Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. Whether you really know what the day is about, we all love an excuse to celebrate another holiday, right? In fact, many have been celebrating all weekend, as restaurants, organizations and clubs have utilized this weekend as a pre-holiday build-up. Holidays and observances present opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs to offer special deals, get involved with local events, and serve as sponsors or volunteers. This helps with increasing company awareness in your community, building better relationships with potential and current customers, and attracting new business. So what exactly is Cinco de Mayo? Well besides the obvious - it being on the fifth of May, the origin of the observance goes back to 1862, when outnumbered Mexican troops defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III at the battle of Puebla. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 28 million people of Mexican descent in the U.S., some 9 percent of the total population. Nearly 11 million of these live in California. So now that you know why you drink tequila and dance to salsa music on this holiday, you also might find ways to make such observances work for you. For instance, you could offer one-day specials, an in-store party, or have a Cinco de Mayo theme for the week that ties in your products or services. If you sell a product, you could offer $5 off, or increments of $5 off, and tie it in with the fifth of the month. There are countless ways you can make a holiday or special observance, no matter how well-known or how obscure, an opportunity to bring attention to your business. The trick is that you have to think of it well before the actual day is here. Actually, when such days occur, it’s a perfect time to conduct a little research to begin planning for next year. Take time out tomorrow to review your newspaper, or watch local news to find out what smart or creative things other businesses are doing to incorporate Cinco de Mayo into their business marketing. Bars and restaurants are masters at doing this, and sometimes you can borrow great marketing techniques by observing what they do. Once you spot an idea or event that sparks your interest, brainstorm on some of the ways you could incorporate the same ideas, and write it all down. If you don’t already, you need to have a file that is specifically for future marketing ideas. Anytime you spot a great marketing or promotional idea, write it down, keep a copy of what has inspired you, and file it away for later. Then you can start planning how you’ll incorporate those ideas into next year’s marketing plan. Just like Cinco de Mayo, we all love an opportunity to celebrate and have a good time. If you can combine that willingness to have fun with a business opportunity, you can have the best of both worlds. |
