Love is in the air… Valentine’s Day is nearly here! Do you have a business that could use a Valentine marketing campaign to attract customers?
If you need some heart-filled inspiration, take a look at some of our top tips for creating a great campaign. Plus, we’ve picked out some of our favourite Valentine’s marketing.
For example, if you’re going after the Gen Z (which refers to those born between the mid-1990s and early-2010s) market, head over to TikTok and Instagram to catch their attention.
According to a survey of social media users in the UK aged between 16 and 24, 55% of respondents reported using Instagram and TikTok multiple times per day. This means that both of these social media platforms are a great place to ignite interest about your business – and drive ROI.
See what TikTok says about their users’ intention to buy in their article about Valentine’s Day:
“TikTok users' intention to buy outweighs that of the average social media user across every single one of these categories.”
Over at LinkedIn, TikTok posted that: “68% of users say TikTok inspires unplanned purchases around Valentine’s Day and 44% come to our platform specifically for gift ideas.”
This means that, if your audience is Gen Z, head to TikTok!
Don’t worry if Gen Z isn’t your target market, the good thing about Valentine’s Day is it appeals to singles and couples of all ages, and especially men, who are typically big spenders, so take some time to analyse who your target market is.
Looking for ecommerce sales for Valentine’s and beyond? Take a look at our article on the five key struggles ecommerce startups face – and how to solve them.
This means that it’s important to plan ahead, and really maximise how you want to reach your target market during this ‘buying window’.
Be ready, and be prepared!
Take a look at this laugh-out-loud ad from Burger King India featuring a familiar looking clown dubbed “the loneliest man in the world”. They also made clever use of user-generated content by asking people to grab and upload selfie with the “nameless” clown in exchange for a free Whopper on Valentine’s Day.
What a fantastic dig at their biggest fast-food competitor!
Want to know more? Have a read of our article to find out whether influencer marketing is right for your small business.
If you have a business with goods you can personalise, then Valentine’s Day is for you. This is especially true if you think about something a little different. Like Krispy Kreme did for their Krispy Kreme Quartet Campaign when they invited people to send in 20 words describing a special someone and a barbershop quartet (who they had partnered with for the campaign) would pick a few and sing a bespoke song about them.
In another genius move, Krispy also tweeted a song to footballer Marcus Rashford, who was huge at that time for his free school meals campaign in collaboration with FareShare.
After all, who doesn’t love a giveaway?!
Having a giveaway or a competition is great way to increase engagement on social media and to get people talking about your brand. So, if you have something you can give to your customers as part of a Valentine’s campaign (or indeed, any campaign) you’re creating an incentive for them to interact with you.
We particularly like this advert from LUSH that showed all kinds of couples having baths together. And, how about this advert from Nina Ricci? If you’re looking for something different to say, this Valentine’s campaign really taps into the power of female friendships.
If you need some heart-filled inspiration, take a look at some of our top tips for creating a great campaign. Plus, we’ve picked out some of our favourite Valentine’s marketing.
Identify your audience and where to find them
Who you’re targeting is the first step to creating the right kind of Valentine’s marketing campaign, as well as where you want to target them.For example, if you’re going after the Gen Z (which refers to those born between the mid-1990s and early-2010s) market, head over to TikTok and Instagram to catch their attention.
According to a survey of social media users in the UK aged between 16 and 24, 55% of respondents reported using Instagram and TikTok multiple times per day. This means that both of these social media platforms are a great place to ignite interest about your business – and drive ROI.
See what TikTok says about their users’ intention to buy in their article about Valentine’s Day:
“TikTok users' intention to buy outweighs that of the average social media user across every single one of these categories.”
Over at LinkedIn, TikTok posted that: “68% of users say TikTok inspires unplanned purchases around Valentine’s Day and 44% come to our platform specifically for gift ideas.”
This means that, if your audience is Gen Z, head to TikTok!
Don’t worry if Gen Z isn’t your target market, the good thing about Valentine’s Day is it appeals to singles and couples of all ages, and especially men, who are typically big spenders, so take some time to analyse who your target market is.
Looking for ecommerce sales for Valentine’s and beyond? Take a look at our article on the five key struggles ecommerce startups face – and how to solve them.
Know your peak buying times
Another interesting find from TikTok’s survey is that engagement peaked consistently regardless of the region – conversation about Valentine’s spikes between 12-15th February, dissipating altogether by the 17th.This means that it’s important to plan ahead, and really maximise how you want to reach your target market during this ‘buying window’.
Be ready, and be prepared!
Make them laugh
Digital humour is definitely a thing and making someone laugh when they’re scrolling ensures you get noticed!Take a look at this laugh-out-loud ad from Burger King India featuring a familiar looking clown dubbed “the loneliest man in the world”. They also made clever use of user-generated content by asking people to grab and upload selfie with the “nameless” clown in exchange for a free Whopper on Valentine’s Day.
What a fantastic dig at their biggest fast-food competitor!
Use influencers
The use of influencers has skyrocketed in recent years, especially amongst Gen Z. Almost half (44%) make purchasing decisions based on influencer recommendation and over 70% follow at least one influencer on social media platforms; it’s a great time to get in on this trend, even if you’re a small business.Want to know more? Have a read of our article to find out whether influencer marketing is right for your small business.
Make it personal
Personalisation sells, especially on the day of love! Who wouldn’t like to receive something dedicated entirely to them?If you have a business with goods you can personalise, then Valentine’s Day is for you. This is especially true if you think about something a little different. Like Krispy Kreme did for their Krispy Kreme Quartet Campaign when they invited people to send in 20 words describing a special someone and a barbershop quartet (who they had partnered with for the campaign) would pick a few and sing a bespoke song about them.
In another genius move, Krispy also tweeted a song to footballer Marcus Rashford, who was huge at that time for his free school meals campaign in collaboration with FareShare.
Do a giveaway
Did you know giveaways have a conversion rate of almost 34%?After all, who doesn’t love a giveaway?!
Having a giveaway or a competition is great way to increase engagement on social media and to get people talking about your brand. So, if you have something you can give to your customers as part of a Valentine’s campaign (or indeed, any campaign) you’re creating an incentive for them to interact with you.
Celebrate inclusivity – and different kinds of love – on social media
Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive campaigns is a great way to bring people together, and promote equality.We particularly like this advert from LUSH that showed all kinds of couples having baths together. And, how about this advert from Nina Ricci? If you’re looking for something different to say, this Valentine’s campaign really taps into the power of female friendships.
