Valentine’s Day is yet another holiday with huge potential you can harness to market and grow your small business. It comes in third for holidays that generate the most revenue, beat out only by Christmas and Mother’s Day. Besides driving sales, Valentine’s Day campaigns can increase online engagement with existing and potential customers and create sales leads. Here are some tips to help as you plan your Valentine’s Day marketing strategy.
- Think outside the box of chocolates when choosing your target audience. Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples anymore. The holiday has evolved. Today people buy Valentine’s gifts for their children, extended family, friends, and even their pets. For example, there’s a new holiday called Galentine’s Day on February 13th, when women celebrate their friendships with each other. Just because your products or services aren’t romantic doesn’t mean you can’t find an angle to market them for Valentine’s Day.
- Use Valentine’s Day to boost mobile user engagement. Most people who use cell phones use them to research gifts and make purchases. Create content centered around Valentine’s Day for your social media channels. Focus on posts that generate comments and shares, boosting your posts in the algorithm. You’ll increase your reach to returning and new potential customers.
- Provide solutions for last-minute purchases. Many Valentine’s Day gifts are bought just a few days before the holiday, especially gifts purchased by men. Offer quick and convenient products for last-minute shoppers, like downloadable gift cards or tickets for experiences.
- Offer His and Her or 2-for-1 promotions. Valentine’s day isn’t all about couples, but they are a big part of it. Offer buy-one-get-one deals that appeal to someone shopping for their significant other. Restaurants and entertainment venues could offer discounted packages for two. Salons could provide a package for his and her manicures.
- Share Valentine’s Day content that isn’t promotional. Create social media posts, websites, and email articles that are informative and lighthearted. Focus on seasonal content like date night ideas or a graphic that shows the different meanings of flowers.
- Collaborate with other businesses. Valentine’s Day is also a great opportunity to collaborate with other businesses to create joint promotions. For example, a local theater might partner with a restaurant to offer a dinner and movie package.
- Use Valentine’s Day hashtags. Use relevant Valentine’s hashtags in your social media posts. They help your posts get found when people search social media sites, and they tell the algorithm what your posts are about.
- Don’t be afraid to use “Love” as a theme. Love is in the air during Valentine’s day, so why not talk about it? Share a list of your top five most popular products. You could also ask for user-generated content by having customers share the products they love. Take the opportunity to tell your customers how much you love and appreciate them. Use your email newsletter to send a valentine to your customers.
- Create Gift Guides – Gift guides are a simple way to create holiday-themed content. You can tailor multiple Valentine’s Day gift guides to each of your target audiences. You can share the gift guides across your social media channels, website, and email. Creating a lot of content from one idea streamlines your marketing efforts.
- Use Valentine’s Day-themed graphics. Add Valentine’s Day graphics and colors to your website, social media posts, and emails. The seasonal look will catch people’s attention and remind them that the holiday is coming.
- Don’t overlook the value of email. Use your email list to market your Valentine’s Day promotions. Email converts more than any form of digital marketing. You can also use the holiday to add to your email list and generate sales leads for the future. Offer incentives like a discount code or free shipping in exchange for email list sign-ups.
- Create short-form videos for your Instagram Reels and stories. Regular posting to Instagram Stories and Reels boosts all your content, including in your feed. You can repurpose website articles and static posts into reels. Be sure to share your promotions in your stories. If your company is having a Valentine’s Day party share a behind-the-scenes look.
Do you have questions about using digital marketing for your small business? Visit Keep It Real Social for more resources to help create a successful marketing strategy.
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