event.
We mentioned that Labor Day is a federal holiday, meaning many people are free and available to attend events. Give your customers something to do this Labor Day weekend with an event sponsored or hosted by your business.
Here’s an example of a youth basketball skills camp being offered this year.
If you can’t host an event, participate in one. For example, if your town has a parade, ask to design or sponsor a float. Getting your business in front of the public will build brand awareness and attract potential customers.
4. Send a marketing email to your customers.
Email is still one of the most effective ways to engage customers. You control when your messages get delivered and can direct people to specific deals or pages on your website.
Here’s a good example. This email promotes tickets to a bull-riding show in December. Tickets are discounted during Labor Day with the promotional code in the email.
This email encourages people to take advantage of the deal, but even if they don’t, they still have the offer saved in their inbox. They know the event exists and can buy tickets at a later date.
Pro Tip: Email automation can plan and schedule emails to different groups of contacts in your CRM.
5. Create a Labor Day ad.
Labor Day ads are everywhere. They’re on TV, radio, and even your social media channels. It’s hard to escape these promotions, and even harder to ignore their catchy jingles.
Here’s a Labor Day ad from Cerritos Auto Square. Rather than focusing on deals, the ad highlights the quality of the company’s sales team.
With so many ads out there, yours has to stand out. It should be catchy and witty, and remind people about your great products and deals.
Modern Small
Business Playbook
Find expert tips and tools to help you streamline communications, automate your marketing efforts, improve your business operations, and more in this free guide.
6. Launch a limited-time offer.
Labor Day is the perfect time to launch a limited-time deal. Slogans like “This Weekend Only” and “Limited-Timed Offer” create a sense of urgency that convinces customers to buy immediately.
Here’s a text I received from Home Depot about its Labor Day deals last year.
7. Add a Labor Day theme to your website.
It’s good to keep your website updated because it shows people (and Google) that you’re active online. A website makes your brand accessible, allowing you to book more appointments and close more deals.
Here’s what Ace Hardware did with its website this year:
Here are a few ways to update your website so you can increase views, clicks, and engagements on Labor Day:
- Update your home page with Labor Day images and colors.
- Create a landing page to sign up for your Labor Day event.
- Write a blog post (like this one!) to increase your visibility on search engines.
- Update your e-commerce store to include phrases like “Labor Day Deals.”
Pro Tip: Don’t have a website? Thryv can build one for you.
8. Have a sidewalk sale on Labor Day.
If it’s a nice weekend, consider bringing your business outside and advertising your products on the sidewalk. If your business gets good foot traffic, this can be an effective way to get the attention of window shoppers who would normally pass by.
Sidewalk sales can also be organized in groups or festivals. Here’s an ad for a sidewalk sale in Granbury, Texas.
9. Promote locally-made products.
Since Labor Day celebrates the contributions of American workers, it’s a good time to promote locally-made products. Almost 50% of U.S. consumers intentionally buy local products instead of big-box brands.
Here’s an example of a furniture company promoting one of its locally-made tables:
Social media is one way to promote your products and services. You can also pay for ads online that appear based on people’s search results. If someone searches for something relevant to your brand, Google or Facebook will show them your ad.
10. Partner with influencers or other businesses.
Partnerships are an effective way to grow your audience. Let’s say there are people who follow other local businesses but aren’t aware of your brand yet; this is a great way to expose your business to new customers, and vice-versa.
Social media is a great space to foster a partnership because helping to promote another business is easy. Or, you can partner with an influencer who can dramatically increase brand awareness. For example, this brand partnered with an account with over 400K followers, so it’s no surprise that this post has thousands of likes.
Just know that social media influences are sometimes expensive, and you may be better off partnering with other local businesses to start.
11. Send a mailer or door hanger.
Direct mail isn’t dead. It has a 90% open rate because people still like to open mail. After all, it’s like a little treasure that you get for free.
You can launch a direct mail campaign in two ways. You can mail flyers, brochures, and posters or put hangers on people’s doorknobs. The first option is more convenient, while the second requires you to do some legwork (literally).
12. Celebrate taking Labor Day off.
One way to celebrate Labor Day is, well, not to labor at all. It’s okay to take the day for yourself, but you should also let your customers know.
Here’s an example from a gym in Texas:
Not only does this build brand awareness, but it also avoids confusion. Customers will see this post and learn that your business is closed for the day – helping prevent an interruption to your barbeque with a barrage of phone calls.
Your hard work matters, too.
Labor Day is powered by small businesses. Nearly 62 million people are employed by small businesses, and your contributions are why we celebrate Labor Day. Don’t forget to take some time to reflect on your success, and use these marketing tips to continue to spread the word about your business.
Modern Small
Business Playbook
Find expert tips and tools to help you streamline communications, automate your marketing efforts, improve your business operations, and more in this free guide.
