When I tell people how long I’ve been at Buffer — eight years today — people generally have a lot of questions. But one of the most common is, “Why have you stayed so long?”
Eight years is an unusually long time to be at one
In 2024, we’re getting a bonus day in February.
Leap Day rolls around on February 29 only once every four years, and baking it into your social media marketing plan offers a fun way to connect with your audience and customers.
In this article, I’ll walk you through nine out-of-the-box ways to celebrate Leap Day — whether you’re a creator or a brand.
But first, it’s helpful to have a little context on Leap Years before kicking off any special marketing campaigns. Why does February 29th pop up in our calendars every four years?
Here’s the Cliff Notes version: It takes a smidge more than 365 days for the Earth to orbit around the sun — 365.2422, to be precise. This means our neat-and-tidy 12-month calendar would eventually drift out of sync with our seasons without intervention. That quarter of a day has to go somewhere.
The solution? To ‘save up’ those quarter days so that every four years, we get one full extra day to keep our calendar in check. (We have Pope Gregory XIII in 16th-century Rome to thank for the Gregorian calendar system.)
It works so well that most folks have no idea until a Leap Day rolls around in February — and you knock their socks off with one of these tongue-in-cheek marketing campaigns.
1. Wish all the ‘leaplings’ happy birthday
Imagine only having a birthday every four years. Leaplings — those born on 29 February during a Leap Year — could probably use a little extra love when their day finally rolls around.
Happy birthday 'leaplings'! 🎉 🎂 🎈
We asked people around the world what it's like being born on February 29 pic.twitter.com/qoQ4R5Irhc
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 29, 2020
One of the most obvious ways to celebrate could be to run a special deal for any customers who may be leaplings, like Caylin Jimenez (@caylinjimenez):
@caylinjimenez You’re unique and so special! #leapling #leapday #pisces #pisces♓️ #birthday #february ♬ original sound – Caylin Jimenez
Another great option if you’re a social media marketer for a business: Check in with your coworkers to see if anyone was born on a Leap Day. “This is Fred; he’s our youngest teammate at six years old,” has the makings of a hit behind-the-scenes post.
2. A one-day-only sale or experience
A day that we only get to experience once every four years is a brilliant opportunity for a flash sale — especially because, unlike the din of Black Friday or Small Business Saturday — you likely won’t be competing with every other brand in your industry for attention.
Here’s a fun example of Leap Day marketing from Weddings with Joy dress shop. They’re going all out this year with a special Leap Day experience for brides who book fittings on February 29th.
They’ll be able to win “various prizes with the number 29 attached to it,” too. Which brings us to tactic #3…
3. Go all-in on 366, 29, or four
Indulge in some number play with a sale that nods to one of the special numbers we associate with a Leap Day — 366 (for the 366 days in 2024), 29 (the date in February), or four (the fact that it only rolls around every four years).
That might mean a cost reduction to whatever price point makes sense for you in the range of numbers above. You could also get creative with, say, a switching up of subscription terms — think a bundle deal that lasts a four-year term rather than annually.
Independent bookstore Downtown Books (@downtownbooksmto) is going this route with 29 percent off any book, but only on the big day.
4. Propose a partnership
If you’ve seen Leap Year, the movie with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, you’ll know it’s a weird old tradition for women to flip gender roles on their heads and propose to their partners on Leap Day.
The somewhat outdated tradition is known as Bachelor’s Day. It originates from an Irish folk tale in which a nun, St. Brigid, petitioned the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick, to allow women to propose to men, too (the latter were taking too long to do so, apparently).
St. Patrick consented to allow women to pop the question — but only on one day, every four years.
The tradition has evolved somewhat, with many believing that no matter who proposes, a Leap-Year engagement is good luck. Plus, it’s a great date.
“The novelty and sentimentality of the date make it an obvious contender for those looking to pop the question on a Leap Year,” Kylie Carlson, the owner of The Wedding Academy, told Bride.com. “Plus, your engagement date will be relatively creative compared to others.”
If it makes sense for your audience or brand, I’d suggest sharing a post asking any followers who plan to propose on February 29th to get in touch. You could offer your brand’s support — anything from a free meal to videography would be happily received — in exchange for content.
@lk_bridal_designs 𝓘𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓬é 𝓮𝓻𝓪💍 The forecast for 2024 is lots of love with a chance of proposal🫶🏼 #leapyear #2024engagement #inmyfiancèera ♬ original sound – LKBD 💍
Let’s be honest: Who can resist a romantic proposal video? (Here’s hoping they say yes.)
5. ‘Bonus’ day
Seeing an extra day on the calendar does feel like something of a bonus. If your brand is in the realm of productivity or wellness, a light-lift win could be to create a bonus day checklist for your audience.
Remember that February 29 falls on a Thursday this year, so be sure to curate your list to accommodate followers at work or school.
6. Share some fun facts
Did you know that in northern Italy, a Leap Year is commonly known as l’ann d’ la baleina or the whale’s year? Italians in the province of Reggio Emilia believe that whales give birth only during Leap Years.
And did you know that Anthony, Texas, in the U.S., is the self-proclaimed Leap Year Capital of the world? Every four years, they host a three-day Leap Year Festival to celebrate leaplings.
Leap Years are strange, fascinating things, so a few clever fun facts certainly won’t go a miss. If you’re a creator or business in education, like Nikita Bhalara (@vnmomschool), posts like her Instagram Reel below offer an especially great way to engage your audience.
I love how she’s been able to answer all the great questions in the comments, too!
7. A Leap Day cocktail
If you’re a restaurant, bar, food blogger, or similar, bartender Harry Craddock, who worked at London's Savoy Hotel, stirred up a creative way to tap into Leap Day celebrations.
In 1928, Craddock created a special Leap Day cocktail to serve in the swanky bar, which was featured in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930 with the annotation, “It is said to be responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail that has ever been mixed.”
8. Leap into some fun puns
Leap is a fantastic word for some tongue-in-cheek puns in your posts and captions. Even if you’re not going all-in on one of the more extensive campaigns or social media posts above, subtly weaving in some jumping puns is a fun, low-key way to mark the occasion (and hopefully prompt some comments from eagle-eyed fans).
Plays on the words “for” and “four” are also on the table, but you’ll need to be as explicit about the Leap Year fun four it to really land.
Here’s a clever example from Etsy seller LoveFamilyAdventure Designs.
9. The year of the frog
Yes, 2024 is technically the Year of the Dragon — which is much cooler, I’ll grant you — but frogs often find themselves front and center in Leap Day campaigns (primarily due to the aforementioned “leaping” puns).
Like the more subtle Leap Day wordplay, frogs can offer a more low-key way to nod to the occasion in your marketing with a well-placed easter egg — or augment your marketing materials with a cute amphibian if you’re going all out.
I love this clever way illustrator Meghan Marie (@megpieprint) tapped into the theme in one of her more recent designs:
Taking the leap
Fun moments like Leap Day and other celebrations — official holidays or not — are a brilliant way to add personality to your brand and connect with your target audience outside the realm of your product or offering.
They’re also a great opportunity to engage with your community, be creative, and stay consistent on social media. Don’t forget to scroll through our 2024 holiday calendar for ideas to add to your content plan — it includes everything from the Summer Olympics to
World Chocolate Day (and there are some fun ideas to get your creative juices flowing there, too.)
If you’re strapped for social content ideas for your channels, don’t miss this great guide on building your own content creation system. Need some extra help? We’ve compiled this list of the best social media management tools available in 2024 to lighten the load.
How are you marking this Leap Day? We’d love to hear about your plans! Drop us a comment below or tag @buffer on socials.
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