Business Benefits of Leap Day
Once every four years, our shortest month lasts a little bit longer than usual. Leap years help our calendar keep up with the earth’s rotation around the sun, which actually takes slightly more than 365 days to complete. By tacking an extra day onto the end of February in years divisible by four (and century years divisible by 400), we’re able to make sure our celestial schedule stays in synch.
But beyond the timekeeping minutiae, Leap Days offer up a marvelous marketing opportunity for many small businesses. First and foremost, the best thing about Leap Day is that it’s a whole extra day to make sales. So before the next instance of this quadrennial phenomenon passes you by, consider putting one or more of these ideas into practice and jumpstart your business with a Leap Day boost.
Incorporate the number 29 into prices and discounts
Stimulate demand with an exclusive Leap Day pricing structure where every item sells for a special 29-themed cost. You could do this by offering one-day discounts of 29 percent, or by taking $29 off the cost of certain products. Another idea would be to adjust prices so they all include a 29. For instance, you could cut the cost of an item that typically sells for $35 to $29, while something that’s usually $150 could be lowered to $129 in a one-day-only Leap Day sale. Alternatively, you could offer a discount to customers who buy 29 units of any item.
Seeing as leap years are all about marking time, another idea would be to offer special deals at 29 minutes past each hour. This promotion is great because it engages customers by keeping them coming back throughout the day to see what’s going on sale next.
Leap into the social media conversation
Given that Leap Years are a relatively rare occurrence, there’s no doubt people will be talking about the experience online. Make your business part of the budding social media conversation around Leap Day by tapping into hashtags and generating content tailored especially for the occasion. Have a little fun with the wording of your posts to help generate attention, something like ‘Leap at the chance to save’ or ‘A sale four years in the making.’ Or, as with the deals idea, make the number 29 part of your content strategy, perhaps with a blog post on the 29 reasons your business is the best at what it does.
Another idea is to focus on the additional day aspect of Leap Years and ask your followers to tell you what they plan to do with the extra time, then award prizes to the most creative replies.
Offer special Leap Day products
Generate a unique buying opportunity by offering special Leap Day products that are only sold on February 29. If you own a bar or restaurant, you could create a special Leap Day drink or dinner, perhaps a spicy cocktail that’ll get patrons leaping out of their seats, or possibly a dish of ‘jumping’ beans. Got a clothing company? Sell special t-shirts with the slogan ‘Take the leap’ or make a pattern out of the number 29.
Big deals for birthday boys and girls
Hockey legend Henri Richard was born on a Leap Day. So was singer and actress Dinah Shore. Self-help guru Tony Robbins is another famous ‘leapling,’ the term for those whose birthdays fall on February 29th. The chances of being born on a Leap Day are about 1 in 1,461, which is way better than the odds of winning the lottery. Make leaplings feel like lottery winners when they visit your business this Leap Day by offering a free gift, or special deals and discounts for anyone celebrating their birthday. Want a wider net for your potential pool of celebrating customers? Consider offering similar promotions for anyone born on the 29th of any month, or include folks whose birthdays fall on either February 28 or March 1, the two days when leaplings typically blow out another year’s worth of candles.
Take a leap back
Do you remember what was happening when the last Leap Years were marked in 2016 and 2012? Even though styles and fashions haven’t changed a whole lot in the years since, it’s still fun to look back and remember what we were up to then. As a new Leap Day arrives, celebrate the occasion with a dose of retro flair by playing music from February, 2016 and February, 2012, paying tribute to any major events happening around the world back then, rolling back prices to what they were four and eight years earlier, or showcasing your best-selling product in 2016 and 2012.