History of Labor Day
The need to protect the common interest of workers caused the appearance of the American labor movement. Then, the trade union and labor movements grew, and trade unionists proposed to choose a date to celebrate labor.
Thus, the history of Labor Day traces back to September 5, 1882, when the first Labor Day parade occurred in New York City. However, Oregon made it an official public holiday in 1887. When thirty states had started celebrating Labor Day, it became a national holiday in 1894. Choosing the right date for the holiday, labor unions decided to make it the first Monday in September as halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.
Today, it’s also an unofficial end of summer, so there are many unique ways for brands to interact with their target audience, increase brand awareness, and establish a connection with potential customers. Since Labor Day is subject to change, it’s a good idea for businesses and marketers to use a holiday marketing calendar like this one to plan your campaigns and greeting in advance.
Although this holiday is widespread in the USA and Canada, it’s an alternative holiday to International Workers’ Day, popular in many countries across the world, and held on the 1st of May.
Traditions of Labor Day
Americans always celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in September, so not only does it recognize American workers, but it also marks the end of summer. Although it’s time for children to go back to school and summer vacations are over, Labor Day gives an opportunity to enjoy the last summer days and spend time actively. Thus, there are some traditions, associated with Labor Day.
Family reunion: For most Americans, the family is the biggest treasure, so it’s no wonder that they seize the opportunity to get closer to their nearest and dearest and spend time together. Americans always organize BBQ parties and invite their family to have some special time with their relatives.
Outdoor activities: More often than not, people enjoy nice weather on the Labor Day weekend. To make the most out of this day off, people choose outdoor activities. From camping and canoeing to cycling and kayaking, there are many ways to recognize the holiday and spend time actively. Moreover, there’s no need to leave your city as people can attend fairs or walk in the parks.
Traveling: There’s no better way to celebrate Labor Day and enjoy the last warm days of summer than travel with your family. Many Americans follow the tradition of traveling on Labor Day. In fact, the amount of tourists increases during the Labor Day weekend, and more than 17,5 million passengers are projected to fly US airlines.
Marketing Activities for Labor Day
People around the globe love holidays and days off. Thus, the period of holidays is the perfect time for marketers to get in touch with the target audience and delight customers. Since over 91% of businesses</a href> use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for brand promotion, it’s a good idea to run marketing campaigns on Labor Day.
Use holiday-related hashtags: The idea of using hashtags of social media platforms isn’t new. It’s the easiest way to increase reach and it also helps to stay in trend. When it comes to Labor Day, you can upload posts with festive hashtags like #HappyLaborDay, #ThreeDayWeekend, and #LaborDay2020.
Change slogans in the bio section: If you haven’t planned to include Labor Day in your holiday marketing calendar but you want to recognize this holiday, consider changing your bio section. It doesn’t take much time or effort to change your bio, so it’s a great way to show your followers and visitors that you keep up with trending topics. Moreover, you can make up holiday-related slogans that represent your brand and the holiday.
Upload a festive logo: Adding an American flag to your logo is a simple yet effective way to show your social media followers that you remember about Labor Day and celebrate it within your community. Plus, it’s easy to change it back to your classic brand logo once the holiday is over, so it’s a great idea for a social media marketing campaign.
Recognize the holiday: From your CEO’s greetings to popular holiday-related quotes, there are many proven ways to recognize Labor Day on social media. Since most people discuss this holiday on their profiles, it’s getting trendy very quickly which means your festive posts can reach your target audience with ease. After all, keeping up with trends is a must for both big and small businesses.
Share holiday-related deals: No matter what your business niche is, it’s more likely your customers are looking for deals and offers. If you work in the retail industry, you can launch a sale or discount campaign, dedicated to Labor Day. Working in the cafe and restaurant industry, you can offer specials to amp up your menu for Labor Day. And if you organize events, this holiday has a great variety of ways to delight your customers with deals and time-limited offers.
Run a photo contest: Who else loves gifts? Free stuff is irresistible, so people love social media contests and giveaways. Since most people spend Labor Day actively (picnics, barbecues, sports games), you can encourage them to send photos of their Labor Day. After organizing this type of contest, you can receive a solid number of photos from your customers that you can post on social media platforms as social proof in exchange for branded freebies or other prizes.
Livestream a festive event: Most marketers know that a picture is worth a thousand words, but live streaming is even better. Labor Day is associated with a great number of events like parades, picnics, and festivals. For your business, this is an opportunity to show that you’re celebrating the holiday and become closer to your target audience. Just go live and show your day. Not only does it help to be authentic, but going live is also a great way to capture funny moments that drive engagement and increase the number of shares.
Social media marketing is all about creativity. While planning your marketing activity for Labor Day, it’s important to choose the idea that meets your business goals, views, and beliefs. To inspire your next holiday marketing campaign, you can browse our collection of Labor Day templates.
