With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, your restaurant, bar or retail business has a golden opportunity to participate and promote your business. So don’t turn green with envy as customers celebrate with your competitors down the street. Instead, get in on the fun and rake in some green with festive marketing campaigns. Keep reading for inspiring and creative promo ideas you can use.

Bring luck to your inbox with fun email subject lines

1. Feeling clucky? Get all you can eat chicken wings on St. Patrick’s Day.
2. Step away from the green beer and come to the dark side — 2 for 1 Irish stouts!
3. Get your greens: B.O.G.O. fresh salads. It’s your lucky day!
4. $3 pints ’til the keg runs dry.
5. Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! Breakfast is on us.
6. Come have a whale of a time with us.
7. Eat, drink and dance a little jig.
8. Stop in for a wee dram — Whiskey tasting event
9. St. Patrick’s Day is on its way. Get 30% off one entrée.
10. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Save some green with 40% off.
11. What’s better than a pot of gold? Your lucky charm awaits …
12. Elegant emerald, lively lime, groovy green
13. They’re back … Get $5 off a dozen green bagels.
14. Follow the rainbow to a pot of savings
15. Luck of the stylish: 30% off sitewide!
16. Feeling lucky? Open to find out …
17. It’s time for a St. Patrick’s Day surprise!
18. Your St. Patrick’s Day survival guide is here …
19. Sneak Peek: Get your green on and save 25%
20. St. Patrick’s Day décor and more

Show St. Patty’s Day spirit on social media

Go green. Green up your social media profile or cover photo to whip up customer excitement. Try snapping a picture of your team wearing green, or adding a festive filter or frame to show your holiday spirit.

Boost engagement with trivia. How many pounds of dye is used to turn the Chicago River green? Is there any corn in corned beef? What nationality was Saint Patrick (he wasn’t Irish)? Inquiring minds want to know, so put their trivia smarts to the test with a fun challenge. Give a free appetizer or prize to the person who answers all the questions correctly.

#HolidayHashtagsWork. Unlike Saint Patrick, hashtags won’t drive the snakes out of Ireland, but they will drive plenty of people to your content. Ask people to share their St. Patrick’s Day stories, recipes, photos or other content through a specific hashtag on Instagram or Twitter. People will not only get a kick out of viewing this user-generated content, but they can vote, share, like (and interact) with your brand. Try hashtags like #StPattyShenanigans, #Leprechaun, #PotOfGold or #LuckOfTheIrish.

Create special events around St. Patrick’s Day

Serve up some greens. In addition to traditional Irish fare, restaurants and pubs can add green St. Patty’s Day specials to the menu. Try offering green salads, green beer, green pancakes or green eggs and ham. Be sure to offer a special menu for the entire weekend to keep a steady flow of guests coming through your door.

Party like a leprechaun. Customers will be jazzed about the holiday. They’ll be buying their shamrock shakes, ordering green bagels and indulging in all sorts of festive treats, so keep the party going. Decorate your storefront with shamrocks, signs, green floral arrangements, beads, streamers, banners and balloons. Hire a band to play traditional Irish music or a troupe of Irish dancers. Pull out all the stops to get people into your store and in the spirit to shop.

Hold special sales and promotions. Restaurants can run a special on shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, Irish brews and other delectable eats. Clothing stores can offer discounts on Irish sweaters. Pubs can award a free cocktail to the patron wearing the snazziest green threads. And any business can host a scavenger hunt: Hide a bunch of leprechauns around your establishment that customers can find and redeem for merchandise or a treat.

You don’t need a lucky charm to make the most of St. Patrick’s Day. With a little creativity, you can promote your business, make customers smile and gain a pot o’ profits.

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© 2019, Chris Duncan. All rights reserved.