March madness marketing for books

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you).

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?