May Small Business Marketing Ideas(Updated for 2023)

According to the saying, April showers bring May flowers. Here are some ideas to make your marketing bloom in the month of May.

Daily Holidays

From Mother’s Day to Memorial Day and more, May provides plenty of opportunities to get your marketing moving. 

• Mother’s Day (May 14) - Mother’s Day is a great marketing opportunity. Flower shops and bakeries can offer products, and discounts for gift-givers, either on the day or the day before. Salons and spas can create Mother’s Day-themed gift certificates or offer 2-for-1 deals for mothers and daughters. Any business can combine products and/or services into gift packages for gift-giving, or give away coupons for a later visit. Preschools can do Mother’s Day projects that the kids can take home. However you celebrate moms, let people know by posting pictures on social media, making a blog post, or an email newsletter announcement.
• Memorial Day (May 29) - Memorial Day is all about the USA. Anything with a red, white, and blue theme such as recipes, outfits, flower arrangements, etc. provide content that you can promote on your social media pages. You can also use quotes, images, and other material on social media to show your support for those who gave their lives for the country.

Other days in May that can be used for marketing are: 

• May 1: Hawaiian Lei Day, Loyalty Day, May Day, Mother Goose Day 
• May 2: Baby Day, Brothers and Sisters Day
• May 3: Bike to School Day, Garden Meditation Day, Lumpy Rug Day
• May 4: Bird Day, Candied Orange Peel Day, Renewal Day, Star Wars Day
• May 5: Cartoonist Day, Cinco de Mayo, Hoagie Day, Oyster Day, Space Day
• May 6: Beverage Day, Fitness Day, Tourist Appreciation Day, Nurses Day, No Diet Day
• May 7: Tourism Day
• May 8: Iris  Day, No Socks Day, V-E Day, World Red Cross Day / Red Crescent Day
• May 9: Lost Sock Memorial Day, Teacher’s Day
• May 10: Clean up Your Room Day, Receptionist Day, School Nurses Day
• May 11: Eat What You Want Day, Twilight Zone Day
• May 12: Child Care / Daycare Provider Day, International Nurses Day, Limerick Day
• May 13: International Hummus Day, Leprechaun Day, Babysitters Day, Train Day
• May 14: Dance Like a Chicken Day,  Lilac Sunday
• May 15: Chocolate Chip Day, Slider Day, Police Officer’s Memorial Day
• May 16: Love a Tree Day, Sea Monkey Day, Wear Purple for Peace Day
• May 17: Pack Rat Day
• May 18: International Museum Day, No Dirty Dishes Day, Visit Your Relatives Day
• May 19: Boy’s Club Day, Bike to Work Day, World Plant a Vegetable Garden Day
• May 20: Armed Forces Day, Be a Millionaire Day, Pick Strawberries Day
• May 21: Memo Day, Waiters and Waitresses Day
• May 22: Buy a Musical Instrument Day, Maritime Day, World Goth Day
• May 23: Lucky Penny Day, World Turtle Day
• May 24: International Tiara Day, Escargot Day
• May 25: Brown Bag It Day, Wine Day, Tap Dance Day
• May 26: Don’t Fry Friday, Sally Ride Day
• May 27: Sun Screen Day
• May 28: Amnesty International Day, Hamburger Day
• May 29: Learn About Composting Day
• May 30: International Jazz Day, Mint Julep Day, Water a Flower Day
• May 31: Macaroon Day, Save Your Hearing Day, World Otter Day

Weekly Holidays

April 30 - May 6 is Small Business Week. Take advantage by running a deal-a-day, promoting different products/services each day. Give out coupons with purchases that can be redeemed on another visit. Generate leads by offering valuable small business-themed content in exchange for email addresses. Get more exposure by using #NationalSmallBusinessWeek and other relevant hashtags in your social media posts and promotions. You can run an online giveaway event where customers post pictures of themselves in your business on your social media pages using a custom hashtag and announce the winner at the end of the week. Be more active in your local small business community. Attend local and SBA events, either in person or online. 

Other weekly holidays include:

• May 6-12: Nurses Week
• May 7-13: Pet Week
• May 8-12: Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 16-22: Brain Injury Awareness Week
• May 21-27: EMS Week

Monthly Holidays

There are also month-long opportunities for marketing that include:

• ALS Awareness Month
• Lyme Disease Awareness Month
• Inventors Month
• Strawberry Month
• Pet Month
• Salad Month
• Salsa Month
• Barbecue Month
• Blood Pressure Month
• Military Appreciation Month
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Creative Beginnings Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month

If you want to learn more about marketing, read our article, “What Is Digital Marketing?”, or contact us.

Tags: marketing ideas, May, cover-story