November is most known as the month of Thanksgiving, and the calm before the storm that is the holiday shopping season. But for brands and marketers, November is a goldmine of holidays and special events beyond Thanksgiving! Whatever your business may be, there is surely a national holiday in November which you can leverage to generate some buzz for your brand.
When you tie a sale or promo to a certain holiday, this creates a sense of urgency amongst consumers. They tend to spend more money than they normally would, as they are under the impression that they may never encounter such a bargain deal again.
Looking for ways to drive up sales, even before the holiday season? Check out these national holidays in November to help inspire your marketing this month:
Amp Up Your Marketing Using National Holidays In November
National Gratitude Month
November is National Gratitude Month, which promotes the practice and power of gratitude. This is the perfect opportunity to go the extra mile to show your customers how much you appreciate them.
Now’s the time to launch a loyalty program to reward your loyal patrons for their consistent support. If you already have one, make the month extra special for them by doubling up the points given per purchase, or sending out special discount codes as a thank-you.
You can also find simple yet creative ways to express gratitude towards all customers, even those not in your loyalty program. For example, give out gift cards to consumers who meet a certain purchase amount.
Veterans Day
Celebrated every November 11, this holiday commemorates the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” when World War I ended in 1918. It was formerly known as Armistice Day until 1954 when President Eisenhower changed the holiday name to Veterans Day. The holiday has expanded to honor all veterans of all wars.
Express gratitude to those who have bravely served the country by offering special tokens or freebies to veterans on this day. But make sure that what you give out is relevant to your business, such as gift cards that they can use on their next purchase.
Singles' Day
11/11 started in the early 1990s amongst college students. With all the ones in the date, Singles' Day is often considered as a day to celebrate being single, the opposite of Valentine’s Day. Now, November 11 is one of the biggest sale days as consumers take the opportunity to own their individuality, invest in some self-care, and reward themselves with things they’ve always wanted to buy.
As this is a major annual sale event that cuts across various industries, you will want to advertise your 11/11 promos and discounts well ahead of time. Issue email newsletters promoting the products you’ll be discounting. Announce the sale across all your social media pages and your website. Through a loyalty program, you can entice repeat customers to shop more by offering special benefits such as special vouchers or pre-sale shopping access.
National Happy Hour Day
“Happy Hour” is a common promotional strategy used by restaurants and bars to attract large groups. The term usually pertains to promos involving alcoholic drinks, but that’s not necessarily always the case. Happy Hours, as they are known today, began in the Mexican-American War. Happy hours were conducted after a busy day to boost the sailors’ morale and involved drinking, dancing, and boxing matches. The sailors aboard USS Arkansas were the subjects of reporters, who wrote joyous headlines like “‘The Happy Hour’ Aboard Ship Makes U.S. Tars Contented.”
National Happy Hour Day is celebrated every November 12. To make this even more special than the usual happy hour, consider expanding your promos to include items you normally wouldn’t. Offer special discounts to those ordering takeaway or for delivery, so that even patrons who are not in-store can take part in the celebration.
Retail stores and convenience stores can celebrate National Happy Hour Day, too, by offering time-limited promos. By offering massive discounts within a certain time slot during that day, consumers will feel a sense of urgency to buy right away. Holding short-term sales like this before the holiday season can help alleviate the shopping panic once December comes around.
World Kindness Day
Celebrated every November 13, World Kindness Day aims to promote the importance of kindness to yourself, to others, and the world. The goal is to help everyone see that we are all bound together by compassion and that this has the power to bridge gaps between people.
Inspire kindness amongst your staff and consumers by making it a fun initiative for all during World Kindness Day. Fill a small fishbowl with simple acts of kindness, like “compliment a friend today!”, and encourage your customers to get one when they check out. Retail brands and e-commerce platforms can offer special bundles, the proceeds of which can go to a local nonprofit supported by the company. Restaurants and cafés can run a promo wherein consumers who pay for the coffee of the next person in line get a special discount or treat.
World Children’s Day
Initially known as Universal Children’s Day, this holiday began in 1954 to raise awareness for children’s welfare and promote international togetherness. This November 20, family-friendly and kid-friendly brands can celebrate this holiday with children-specific promos, discounts, and product offerings. For example, restaurants can develop a kids’ menu or discount existing kids’ meals at half-off; retailers that particularly cater to kids and parents can offer child-parent matching sets.
Black Friday
Black Friday often marks the start of the holiday shopping season. The term was coined in the 1960s, back when accounting records were maintained by hand using pens. Red ink indicated losses, while black ink indicated profits. Once retailers realized that they can draw in large crowds by dropping their prices, Black Friday became an annual event.
While it’s generally held the day after Thanksgiving, it’s such an anticipated shopping event that some retailers begin putting up their items for sale as early as Thanksgiving morning. Almost every type of retailer and e-commerce business can take part in Black Friday. Take the opportunity to move your old inventory and make way for Christmas products, or launch new offerings with a bang. Aside from massive discounts, you can build stronger relationships with your VIPs by letting those in your loyalty program shop ahead of everyone else.
Cyber Monday
Held on November 29, this is the online sibling of Black Friday. It’s usually a great time to buy gadgets, tech and smart home products, and gift cards. Because of the speed and convenience of the internet, Cyber Monday items tend to sell out quickly. To ensure they can get their hands on what they want, many consumers bookmark their wishlist or “add to cart” ahead of time.
As many brands participate in this sale event, make sure that your customers are aware that you too will be holding a sale. Drum up buzz by sending out email newsletters, hyping the sale across all your social media accounts, and announcing it on your website. Entice your loyal patrons by giving exclusive pre-sale privileges, or additional benefits such as special discount codes or freebies.
Giving Tuesday
This global generosity movement was started in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation. Consistently held every year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, the goal is to encourage people to do good. In 2021, this is held on November 30.
To show your support for Giving Tuesday, partner with a local nonprofit to raise awareness for a relevant cause in your community. Consider donating a portion of your profit for that day (or even the whole month!) to that organization; this may entice consumers to spend more with you, as they will feel that their money contributes to a great cause. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. They bought something for themselves and helped someone out in the process.
With all the national holidays coming up in November, there are many opportunities to make a splash. Leverage holidays that are in line with your brand to resonate with your target audience, increase brand awareness, and encourage pre-holiday shopping.
Loyalty programs and gift cards are helpful in incentivizing consumers to spend more with your brand. True POS is here to help you roll them out for your business, as well as address any point of sale system needs you may have. Contact us for a free quote today!
