Holidays and special events usher in an array of opportunities to organize a promotion or sale at your store. While you likely offer deals and discounts throughout the year, special occasions like Valentine’s Day allow you to create unique promotions that differ from the ones you usually provide.
The day dedicated to love will be here soon, so it’s the perfect time to craft promotions that are tailored to the season.
“Don’t forget to pepper in posts about the ongoing or upcoming promotions.”
1. Social media promotions
You can spread the word about your seasonal discounts and host contests using your store’s social media pages. In addition to garnering sales and foot traffic with lower prices, posts on your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram contribute to building your brand and demonstrating how personable your business can be.
Consider asking your fans and followers to answer prompts related to Valentine’s Day, such as “What does love mean to you?” and “What’s your favorite love song?” You could also inquire about your shoppers’ top choices for romantic flicks or ask which type of chocolate they’re most likely to search for in the classic heart-shaped box. Even if you just retweet or share these responses from customers, you’re bolstering your brand’s name recognition. Don’t forget to pepper in posts about the ongoing or upcoming promotions for people who are in the midst of Valentine’s Day shopping so your profiles have a happy balance between customer engagement and information that can improve your revenue.
2. Date night deal
Couples, young and old will be hitting the town around Feb. 14 for a romantic evening. Some lovers may go big and take a weekend getaway but plenty more will be staying close to home. For this Valentine’s Day, give one of your lucky customers an amazing date night. To start, you’ll need a gift certificate to a local restaurant. This may have to come directly from your budget, but there might be food establishments in the area that are willing to barter for the gift card. Next, look through your merchandise for items that would work well in a date night package. If you sell clothes, pick out an outfit or accessory that a lovely lady might wear. Bookstores can throw an anthology of love poems into the mix, while craft stores can supply all of the necessary bits and pieces to make a fabulous homemade valentine. For stores that sell a variety of food, you can compile your own gift basket that includes the ingredients for a dinner that the couple can make together. There are a few different ways that you can select this winner, such as a raffle drawing or randomly selecting one of your Facebook followers.
Your customers will surely appreciate a sweet deal.3. Anti-Valentine’s Day angle
People automatically think of lovers and couples when it comes to Valentine’s Day, but not everyone will be celebrating the holiday with a significant other. Some people choose to call it “Singles Awareness Day,” to play on the fact that products and marketing are geared toward those in love, leaving the singletons feeling left out. This year, embrace the people who won’t be showered with gifts by a loved one using a special anti-Valentine’s Day angle. If you’re going to offer discounts around the holiday, tailor some of your marketing to solo customers. Approach it from the stance that this is an opportunity for single people to spoil themselves, rather than a significant other. You can use empowering phrases to get the word out, such as “Treat yourself” or “Buy a gift for the most important person in your life – you.”
