Presidential elections. Summer Olympics. Rare birthdays. They’re all signs it’s once again a leap year. Just as we do every 4 years, we’ll remember how odd it feels to add a 29th day to February. We call that Leap Day.

When you own a business, an extra day in the year means more than celebrating the odd occasion. It means an extra day to sell more, to pay staff, and to get stuff done.

But just because you have an extra day doesn’t mean you should operate with a “business as usual” mindset. It’s time to get creative.

How can you use Leap Day to your advantage?

Here are 29 of our most creative leap year marketing ideas and business management tips.

  1. Promote your business hours if you’re open! Add availability to your online listings so customers searching online know you’re ready to go.
  2. Or, take the day to catch up on things you’ve been putting off. Maybe Spring cleaning? Tidying up the books for tax time?
  3. Open up your online calendar to offer appointment booking, in case it didn’t automatically account for the extra day.
  4. Heard of Throwback Thursday? (Or, more popularly, #throwbackthursday?) Run similar flashback promotions or campaigns with “Leap Back Leap Day.” Bonus points for frog graphics.
  5. Offer ridiculous promotions for the unlucky (or lucky?) customers with birthdays on February 29. Fun fact: The chance of someone having this rare, once-every-four-years birthday is only 1 in 1,461.
  6. Create promotions using the number “29.” Offer 29% off, $29 off, a special one-time price of $129…you get the gist.
  7. Build a social media campaign for Leap Day, and post several times!
  8. Change the hero image on your website to reflect the special occasion. Try swapping your brand colors and updating your headlines. (Think, IHOP becomes IHOb.)
  9. Introduce a new product or service. Call it your new idea’s birthday!
  10. Offer special, discounted quotes that are only good for 29 days. This creates urgency for businesses in the services space.
  11. Invite your most loyal clients to an exclusive event on February 29! Share samples, or book services on the spot with a loyalty discount, of course.
  12. Run an email marketing campaign.
  13. Ask clients to share their funniest or favorite leap year stories on social media. If they tag your business, send them a freebie!
  14. Post the funniest frog gif you can find on social media. Say something like, “Leap into our store February 29th for a special leap year surprise!” Or, if you don’t have a storefront, invite clients to “Leap into our inbox to request a custom quote with special leap year pricing!”
  15. Have a contest for your team or staff. Whomever books the most appointments or sells the most wins an extra day off!
  16. Schedule a team outing. Since February 29 falls on a Saturday, it may be a great time to relax as a team and reward everyone’s hard work.
  17. Reach out to old customers or leads that are getting cold, and use Leap Day as an excuse to get back in touch.
  18. Refresh your signage. Spend the day getting quotes from vendors and mocking up new ideas to freshen up your brand!
  19. Calculate how the leap year will affect payroll. For many companies that pay biweekly, for example, the extra day results in an extra paycheck (27, instead of 26).
  20. Don’t forget to account for the leap year when you file your taxes! It could affect the amount you should withhold.
  21. Take the time to volunteer! Consider the Leap Day a gift of free time, and spend it to do some good in your community. Invite your staff for a morale boost.
  22. Get to know customers with a survey, or request reviews. Use emails to automate your review generation, or incorporate built-in review requests on receipts to easily share links without having to do it manually.
  23. Send an email with 29 FREE tips only you can give them! Then hint at how you can help.
  24. Run a “One Extra” promotion. There’s one extra day in the year. You’ve got one extra (something or other) to give. On the house.
  25. Sell gift cards with a 29% bonus offer! Buy a card for $100, get it for $129.
  26. Amp up your referral program with referral incentives for clients who bring you new leads.
  27. Showcase your latest specials and work in a window display.
  28. Don’t be afraid to be funny. Send a text message marketing (SMS) campaign asking clients what their plans are for Leap Day. If they’re free, make a joke about having to work and inviting them to spend it with you.
  29. Don’t forget to say thank you. Whatever you decide to do this Leap Day, thank your staff and clients for spending the special occasion with your business.

Here’s to the next 4 years!