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Welcome! Time to get inspired!

I love coming up with creative promotional ideas for my clients, so here are 101 of my favorite small business promotional ideas that I’ve come up with in the past for clients, a few of which are included in 12-Month Marketing Plans for Small Businesses.

First, Some FREEBIES!

As a thank you for reading my post, here are a couple of my free downloads How to Start a Business Checklist and How to Start an Etsy Shop Checklist

Promo Ideas for Any Type of Business

#1. Google “new businesses” along with the name of your city to find any local  newspapers, magazines or blogs that like to feature brand new businesses for free and hit them up for a mention.

#2. Post a compliment on social media for another local business that is non-competitive but has the same target audience, and they will likely repost exposing your business to their followers.

#3. Email your customers the night before daylight savings time as a reminder to turn clocks back or ahead, as an easy way to get in front of your customers without seeming pushy.

#4. Make hats or t-shirts with your business name and url on it, and give them to family members to wear everywhere, especially to public events like concerts, racing events, etc. 

#5. Hire a student to help you with the small marketing stuff like commenting on blogs, posting to social media, sending out promotional emails. Many teens looking to get into marketing will value the experience, and they likely know social media a lot better than you do.

#6. Comment on at least 25 blogs or social media profiles every day that your customers read making sure that your user name is your business name, for free exposure. 

#7. Email your customers the day before Thanksgiving with tips on how long to cook a turkey, again, as an easy way to get in front of your customers without seeming pushy.

#8. Whenever possible, use people you know in your company photos as they will likely repost the photo of themselves to their own social media site, putting you in front of all of their followers. 

#9. Offer neighborhood or street discounts on your products or services, telling people for every neighbor they get to sign up, you will take another 5% off the price, to a maximum of 40% off. 

#10. In early September, run localized ads on LinkedIn targeting either HR Managers or Sales Managers who wish to buy your products or services in bulk as gifts for employees or clients.

#11. Every month, email your customers the events happening in your city this month. Always mention a sale or event that you are having at the very end. 

#12. Try a weekly Instagram post called “Follow Friday” where you recommend other Instagram accounts to follow, and they might return the favor, giving you exposure to their followers.

#24. If you own a greeting card company, make cards for the most obscure holidays like National Cat Day or National Hat Day (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Greeting Cards).

#25. If you own a fashion accessories store, display your scarves in various nautical knots in your store window during Fleet week (early October).

#26. If you own a pets product business, post various reels of happy dogs jumping for joy, wishing everyone a Happy First Day of Spring on March 21st on TikTok and Instagram.

#27. If you own a donut shop, and it’s an Olympic year, create a pack of five donuts iced in the Olympic Ring colors.

#28. If you own a shoe store, displays colorful rain boots filled with tulips in your store window to celebrate spring.

#29. If you own a pet store, offer Santa Claus photos for pets.

#30. If you own a  bar, hand out scratch-off cards at lunch hour on St. Patrick’s Day, with the discovery of a four leaf clover meaning a free green beer.

Social Media Ideas

These are all great posting ideas for your business’ social media profiles.

#31. If you own a make up company, post photos of beautiful landscapes accompanied by eye shadow shades that match the colors in the photo.

#32. If you own a watch company, post a graphic with one of your watches showing the clock turning back to remind people when its daylight savings time.

#33. If you own a jewelry store, post a photo spelling out “Happy Mother’s Day“, using letter initial necklaces on your social media pages.

#34. If you own an online store, post an animated gif of a piñata breaking and exposing a Cinco De Mayo sale of 25% off today only.

#35. If you own a vintage store, post regular updates of period TV shows, such as The Crown and Stranger Things (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Vintage shops).

#36. If you sell iPhone cases, post your favorite free iPhone apps and ask followers theirs.

#37. If you own a sandals company, post pictures of cool pedicures or toe nail art.

#38. If you’re an insurance broker, post the craziest but true insurance claim stories.

#39. If you own a green cleaning products company, clean up a run-down local park and post a time-lapsed reel of the cleanup on TikTok for Earth Day on April 22nd (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Eco-Products).

#40. If you own a local clothing store, offer to take 25% off the price of any item if the customer takes a photo of the item and posts it to Instagram right there in the store (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Retail Stores).

#41. If you own a kid’s clothing company, post a carousel of back-to-school-outfits for Monday through Friday, during the first week of August on your social media pages (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Kids Products).

#42. If you’re a wedding gown designer, post an infographic of the most famous wedding gowns of the 20th century.

#43. If you’re a book author, post book club food suggestions.

#44. If you own a dance school, post your reviews of the previous night’s Dancing with the Stars routines.

#45. If you have an online shop, ask your most loyal customers to pick their 5 favorite items in the shop and post to social media for 25% off their next order.

#46. If you’re an accounting firm, post the most outrageous tax breaks given in other countries.

Get more creative social media posting ideas in my best-selling 365 Social Media Post Ideas download.

Promotional Items Ideas

Promotional items or “swag” can be very effective in creating a constant reminder of your business. 

#47. If you own a lingerie company, re-create one of those pens that when turned upside down the clothes come off the photo of a woman (but instead of being naked she is wearing lingerie) as a fun promo item.

#48. If you’re a motorcycle lawyer, create a 12-month pictorial calendar of unique bike detailing or cool tattoos.

#49. If you own a baby skin care company, create a baby shower game printable as a free
download off your website.

#50. If you own a pizza delivery or local restaurant, include with each order to local college dorms a door hanger sign-up sheet for the next food order i.e. “Who Wants to Order Pizza Tonight?”

#51. If you’re a wedding gown designer, offer a free fashion sketch of the bride in her dress (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Wedding Shops).

#52. If you run a local art museum, promote your latest exhibit by giving free drink coasters featuring the artist’s works to surrounding bars and restaurants.

#53. If you have a dental office, put your label on dental floss containers and leaving them in a basket in the rest room at a local steak house.

#54. If you own a children’s clothing company, give a free car window baby sun shade to customers, complete with your logo on it (free advertising on every car).

#55. If you’re a wedding invitation designer, offer to design, for free, an email reminder that goes out to brides about their dress fittings for local bridal shops (i.e. this reminder was sponsored by...)

#56. If you own a ceramics company, donate handmade salt and pepper shakers to a local restaurant, embossed with your shop name.

#57. If you’re a food products business, offer free downloadable printables such as, “Spices That Go With Every Type of Food” (based on top Google searches).

#58. If you’re a children’s book author, have coloring pages made of pages from your book and give them to local family restaurants to hand out for kids to color.

#59. If you own a teen clothing or jewelry shop, give a free locker mirror with purchase (your shop url is on it and all her friends see it).

#60. If you own a salon, make your business card a nail file.

#61. If you own a wine company, make your wine label a peel-off, so customers can keep to remember the name of the wine!

Promotional Event Ideas

Throwing an event is a great way to think out of the box and reach your target audience.  

#62. If you own a clothing store, offer to do a home showing of prom dresses and accessories for groups of 8 or more (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Fashion Brands).

#63. If you own a makeup company, offer free 5-minute touch-ups to working women at lunch
hour from a mobile unit.

#64. If you own a coffee shop, hold a contest for customers to submit their best original coffee cake recipe and then create a recipe ebook as a free giveaway.

#65. If you’re an artist or photographer, give free prints to a local designer to use in their displays at a home show (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Art Shops).

#66. If you own a paint company, go around to local neighborhood homes and hand out free paint swatch color suggestions for the exterior of people’s homes.

#67. If you’re a realtor, hold your open houses at night and using a strobe light to attract attention.

#68. If you own a comic book store, offer a free in-store viewing party for the premiere of a popular fantasy TV series.

#69. If you own a travel agency, features a free, walk-in open-house “destination of the month” party in your offices, complete with music and food from that destination (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Travel Agents).

#70. If you own a pet shampoo company, conduct free dog washes at a local dog park on a muddy day.

#71. If you own a salon, offer a special day where customers can bring their dogs into be groomed while the customer is getting their hair done.

#72. If you’re a fashion designer, hold a contest to make a custom prom dress for one lucky girl.

#73. If you own a yoga clothing store, have a yoga expert in the window of your shop doing and holding a different yoga pose every 2 minutes during noon hour.

#74. If you own a bakery, have a bicycle cart that sells cookies at the local park during the morning kid rush.

#75. If you sell make-up, co-market with a purse vendor by including free samples in each of their bags for a limited time offer (good for both of you).

#76. If you own a bakery or cupcake shop, offer cupcakes in the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream as a special one-week homage (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Online Bakeries).

#77. If you own a garden store, offer a free seminar on how to make a terrarium.

#78. If you own a local beer company, hand out free samples at tail gate parties during football season.

#79. If you own a salon, do free manicures for patients at a local hospital once a month.

#80. If you are an artist or photographer, offer a free info session for interior designers on how to hang art.

#81. If you own a karate school, hold a school safety tips session at a local school or day camp.

#82. If you’re a personal trainer, offer easy fitness tips at a local weight watchers meeting.

#83. If you own a veterinarian clinic, offer free nail clippings at a local dog park.

More Promotional Ideas

#84. If you own a retail shop, paint a back wall in chalkboard paint to keep kids busy while parents shop.

#85. If you own a toy store, position a bubble blowing machine out front to attract the attention of kids.

#86. If you own a limousine company, offer to decorate the limo with the name of the bride or prom attendee i.e. Sarah’s Ride (use car/window letter clings).

#87. If you own a coffee shop, let small businesses post one of their business cards on your “small business wall” whenever they buy a coffee.

#88. If you have a storefront, keep a large bird cage filled with exotic birds outside your shop doors to attract the attention of passer-bys.

#89. If you own a coffee house, host a book club for seniors in the afternoon.

#90. If you’re a realtor, include the blue print of the home as well as a legend of the distance from the house to schools, community centers, and grocery stores in the online description.

#91. If you have an online store, add an audio voice that says, “Welcome!” that announces the sale of the day when people land on your home page. There are audio apps that do this for Shopify stores.

#92. If you own a car rental business, set aside part of your lot for cars that are ideal for very tall drivers, or new drivers, or large families.

#93. If you’re an artist, donate your artwork to be hung in the hallway of schools and libraries (will be seen by parents).

#94. If you own a furniture store, offer to help realtors stage homes in return for free promotion to new home buyers. Just a sign on the couch saying “you can buy this couch at…” (from my 12-Month Marketing Plan for Home Goods).

#95. If you own a landscaping company, donate a few uniquely sculpted shrubs (with a sign for their company on the planter pot) to anchor the doors of the most popular local restaurants or retail stores.

#96. If you own a toy store, announce your sales in chalk on the sidewalk outside your store.

#97. If you own a vintage store, sell your books in unique collections i.e. Nobel Prize Winners, World War II Novels, etc.

#98. If you are an optometrist, make your business card an eye chart that actually spells out your name and address.

#99. If you own a food truck, raise a large colorful flag on top of your truck that says “Food Truck” once it parks so it can be seen from far distances.

#100. If you own a jewelry store, re-create the engagement rings of famous people and display them in your store window alongside their photo.

#101. If you own a coffee shop, have a penned in play area for young children in the middle of the shop and tables for parents situated around the pen.