7 Valentine’s Day Marketing Tips to Boost Customer Engagement

Valentine's Day is a unique opportunity for brands to improve customer relationships. And with February 14 just around the corner, it's worth noting that people have different perceptions and attitudes towards this annual celebration.

For instance, most couples view Valentine's Day as the time to celebrate their love. Those who are not-so-lucky in this department might choose to celebrate their singlehood— which isn't bad at all! And finally, there's the opportunistic shopper who is just waiting for stores to unload the discounts.

The question now is, how can marketers appeal to those diverse audiences?

Fortunately, we have some helpful Valentine's day marketing tips you can leverage to get their attention.

7 Valentine’s Day Marketing Tips That Get You Customers

Prepare early

When it comes to running a Valentine's Day campaign, remember that you're not only catering to last-minute shoppers. You also have a group that prefers purchasing gifts early to avoid the holiday rush. So why miss out on them by arriving late to the scene?

Slowly build up the campaign's hype as early as mid-January. With this, marketers should start planning a month or two ahead of the campaign's launch. Early planning gives teams more time to strategise, test, and reevaluate campaigns for better results.

Run an irresistible sales campaign

What is a holiday without its sales or promotions? Offering discounts on a holiday is one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book that's still effective.

And for Valentine's Day, you can plan and run a long-term sales campaign that's too good to pass up. Offering irresistible benefits such as free shipping or bulk discounts can already boost conversions rates up to 20%.

It's also best to promote these offers across multiple outlets, including social media posts, website popups, emails, and newsletters. Once you get the word out, the buyers are bound to trickle in!

Share a gift guide

Recent ecommerce statistics show that 81.8% of online shoppers abandon their carts. Unexpected shipping costs, complicated checkout processes, and additional fees are common reasons for cart abandonment. Avoid experiencing this by publishing a gift guide.

A gift guide helps capture the interest of your overwhelmed customers. It's a powerful marketing tool that allows you to categorise and present products smoothly. It also simplifies the browsing and purchasing experience of your customer.

For example, you can streamline your store by sorting sections in this way:

Category - Gifts for him/her, Couple gifts, Gift passes, etc.
Price - Gifts under $20, Gifts under $50, Gifts under $100, etc.
Interest - Gift for foodies, Gifts for pet lovers, Gift for exes, etc.

It's also good to incorporate Valentine's Day elements on your website. Even the slightest modifications, such as adding a heart sticker near your business logo to celebrate the holiday hype.

READ: 5 Valentine’s Day Website Inspos for Marketers and Web Designers

Apart from the aesthetic changes, make sure your website can still maintain its performance. If you're expecting a spike in online visitors during that week, upgrade your web hosting package to handle the sudden influx of traffic.

Market on social media

Augmenting your marketing strategies with the power of social media can be a game-changer this Valentine's week. Here are some ways you can up your social media game:

Creating smart product copies
Posting V-DAY themed product photos
Sharing date-night ideas for couples
Setting V-Day contests and polls

Remarket User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a win for both you and your customers. It allows customers to showcase their love for your product (photos, videos, reviews) which you can share through your social media and website.

Leverage the power of UGC this Valentine's by hosting contests where couples can share their sweetest photo for a shot at winning a theme-based gift. This can be as simple as a couple's spa, a candlelight dinner, or a luxury staycation.

Dare to be different

We are living in some exciting times where diversity is no longer ostracised but embraced. Don't hesitate to incorporate that same diversity to your marketing strategy.

Use your brand's standing to send a message that Valentine's Day is a day about love— and love can be in different forms.

Whether you are extending acceptance to the LGBTQIA+ community or celebrating the joys of being single (promoting self-love), include that to your Valentine's Day campaign.

Give love back

Finally, you can choose to give love back.

Calamities such as the pandemic remind us that we are all fighting together. While some of us can afford a relatively comfortable life, others are struggling beyond their means. You can celebrate the season of love by donating a part of your earnings to charities.

If your customers are looking to help you donate, you can show your appreciation by posting their names on your social media account. Just make sure to ask for their consent.

As you genuinely help the community, you also earn respect and goodwill from potential customers.