Want to know how to pack a real punch at your next sale or special occasion? Hitch your promotional wagon to a national holiday or awareness week and your event will practically plan itself. Nearly every business can relate to a few holidays or other celebrations during the year, so taking advantage of this built-in marketing message is as easy as grabbing your calendar and marking off the days.

Make it an Event to Remember

Everyone has a special on roses for Valentine's Day and electronics for Black Friday, and standing out in that crowded marketplace is tough. What you need is to turn your next promotion into a one-of-a-kind happening. Pick a holiday or awareness week that ties in with your business and create a unique event that involves your employees, your customers, and the community, and you'll be drawing a crowd in record time.

April is Soyfoods Month, so there's no better time for a health food store to get the word out about the benefits of this plant protein. Host a recipe contest to encourage your customers to come up with tasty new ideas for eating less meat, and offer shopping sprees and kitchen gadgets as prizes, with specially designed lapel pins for all participants. Your customers will proudly show off their pins, letting everyone know about their commitment to better health – and your business.

For other health-conscious organizations like pharmacies and walk-in clinics, creating an event around an awareness week not only boosts business, but can provide a much needed community service as well. For example, Herbal and Prescription Interaction Awareness Month is the ideal time to talk with patients about the potentially harmful effects of mixing certain herbal supplements with prescriptions. Have your customers bring in their prescriptions, along with any herbal medications, so you can check for dangerous interactions. If they're not safe to mix, you can offer alternatives, and send them home with a clever lapel pin bearing your logo to remind them to ask before taking a supplement of any kind.

Or how about doing some good work for your four-legged friends?

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, so it's the perfect time for a civic-minded veterinarian or pet store to team up with the local animal shelter and save some homeless pups. Each dog can arrive at his forever home wearing a medallion declaring his heritage and which, when presented at his first vet appointment, earns his new family a special discount or perhaps a free grooming session. Add a matching lapel pin for the proud owner, and it won't take long for word to spread of the fantastic friendships your shelter is helping to build.

Keep the Momentum Going with Related Events

You don't have to spend a lot of money to host a hugely successful event like the soyfoods recipe contest. An ad placed in the local weekly to spark your customers' interest followed by an in-store reminder and the promise of prizes for all participants is all it takes to bring the chefs out. For an even better return on your minimal investment, consider offering special deals on related merchandise to those who took part in the fun. All they have to do is show up wearing their lapel pin.

Next time you're looking for an innovative, entertaining way to boost your sales, check your calendar. You're sure to find a few national celebrations that, with a little creativity, will speak to your local customers and help contribute to your bottom line.