September Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses (Updated For 2023)

September means that summer’s over, it’s back to school time, and back to marketing your business with these local marketing ideas. 

Daily Ideas

The biggest holiday in September is Labor Day, but there are plenty of other marketing opportunities that can boost your business. Here are some marketing opportunities to think about.

• Labor Day (Sept. 4) - Focus on local marketing and a better Google ranking to attract more customers. Host a Labor Day sale or mention your loyalty program in your newsletter and on your website. 
• Positive Thinking Day (Sept. 13) - Use this day to cheer up, motivate, encourage, compliment, thank, help, inspire, or anything else positive. Dentists can focus on smiles, physical therapists on recovery, and interior designers on decorating, just to name a few.
• First Day Of Fall (Sept. 23) - The number of light and dark hours is the same today and it’s the official end of summer. It’s an opportunity to publish blog posts, promote products, and share social media images about fresh starts and new beginnings.
• Good Neighbor Day (Sept. 28) - Do some outreach across your social media pages and local network to recognize other local businesses or hold a contest where people can nominate good neighbors for a prize.

Here are some marketing ideas for other days in September.

• September 1: No Rhyme (Or Reason) Day
• September 2: World Coconut Day, Franchise Appreciation Day
• September 3: Doodle Day
• September 4: Macadamia Nut Day
• September 5: International Day Of Charity
• September 6: Read A Book Day
• September 7: Salami Day
• September 8: International Literacy Day
• September 9: California Admission Day
• September 10: Swap Ideas Day
• September 11: Make Your Bed Day 
• September 12: Day of Encouragement
• September 13: Roald Dahl Day
• September 14: Live Creative Day
• September 15: Online Learning Day
• September 16: Working Parents Day
• September 17: International Country Music Day
• September 18: Cheeseburger Day
• September 19: Voter Registration Day
• September 20: Fried Rice Day, Queso Day
• September 21: International Day Of Peace
• September 22: American Business Women’s Day
• September 23: International Day of Sign Languages
• September 24: Punctuation Day
• September 25: Comic Book Day
• September 26: Family Day
• September 27: World Tourism Day
• September 28: Neighbor Day
• September 29: Coffee Day
• September 30: Love People Day

Weekly Ideas

If you’re looking for week-long ways to market your business, try these.

• Sept. 1-7: International Enthusiasm Week
• Sept 5-9: Payroll Week
• Sept 10-16: Assisted Living Week
• Sept. 17-23: Farm Animal Awareness Week, Rehabilitation Awareness Week
• Sept. 24-30: Deaf Dog Awareness Week, Sea Otter Awareness Week

Monthly Ideas

You can even plan a month-long promotion that might include blog posts, sales, social media posts, contests, and more with these.

• Self Improvement Month - Host a virtual challenge for your followers with a daily self-improvement call to action. Ask people to share favorite books, places, or activities that inspire them to grow. Encouraging followers to interact and give feedback on your social media pages builds customer loyalty and community.
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month - Try hosting a fundraiser where you can sell T-shirts that support a child or the cause in general and encourage photo sharing to include your online audience.
• Food Safety Education Month - A chance for health specialists and restaurants to promote their services, share best practices, educate people, and promote healthy foods.

Here are some other ways to market for the whole month.

• Life Insurance Awareness Month
• Nat’l Prosper Where You Are Planted Month
• Be Kind To Editors & Writers Month
• International People Skills Month
• International Self-Awareness Month
• National Fruit and Veggies Month
• Shameless Promotion Month
• Healthy Aging Month
• Women’s Friendship Month
• National Sewing Month

More Ideas

Looking for more ways to market your business? Try these September themes.

• Back To School - Run student discounts, a back-to-school promotion, or offer back-to-school-themed products. Generate buzz on social media to reach college students or join with student organizations for virtual events.
• Fall Harvest - Corn stalks and hay bales from a local farm (or farmer’s market) make great decorations outside of a brick-and-mortar store. Take pictures of your fall-themed decorations and products to share on your social media pages and Google My Business profile. Include creative hashtags to increase engagement and reach of your posts. 
• Moving Day - Many people move in September, making it a good time for movers, furniture stores, and other moving-related businesses to make sure their website and listings are optimized for Google’s local search so people can find them.

If you want to learn more about marketing, read our article, “4Ps of Readymade Marketing”, or contact us.

Tags: cover-story, September marketing