Best 9 St Patrick's Day Marketing Ideas In 2024

Best 9 St Patrick’s Day Marketing Ideas In 2024

st patrick day marketing ideas

The green season,’ St. Patrick, is down the corner. Do you have any St Patrick’s Day marketing ideas this year?

A seasonal advertising campaign can result in 779 million impressions and over a 35% increase in online orders. So, Shopify owners, grab your chance this festive with our guide to the nine best St Patrick’s Day marketing ideas in 2024. 

Are you ready? Together with GemPages Academy, let the creativity begin!

Seasonal Marketing Statistics & User Behaviors

Whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day or any other holiday, a seasonal marketing campaign is like your rare opportunity to stand out from the crowd. 

Let’s look at some of the proofs of how businesses implement these campaigns during festive seasons: 

  • Seasonal changes directly impact consumer behavior patterns, leading to new needs and opportunities for targeted marketing.
  • A 2018 survey by the NRF revealed that three-quarters of holiday season shoppers reported that seasonal sales, discounts, and promotions significantly influenced their purchasing decisions.
  • Analysis of the best eCommerce holiday campaigns from 2022 revealed the critical role of compelling offers in driving campaign success, underscoring the importance of strategic promotions in seasonal marketing.
st patricks day statistics
Key statistics about St Patrick's Day spending across the globe in 2023

As you can see, seasonal campaigns have positive results in brand awareness, lasting impressions among users, and, most importantly, digital store sales. 

But that’s not all! Consumers tend to spend more during holiday seasons due to promotions and the festive spirit. 

But that’s not all! Consumers tend to spend more during holiday seasons due to promotions and the festive spirit. 

Forbes reported that holiday retail and eCommerce sales are projected to constitute 18% of total sales for the year 2023, signifying the critical importance of this period for retailers.

For instance, when a store offers special discounts or, especially, limited-time offers, the FOMO effect encourages gift-giving and creates the joy of buying at lower prices than usual. As a result, consumers want to buy extra gifts for family and friends or even treat themselves. 

Also, remember, as the seasons change, so do consumer needs. 

For instance, in summertime, more people want to buy necessities like sunscreen, tans, swimsuits, and air conditioners. If your business ads focus on these summer must-haves, people are likely to buy them, even though they never think about them when it’s cold.

However, as the benefits of seasonal marketing are so visible, especially in terms of sales conversion, it can create quite a competitive environment among brands during these periods. Then, how do you make yours stand out? These St Patrick’s Day marketing ideas below will help!

The Best 9 St Patrick's Day Marketing Ideas In 2024

Now that you are convinced to create extraordinary St Patrick’s Day marketing campaigns, it’s time to go over some St Patrick’s Day marketing ideas for your eCommerce store for inspiration.

Partner With Local Businesses For Cross-promotions

Cross-promotion is an effective marketing strategy that involves a mutual partner between two or more companies. In this case, it is you and another local business.

But why local? 

82% of consumers say they would spend more money to support local businesses.

Hence, partnering with them can positively contribute to your branding among local users. 

A Shopify store, Chef Bob's Coffee, has collaborated with a local candle brand, Noelle’s Candle, to launch a gift pack consisting of coffee and coffee-smelling candles.

It doesn’t matter if the local businesses you choose are the same or different from your niche. The critical factor is consistency in the messages and values you want to convey to customers during the season, specifically St Patrick’s Day. 

To determine whether your partner is suitable, first identify your goals and target audiences. Then, filter out businesses positioned within your audience’s demographic area. This way, you can temporarily utilize their audiences as yours without much effort. 

Moreover, choose a local business with complementary skills to address your weaknesses. For instance, if your social media page is weak, your partner must have an outstanding presence. 

When pitching to a potential partner, the tip is to showcase your strengths, it could be:

  • Past successful collaborations
  • Current and potential user demographics and insights
  • Website traffic
  • Social media engagement

By doing so, you can clearly define each responsibility in developing this mutual St Patrick’s Day marketing campaign.

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Offer Bonus Loyalty Point To Celebrate St Patrick

Start the holiday mood by rewarding extra loyalty points to consumers on St Patrick’s Day. It’s like a little gift for your customers without asking them to do anything.

The benefits are, enhancing customers’ relationships, encouraging them to take action on your store application, and furthermore, making them want to buy.

Here are all the necessary steps to execute this tactic effectively.

First, define your target for the St Patrick’s Day promotions, including the number of customers expected to join, the total number of points that will be given, the budget, and the promoting channels. 

Then, decide how many extra points each customer will be rewarded and what they need to do to earn them. This is when you outline the program’s terms and conditions. 

There are two options, freely reward them or require them to take specific action. 

For instance, double points for everything bought on St. Patrick’s Day or extra points for green items. Notice that your St Patrick’s Day promotions must be ‘hot’ enough to make customers curious and take action toward your business.

Make sure your points tracking system automatically updates the special St. Patrick’s Day deal. You should make some changes to the system beforehand, so check it carefully to avoid any problems when the deal is running.

Then, it is time to promote it. Use all social channels to inform customers about your St. Patrick’s Day marketing campaigns: 

  • Email outreach
  • Social media posts
  • In-store display of St.Patrick’s Day slogan
  • Website updates.
offer-bonus-loyalty-points-to-celebrate-st-patrick
Nordy Club sent an email with clear instructions about their extra points holiday reward.

Create A Limited-time Promotion

Let us state this clearly: Your St Patrick’s marketing ideas are NOTHING without a good limited-time promotion. 

Why?

Because it creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving immediate engagement and sales by tapping into consumers’ FOMO.

Your St Patrick’s Day promotions must qualify the two factors: holiday-themed customization and ‘hot’ enough to urge customers to take immediate action.

You don’t need major sales to run limited-time St Patrick’s Day promotions, it can simply be free shipping, a discount, or a free gift. Be aware that sales are the base, but the biggest motivation for customers to take action is actually how ‘urgent’ your campaign is promoted.

You have to make them feel like they’re missing out. This can turn people who are unsure into customers and encourage them to keep coming back. Here are a few examples to run your limited-time St Patrick’s Day promotions:

  • Countdown Timers: These are often used on websites and emails to provide a visual reminder of how much time is left to take advantage of an offer. Seeing the clock tick down can push customers to buy before it’s too late.
Shopify allows users to add countdown timers to boost sales and create a FOMO effect for higher conversions
  • Pop-Up Banners: Position your pop-up banners to appear instantly when a visitor clicks on your website, showcasing a special offer available for a limited time.
Example of a Shopify pop-up banner, usually at the beginning when visitors click on the page or during check-out.
  • Flash Sales: Organize surprise sales lasting for a brief period, such as 24 hours, and offer significant discounts.
Example of a flash sale with customized St Patrick’s theme.
  • Early Bird Discounts: Offering a discount for those who purchase early or before a specific date can incentivize customers to buy sooner rather than later.
Example of an early bird discount on a clothing Shopify store.

Host A St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway or Contest

Searching for St. Patrick’s Day social media post ideas? Consider hosting a giveaway or contest.

If your current social media engagement appears as follows:

  • Low post reactions
  • No comments
  • Minimal to no messages
  • Struggling to generate leads

A giveaway or a social media contest can solve all of them. They are great for reaching new customers, keeping them engaged, and boosting sales.

But before taking action, here are three questions you must answer: 

  • What is your goal of hosting this event? Is it brand awareness? Sale conversions? Or simply for higher user engagement?
  • Who are you targeting? Millennials? GenZ? GenY?
  • What is your prize? Money? Your products? Or coupons/vouchers?

Once you get your answers, it is time to build your program in detail. 

Before officially public your campaign, do some St Patrick’s Day advertising or early posts to get more eyes on your contest.

Remember, always go with SHAREABLE content if you want to maximize your reach and be viral.

For instance, you could host the contest on Instagram or TikTok, depending on where your audience is most active. Keep it simple—maybe ask followers to tag a friend or post a fun photo to enter. Remember to follow the platform regulations as well.

A giveaway hosted by Prestige Cosmetics in celebration of St Patrick’s Day.

If you are a Shopify store owner, referral contests are highly recommended. 

Here is an idea you can refer to – a social social referral contest:

Each contestant receives 1 point for inviting a friend to follow your page. The one with the most points wins. To keep it fair, keep the leaderboard visible and update it often for transparency.

Offer Exclusive Deals To Newsletter Subscribers

This is similar to a limited-time deal, but this time, the St Patrick’s Day promotions are personalized for newsletter subscribers only. 

Here’s why it’s great: 

First, it makes your subscribers happy because they get something unique that not everyone can get. This can make them more interested in what you have to sell. 

Second, it can lead to more sales. When subscribers see they’re getting a good deal, they’re more likely to buy. Plus, the excitement of limited-time St. Patrick’s Day promotions can encourage quicker decisions to purchase. 

Lastly, it helps grow your email list. People love exclusive offers, so when they hear about the benefits of subscribing, they’re more likely to sign up.

Your exclusive deals can include anything from special offers, like discounts and early access to products, to free gifts. The idea is to reward customers’ loyalty and encourage more people to subscribe to your newsletter, expanding your customer base.

Let’s look at the example below: 

exclusive-deals-to-newsletter-subscribers
St Patrick’s Day email with exclusive 30% off offered by Sivana.

Don’t just simply send your deal with no description. Instead, incorporate visuals with clear, engaging email subject lines to grab attention. Using words like “Limited Time,” “Last Chance,” or “Exclusive Offer” to create a sense of urgency. 

Remember, the goal is to make subscribers feel like they’re getting a personally selected deal.

Include A St Patrick's-themed Free Gift With Purchase

A free gift is another rewarding option among the St Patrick’s marketing campaigns mentioned above. 

This little to no effort directly boosts your sales. However, there is one condition:

The marketing idea must go viral.

Similar to offering loyalty points, this St Patrick’s Day marketing needs to be published across all promoting channels like social media, in-store banners, St Patrick’s Day advertising, and email marketing. That way, you can inform customers about the St Patrick’s Day promotions and encourage them to buy.

st-patricks-day-free-gift
A social media post advertisement about gifting a FREE t-shirt when buying a limited edition product Jameson offers on St Patrick’s Day.

To make the celebration more impressive, your gift should customized to St Patrick’s, for example: 

  • Shamrocks
  • Green color items
  • Leprechauns
  • Irish music & the harp
  • The Celtic knot
  • Corned beef and cabbage
  • Cross pattée and the saltire

Offer Free Shipping

If free shipping options are available, 96% of online buyers are encouraged to buy more.

See the apparent role of free shipping in customers’ buying decisions? 

You can offer along with the minimum value order, such as: “Get a FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING for a $30 minimum order.”

After setting up your free shipping deal, spread the word. 

To consistently grab users’ attention, make sure it’s easy to see on your site, like on the homepage or through pop-ups during check-out. 

Also, as a Shopify owner, you can send Shopify automated emails to inform your current customers, making them return and buy more. 

St Patrick's Day free shipping sale from Wildfox.

You can also utilize this promotion as a St. Patrick’s Day social media post idea. Post cool stuff that shows how great free shipping is, and consider ads to catch the eye of new shoppers.

Create Holiday-Specific Content

Why not catch the eye of consumers with lively St Patrick’s theme content and visuals?

Start by decking out your social media profiles and website with green, showcasing the festive spirit. Incorporate St Patrick’s Day social media post ideas, such as its history, fun facts about the holiday, and St Patrick’s Day contest ideas. 

To make your holiday theme consistent, publish your content across all channels, from your Shopify landing pages to email marketing. 

Of course, attractive content requires attractive visuals. Most stores use green as the primary color when designing their St Patrick’s Day posts. However, you can mix and match branding templates and St Patrick’s Day symbols.

And yet, don’t forget to highlight catchy St Patrick’s Day slogans and strong call-to-actions (CTAs) to lead users to the ultimate seasonal marketing goal: sales conversion. 

Update Your Packaging

Now that you have consistent St Patrick-themed content include your product packaging. 

Start the season early with visually appealing brand-new product packaging. Consider using shades of green, shamrocks, or even rainbows leading to pots of gold in your packaging. 

For example, a unique beverage edition label, a green ribbon around your usual box, or a St Patrick-themed sticker can add that festive feel.

st-patricks-day-product-packaging
Bocce’s Bakery limited-edition products with customized St Patrick’s packaging.

This packaging only occurs within a limited time, so it can create a feeling of owning exclusive products. 

Conclusion

Simply put, during major seasons like St Patrick’s Day, the more creative your ideas are, the more likely your brand will stand out and raise higher brand awareness and sales. 

These 9 St Patrick’s Day marketing ideas require more effort than usual. However, their benefits in motivating your customers to engage with your brand and make buying decisions cannot be denied. 

The tips are to have proper planning, be as detailed as possible, and list out your tasks (preparing banners, estimating advertising budget, outlining terms and conditions, setting goals to achieve, etc.). Don’t forget to distribute tasks among your team for sufficient teamwork and results.

Now, are you ready? It’s show time, “Go n-eirí an t-ádh leat”!

About GemPages Academy

GemPages Academy is a knowledge hub for storefront optimization and achieving overall eCommerce success. In collaboration with industry experts and leveraging cutting-edge Shopify applications, GemPages Academy offers a diverse array of content in various formats, including insightful blogs, intuitive tutorials, comprehensive webinars, and educational courses.

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