Do you love ‘love’? Your customers do. In 2023, consumers spent nearly $26 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day.
Implement these Valentine’s Day marketing ideas to capitalize on this big gifting holiday.
1. Run A Valentine’s Day Sale
One Valentine’s Day marketing idea is to promote a sale. Offer customers a discount or run a 2-for-1 promotion to encourage gifting your partner to celebrate love.
DKNG designs ran this promotion leading up to Valentine’s Day. They promote their sale before the event so that products will ship in time for customers to receive them before Valentine’s Day.
2. Promote Self Love
Independence is hot, so switch your Valentine’s Day marketing campaign to promote self-love. This once trendy concept is now a staple of Valentine’s Day.
Lovers + Friends used this advertisement to promote to singles who don’t have a date this Valentine’s Day. This ad supports self-love because it suggests you can dress fancy just to feel good.
3. Celebrate Galentine’s Day
Calling all Parks and Recreation fans! Time to celebrate Leslie Knope’s favorite holiday: Galentine’s Day. Promote products on Galentine’s Day to cater to all your gal pals.
Ahmad Tea held a contest on their social media pages to celebrate female friendship on Galentine’s day.
4. Create A Gift Guide
Let’s make Valentine’s day shopping easier this year by creating a gift guide. Use research on which people are buying which products to promote gifts a significant other would want.
BuzzFeed created a gift guide all about creative Valentine’s Day gift ideas.
5. Offer Limited Product Lines
Launch a new product to increase sales on Valentine’s Day. When a product is a limited edition, it is more valuable, which increases demand. The security of buying a product whenever you want slips away and encourages customers to purchase on impulse.
Hershey’s created their meltaway rose kisses for Valentine’s Day. They changed the product to be unique and changed the individual packaging to mimic a rose for the romance of Valentine’s Day.
6. Host A Valentine’s Day Event
Host a special event for couples on Valentine’s Day, offering an experience couples don’t get regularly. Some customers value experiences over materialistic gifts.
7. Utilize Direct Marketing Tactics
Use direct marketing to target your customers with SMS and email campaigns. Send promotional messages directly to your customers for more engagement with your deals.
Love Crafts sent this message as a part of an email marketing campaign on Valentine’s Day. They also offered free shipping conditional on the purchase value.
8. Celebrate Non-Romantic Love
Many people don’t have someone special to spend Valentine’s Day with or shop for. Celebrate this customer too!
9. Post User-Generated Content
Share customer posts for interaction on your social media accounts. User-generated content keeps your social media accounts interesting and promotes positive experiences with your business.
Silver Lining Creamery, an ice cream shop in Fargo, ND, reposted this customer’s post and used it as a free positive endorsement.
10. Create A Spread The Love Referral Campaign
Promote your referral program on Valentine’s Day with the slogan “spread the love.” Implement a referral program with desirable rewards for both parties in recruiting new customers.
Ted Baker uses the chance to win a free jewelry set as a ploy to increase their email list.
11. Promote Anti-Valentine’s Day
According to a YouGov study, many Americans are truthfully over Valentine’s Day. Depending on your business, this could be a solid concept to capitalize on and target the heartbroken or people who just hate Valentine’s Day.
Vanity Scare Art created pieces opposite of what you would expect for Valentine’s Day and promoted a sale for “Anti-Valentine’s Day.”
12. Mail Or Email A Valentine To Customers
Show love to your loyal customers by sending them a valentine thanking them for their support. You could share a discount code or add a little gift to show genuine appreciation.
Your graphic designer could create a message that aligns with your brand identity, or you could whip up something simple but effective in Canva.
13. Ask Customers To Share Their Meet Cute
A meet-cute is a term that defines the cute first time that romantic partners meet. Ask customers to share their meet-cute for a chance to win some reward.
Bay Area Clipper Card asked users on Twitter if there have been any meet cute’s on their public transit. They used this idea to prompt users to interact with their social accounts and for a chance at one of their responses going viral.
14. Host A Special Valentine’s Dinner
If you’re a restaurant, host a Valentine’s dinner to create a special memory for couples. Special events differentiate your restaurant from competitors by offering something unique.
Gene and Georgetti, a steakhouse in Chicago, Illinois, took this Valentine’s Day marketing idea one step further with a show and dinner.
15. Host A Singles Event
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for established couples. This holiday is the perfect time to find love if you’re single. While other businesses in your niche may be hosting events for couples, set yourself apart by marketing to singles.
16. Interactive Social Media Countdown
Create a social media countdown to Valentine’s Day with daily posts that engage users. Encourage followers to share their own love stories, favorite romantic songs, or best Valentine’s Day memories for a chance to win a daily giveaway.
17. Virtual Valentine’s Day Workshops
Offer virtual workshops where participants can learn to make handmade gifts or cards for their loved ones. Partner with local artists or influencers to lead the workshops and provide kits with necessary materials for a unique DIY experience.
18. Valentine’s Day Themed Loyalty Program
Enhance your loyalty program by offering special Valentine’s Day rewards, such as bonus points for purchases made during the first half of February or exclusive deals for loyalty members.
19. Love Story Highlights
Feature customer love stories on your website or social media channels. Invite customers to submit their love stories for a chance to be featured, and offer a special discount or prize as a thank you for participating.
20. Partnership with Local Businesses
Collaborate with local businesses to create a Valentine’s Day package. For example, a bookstore could partner with a coffee shop to offer a “Books and Brews” bundle, including a romance novel and a gift card for coffee.
