There’s a specific time of the year where with every turn of your head, you’d be greeted with waves and waves of red or pink – it’s Valentine’s Day.
From a marketer’s perspective, the memorable 14th of February is the peak for sky-high sales. Next to Christmas, it’s the most significant gift-giving holiday. Partners are planning extravagant gifts and dinners; the ones without a Valentine would call for a boys’ or girls’ night out to celebrate their singledom, almost as if retaliating against the heavily marketed Valentine’s Day.
The special day can also be the perfect holiday to reach out to customers. What’s great is that even if your business isn’t directly related to the industries that traditionally benefit from the holiday (flowers, chocolates), you can join in on the fun!
Valentine’s Day redefined
For a long time now, Valentine’s Day celebrations are no longer limited to romantic relationships. The celebration of love extends to love for family, friends and even pets.
Depending on your customers’ romantic situations, some might adore or despise February 14. In the age of online dating, social distancing and breakups during the pandemic, marketing campaigns for the day of love has to be different from the past.
Get creative! For instance, Galentine’s Day is very real. On February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day, best friends, sisters, moms and daughters gather to celebrate the strong bond with the women in their lives. Breakups don’t have to be bitter either. Snag that idea and run a campaign around it, and you might get great responses from the ones newly single!
If you own a business in the pet industry, here’s some excellent news. According to the National Retail Federation, it is expected that pet owners spend $1.7 billion shopping for their pets.
We think it’s safe to say that traditional Valentine’s Day spending has changed over the years.
A day of self-love
For a holiday centred around the celebration of love, the most neglected person is ourselves. Often we’re so busy showing love to the people in our lives that we forget to show ourselves the same care. This year, no more beating ourselves up; let’s switch gears! Start with a self-love day on Valentine’s Day. After all, the most important relationship in our lives is with ourselves.
For relevant businesses, try to create a Valentine’s bundled package that includes the products designed for a lovely night of pampering. These could be items like candles, flowers, face masks, a luxurious spa experience, or a 3-course meal.
Engage with your followers and customers by asking them to post a photo of their self-love day to participate in a giveaway. Offer them the opportunity for an extravagant night to a fancy dinner and spa.
Gift cards aren’t low effort
“I don’t want anything this year.” You might’ve heard or even said this dreaded sentence yourself. When Valentine’s Day creeps closer, your business has to watch out for those struggling to pick out that perfect gift. The way to do that is by promoting gift cards.
Gift cards are implementable by every business, from coffee shops to outdoor adventure experiences. If the gift card alone doesn’t hit the festivity box, then spice it up with a box of chocolates, a bouquet, or even a handwritten note. We don’t see enough of that these days.
If you run a charity or an organization advocating for a cause, you can also participate in crazy marketing tactics for Valentine’s Day! Consider adding Valentine’s donation packages for those who know their partner is highly passionate about a cause.
Run a Valentine’s Day sale
Valentine’s Day sales; you wouldn’t want to miss this. And while you’re heavily marketing your products for Valentine’s Day, every other business is too.
From a customer’s perspective, the closer it is to Valentine’s Day, the more overwhelming the gift shopping experience. So, give them an irresistible deal packed with goodies and benefits!
Send your customers a personalized greeting card if possible, and include a special promotion for them. It’s also a great way to reach out to your customers in a non-intrusive way yet be something that benefits them!
Marketing eye candy
A captivating graphic is content eye candy. Turn your landing pages, newsletters, social media feeds into mesmerizing Valentine’s Day visuals, and don’t forget to incorporate the classic symbols of hearts, flowers, and candies. Pair that visual storytelling with some punchy copy, and you have yourself some powerful, magnetic marketing.
Organic reach and great engagement are more important given the non-chronological algorithms on specific social platforms. Valentine’s Day is a day that evokes many emotions, so use that and turn it into a story. Weave that story and set an appropriate mood around your products, and use it to grab the attention of potential and current customers.
Last minute shoppers
Don’t forget about the last-minute shoppers! You’ll want to accommodate the shoppers in this category and allow them a platform to shop for a gift that’ll be delivered to someone just in time yet still be a thoughtful gift. This is something that even logistic companies and postal companies can take advantage of! Come up with a Valentine’s Day promotion where immediate deliveries can be made possible for even the most last-minute customers.
In your campaigns, use a countdown timer to emphasize and stress the hours left to buy the perfect gift!
Celebrate the love and joy
Times have changed, and so has the way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. That means that even businesses can use the special day to show love to loyal customers.
Happy Valentine’s Day, reader!
We’ve put together a compilation of Valentine’s Day footage and audio clips. Check it out here:
Check out this nifty tutorial on how to design your own Valentine’s Day vector illustration! Planning for future marketing campaigns? Check our these February keywords!