Every holiday is an opportunity to market your product or service, and March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you aren’t Irish, hate beer, and wouldn’t be caught dead wearing green, you can still take advantage of people’s holiday spirit. That’s why, even if your business has little or no connection to Irish culture, it’s a good idea to plan some dedicated social media content for St. Patrick’s Day.
While you don’t have to be Irish to celebrate, you do have to be faster than a leprechaun if you want people to notice your St. Patrick’s Day posts, stories, or videos. And don’t forget about using DMs (direct messages) to connect with followers on a 1:1 level. Use DMs for giveaways, trivia games, caption contests, and other holiday content.
Here are some of our winning engaging and eye-catching content marketing ideas for St. Paddy’s Day.
Social Media Giveaways
Giveaways practically guarantee a bump in social media engagement. It doesn’t matter what type of business, service, or product you’re marketing. A few tips from promotional pros and customizable templates, and you’ll have a St. Patrick’s Day social media promotion to be proud of.
What’s the prize?
Every giveaway needs a prize. You can award more than one prize (one grand prize and second and third place, etc. place). Whatever prize you select should reflect the benefits and positive vibes of your brand. And of course, the prize should tie into St. Patrick’s Day in some way, the way these content creators did for their green giveaway.
Sur-prizing giveaway ideas for St. Patrick’s Day
- If you’re a nursery, give away a green plant
- If you’re a brand ambassador, green branded swag with a logo
- If you’re an artist, offer a special item created especially for St. Patrick’s Day
- If you’re in hospitality, your prize could be holiday treats or beverages (green beer, anyone?)
- If you’re a beauty influencer, offer a makeover (green eyeshadow optional)
- If you’re a fashionista, give away a fabulous green outfit.
When all else fails, give away a prepaid credit card or gift card.
Create urgency
Use a countdown clock across your social media to remind people about your upcoming giveaway or how many hours are left to enter. Keep interest high with updates. For extra coverage, splurge on a Facebook ad or Instagram promotion. You want to stand out from the crowd.
You’ll probably get DMs about the contest. Answer them promptly and encourage your followers to share the post with their friends.
How do people enter?
Since the real prize (for you) is greater engagement and more followers, ask contestants to enter by commenting on the giveaway post directly. Whether you’re asking them to guess the number of green jelly beans in a jar or tag three of their friends, comment-based giveaways encourage interaction between your brand and your audience.
Comment-generating questions and prompts
Obviously, if you’re using a “guess how many” or “find all” scenario, your comments will be concrete answers. If your giveaway is more about feelings, faves, and friendship, use open-ended questions.
We’ve included a few below or you can use this comprehensive St. Patrick’s Day celebration site for inspiration.
For example:
- What do you feel lucky about?
- Tag two friends with a shamrock emoji
- How many ________ can you find?
Finally, the fine print
Contests have legal guidelines that you’ll need to follow. This includes posting all relevant and necessary information about your giveaway, such as:
- Competition dates and times (if applicable)
- Terms and conditions (like age requirement)
- Rules (one person/one entry)
- A disclaimer that this giveaway is not officially endorsed by the social network
We’re obviously not lawyers, and the above does not constitute legal advice. To learn more about what you can and cannot post in a social media giveaway, click here.
Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok will be engulfed in a sea of green. While there’s nothing wrong with some traditional St. Paddy Day graphics, you need eye-catching graphics and content that provides value to truly stand out.
And the winner is…
When your St. Patrick’s Day giveaway ends (at midnight, perhaps?), draw a winner. Contest winners must be picked at random and in the most transparent manner possible. You can check out this prize draw app for your IG giveaway, but there are also options for Twitter and Facebook.
Announce the winner and thank everyone who entered. Then get ready to do it all over again in April and tease an upcoming spring/Easter giveaway!
Giveaway with a Caption Contest
If you want people to interact with more than comments or tagging friends, how about a caption contest? Ask for the funniest idea and then post the winner after the giveaway ends.
“I’m not Irish, but kiss me anyway.”
“Who needs luck when you’re this good-looking?”
“Irish you a Happy St. Paddy’s Day!”
And here’s 60 more captivating caption ideas and pics for inspiration.
Trivia Contest
Give your followers and visitors a chance to show off their smarts. It can be one question, or best three out of five.
- Where was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade held?
- How much does the average American spend on St. Patrick’s Day?
- What are the odds of finding a four-leaf clover?
For more trivia ideas, click here.
Eye-catching graphics
On a day when everyone’s feed is flooded with green shamrocks, pots o’ gold, rainbows, Irish flags, and leprechauns, create a St. Paddy’s Day look that’s all you.
Make a move
If you don’t have a dynamic photo or graphic for your St. Patrick’s Day post, make a video. Moving images are more likely to capture attention. Use IG’s Reels, TikTok, or check out Canva for a wide selection of free animated templates for IG, Twitter, FB, and LinkedIn.
Don’t forget to include:
- Your logo
- Your handle
- Links to giveaway entry
Hashtag #giveaway
Hashtags improve your reach. They help people filter relevant conversations, even if they don’t follow you. The trick is to use trending hashtags, which is tougher than you might think (aside from #stpatricksday).
Some social media networks let you search hot hashtags for free, like this Twitter tool. To look for trending tags on other platforms, try Social Searcher – it’s also free!
The party’s over – or is it?
After the last green sparkly emoji fades away, you can still reap the benefits of your St. Patrick’s Day social media marketing. Unlike other social media DMs, SwayDM cuts through the clutter. SwayDM is a new messaging tool that gives you control of your direct messages so you can connect with those who matter most. Incorporate SwayDM into your social media networks, and ask followers to start sending you DMs for a guaranteed reply.
Click here to get your SwayDM invite and start earning with every message!
