Valentine's Day takes place at a time when consumer purse strings are tighter than usual after increased spending over the festive period. In spite of this, there are a few marketing ideas that can make all the difference in helping businesses to better connect with their customers, in a bid to boost sales for the first quarter of the year.
Increase Your Sales With These Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas
Each industry presents its own unique opportunity for marketing during Valentine’s Day. Expect a sales boost when trying the following, based on the industry you are in:
1) Food and Beverage
Restaurants can offer all-inclusive Valentine’s menus at a fixed price. Offering a pre-booking service at a discount, or an exclusive menu only available via pre-bookings, can also help you get a headcount before the big day, with the added benefit of each customer that redeems the offer sharing their contact details. Throw in a limited-edition cocktail for the evening as an added special touch to drive larger covers.
2) Leisure and Hospitality
In this industry, experiences matter more than price. Marketing a quality proposition like a bespoke experience can prove very popular, especially as consumers spend more on their loved ones. Utilise in-house dining experiences, for example, rather than offering a tacky motel-like “Valentine’s room” for the night for customer acquisition and to raise brand awareness.
3) Fashion and Apparel
Make sure to set up a romantic storefront (online and physically) in the lead up to the day. Promote gift cards more prominently, as they tend to be very popular around this period and can enable loyal customers to bring in new ones. Offer anonymous gift delivery and free gift wrapping to entice last-minute shoppers, and don’t forget that PPC ads are important to help grab your target audience’s attention.
4) Speciality and Other Retail
It’s hard for businesses operating in an industry with less of a connection to the event to leverage the full potential of Valentine’s Day. It does, however, offer a great chance to pair up with a local business in the hospitality industry, possibly with a referral agreement or a promotion that benefits both parties financially.
5) Grocery
Grocery stores can bank on marketing their foods, ingredients and supplies for a romantic meal at home, but should avoid targeting couples only. Deals pairing up wines and meals, or ingredients to make a special dessert, boost Valentine’s sales among more consumers and are a winner regardless of the relationship status of the customers.
All Hands on Deck to Attract Potential Customers
In the lead up to Valentine's Day, businesses need all the help they can get to bring in as many new leads as possible. A combination of clever promotional marketing, as well as utilising existing services and customer data to drive new sales, can make B2C engagements all the more fulfilling during this special, but competitive time of year.