March madness marketing for books

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There’s lots to look forward to in March, isn’t there?

It brings the first official day of spring, a good excuse to cook corned beef and cabbage, and the U.S. men’s college basketball tournament known as March Madness – reimagined this year because of COVID-19.

March madness isn’t limited to the NCAA tournament, though. March offers authors a collection of quirky, unexpected, and downright whimsical book promotion opportunities you can use to bring attention to your book.

How to capitalize on March madness marketing opportunities

The list below offers so many fun occasions you can link to your book for marketing purposes.

Not sure how to go about pairing your book with any of them? Here are a few examples to get you started.

March 1, World Compliment Day, could be a good fit for my friend Kate Hanley’s How to Be a Better Person: 400+ Simple Ways to Make a Difference in Yourself – and the World if Kate recommends giving compliments when they’re deserved. Perhaps your novel’s protagonist struggles to accept compliments, or you’ve written a children’s book that stresses the importance of positivity. Lead by example – spend time that day handing out compliments on social media.
National Salesperson Day on March 5 is tailor-made for anyone who’s written a book about sales, including my favorite sales expert, Bill Cates, and his most recent book, Radical Relevance: Sharpen Your Marketing Message, Cut Through the Noise, Win More Ideal Clients. (Full disclosure: I edited the book.) If selling is your topic, blog about your favorite salespeople or list the traits top salespeople possess.
Romance writers should have a lot of fun with Proposal Day on March 20. Write and distribute a tip sheet offering marriage proposal dos and don’ts, or blog about the most romantic proposals you’ve seen on Instagram. Business book authors can use this one, too, by offering business proposal-writing advice on LinkedIn.

Your March madness marketing opportunities

Here’s a partial list of the March madness marketing opportunities you can add to next month’s book promotion calendar. Get the full list on the Holiday Insights site.

March 1 National Pig Day
March 1 Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day
March 1 World Compliment Day
March 2 Old Stuff Day
March 5 Multiple Personality Day
March 5 National Salesperson Day
March 9 Panic Day
March 10 Middle Name Pride Day
March 11 Worship of Tools Day
March 12 Plant a Flower Day
March 13 International Fanny Pack Day
March 14 National Potato Chip Day
March 15 Dumbstruck Day
March 18 Awkward Moments Day
March 20 Extraterrestrial Abductions Day
March 20 National Quilting Day
March 20 Proposal Day
March 22 National Goof Off Day
March 26 Live Long and Prosper Day
March 28 Weed Appreciation Day
March 29 National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
March 31 Bunsen Burner Day
March 31 National Crayon Day
March 31 World Backup Day

Which of these holidays speak to you? How will you use next month to help generate conversation and call attention to your book in a lighthearted way?