In 2024, we’re getting a bonus day in February.
Leap Day rolls round on February 29 solely as soon as each 4 years, and baking it into your social media advertising plan gives a enjoyable strategy to join together with your viewers and clients.
On this article, I’ll stroll you thru 9 out-of-the-box methods to rejoice Leap Day — whether or not you’re a creator or a model.
However first, it’s useful to have somewhat context on Leap Years earlier than kicking off any particular advertising campaigns. Why does February twenty ninth pop up in our calendars each 4 years?
Right here’s the Cliff Notes model: It takes a smidge greater than twelve months for the Earth to orbit across the solar — 365.2422, to be exact. This implies our neat-and-tidy 12-month calendar would finally drift out of sync with our seasons with out intervention. That quarter of a day has to go someplace.
The answer? To ‘save up’ these quarter days so that each 4 years, we get one full additional day to maintain our calendar in test. (We now have Pope Gregory XIII in Sixteenth-century Rome to thank for the Gregorian calendar system.)
It really works so nicely that almost all people don’t know till a Leap Day rolls round in February — and also you knock their socks off with one among these tongue-in-cheek advertising campaigns.
1. Want all of the ‘leaplings’ comfortable birthday
Think about solely having a birthday each 4 years. Leaplings — these born on 29 February throughout a Leap Yr — might most likely use somewhat additional love when their day lastly rolls round.
Comfortable birthday ‘leaplings’! 🎉 🎂 🎈
We requested individuals around the globe what it is like being born on February 29https://t.co/CzvXVPXXBa pic.twitter.com/qoQ4R5Irhc
— BBC Information (UK) (@BBCNews) February 29, 2020
One of the crucial apparent methods to rejoice could possibly be to run a particular deal for any clients who could also be leaplings, like Caylin Jimenez (@caylinjimenez):
@caylinjimenez You’re distinctive and so particular! #leapling #leapday #pisces #pisces♓️ #birthday #february ♬ unique sound – Caylin Jimenez
One other nice possibility should you’re a social media marketer for a enterprise: Test in together with your coworkers to see if anybody was born on a Leap Day. “That is Fred; he’s our youngest teammate at six years outdated,” has the makings of successful behind-the-scenes publish.
2. A one-day-only sale or expertise
A day that we solely get to expertise as soon as each 4 years is a superb alternative for a flash sale — particularly as a result of, in contrast to the din of Black Friday or Small Enterprise Saturday — you possible gained’t be competing with each different model in your business for consideration.
Right here’s a enjoyable instance of Leap Day advertising from Weddings with Pleasure gown store. They’re going all out this 12 months with a particular Leap Day expertise for brides who guide fittings on February twenty ninth.
They’ll be capable of win “numerous prizes with the quantity 29 hooked up to it,” too. Which brings us to tactic #3…
3. Go all-in on 366, 29, or 4
Take pleasure in some quantity play with a sale that nods to one of many particular numbers we affiliate with a Leap Day — 366 (for the three hundred and sixty six days in 2024), 29 (the date in February), or 4 (the truth that it solely rolls round each 4 years).
Which may imply a price discount to no matter worth level is smart for you within the vary of numbers above. You might additionally get artistic with, say, a switching up of subscription phrases — suppose a bundle deal that lasts a four-year time period fairly than yearly.
Impartial bookstore Downtown Books (@downtownbooksmto) goes this route with 29 % off any guide, however solely on the large day.
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4. Suggest a partnership
In the event you’ve seen Leap Yr, the film with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, you’ll comprehend it’s a bizarre outdated custom for girls to flip gender roles on their heads and suggest to their companions on Leap Day.
The considerably outdated custom is called Bachelor’s Day. It originates from an Irish folks story by which a nun, St. Brigid, petitioned the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick, to permit ladies to suggest to males, too (the latter have been taking too lengthy to take action, apparently).
St. Patrick consented to permit ladies to pop the query — however solely on someday, each 4 years.
The custom has developed considerably, with many believing that irrespective of who proposes, a Leap-Yr engagement is nice luck. Plus, it’s an important date.
“The novelty and sentimentality of the date make it an apparent contender for these trying to pop the query on a Leap Yr,” Kylie Carlson, the proprietor of The Marriage ceremony Academy, instructed Bride.com. “Plus, your engagement date might be comparatively artistic in comparison with others.”
If it is smart on your viewers or model, I’d recommend sharing a publish asking any followers who plan to suggest on February twenty ninth to get in contact. You might provide your model’s help — something from a free meal to videography could be fortunately obtained — in alternate for content material.
@lk_bridal_designs 𝓘𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓬é 𝓮𝓻𝓪💍 The forecast for 2024 is a number of love with an opportunity of proposal🫶🏼 #leapyear #2024engagement #inmyfiancèera ♬ unique sound – LKBD 💍
Let’s be sincere: Who can resist a romantic proposal video? (Right here’s hoping they are saying sure.)
5. ‘Bonus’ day
Seeing an additional day on the calendar does really feel like one thing of a bonus. In case your model is within the realm of productiveness or wellness, a light-lift win could possibly be to create a bonus day guidelines on your viewers.
Keep in mind that February 29 falls on a Thursday this 12 months, so you should definitely curate your listing to accommodate followers at work or faculty.
6. Share some enjoyable info
Do you know that in northern Italy, a Leap Yr is often referred to as l’ann d’ la baleina or the whale’s 12 months? Italians within the province of Reggio Emilia consider that whales give delivery solely throughout Leap Years.
And do you know that Anthony, Texas, within the U.S., is the self-proclaimed Leap Yr Capital of the world? Each 4 years, they host a three-day Leap Yr Pageant to rejoice leaplings.
Leap Years are unusual, fascinating issues, so a number of intelligent enjoyable info definitely gained’t go a miss. In the event you’re a creator or enterprise in schooling, like Nikita Bhalara (@vnmomschool), posts like her Instagram Reel under provide an particularly nice strategy to interact your viewers.
I really like how she’s been capable of reply all the good questions within the feedback, too!
7. A Leap Day cocktail
In the event you’re a restaurant, bar, meals blogger, or related, bartender Harry Craddock, who labored at London’s Savoy Resort, stirred up a artistic strategy to faucet into Leap Day celebrations.
In 1928, Craddock created a particular Leap Day cocktail to serve within the swanky bar, which was featured in The Savoy Cocktail E book in 1930 with the annotation, “It’s mentioned to be answerable for extra proposals than some other cocktail that has ever been combined.”
8. Leap into some enjoyable puns
Leap is a incredible phrase for some tongue-in-cheek puns in your posts and captions. Even should you’re not going all-in on one of many extra intensive campaigns or social media posts above, subtly weaving in some leaping puns is a enjoyable, low-key strategy to mark the event (and hopefully immediate some feedback from eagle-eyed followers).
Performs on the phrases “for” and “4” are additionally on the desk, however you’ll must be as specific in regards to the Leap Yr enjoyable 4 it to actually land.
Right here’s a intelligent instance from Etsy vendor LoveFamilyAdventure Designs.
9. The 12 months of the frog
Sure, 2024 is technically the Yr of the Dragon — which is way cooler, I’ll grant you — however frogs typically discover themselves entrance and middle in Leap Day campaigns (primarily because of the aforementioned “leaping” puns).
Just like the extra delicate Leap Day wordplay, frogs can provide a extra low-key strategy to nod to the event in your advertising with a well-placed easter egg — or increase your advertising supplies with a cute amphibian should you’re going all out.
I really like this intelligent method illustrator Meghan Marie (@megpieprint) tapped into the theme in one among her newer designs:
Taking the leap
Enjoyable moments like Leap Day and different celebrations — official holidays or not — are an excellent method so as to add character to your model and join together with your audience exterior the realm of your product or providing.
They’re additionally an important alternative to interact together with your neighborhood, be artistic, and keep constant on social media. Don’t overlook to scroll via our 2024 vacation calendar for concepts so as to add to your content material plan — it contains every part from the Summer time Olympics to
World Chocolate Day (and there are some enjoyable concepts to get your artistic juices flowing there, too.)
In the event you’re strapped for social content material concepts on your channels, don’t miss this nice information on constructing your personal content material creation system. Want some additional assist? We’ve compiled this listing of the finest social media administration instruments obtainable in 2024 to lighten the load.
How are you marking this Leap Day? We’d love to listen to about your plans! Drop us a remark under or tag @buffer on socials.