Working on Valentine’s Day? 3 Last-Minute Ways to Boost Business

With Valentine’s Day less than 48 hours away, procrastinators everywhere are scrambling to make last-minute plans for their significant others…and, to that same degree, retail owners and managers are preparing for the horde of scrambling procrastinators. When you work in retail, Valentine’s Day isn’t just a holiday for gushing and swooning, it’s an opportunity to boost business and expand your brand. This year, celebrate V-Day by applying the following three marketing tactics to engage customers and boost sales.

1. Social Media Sweepstakes

It’s not too late to launch a Valentine’s Day-themed contest to attract customers, initiate consumer-brand interaction and foster brand awareness. A 2014 Tamba survey of nearly 900 people who participated in social media contests found that more than 40 percent of participants shared brand content daily on their social pages. And among the people who enter competitions, about 85 percent still share brand content on social networks after the promotion ends.

Influence brand awareness and purchasing decisions with a photo campaign. Ask Instagram followers to post a picture of what Valentine’s Day means to them (with a heartfelt, creative or witty description for why in the caption). Make sure participants include a hashtag that you’ve created as part of your campaign and tag your business’s handle. Choose the top 10 submissions and ask followers on Facebook (cross-post opportunity!) to choose first, second and third place winners to receive gift cards.

2. Special Giveaways

Customers love freebies. Freebies and giveaways make customers feel valued, get them excited about your brand and in the mood to buy, especially when love is in the air. Bring customers to your (physical or digital) storefront with these fun ideas:

• The first 20 customers to arrive at the store receive a “goody bag.” If you sell beauty products, give away bundles of lip gloss, nail polish, coupons and sample sizes of body wash and lotion; make sure to include the retail value of the freebies.
• Determine a timeframe and give away a free gift with every purchase each hour. Post the free gift each hour to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Example: if you sell athletic gear, give away a T-shirt with each purchase between 11 a.m. and noon. Then give away a water bottle with each purchase between noon and 1 p.m.

3. Valentine’s Day Spirit

Get into the spirit of the holiday and create a positive, charming atmosphere to lure in customers. If you own a physical store, energize your space with traditional Valentine’s Day decor like heart-shaped balloons andromantic floral arrangements. Have your employees wear red and pink to get the festive spirit going. Keep in mind, red is an emotionally intense color that increases the heart rate and creates a sense of urgency, typically associated with clearance sales. According to data gathered for aKISSmetrics infographic, red also attracts impulse shoppers, while pink and rose attract traditional shoppers.

Appeal to consumers’ visual senses and taste buds as well by offering Valentine’s Day chocolates and sweet treats. A pretty window display of Valentine’s Day goodies shows customer appreciation and can put consumers in the buying mood. Don’t forget to celebrate by sharing your store’s Valentine’s Day cheer (along with your contest, freebies and specials) on your social media accounts. This February 14, you’ve got a date with your customers, so make them feel special.

Photo Credit: Provided by with permission to use from SocialMonsters.org