As valentines day approaches, more and more businesses are jumping on the bandwagon with campaigns to entice potential customers to spend with them. Whether you love it or hate it, holidays such as this one offer a great opportunity for marketers to get creative and using popular topics to create messages that resonate with the masses. No matter what business you are in, here’s how you can make valentines day work for you.
‘Like two peas in a pod’
You may not offer a ‘romantic’ product such as chocolate or flowers but that’s no reason as to why you can’t benefit from the 650 million pounds or more that shoppers spend in Great Britain every year for this event.
If your company is able to offer a ‘2 for 1’ deal then go for it! Don’t be scared to play around with your wording either! Remember, it is valentines day so make it clear that’s why you’re offering the deal and don’t forget to share it on social media. If you have the budget for it, you could even make it a competition.
When sharing across social media, make sure you research the most popular hashtags, or better yet you could create your own that is specific to your company and offer. Keep in mind that hashtags don’t have to include your brand name, but they should be unique, memorable and clearly associated with your brand.
‘Love at first sight’
If you do offer a product or service that is perfect for valentines day then you need to decide which product to focus on. Give your customers a little help finding their partner the perfect gift.
Create a gift guide, offer a discount coupon and be sure to link to your products so they can immediately buy the gift they like, most importantly, from you.
For a more traditional marketing route, take a look at the ‘Heartfelt can happen anywhere’ campaign from MoonPig. We loved it.
‘Sharing is caring’
Share the love on social media with some graphics to support the holiday. This is a great way to bring attention to your profile and stand out from some of your competitors without spending much budget.
Consider changing your cover photos to something fun and playful, being mindful of your other marketing collateral.
Remember, shouting about valentines day is great but your brand still needs to be instantly recognisable.
‘You scratch my back I scratch
yours’
Even if your product is a hard sell on valentines day, you can still share some of your expertise.
Why not put some useful content out there and relate it to the holiday (just like we are doing now). This could be in the form of an email marketing campaign, a ‘how-to’ video or written content such
as a blog on your website. For example, a company that sells food might put out a video that teaches people how to cook a romantic meal; this still relates to valentines day but it also gives them an opportunity to relay it back to their products.
‘The course of true love never
ran smoothly’
If you’re social media campaigns need a boost then it may be time to consider some paid advertising. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube and Pinterest all offer opportunities for paid social.
Facebook is still the most popular networking site and it can offer some really low CPC’s. At the same time, videos are becoming more popular too with Youtube offering advertising for as little as 3p per view. Give us a call and we will advise which platform is best for you.
Consider whether you would like to gain awareness or get more leads, and which will gain you the highest ROI for your budget. Keep a close eye on campaigns, making sure you’re spending money on the right messaging to get the highest conversions.
‘Puppy love’
Valentine’s day is becoming more inclusive to everyone. Think about how that could benefit your business, whether you’re a childminder or you own a pet store, you can still get in on the fun!
Think about who your advertising to, and if that’s pet owners, then maybe focus on their love for their best friend. How about a matching necklace to go with their dog collar? (Yes that is a thing).
Always consider your audience and your messaging carefully before crafting your campaign and make sure that whatever you do, it’s still in line with your branding.
‘Pop the question’
Ask people to get involved! Creating a unique hashtag for your marketing campaign is a brilliant way to promote your service/products on social media.
The best way for these type of campaigns to work is by asking a question, or getting people to send their story or picture and include your hashtag. ‘What is your first date story?’ for example. If you have the budget you could even ask people to send their photos and offer a prize to the ‘cutest couple’. All of which will help encourage people to share your business and brand.
Remember, just because you have created a unique hashtag for your campaign, doesn’t mean you can’t still use the trending hashtags. In fact, this is a great way to help your message reach more people.
‘Hand in hand’
Not every business has a huge following that they can get to engage with their campaigns, particularly start-up businesses. Why not partner up with another business that compliments yours and both reap the benefits?
For example, if you own a nail salon then you could partner up with a local makeup artist or a hair salon to offer a full beauty treatment in time for valentines day. By offering both services at a slightly discounted rate you can both double your reach and potentially gain some new customers.
‘Single and ready to mingle’
Remember, it’s highly unlikely that all of your customers are in a relationship. So what can you do for the ‘singletons’?
In addition to addressing couples, send some love to your single followers as well. Focus on deals that apply to everyone – no matter what his or her relationship status is.
In order to make this strategy work, you need to show that your product doesn’t have to be shared with a partner. Especially if your advertisements usually revolve around happy families.
‘A date with destiny’
If it’s relevant and suitable to your business then why not organise an event?
Matchmaking events have become a popular practice in February. Even some Asda supermarkets have been known to get in on this before with their ‘singles nights’. Pick up a bottle of milk or a future partner and possibly some flowers… most likely from Asda. Win-win for everyone!
‘Love conquers all’
Whatever you do for your business this valentines day, make it memorable. Here’s a few more ideas:
- Offer a calendar of discounts in the run-up to the day.
- Create a microsite or a landing page all about valentines day.
- Offer gift bundles (Lush has a really good example of how you can do this).
- Printed graphics around your store and shop windows.
- Send valentines day cards to customers.
- Create an app, game or quiz that relates to the holiday.
If you would like a great ‘partner’ to help with seasonal marketing campaigns just give us a ‘swipe’. We are looking for someone interested in brand strategy, event planning, email marketing, social media, PPC advertising.
Lots of love, Rare