Valentine’s Day – A Romantic Tale of Marketing Opportunities

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It doesn’t matter how you feel personally about Valentine’s Day. It’s undeniable that it is a huge source of marketing opportunities and income streams. While some people love it, others hate it, and another section ignores it altogether – the celebration of love and romance touches something within all of us.

Now you know your clientele better than anyone, and you know whether they are mostly pro or anti-romance. Potentially you have a fifty-fifty split, which will expand your options significantly.

If you alter your view of Valentine’s Day, you can also appeal to a much broader spectrum of people. If you look at the day as one celebrating love in all its glorious technicolour, it enhances your ability to attract more than couples or singles. There’s love of many kinds.

Valentine’s Day Compatibility

You have to ask whether your business is compatible with Valentine’s Day promotion. While not confined to meals for two or couples massages, companies such as kitchen and bathroom fitters might not find love and romance appropriate. Likewise with divorce or family law attorneys – unless you plan an Anti-Valentine’s or Singles Day. If you can’t think of a single way to link love and /or romance with your business, you are best to forget it as a marketing topic and perhaps pick another day to promote your business interests.

Yet, you can link love with many businesses with a bit of creativity. And if you use alternative perspectives to create a marketing campaign for Valentine’s Day, you might also find new ways to approach potential customers.

• DIY stores – “Couples who build together, stay together.”
• Pet Services – “Love your furry friends too.”
• Primary Care – “Love your life, and look after your heart.”
• Counselling – “Learn to love yourself.” 

Just a few ideas that you might not associate with Valentine’s Day marketing – there’s an angle for most businesses out there.

What’s Your “Love” Angle?

We all need a little love from someone in our lives, but that doesn’t mean it’s romantic love or even the love of a person. However, there will always be that section of society that shuns the ideas and commerciality of love on Valentine’s Day.

You’ll create your marketing angle primarily from how well you know your audience and the services you offer. Suppose your business mainly caters to single people. In that case, you might not want to frame your angle as anti-love, but perhaps self-love.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”

Oscar Wilde

Although if you have a strong anti-Valentine’s crowd, you could go all the way to the opposite side and frame your offers away from the day in question.

Some Valentine’s Day Ideas for Couples

What’s the potential in your business for couples on Valentine’s Day? I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by talking about the obvious romantic couples ideas. Everyone knows what they are.

Rentals  – Anything you have for hire, you can market to couples. Anything from bicycles and tandems to DIY gear and maybe even a hot air balloon (okay, perhaps that’s a little cliché), but tweak it a bit for the Valentine’s Day celebration. Add a picnic to the bike rides, add paint or consumables to the DIY gear (or maybe even a celebratory completion basket).

Personal Services – Sure, couples massages and other spa weekend sessions for romance are cliche. 

Some other options are tattoos (no names or maybe just henna), complimentary hair styling (make it temporary if necessary), and even helping couples to “Spark Joy” out their homes (assuming they live together). 

Wellness & Health – Many times, couples don’t approach their health and wellness together. Couples yoga could be anything from acro-yoga to tantra. Nutritionists can help couples create a healthy eating plan that works for both parties. Personal trainers can create joint training sessions.

Coaching & Counselling – Couples therapy isn’t just for people trying to save their marriages from divorce. It can be for people just trying to reconnect with each other or add a little spice to their relationships – to keep them strong. It could be promotionally priced couples sessions or even groups sessions of multiple couples. Maybe a primer on “love languages” or reconnecting after a baby/bereavement/stress, etc.”

Some Self-Love Ideas for Singles

If you’re aiming at the singles market, you might want to see what you have to offer for your single clients.

If you’re aiming at the singles market, you might want to see what you have to offer for your single clients. So many people don’t make time for self-love and self-care, and it can be more challenging for single people to make that time without a push.

Wellness & Health – Encourage newcomers with a “self-love is in the air” promotion. Self-love and healing are very personal, but so many people need them.

Bars & Bistros – Not all bars and eateries have to cater to the lovey-dovey hearts and flowers. It’s an excellent idea to allow the non-romantics somewhere to celebrate their happy single lives.

Personal Services – There are so many personal services out there. Any individual service you offer can be a celebration of the heart – even if it is simply you to them.  

Training & Tutoring – What’s your going rate for 1-2-1 coaching and training? How about a package for a training session on cooking, decorating or another new skill? In a gross generalisation, single people tend to have more time or energy to expand their minds and skillsets. Make that your marketing tactic. 

The best thing is that any offers or promotions you dream of for your singleton clients could also be a perfect gift for a loved one. Spouse to spouse, mother to daughter, sister to brother, friend to friend, are all valid relationships that could come under “love” if not under romance.

Love Ideas for Everyone

If you want to make Valentine’s Day a holiday for everyone, spread the love across the whole spectrum. Family, friends, fur-babies, and whoever else people love.

If you want to make Valentine’s Day a holiday for everyone, spread the love across the whole spectrum. Family, friends, fur-babies, and whoever else people love.

Vets & Pet Carers – Dog-walking “dates” groups of single pet owners getting together.

Gyms & Fitness – Family fun and fitness day. Open up your gym for everyone – even if you don’t usually allow children. Love your families and their health.

Family Picnic – Families with small children can’t always make time for a romantic date on Valentine’s Day, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a fun time as a family. Some might say the presence of the small person is evidence of their romantic love for each other. It doesn’t even need to be outdoors.

Promotional Pricing & Packages for Valentine’s Day

Valentines’s Day is a well-known celebration of love and romance and a perfect time to show some love with a promotional offer. 

January is often a slow time for many businesses because of the over-expenditure on the preceding Christmas holiday, and February needs a little boost to your customer numbers. Use Valentine’s Day as an incentive for people to start using your services again or gift them to others.

All You Need is Love!

Yes, it’s sappy, but if you love your business, work, and clients, there’s something to market them for Valentine’s Day. There are hundreds of ways you can twist your particular business model to incorporate Valentine’s Day marketing.

However, if all other marketing approaches fail, celebrate the love of your work and your clients.

“All you need is love,love,love”