5 Genius Valentine's Day 2018 Marketing Ideas
Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that people either love or hate or love to hate. Some hate to be reminded of a less-than-ideal relationship status, while others dread not being able to find the perfect gift. Then there are the handful of people who love the day and who go to Jared (who are these people?). In all seriousness, by knowing your audience and by having fun with it, you can please (almost) everyone. (Draws heart bubbles)
Create a Fun Temporary Photo Frame for Social Media
A unique social media photo frame is a great (free) ad for your brand. (Photo credit: Cathal Mac via Unsplash)
So, speaking of the “I went to Jared” campaign that’s permanently embedded in everyone’s brains, use a popular Valentine’s Day concept to create a unique temporary photo frame for your audience to put on their profile picture. For example, instead of “I went to Jared” it could be, “I went to The Storyteller Agency” or create a frame with conversation hearts containing messages unique to your brand. Ours would say things like, “Marketing is terrible,” “tell great stories”, and “#dogoodthings”.
Do a giveaway that fits your brand, not the holiday stereotype. (Photo credit: Michael Discenz via Unsplash)
Do a Giveaway that Fits Your Brand
Another great way to embrace Valentine’s Day marketing is to do a giveaway in exchange for new e-mail addresses or for shares and tagging friends on social media. Pick something that fits with your audience’s tastes. For example, if your audience s mostly unmarried females, instead of making it all about couple’s romance, come up with a “love yourself” gift. Think in terms of your brand. For example, a travel brand could create a “date your city” giveaway with a free night at a hotel or dinner on the town with itinerary suggestions.
Everyone's got a story worth sharing. (Photo credit: Jason Briscoe via Unsplash)
Run a Love (or Loveless?) Story Contest
Participation is driving pages on Facebook these days. Create a contest that asks users to share their best (or worst) Valentine’s Day stories. Have others vote for their favorite and come up with a grand prize for the winner. Keep in mind the better the prize, the more engagement (which makes your page the real winner).
Make an Instagram Hashtag for Your Brand’s Unique Take on Valentine’s Day
An Instagram hashtag is a great way to embrace Valentine's Day marketing. Get the picture? (Photo credit: Roman Kraft via Unsplash)
A lot of traffic is being driven by UGC or user generated content. Spark action by coming up with a unique Instagram hashtag that fits your approach to Valentine’s Day (for example, a local grocer could do #diydatenight to inspire couples to cook their own Valentine’s Day meals and to share pictures of the results). Get people to tag you as well in their posts. Note that if you want to re-gram someone else’s image, you’ll need to acquire permission. Most do this by asking the poster if they can re-post their original image. Once you get permission, make sure to tag (and thank) the original poster. The benefit to this approach is increased engagement on your page and new follows.
A good way to add incentive to this marketing tactic is to offer some kind of prize for the hashtagged photo with the most likes (a nice bottle of wine, perhaps?).
Have a “Two is Better than One” Sale
Let's be honest: Valentine's Day is all about showing others how much you care. (Photo credit: Krista Manguls via Unsplash)
Whether you provide a product or a service, have a “two is better than one” sale. Use images of couples, of a man and his dog, of best friends, a mother and daughter, etc. to embrace the loving spirit of the day without alienating customers who aren’t part of a romantic pair to promote the sale. Boost your engagement by having a story behind why (to you) two really is better than one. Post about it on your social media platforms and in your e-mail newsletter. The rest speaks for itself because who doesn’t love two-for-one sales?
To help spread the love this Valentine’s Day 2018, The Storyteller Agency is giving away marketing ideas like they’re candy hearts (yum!). If thought this free taste of creative marketing was pretty tasty, then contact us and let us come up with a customized plan to make audiences swoon for your brand.
