Let’s face it, if you have ever offered a “sale” or a “special offer” without clearly providing your users with a good reason why you’re offering this event, chances are your results were dismal. The most effective marketing strategies give your customers a reason why you’re doing something special for them … and February 29^th (Leap Year) provides entrepreneurs with a fantastic reason!

Using this once-every-four-year event gives Strategic Entrepreneurs™ an opportunity to get in front of prospects and current customers to create an event that stimulates additional sales activity.

Some ideas worth considering are:

1. With February 29^th extending the sales year by one extra day to 366 days, you could create a special sale that passes along the extra-day profits as savings to their customer-base.
2. Leap Year is a once every four year event, you could offer a 25% discount on some of their highest profit products (or a 29% discount for February 29^th).
3. Do you have a specific celebration that occurred during the last Leap Year such as a special anniversary or milestone that was achieved? Now’s a great time to throw a special event!
4. Create a special bonus offer, combination or product offering that suggests “29 Ways to (Insert Benefit)” – such as “29 Ways to Boost Your Athletic Performance This Year With a 1-Year Membership and 29 Days of Free Group Coaching with a Certified Dietician”.
5. Offer a special benefit for customers for purchases made on February 29. Zappos is extending their usual 1-year guarantee to a 4 year guarantee for anyone that makes a purchase on Leap Day.
6. Perhaps a quantity deal for customers who agree to purchase 29 days, 29 units or 4 days, 4 quarters or 4 units.
7. Create a unique “Leap Year” product that’s only released once every four years.  For example, a special “Leap Year Pizza” or a “Leap Year Beer.”

Customers are attracted to new, exciting and entertaining ideas.  When you offer something original and special during a limited time event, you capture their attention and encourage them to buy.

It’s a win/win situation for both the customers and you!

Happy Leap Year!

Charlie

P.S.  Did you know that Insider’s Club Members got even more ways to take advantage of this opportunity?  Yup, it’s true … and you’d think I’d offer you special Leap Year promotion, right?  After all, you just read my rant about how Leap Year provides strategic entrepreneurs™ with a great marketing opportunity …

Well … stay tuned … I might have missed Leap Year (between a Caribbean ‘workacation’ and way too many client projects going on at the moment) … but I’ll offer something special for you later this month.

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