It always amazes me when companies overlook simple things, like their own birthdays. Marking major milestones, like 10, 20, or 50+ years in business, is a great way to engage customers, reinforce credibility, and garner press. In 2022, I’m celebrating 20 (!) years in business as a freelance copywriter. So in the spirit of my anniversary, here are 20 business anniversary marketing ideas.

Don’t feel like reading? Watch my video with Stewie, my sidekick sloth. Otherwise, keep scrolling!

1. Modify your website logo and/or create a universal header that highlights the anniversary.

I’m not talking words, but rather some sort of a visual that appears on every page. (Yes, you’ll want to note it in words as well.) Adding a banner graphic that notes the anniversary and having it link to a retrospective blog post is a good strategy. (Bonus: add the banner to social sites, like FB, Twitter, and LinkedIn.)

2. Have all employees add a line in their email signatures.

Something like . . . Celebrating 25 years in business in 2025.

3. Don’t forget after-hours phone messages or on-hold messaging.

You have a captive audience, after all. So plug your big anniversary, and be creative. For example, if your company is celebrating 100 (or more) years in business, the on-hold message could say something like . . . “Proud to be celebrating 100 years in business, long before phones were a ubiquitous thing.”

4. Think signage.

If you’re in a business that has a van or a storefront, think of signs, posters, and visuals in the windows. And you can wrap your company vehicles.

5. Think employees and their uniforms.

If you have employees who interact with the public, think buttons that promote the anniversary. Amazon makes it super easy to create and order custom buttons. (When available, I use affiliate links and may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

6. Write a blog post or article about your anniversary.

Been in business for 20 years? Talk about how much your industry has changed in 20 years.

7. Write a blog post about your vision or predictions for the next x-number of years.

Interview key players in your company. Bonus: You can turn this into a video.

8. Beef up your company/about us page section.

Create a page around the milestone. Interactive timelines can be great for big milestones—think anything over 25 years.

9. Don’t forget social media profiles.

Update your bios and various about sections (Facebook, LinkedIn) to reflect the milestone.

10. Do some sort of weekly event on social media.

Maybe every Friday, you pull something out of the archives—an old pic, an old product—you get the idea.

11. Create a promotion around the number.

For example, if you’re an acupuncturist who’s been in business for five years, invite people to enter a raffle to win five free treatments.

12. Do a video retrospective.

It doesn’t need to be professionally shot. Simply gather some footage with your phone and have employees talk about the company. Intersperse with pics.

13. Invest in some anniversary swag.

“Celebrating 25 years in business in 2025” can be a great line for promotional pens and promotional water bottles. (Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

14. Throw an anniversary party.

Seems obvious, right? An anniversary party is a fantastic way to let your business be REAL. A party is also a great way to thank people for their involvement in your success. I’m talking about employees, customers, and vendors alike. Here in Massachusetts, a fun place to hold a corporate event is Kimball Farm (great ice cream!) in Westford, Mass. Michael Katz of Blue Penguin has been holding anniversary events there for many years.

15. Honor your clients.

Especially if anyone has been with you since the beginning. You can tier your presents/gifts. So if you have some VIPs who’ve been with you since you started, give them a special gift.

16. Honor your employees.

Same thing—has anyone been with you since the very beginning? Give them a little extra something-something. If you’ve been in business for 15 years and you have a few people who’ve been with you since the start, maybe you bonus them $1500. Maybe you give other employees $150. Be creative. You can do thoughtful things within budget. Keep in mind that the things people value most from their employers are money and time off. Maybe you award 15 different star employees with an extra paid day off. Or maybe you give everyone in the company an extra 15 hours off, which is essentially two days. Or maybe you shut down during Christmas week if that’s something you don’t already do.

17. Give to charities in employees’ names.

Here’s a fun idea that gives back and can also please employees. Every month, invite employees to nominate a charity that they’d like your company to donate to. Each month, pick a charity and give a monetary amount in their name. If you’ve been in business for 25 years—do $250.

18. Give managers “just because” gift cards to hand to employees.

If you’re celebrating 25 years, for example, give managers a stash of $25 gift cards that they can hand out to employees who are embodying everything your business stands for.

19. Seek out press, if appropriate.

For really big anniversaries—anything beyond 50 years—you can get press on that, so consider working with a publicist or PR consultant.

20. Enter your idea here.

Solicit ideas from your employees and managers. No doubt, you can come up with something that will be meaningful to your crew. Run with it!

Need assistance developing business anniversary marketing ideas? Get in touch.

The Copy Bitch is at your service. 😉