As a small business owner, you know how important it is to stay top of mind with your customers. Everyone knows social media is a great place to build a community of fans around your brand and engage with customers. But what about text messaging (SMS)? Consumers want to, and like hearing from brands via SMS, so if you’re not messaging your customers regularly, you’re missing a trick:

• 97% open rate versus 20% for email
• 90% of consumers wanting brands to text, only 34% of brands actually do
• 86% of small business owners say SMS offers more engagement than email (Source: EZTexting)
• 60% of consumers read a text within 5 minutes of receiving it
• 50% of consumers would opt in to SMS in return for flash sales, deals or coupons (Source: eMarketer)

Taking advantage of the many special and sometimes quirky days on social media posts can improve brand awareness and customer engagement, promote conversations and showcase your brand personality.

From holidays and seasonal sales to cultural events and community initiatives, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the year for local businesses to get creative on social media and send out personalised SMS campaigns.

We’ve pulled together a list of some of the key marketing dates 2023 has to inspire you.

February 2023

Tip of the month: With Time to Talk, #ReclaimSocial2023 and Valentine’s Day spread the love in February. Promote romantic products or services, e.g., romantic dinner packages, Valentine’s flower arrangements, or offer a discount for couples who book/buy your product or service together to create a sense of exclusivity. Alternatively, create a giveaway for the most romantic gesture using your products or services for Valentine’s Day, and announce the winner on the 14th.

Month: LGBT History Month

2 February Time to Talk Day

6 February #ReclaimSocial2023

14 February Valentine’s Day

17 February Random Acts of Kindness Day

20 February National Love Your Pet Day

21 February Pancake Day

March 2023

Tip of the month: From discounts for Mother’s Day to selling special items to raise money, there are plenty of opportunities for promotions in March. And don’t forget with Magic, you can send out text promotions that have a much higher conversion rate than emails that will help you stay at the forefront of your customer’s mind. Plus, free customizable templates mean you can also create personalised campaigns that get delivered to the right customers in real time.

Month:  Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal

1 March St David’s Day

3 March World Book Day

7-13 March National Feet Week

8 March International Women’s Day

13 March Commonwealth Day

17 March St Patrick’s Day

18 March Comic Relief Red Nose Day 2023

19 March Mother’s Day

20 March Spring Equinox

22 March Ramadan begins

20-27 March National Complementary Therapy Week

April 2023

Tip of the month: Easter aside, Earth Day and Stop Food Waste Day are a great opportunity for your business to promote sustainable and eco-friendly products and raise awareness about the environment. For example, you could highlight any products or services you offer that support the environment, or create a contest for the most eco-friendly solution of action taken by a customer, and announce the winner on Earth Day.

Month:  Stress Awareness Month

7 April Good Friday

9 April Easter Sunday

11 April World Parkinson’s Day

20-26 April World Allergy Week

22 April Mother Earth Day

22 April Eid al-Fitr

23 April St George’s Day

27 April Stop Food Waste Day

May 2023

Tip of the month: May Day, a royal coronation and Fairtrade Day are just some of the events you can tap into this month. Additionally, because it’s also National Walking Month, why not include a call to action in your marketing messages encouraging customers to walk. Walking would promote good mental health and shopping local to support small businesses.

Month:  National Walking Month

1 May May Bank Holiday

4 May Star Wars Day

6 May King Charles III Coronation

8 May Coronation Bank Holiday

9-15 May Mental Health Awareness Week

13 May Eurovision

14 May Fairtrade Day

15 May Children’s Day

21 May Word Day for Cultural Diversity

28 May World Hunger Day

29 May Late May Bank Holiday

June 2023

Tip of the month: June is the start of summer, and with the longest day and Father’s Day, it’s a great opportunity to promote seasonal products and services, such as outdoor activities, travel and family time to create a sense of excitement for the long, hazy days of summer which lie just around the corner.

Month:  Pride 

2-5 June The Big Jubilee Lunch

3 June FA Cup Final

8 June World Oceans Day

9 June Clothing Poverty Awareness Day

13-19 June Men’s Health Week

16 June World Clean Air Day AND World Refill Day

18 June Father’s Day

20-24 June Royal Ascot

21 June Summer Solstice

July 2023

Tip of the month: Why not take advantage of “Independent Retailer Month” and the summer season in July by promoting the importance of supporting independent retailers and capitalising on the increased foot traffic and customer activity that comes with the summer sunshine? Promote your commitment to supporting the local community, highlight your products or services that are unique to your business, and encourage customers to shop local and support independent retailers by offering a special promotion or discount for those who do.

Month:  Independent Retailer Month 

3-16 July Wimbledon Fortnight

3 July Plastic Bag Free Day

4 July US Independence Day

12 July National Simplicity Day

24 July The Big Listen 2023 (Samaritan’s Awareness Day)

29 July-3 August Love Parks Week

30 July International Day of Friendship

August 2023

Tip of the month: August is a bit of a crossroads. It’s the height of summer, and many people are on holiday but also thinking about returning to work and school, making it an ideal time to promote end-of-season sales and back-to-school deals on products relevant to both.

Month:  Happiness Happens Month 

1 August Yorkshire Day

4 August Cycle to Work Day

12 August International Youth Day

18 August Never Give Up Day

19 August World Photo Day

26 August National Dog Day

28 August August Bank Holiday

September 2023

Tip of the month: September is a time when many people look to make changes and start afresh, so take advantage of the new season and promote relevant products and services. You can also encourage customers to embrace the new season and make a fresh start by offering a special promotion or discount. The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan on the 29th, so why not think about holding one at your business premises?

Month:  Organic September AND Second-hand September 

5 September International Day of Charity

10 September World Suicide Prevention Day

13 September Roald Dahl Day

16-25 September Great British Beach Clean Week

19-25 September Recycle Week

21 September International Day of Peace

29 September World’s Biggest Coffee Morning (Annual Macmillan Fundraising Initiative)

October 2023

Tip of the month: For local businesses, October is all about Halloween! Whether you want to promote Halloween products, services or events, take the opportunity to get your customers into the Halloween spirit.

Month:  Breast Cancer Awareness Month 

3 October World Habitat Day

4 October No Disposable Cup Day

10 October World Mental Health Day

21 October Wear it Pink Day

29 October National Cat Day

31 October Halloween

November 2023

Tip of the month: Hot on the heels of Halloween is Bonfire Night and Diwali! November is also when most people begin thinking about Christmas, making it a fantastic opportunity for businesses to promote products or services, especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday at the end of the month.  

Month:  Movember 

1 November World Vegan Day

5 November Bonfire Night

9 November Social Media Kindness Day

11-15 November Anti-Bullying Week

12 November Diwali

17 November BBC Children in Need

19 November International Men’s Day

25 November Black Friday

30 November St Andrew’s Day

30 November Cyber Monday

December 2023

Tip of the month: December is all about Christmas. Everyone is in a festive mood, and most people are planning their festivities and spending more time shopping for gifts, making it a perfect time to encourage customers to get everything done early. That said, it’s also important to ensure your customers know your opening times and shipping deadlines so they receive their purchases on time. It’s also prudent to research postal services carefully, especially with the recent bad publicity around certain businesses.

Month:  Safe Toys & Gifts Month

5 December International Volunteer’s Day 

7-15 December Hanukkah

8 December Christmas Jumper Day

10 December Human Rights Day

25 December Christmas Day

31 December New Year’s Eve

January 2024

Tip of the month: Take advantage of everyone making New Year’s resolutions. Post or send a message wishing customers a Happy New Year and include a call to action that encourages customers to share their resolutions with you and offer those who do a special promotion or discount. This way, you can create a sense of community and engagement among your customers while also promoting your products or services in a relevant and timely manner.

Month: Veganuary

1 January New Year’s Day

15 January Blue Monday

25 January Burns Night

25 January St Dwynwen’s Day

26 January National Spouses Day

About Magic

Magic helps local businesses grow. Thousands of local businesses use Magic to get more online reviews, win new customers, easily manage customer conversations and grow sales. Magic offers these features:

• Reviews: Get more reviews with easy review requests for popular review sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, TrustPilot, and more. Rank high on local search and enhance your visibility on Google. 
• Inbox: Keep track of customer conversations across channels in one inbox, including SMS, Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail. Manage conversations better as a team and do more with industry specific templates. 
• Text Marketing: Drive more sales with instant text campaigns and reach your customers at the right moment with automation. Use prebuilt templates to send out text campaigns in minutes. 
• Webchat: Turn website visitors into customers with SMS powered Webchat. Chat to website visitors directly through SMS so you won’t miss a lead, even when they leave your website. 

Looking to grow your local business? Book in a demo call now. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook