Well, you did it! You survived the Valentine’s Day rush! Now it’s time to prepare for Mother’s Day, right? Well, yes. But don’t forget the holidays between these two major ones — like St. Patrick’s Day.
You don’t need the “luck of the Irish” to have great St. Patrick’s Day floral sales. All you need is good preparation and some timely marketing tips. Here are a few of our tried-and-true favorites:
1. Prepare Your St. Patrick’s Day Inventory
Yes, this holiday is all about green, but you also want to have some complementary colors on hand for your St. Patrick’s Day creations. Make sure you have a good inventory of green flowers like bells of Ireland, green trix, green roses (like our Green Tea or Jade roses), and tinted green carnations. Then add white, cream, and yellow flowers to the mix for some variety.
2. Go All-out with the Imagery
This time of year, you’ll want to go wild with shamrocks, rainbows, leprechauns, and pots of gold. Decorate your shop windows and interior with lots of imagery and plenty of green. And make sure to add the imagery to your website, social media pages, and any emails you send out. These visuals will grab attention and get your customers into the spirit.
3. Team up with Other Brands for a Holiday Event
People love a good party on St. Patrick’s Day, and you can tap into this by holding an event — either in your store or virtually. One way to do this is to have a DIY workshop to create a St. Paddy’s arrangement. Or team up with other businesses in your area and throw a larger party. You can provide the centerpieces and the floral backdrop for photos, as people will want to take their picture and post it on social media. Make sure to display your hashtag at the photo booth so they tag you in their posts.
4. Offer Sales and Shipping Promotions
Have a St. Patrick’s Day sale and offer discounts on the unique green arrangements you’ve created. Since this year’s holiday falls on a Friday, you’ll want to extend your deals throughout the weekend to give people plenty of time to shop. You may also want to offer free shipping, particularly for online orders, as this is one of the main reasons people abandon online shopping carts. So, make it as easy as possible for them to hit the “buy now” button!
5. Post a Daily St. Paddy’s Fun Fact
St. Patrick’s Day is all about fun — but it’s also about the history and culture of Ireland. A great way to get more engagement with your social media during this holiday is to post a fun fact each day leading up to the holiday. Here are a few to get you started:
• St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland. Banks, stores, and businesses close for the day.
• The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in America, but not in New York — it was held in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601.
• Shamrocks are the national flower and emblem of Ireland. The shamrock has been associated with Ireland for centuries and was considered a sacred plant.
• The color of St. Patrick’s Day was originally blue but changed to green after the Irish rebellion of 1798.
• Beer (no surprise) is the most widely consumed beverage on St. Patrick’s Day, and Guinness is one of the most popular.
• In 1962, Chicago dyed their river green for St. Patrick’s Day for the first time. Now, it’s a tradition.
• One in four American adults has Irish ancestors or relatives. That’s over 52 million people — or ten times the population of Ireland!
• St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish. He was born in Britain, kidnapped at 16, and taken to Ireland as a slave. Then he escaped after six years and became a priest.
• Your odds of finding a four-leaf clover are around one in 10,000.
We hope these St. Patrick’s Day marketing tips give you some ideas to increase your sales for this fun and festive holiday. If you have other successful tips, let us know so we can share them with others!
