Go red! No wait, go blue! Whichever way you go, election day is coming up, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to promote your business. Elections draw a large amount of attention and discussion, which your business can join in with the right marketing tactics.

With election day right around the corner, there are a few ways your business can get on board the political bandwagon and market through the red, white and blue. To get you started, we came up with a few tips for using election day to promote your business.

1. Encourage people to go vote.
One simple way to (1) show the business is engaged with the community, and (2) not alienate customers with various political beliefs is to encourage people to go vote. Use the business’s social media platforms or online marketing efforts to connect with consumers and encourage them to get out and vote this election season. Keep the conversation light, apolitical and focused on the right to vote, rather than a particular party. This is the perfect way to show customers you’re connected with social issues, but keep things mildly bipartisan. 

2. Don’t be afraid of funny.
Let’s be honest: the political scene is pretty easy to make fun of. So if you want to incorporate election day into your marketing, don’t be afraid to error on the side of humor. One great marketing plan some businesses have used is the “parallel election,” or when a company advertises a fake campaign around alternate decisions, such as which flavor of chip will win the election. Go a little funny with your election day marketing ideas, but be cautious that the material you use can’t be misconstrued or considered offensive.

3. Play on the partisanship.
Now, we don’t mean pick one political side over the other and promote the heck out of it. What we do mean is feel free to play on some of the partisanship arguments that go on during election season. For instance, ReUnited States released a gallery of memes which made light of the high intensity on social media during the election. One meme states: “Sorry I unfollowed you. We good now?” while the other writes, “I re-elect to be friends again.” While identifying the business with one political party can be risky, lightly playing on the partisanship within society can be a joke which connects with your audience.

4. Give away free stuff.
Of course, what’s one of the best things about election season? All of the free stuff! Campaigns always provide a plethora of printed and promoted materials, so why shouldn’t your business? Get into the season of election by printing out materials with your logo on it to give away at various events or to customers. For instance, you could offer a free giveaway for anyone who comes into your location with an “I Voted” sticker. Or, host a photo contest on social media. Choose how you want to give away free stuff to promote your business this election.

5. Consider making a stand.
Finally, consider—if only for a brief moment—making a political stance. Making a political statement can either severely hurt or drastically help a business, so be sure to weigh all of your options carefully before deciding. Does the reward of gaining customers who identify with your beliefs outweigh the risk of losing customers who disagree? For some businesses, maybe. For others, probably not. This election season, consider which issues your small business strongly identifies with and weigh the possibility of getting involved in the partisan conversation.

Election day is officially here, so why not use it in your marketing strategy? Use these tips to promote the business this election and see if you swing to the red or to the blue.