58 free & creative
september marketing
ideas for any business
Author:kristen McCormick
Last updated:august 23,2024/seasonal marketing
They say a relaxed mind is a creative mind, but it’s hard to stay relaxed when you’re running a business—let alone in September when everyone’s switching gears. Lucky for you though, there’s a slew of events and themes in September that you can use for easy and creative marketing. And I’m not just talking Labor Day or Back to School…
So in this post, I’m going to equip you with over 50 unique September marketing ideas, along with real examples from businesses just like yours.
Content
Holiday lists
♦September awareness causes
September Monthly
Observances
♦Addiction recovery
♦Baby safety
♦Better breakfast
♦Childhood cancer
♦Childhood obesity
♦Disaster preparedness
♦Fall hat
♦Food safety
♦Life insurance
♦Library card
♦Mortgage professionals
♦Self-improvement
♦Self-care
♦Strategic thinking
♦Suicide prevention
♦Update your resume (international)
♦Wilderness
September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
🚨 Get copy-and-paste social media posts ready for the whole year in our free social media template!
September holidays and national days
Here are just some of the many holidays and national days of September. You can see a full list of days and dates at the bottom of this post.
♦Patriot Day
♦Labor Day
♦Voter Registration Day
♦No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day
♦Read A Book Day
♦Grateful Patient Day
♦Swap Ideas Day
♦Hug & High Five Day
♦Day of Encouragement
♦Hug Your Boss Day
♦Dance Day
♦CleanUp Day
♦Talk Like A Pirate Day
♦American Business Women’s Day
♦Family Health and Fitness Day
♦Love People Day
Side note: Check out our Labor Day Instagram captions ideas.
September marketing ideas to celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion
There are plenty of opportunities to be proactive with diversity, equity, and inclusion this month. In addition to the ones featured below, there’s also Love People Day, Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and Intergeneration Month.
Just One Human Family Day
Just one human family day occurs every September 12 and it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a day to remember that no matter where we come from, what language we speak, what we look like, what our abilities and beliefs are, or how we identify ourselves—at the end of the day, we are all just one big human family living on this planet, all deserving of compassion from one another. You can incorporate this into your business marketing by:
Sharing the collateral: Share the lyrics or the YouTube video of the song “We Share Just One Planet” on social.
Do an earthly act of kindness: Reach out to someone and do something kind for them. Better yet, do something kind for the planet with them, like plant a tree or pick up trash.
Swag: Sport the t-shirt or stickers to show your support and post on social.
American Business Women’s Day
Women in business are a force to be reckoned with in today’s economy. This holiday occurs on September 22.
- Compile a round-up: Find 10 women leading the way in your niche and write a round-up of them in a blog post. Tag them on social when you promote the post—they might share with their audience!
- Run a stat-themed sale: For example, women started 49% of new businesses in the US last year. Send out a promotional email offering 49% off of select products, or run a $49 special.
- Run a poll or quiz: Find some interesting stats about women in business and turn them into a poll or quiz or interactive post series for your followers. Like “What percentage of businesses are owned by women globally,” for example.
Free guide >> The 30 Best Ways to Promote Your Business
Hispanic Heritage Month
- Recognize Latinx influencers: Do some digging to find Latinx influencers or historical figures in your niche or neighborhood. Depending on their level of celebrity, share information about them, interview them, or spotlight them on social.
- Mark your calendar. The independence anniversaries of Latin American countries is the reason behind its start date. You can share a different fact or stat about each country on its respective day.
- September 15: El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
- September 16: Mexico
- September 18: Chile
- October 12: Dia de la Raza/Columbus Day
- Donate: Consider donating to the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Latinos for Education, the Latino Equality Alliance, or other organizations dedicated to Hispanic community support.
September marketing ideas for monthly awareness
Your business doesn’t necessarily have to be in an industry directly tied to any of the September awareness causes. Here are some ideas for incorporating September causes into creative, low-budget marketing.
Self-Improvement Month
It comes as no surprise that September is National Self-Improvement Month. It’s the second new year of the year when people get back into their routines after summer. Here are some ideas for marketing around this evergreen topic:
- Create a video with your own self-improvement tips.
- Share your favorite self-improvement books and ask your followers to comment back with theirs.
- Write blog posts on goal-setting or listicles like “X Ways to Improve Your [memory, credit score, leadership skills]” or “How to Improve Your [X] in 5 Minutes.”
- Run a 30-day challenge on Facebook or Instagram.
Looking for more ways to promote your business? Download now >> 30+ Ways to Promote Your Business (On Any Budget!)
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
There are several ways to engage your audience and your employees with cause-based marketing in the name of childhood cancer awareness. You could:
- Post eye-opening stats about childhood cancer on social media.
- Register your company for the Great Cycle Challenge and get your employees out on their bikes. Not only will you be fighting kid cancer, but you’ll be promoting good health and friendly competition among your employees. Encourage photo sharing so your audience can follow along throughout the month.
- Host a fundraiser and sell T-shirts to support a particular child or the cause in general.
Food Safety Month
With September being Food Safety Month, this is an opportunity for health specialists and restaurants to promote their services, publicize their best practices, and reassure customers.
You could also tie it in nicely with the back-to-school theme, like with the example below:
Wilderness Month
National Wilderness Month celebrates the anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which was pivotal in the conservation of American land and the creation of national parks. Here are some ways to use it in your marketing:
- Share your favorite hiking trails and ask your followers for theirs.
- Post photos from your own wilderness adventures.
- Share some eye-opening stats or a quote by John Muir.
Back to School Month
So August is actually the official National Back to School Month, but who are we kidding? Any type of business can participate in the back-to-school season. You can:
- Partner with college student organizations or K-12 after-school programs.
- Host or participate in a back-to-school drive.
- Share a list of free online learning resources that pertain to your audience.
- Run student discounts or introduce fall plans if you’re marketing to college students.
We’ve got plenty more with these Easy Back-to-School Marketing Ideas That Work for Any Business.
September marketing ideas for holidays and national days
Yes—National Talk Like a Pirate Day is a thing and it occurs on September 19. But I’ll let you come up with your own ideas for that day (I am THIS close to throwing in a pirate pun). Let’s talk about some of the many other special days of September.
Labor Day
If it weren’t for Labor Day, the first Monday of September would potentially be the worst Monday of the year. Here are some ideas to try out:
- For businesses that slow down during the summer, host a Labor Day promotion or sale to encourage as many existing customers as possible to come back.
- If you’re in a popular destination, brush up on your local marketing to make sure consumers visiting your town for the long weekend can find you. The higher your business ranks on Google Maps, the more customers you’ll attract.
- Send a Happy Labor Day message to your customers or employees.
- Run a Labor Day giveaway or contest.
For more awesome ideas, check out these Labor Day Social Media Posts, Promotions, & Marketing Ideas To Celebrate.
Patriot Day
This day is dedicated to the 2,977 victims of September 11. Here are some ways to show your support:
- Make it a day of service for your team.
- Display flags in and outside your store.
- Encourage your audience to take a moment of silence at the times of the attacks
NFL Opening Night
Opening night for the NFL falls in September. Celebrate the season opener with some creative marketing for your business. Here are some ideas:
- Engage customers on Facebook by asking about their favorite teams or running a trivia contest.
- Decorate your storefront, restaurant, or studio in team colors.
- Run a football-themed special.
- Offer discounts on game days or when your team wins.
First day of fall
The autumnal equinox (for the Northern Hemisphere) occurs in the last week or so of September, which means that the number of daylight and nighttime hours is the same. This celestial holiday (yay) marks the official end of the summer (sad).
But the first day of fall is a beautiful second new start granted to us each year—hence why September is the new January. So it’s a great opportunity to publish content around fresh starts and fall collections.
And since this day happens at the end of the month, you can run a countdown series all month long.
You may also be interested in using any of these 157 authentic fall hashtags.
Positive Thinking Day
Positive Thinking Day falls on September 13 every year and never gets any less versatile. Any business can use this holiday for just about any reason: to cheer up, motivate, encourage, compliment, thank, help, inspire, or [insert any positive verb your heart desires here]. Dentists can connect this to smiles, physical therapists to recovery, interior designers to decorating, and the list goes on.
Working Parents Day
National Working Parents Day falls on September 16. If your audience includes working parents, humanize your brand and acknowledge their hard work. And don’t forget about your parent employees!
Good Neighbor Day
Good Neighbor Day, on September 28, is a good time to do some outreach across your Instagram, LinkedIn, or geographically local network. Acknowledge fellow neighboring businesses on social media to encourage a sense of community, or come up with a contest where followers or employees can nominate good neighbors for a grand prize.
Read a Book Day
National Read a Book Day is a creative way for preschools, tutors, and other education-oriented businesses to market themselves. If your business isn’t related to education, read a book related to your industry and share your insights and learnings on your blog or social media profiles.
This is also a good time to give back to your community by reading a book to children or the elderly. Volunteering is not only an honorable thing to do, it will make you feel good and as a bonus, likely increase brand awareness in your local market.
International Day of Charity
September 5 is the International Day of Charity. Choose a local charity to support and get your employees involved, whether in person or virtually.
Or, if you’re already supporting a charity, feature them on your blog or social media profiles and invite your followers to support them as well.
International Day of Peace
This day has been recognized around the world every September 21 since 1981. Post an inspiring quote or image, participate in a fundraiser, or run a little peace sale like Niji Nursery did:
Moving Day
September 1 is a popular moving day across the country. This is a good time for movers, furniture stores, and other moving-related businesses to make sure their websites and listings are optimized for Google local search. People new to the area will resort to their go-to search engine to find what they need, and you want to appear first.
The most efficient way to improve your local online presence is by optimizing your Google Business Profile.
Publish Google posts
Within your Google Business account, you can create posts that publish directly to your listing about special offers and promotions. These posts will appear whenever your listing appears on Google Search and Google Maps.
Update your Q&A section
You can, and should, populate your own Q&A section on your Google Business Profile. This helps you to get ahead of common customer questions and increase their confidence in choosing your business. Take this time to address of any questions that may be particularly relevant for fall, such as:
- Do you have student discounts?
- Does your back-to-school package include sauna use?
- Do you have the back-to-school supply list for my local elementary school?
- What are your hours on move-in weekend?
Update your fall hours
If you have a seasonal business, make sure to reflect any changes in your hours on your Google listing. When it comes to local marketing, the details are key.
Are your business’s local listings in need of updates for fall? Find out with LocaliQ’s free listings grader!
One final idea: Send out a September newsletter
Our friends at LocaliQ share some great September newsletter ideas, but here are just a few:
- Run an email-exclusive summer clearance promo to boost engagement.
- Include an inspirational quote for Positive Thinking Day.
- Let customers know if you’ve changed your hours for fall.
- Provide some of your most helpful blog posts for staying somewhat focused before the long Labor Day weekend.
Stand out this fall with these free and easy September marketing ideas
Hopefully these September marketing ideas and examples have given you some material to work with for your blog, social media profiles, websites, and other free marketing channels.
Ready for even more ideas?
For more monthly marketing ideas, browse our collection…
- January Marketing Ideas to Start the New Year with a Bang
- Fabulous (and Affordable) February Marketing Ideas
- Creative and Cost-Friendly March Marketing Ideas
- Free April Marketing Ideas to Freshen Up Your Content Calendar
- May Marketing Ideas for Any Business or Budget
- Free June Marketing Ideas for Sizzlin’ Hot Campaigns
- Free and Creative July Marketing Ideas (With Examples!)
- Easy & Engaging August Marketing Ideas (With Examples!)
- Free and Creative September Marketing Ideas
- Free and Effective October Marketing Ideas
- Simple Yet Superb November Marketing Ideas (with Examples)
- Super-Festive December Marketing Ideas
September marketing holidays and national days (full list)
As promised, here’s the full list of September social media holidays, courtesy of National Day Calendar:
September 1
- No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day
September 2
- National Tailgating Day
- Labor Day – First Monday in September
September 3
- Skyscraper Day
- National Housekeeper’s Week
September 4
- National Wildlife Day
- Eat An Extra Dessert Day
- Global Talent Acquisition Day
September 5
- Cheese Pizza Day
- Be Late For Something Day
September 6
- Read A Book Day
- Lazy Mom’s Day – First Friday in September
- Food Bank Day– First Friday in September
- College Colors Day – Friday before Labor Day
September 7
- Beer Lover’s Day
- Grateful Patient Day
- Tailgating Day – First Saturday in September
- World Beard Day – First Saturday in September
September 8
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day
- Ampersand Day
- Pet Memorial Day – Second Sunday in September
- Hug Your Hound Day – Second Sunday in September
- Grandparent’s Day – Sunday after Labor Day
September 9
- Teddy Bear Day
- Boss/Employee Exchange Day – Monday after Labor Day
September 10
- Swap Ideas Day
September 11
- Patriot Day and Day of Service and Remembrance
September 12
- Just One Human Family Day
- Hug and High 5 Day
- Day of Encouragement
- Day of the Programmer – 256th Day of the Year
September 13
- Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day
- Celiac Disease Awareness Day
- Bald is Beautiful Day
- Hug Your Boss Day – Changes Annually
September 14
- Parents Day Off
- Live Creative Day
- Sober Day
September 15
- Tackle Kids Cancer Day
- Online Learning Day
- Wife Appreciation Day – Third Sunday in September
September 16
- Working Parents Day
- Mayflower Day
September 17
- Professional House Cleaners Day
- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
- IT Professionals Day – Third Tuesday in September
September 18
- Air Force Birthday
- HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day
September 19
- Talk Like A Pirate Day
- National Voter Registration Day
September 20
- Care for Kids Day
September 21
- Miniature Golf Day
- International Day of Peace
- World Gratitude Day
- Dance Day – Third Saturday in September
- Gymnastics Day – Third Saturday in September
- Boys’ and Girls’ Club Day for Kids – Third Saturday in September
- Puppy Mill Awareness Day – Third Saturday in September
- Responsible Dog Ownership Day – Third Saturday in September
- CleanUp Day – Third Saturday In September
September 22
- American Business Women’s Day
- Car Free Day
- Autumnal Equinox – Changes Annually
September 23
- Celebrate Bisexuality Day
September 24
- Punctuation Day
September 25
- Tune-Up Day
- Research Administrator Day
- Women’s Health & Fitness Day – Last Wednesday in September
September 26
- Compliance Officer Day
- Situational Awareness Day
September 27
- Day of Forgiveness
- Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
- Brave Day – Fourth Friday in September
September 28
- Drink Beer Day
- Family Health and Fitness Day USA – Last Saturday in September
September 29
- Coffee Day
- VFW Day
September 30
- Love People Day