Top ‘o the sales charts to ya! Every March, leprechaun marketers bounce around in search of their pot of gold. They follow rainbow trails in hopes they’ll discover a shiny black cauldron of coins on the other side. They pick clovers searching for that perfect four-leaf one to bring them good luck.
It’s all about the green during the month of March. From must-wear emerald hues on the 17th to the highly anticipated meals of corned beef, cabbage and green pints of beer, the Irish the know how to put on a good show. While St. Patrick’s day has come and gone, there are a few bits of saintly wisdom every savvy marketer should know.
The Person Behind the Holiday
Despite popular belief, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t all about leprechauns and hearty meals. St. Patrick didn’t have it easy from the get-go. He was born into a well-to-do British aristocratic Christian family in A.D. 390. The family had a country villa, a townhouse, and a host of slaves.
He didn’t always take to Christianity. Then, when he turned 16, he was kidnapped.
Patrick was sent overseas to work as a slave in Ireland. The roles were reversed. Instead of living with slaves at his disposal, he became a slave. He worked as a sheep herder in the cold countryside of Ireland. While there, he converted to Christianity.
One night, he heard a voice telling him to escape. He jumped on a pirate ship and made his way back to his family in Britain. He spent the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity. The color green is synonymous with St. Patrick because of the many parades held in the 19th century when everyone wore green to support Ireland.
Now, as St. Patrick’s legend has grown over the years, he’s become known as the patron saint of Ireland.
As you prepare to wear your green, pinch a few non-festive folk on the 17th and down a hearty meal in celebration of St. Patrick, remember this. There are many lucky Irish lessons marketers can learn from this holiday.
-
It’s Not All About Good Luck
St. Patrick lived a very difficult life in the beginning. He wasn’t well-educated because of his captivity. Instead, he was constantly beaten down and harassed.
Marketers often feel this same struggle in the beginning stages of a new product launch or campaign. Although you try to get to know the outside world, it’s challenging. You’re not sure what messages will resonate or how to communicate with your target market. You can guess, but you won’t know with certainty until you make your voice heard.
The market is ruthless. One bad campaign and your budget will be beaten down with a lack of results. One wrong message and the market will respond by harassing your brand for poor execution.
But you don’t need to have the luck of the Irish on your side to do well. Data-driven campaigns with a/b testing, analytics and other abstract information can guide you to the pot of gold and show you the message you’re meant to send.
-
Yes, You Can Reach the Masses in a Personal Way
When St. Patrick returned to Ireland, he didn’t have the luxury of reaching the masses to spread his gospel. Instead, he had to go from town to village gathering people together to share his message.
Marketers today are lucky. By integrating marketing tools, you can reach your customers faster. Combining apps, such as your accounting, customer support, email, and documents in one makes reaching your customers easier and more effective. Imagine what St. Patrick could have done with the marketing tools of today!
-
The Color Green is Symbolic
The color green didn’t become synonymous with St. Patrick from the start. It developed over time as people adorned this color to celebrate their country and how this patron saint changed their lives.
But the color green is symbolic in other ways too. Money is often associated with green and it’s money marketers need to bring in and reinvest to keep healthy sales numbers.
Once you have captured your pot of gold, continue to market the benefit of buying from your business. The vast majority of businesses have a healthy amount of competition. To keep your customers coming back to you, it’s vital to remind them of why you’re the best choice. Continue honing your message. Continue targeting your customers long after the purchase. Keep the marketing going so you can keep the green flowing.
Slainte!
As you forge ahead in 2016, we wish you good health in your marketing and many pots of lucky Irish gold.
At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a huge variety of verticals. Learn about all of Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.
