6 Presidents' Day Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Presidents’ Day isn’t just about three-day weekends and mattress sales — it’s also an excellent opportunity for small businesses to boost engagement and attract new customers.

Whether it’s an exclusive deal, a new product or a service, or a catchy social media campaign, your business has plenty of options for marketing your brand on Presidents’ Day.

Looking for fresh, creative ways to promote your business? Here are seven ideas (with real-world examples) to help you make the most of this holiday. 

1. Have a Presidents’ Day Sale.

A seasonal sale is a timeless marketing move, and for good reason — customers love a good deal. 

Choose your best-selling product or service and offer a limited-time discount. Use the long weekend to create a sense of urgency around your sale. For example, tell customers this offer is only available on Presidents’ Day weekend, and buyers should “act now” before it’s too late. That will encourage customers to learn more about your sale because they don’t want to miss out on a good deal. 

Example: 

Retailers like Macy’s and Best Buy regularly run Presidents Day sales, offering steep discounts on electronics, home goods, and clothing. Small businesses can take a similar approach by offering flash sales or exclusive promo codes. You can also design custom graphics and shoot promotional videos to tell customers about your sale. 

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2. Host a social media giveaway.

People love free stuff, which is why social media giveaways are so effective. Giveaways increase online engagement and grow your social following. Even when people don’t win the reward, they look for more posts from your business. That keeps your brand top of mind for future social media campaigns. 

Host a Presidents’ Day-themed contest that participants can enter by liking, sharing, or commenting on your post. Be sure to like their comments and respond to customer feedback. That will create more engagement on your post, making it easier to find on social media. If your post gets a lot of engagement, most social media sites put it at the top of user feeds. 

Example: 

This education company hosted an Instagram contest, giving away a free product to one of its followers. Customers had to like the post, follow their Instagram account, and tag a friend in the comments to enter. With over a thousand likes and dozens of comments, this was a very effective campaign that increased engagement and brand awareness for this business.   

3. Create themed content.

Use your blog, email newsletter, or social media to share fun, educational, or historical content related to Presidents’ Day. This will keep your audience engaged and position your business as a source of interesting information.

For instance, you could use ChatGPT to research interesting facts about your industry and its relationship to U.S. presidents. Landscaping is a great example. I asked ChatGPT to highlight major landscaping projects at the White House, and it gave me a complete history of projects from the Jefferson Era to the 21st century. I could repackage these facts as an interesting email, blog post, or social media graphic. 

These campaigns may not result in major sales, but they keep your brand relevant during the offseason. Consider a campaign like this if Presidents’ Day isn’t your busiest time of the year. 

Example:

Here’s an interesting example from Roto-Rooter. This brand used AI to generate images of plumbers from different decades. Its caption, “What do you think ole Abe would say about smart toilets?” is clever and engaging, leading to more comments on the post. 

Tip: If you’re interested in using AI like this, check out this list of free AI tools for small businesses.

4. Offer a special product or service.

Customers are always looking for something new, and President’s Day is a good time to put a festive spin on one of your products. Consider creating a limited-edition product or bundle that’s only available that weekend. 

You could also put together a service package that reflects the holiday. For instance, if I managed an HVAC business, I would offer a “Red, White, and Blue” package. This limited-time deal would include a discounted inspection on heaters (red), air ducts (white), and A/C systems (blue). 

Example: 

Krispy Kreme has previously offered red, white, and blue-themed donuts for patriotic holidays. A small bakery could do the same with a special “Founding Fathers” pastry collection.

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5. Collaborate with other small businesses.

Team up with other small businesses to cross-promote each other’s offers. A collaborative marketing campaign can reach new audiences while strengthening community ties.

A good partner is a business that shares a similar audience as you but sells different products. If you have an office, it might be a neighboring business or another owner you know in town. Leverage your connections to find the right business partners, and you can significantly increase the reach of your marketing campaigns. 

Example: 

This nonprofit partnered with AriZona Beverages to create a Presidents’ Day event. The event included a community skate, several contests, and warm and delicious waffles. It’s a good example of a fun, lighthearted event you can host over the holiday. It might not generate sales butwil l increase brand awareness and improve your business’s reputation. 

6. Host a charity event.

Presidents’ Day is a great time to show appreciation for your customers and community. Consider donating a portion of your sales to a local charity, hosting a volunteer event, or giving discounts to veterans and first responders. Or, throw a Presidents’ Day party and work on making connections with business owners in your area. The more involved you are in your community, the more you’ll attract customers through word of mouth marketing.

Example: 

Here’s an example of an HVAC company volunteering at a hospice facility. The video does a great job of showing off what the business did and how it impacted its community. These brand awareness campaigns can lead to a lot of social media engagement for small businesses. 

Presidents’ Day Marketing for Small Businesses

Presidents Day marketing doesn’t have to be all about sales — it’s an excellent opportunity to engage your customers in a creative and meaningful way. Whether running a sale, hosting a giveaway, or launching themed content, ensure your campaign feels authentic to your brand. Try out one (or more) of these ideas and make the most of this holiday weekend.