In a world so keenly focused on marketing, businesses are expected to weigh in on certain cultural traditions. Regardless of your industry, your customers will expect you to celebrate several key holidays throughout the year—and for those in the restaurant industry, there is even more pressure.
The good news is that using holiday themes can also be an incredible branding opportunity. It allows you to show off your brand in a fun and approachable way. With the right techniques, you can build quite a bit of interest.
Many holiday marketing campaigns have garnered a lot of attention over the years. This is why everyone should be celebrating Valentine’s Day with their customers every year!
Valentine’s Day on Social Media
Social media makes it easier than ever for a brand to reach out and connect with customers. It also offers the perfect chance to encourage your customers to share the love for your products. This year, try celebrating Valentine’s Day by encouraging your customers to act on social media. With this fun approach, you can boost customer interest and have them help you with an ongoing marketing campaign!
There are a few different ways to go about this for the best results. The first option is to encourage them to share your products on your behalf. Ask customers to take a picture with your products or at your business to show off what you have to offer. Tell them to tag the business in these photos for fun customer rewards. For example, you might offer something simple like a shoutout or perhaps even the opportunity to name a new product. The possibilities are endless here.
If you don’t want to put too much pressure on product placement, another great way to go about it is to focus on celebrating Valentine’s Day. Encourage them to take a picture with their special someone and tag the brand to enter the competition instead. This is a fun and engaging opportunity that will help spread the name of your brand. Even a person with only a few followers can be an advocate for your brand!
Decorate the Store
Valentine’s Day decorations don’t have to be over the top in order to yield good results. While you can certainly turn your entire business pink and cover it with hearts, subtlety works too. A few extra hearts in the windows or maybe a menu written in various shades of pinks can go a long way. The important part is that you acknowledge this fun holiday and encourage people to share and celebrate. Relatable brands are always fan favorites with customers.
Valentine’s Day Themed Products
It is hard to imagine celebrating Valentine’s Day without appropriately themed products. Even if you don’t decorate the whole store, offering up a few Valentine’s Day themed products can really help boost your sales. After all, the day only comes around once a year. If your customers want to be able to share in the joy of this holiday (or if they just want to pick up a cute specialty item), they will likely drift towards these themed items. The rest of the year, products with hearts just aren’t the same.
Valentine’s Day products come in all shapes and sizes. You can dazzle and delight your audience with a wide range of fun themed products. Consider investing in Valentine’s Day t-shirts, cups with hearts on them, or even something simple like a sticker. Give people the chance to celebrate with your brand in style. It is a great way to build up excitement and get a few extra sales in too.
Urge Customers to Spread the Love with Referrals
Referrals are the heart and soul of consumer-involved marketing efforts. Using them when celebrating Valentine’s Day can help you to really boost your sales and customer awareness. With this approach, both you and your customers can benefit from the holiday!
Customers love to get their hands on special offers and referrals are very easy to incentivize. Give your favorite followers an opportunity to win big with referrals by giving back to them. Instead of just asking your customers to share, offer them something great for their referrals. If someone can refer a friend on social media or get them to sign up for a service, reward them with some kind of key advantage. It might be a discount code, a gift card, or even a social media shoutout! Whatever it is, make it worth their while and they will help you spread the love!
The most important part of a referral process is ensuring that it is helpful for the individual. Offer them a good reason to say yes and share your brand with someone else. It is a great way to show them that you appreciate their help. You can even make it more exciting by entering them for a contest where they can win a bigger prize too!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to celebrating Valentine’s day as a business, you want to focus on showing your customers that you care. Make it fun and easy to celebrate with your company and you will see just how much your customers will love your brand. With a few themed approaches, you can easily help make your brand more popular every time a new holiday rolls around. As long as you know your audience and focus on showing them how much you value them, you will see noticeable results.
Drew Thomas
Drew Thomas is a graduate of Georgia College & State University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. He is an expert in brand marketing and has experience in freelance writing on topics ranging from sports to music reviews. He has also spent time as an editor, having revised website copy and press releases for local businesses. In his free time, Drew enjoys performing music, reading, hiking, and spending time with friends.