These tips and ideas will make your Valentine's Day campaigns irresistible (so your customers can't help but convert).
Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular marketing opportunities of the year—and it’s just around the corner. The hallmark holiday is traditionally associated with flowers, heart-shaped candy, jewelry, and greeting cards. But it’s also a chance for consumers to treat themselves and the people they care about to fun and thoughtful gifts (and they’re not shy about spending).
As you get ready to finalize your Valentine’s Day marketing plans, remember: this holiday can be a sensitive time for some people and others may simply choose not to participate in it. More and more brands are letting their customers opt out of marketing emails or text messages ahead of holidays like Valentine's Day, which is a great way to be mindful of their preferences while making sure they don’t feel left out.
Keep reading for Valentine’s Day marketing ideas and tips to celebrate the upcoming holiday with your shoppers and drive more revenue for your brand on (and before) February 14.
Launch a Valentine’s Day-themed sign-up unit
Take advantage of the increased traffic to your website and lean into the Valentine’s Day theme by launching a custom email and SMS sign-up unit. Use it to promote a holiday-specific sale, if you’re running one, or consider testing an incentive that’s different from what you typically offer to drive even more sign-ups.
Even if you’re not offering a Valentine’s Day deal, refreshing your sign-up unit design to mark the occasion can help capture shoppers’ attention and convert them into SMS subscribers. (And, hopefully, they'll use your welcome offer to purchase at least one gift.)
Pair email and SMS together
Email and SMS are a dynamic marketing duo. Email is great for longer-form storytelling. SMS creates a sense of urgency for shoppers to convert. Email allows you to communicate multiple messages or link out to multiple pages on your website. SMS lets you start two-way conversations with your subscribers.
Both channels have their unique strengths—and they naturally complement each other—so be sure to use them together to connect with your audience this Valentine’s Day.
For example, keep your text messages short and sweet and use them to announce limited-time sales or remind subscribers about shipping deadlines. Then, use email to share content that's not time-sensitive or as an add-on to any urgent messages (i.e., to share more details about a sale or offer).
Encourage pre-orders and early shopping
It’s easy to run into almost any store on Valentine’s Day and pick up some chocolate or a nice bouquet. But it’s just as easy (and less stressful!) to buy gifts early, especially when you can pre-order them to arrive at the perfect time.
Encourage your customers to plan ahead and get their shopping done early by promoting products with a reminder to pre-order gifts for delivery on Valentine's Day. Include a discount code or other incentive they can apply to their purchase.
Play matchmaker to help shoppers find the perfect gift
Make it even easier for your customers to shop for the people in their lives by sharing curated gift guides with ideas for everyone (e.g., friends, parents, partners, colleagues) and their interests (e.g., Gifts for Self-Care). They might even discover something they want to buy for themselves.
Another option is to offer more personalized guidance and recommendations by creating an online quiz or two-way text messaging campaign. Prompt shoppers to respond to questions about who they’re shopping for and their price range, and then direct them to specific items based on what they’re looking for.
Pro tip: If you want to take your SMS matchmaking skills to the next level, you can use Attentive Concierge™ to ask shoppers if they need help finding the perfect gift and offer ideas and recommendations in real time.
Celebrate the occasion with a special offer or sale
Show love for your customers and help them celebrate Valentine’s Day by sending them a special offer, whether it’s a discount code (bonus points if it’s themed, like “BEMINE20” or “HAPPYVDAY), a giveaway, sale, free shipping, or a free gift with purchase. Your shoppers will appreciate the sentiment—and the added incentive to buy something.
If your brand doesn’t offer discounts, consider incentivizing shoppers with complimentary gift wrapping or the option to return gifts at no additional cost (anything that makes gift-giving a little bit easier for them).
Pro tip: Consider showing your most loyal shoppers a little extra love by giving them early access to any sales or bonus offers you may be launching for Valentine’s Day. You’ll be able to connect with the highly engaged segment of your audience while letting them know you appreciate (and want to reward) their loyalty.
Encourage people to treat themselves (and their friends), too
There's more than one way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Even consumers who opt not to celebrate the holiday in a traditional way still like to purchase gifts for themselves to mark the occasion. Encourage your shoppers to self-gift this year and treat themselves to something new, whether it's buying their own flowers or buying a new outfit.
And don't forget about Galentine’s Day. The day before Valentine’s Day, February 13, is all about celebrating the other equally important relationships in our lives: friendships. Lean into the playful origins of the holiday with a dedicated Galentine’s Day sale or fun buy-one, get-one offers (i.e., get one for a friend and one for yourself).
Pro tip: Think about how you can incorporate your VIP or loyalty program, if you have one, into these campaigns—like the chance to earn points or rewards when you refer a friend on Valentine’s Day.
Drop limited-edition items or collections
Not every Valentine’s Day marketing message you send needs to include a discount or promotion. There are many types of non-promotional content you can share to build hype around the holiday and drive revenue, like limited-edition product launches.
If you release special Valentine's Day-themed items, for example, let shoppers know when they’re available for purchase. Make sure they know they won’t be able to get them forever, and create a sense of urgency by giving them a heads up when these items are close to selling out.
Promote existing products that are on theme
If you don’t have specific Valentine’s Day items to offer, you can still position your existing products as the perfect gift or purchase. Think about the products you have in your catalog and how you can put a marketing spin on them for the holiday, whether it’s about their colors (i.e., Valentine-ready red) or bundling two items that make the "perfect pair" (e.g., a face moisturizer and serum, coffee beans and a mug).
Make sure last-minute shoppers get gifts on time
Just like other gift-centric holidays, Valentine’s Day is bound to have its fair share of last-minute shoppers. In addition to promoting pre-orders to target early purchasers, you should also create campaigns for last-minute shoppers who still want to get thoughtful gifts for the people they care about.
Regularly remind your customers about shipping deadlines, and consider offering free two-day shipping starting a few days before February 14. If your brand has a physical store, you can also use geo-targeting to promote your buy online, pick-up in-store (BOPIS) and curbside pick-up options.
Remember: gift cards are always a great option
For shoppers who’ve missed the shipping deadline or waited a little too long to do their shopping, a gift card is a great alternative to rushing out to buy something last-minute. It’s also perfect for people who aren’t exactly sure what to get someone—but know they would love something from your brand—because it takes the guesswork out of finding the right gift.
Make sure your customers know you have digital gift cards available, especially the day before and on Valentine's Day.
Need more inspiration for your Valentine’s Day marketing strategy? Explore some of our customers’ campaigns that won over the hearts of their SMS subscribers. And browse our SMS gallery, Texts We Love, to find ideas for Valentine’s Day and beyond.
