Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas for 2024

Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas for Brands

Here are some top Valentine’s Day marketing ideas to try in 2024. We have covered a variety of ideas that are suitable for all kinds of businesses, including service providers.

#1 Spread the Love with an Irresistible Valentine’s Day Sale

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to shower your customers with affection, and what better way to express your love than through a sale? After all, nearly half of 13 to 36-year-olds keep an eye out for Valentine’s Day sales and promotions.

Valentine’s Day sales are very common, especially on items like flowers, chocolates, cakes, and clothes. You can offer discounts on base price or shipping.

It has been found that discounted or free shipping can be a great way to attract customers. After all, about 80% of users expect free shipping when shopping online. You can put a cap to make more sales and get people to spend money this V-Day.

Lastly, it might be a good idea to come up with a Valentine’s special referral program to encourage more people to turn into your ambassadors and help you reach more people. This Valentine’s Day marketing idea can do wonders since referrals are known for increasing revenue and if you play it right, you could double your sales with the help of a convincing referral program.

Influencers Can Promote Discounts

Influencers can help promote your Valentine’s Day discounts by plugging your store or products and posting reviews, overviews, and more. Since Valentine’s Day discounts don’t typically last very long, we suggest that you quickly get in touch with suitable influencers to spread the word and increase awareness.

Also, create a Valentine’s Day marketing strategy that involves urgency. Highlight why buyers need to make a move quickly. Remember that creating urgency has been proven to increase sales. You can have influencers talk about how only a few of a specific item are left or you could show remaining stock on your sales page to encourage people to buy quickly.

#2 Sell Special Packages and Combos

Come up with unique Valentine’s Day gift baskets or bundles to attract more buyers. For example, a beauty salon can offer free foot manicures when a facial is bought. Similarly, a bakery can offer free pastry with a Valentine’s Day cake.

Bundling increases revenue by making people buy more than one product during a single purchase, which boosts the average order value. This can be a great strategy for Valentine’s Day since people often get confused about what to buy and some end up buying multiple items. A bundle can solve this problem and help brands sell more so make sure to remember this Valentine’s Day marketing idea.

WithCo came up with interesting date night bundles in a box that sold like hotcakes. They consisted of WithCo’s normal products, including some that were difficult to sell. The campaign proved to be a success and helped WithCo do great numbers. With this Valentine’s Day marketing idea, you can repeat this success so pull your socks.

Creators Can Add the Personal Touch

The right partnership can help boost revenue and make brands sell more. You can create a video that highlights how you came up with bundles.

Let a known name join you in the journey and show how they handpicked different items to create a bundle.

Influencers can add a personal touch that resonates with your potential clients and help create an emotional connection that goes beyond a typical sales pitch.

Join Afluencer today to get access to thousands of influencers who can help you promote your business this Valentine’s Day.

#3 Promote a Hashtag

This done-to-death Valentine’s Day marketing idea is still very effective.

Simply come up with a branded hashtag to market your products and services this Valentine’s Day and watch the magic happen.

Almost all major platforms, including Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram allow users to search for content using hashtags. This has become even more important now that apps like Instagram and TikTok are allowing users to directly buy products. A branded hashtag can help people find what they need and improve their bottom line.

Dunkin’ did something similar a few years ago when it used the hashtag (#DunkinIDoContest) to promote its seasonal menu through a unique marketing strategy: an opportunity to get married at their drive-thru.

The Valentine’s Day campaign required users to post a photo with the required hashtag to enter the contest. The campaign proved to be a success and helped the company gather media attention.

Leverage a Micro-Influencers’ Social Media Follow

Promoting branded hashtags can be difficult for brands without a strong identity or huge following. Influencers can be of great help in this situation as they can help spread the word.

You can leverage their following and get more people to see the hashtag while also highlighting its benefits.

#4 Come Up With a Discount Code

Discounts will never go out of fashion, hence implement this Valentine’s Day marketing idea in 2024.

Science has proven that people end up buying products they do not need if they come at a discounted rate, so use this Valentine’s Day marketing strategy to boost your sales and sell more.

The key lies in the strategic promotion of the offer. A well-promoted 10% discount can offer better results than a poorly-promoted 20% discount. Don’t just stick to boring sales, do something more exciting as well.

Again, let’s look at Dunkin’, which gave followers a chance to win discount codes by playing a trivia game via Instagram. The campaign proved to be a great hit as it didn’t only offer discounts but also kept users engaged.

Use Influencer-Specific Discount Codes

Merely coming up with discount codes is never enough, ensure people are aware of these codes and are encouraged to use them. A great way to do this is to partner with influencers and create influencer-specific codes.

These codes should be promoted online and offline (if you have an offline presence) and through influencers.

#5 Create Video Content

People love videos. They consume everything from TV shows to ads to fun skits. Brands seem to have realized the importance of video marketing, hence it doesn’t come as a surprise that video marketing spending reached $92.253 billion in 2023. Video marketing made it to several top Valentine’s Day marketing ideas lists.

About 85% of internet users watch videos on the internet each month. They don’t always ‘choose’ to watch videos since some end up in recommendations and play automatically. Yet, videos have proven to be highly engaging.

It’s known that the average person spends about 100 minutes a day watching videos on the internet. So, why not leverage it this Valentine’s Day and come up with interesting videos such as a nice recipe if you are a food company? Make it romantic and come up with Valentine-specific foods such as a lovely cake.

Look at Cadbury, which has found great success with this technique. The brand utilized Valentine’s Day very intelligently with a smart campaign on social media that highlighted the pop-out heart in its chocolate bar.

Cadbury’s ‘PopYourHeartOut’ offered great results and boosted sales. The company seems to have made it a point to come up with similar campaigns every year. It recently ran the #HowFarWillYouGoForLove campaign that utilized short videos linked to each other.

Have Influencers Create UGC

Influencers can prove to be of great help as they are known for being creative and creating compelling videos.

Based on your campaign, they can produce content that can be shared on your profile. In addition, they can share your content on their profile to help you reach more people.

Users are more likely to make and post videos when they see their favorite influencers do it. So make sure you register with Afluencer to get instant access to influencers people love. We house big names like Shima Katouzian with over 1.3 Instagram fans and an engagement rate of 8.3%, Piper Landon with over 1 million Insta fans and an engagement rate of 6%, and Jana Colovic with 720K Instagram followers and an engagement rate of 6.2%.

You will even find some reality TV stars, celebs, and athletes on our platform.

#6 Start a Competition or Giveaway

This is one of our favorite Valentine’s Day marketing ideas for brands. After all, Valentine’s Day is all about loving, gifting, and appreciating others. So, why not turn this into a marketing tool and hold some competitions or giveaways to generate buzz?

This Valentine’s Day marketing strategy has been used for decades and it’s still very effective. A good example is Tyson, a food brand that gave a new twist to an old gift.

The company came up with a unique Valentine’s Day marketing strategy by challenging consumers to create compelling ‘chicken nugget’ bouquets for Valentine’s Day and share with the world with the winner getting Tyson Nuggets of Love, a limited edition heart-shaped nugget especially designed for the contest. In addition, it offered several other surprises such as cash prices and free nuggets.

The competition utilized hashtags such as #NuggetBouquetContest and #TysonNuggetsofLove and received thousands of entries.

Creators Can Power a Giveaway

Influencers can prove to be of help as they have their tribe – people who trust and follow them. When an influencer promotes your giveaway, it’s like an instant ticket to reaching your target audience. Their followers are more likely to engage because they trust the influencer’s judgment.

The key, however, lies in finding influencers who can help you reach your target audience. The best influencers are those who genuinely love your brand or product. When they talk about your giveaway, it feels authentic, not like a forced ad. This authenticity can create a more significant impact and resonate better with their audience.

We strongly suggest using influencers for giveaways due to the potential to reach more people. Influencers often collaborate with other influencers. So, your giveaway might not only reach the audience of one influencer but could potentially ripple across their network as they share and talk about it. It’s like a domino effect of promotion.

The best way to do so is to come up with influencer-specific discount codes that your partners can promote on their page. This will not only help them but will benefit your brand as well.

#7 Let Your Audience Speak

This Valentine’s Day, let your audience rule. Allow them to share what Valentine’s Day means to them and post their responses on your story or page. We feel this here is one of our Valentine’s Day marketing ideas that has the potential to generate great buzz for your brand.

The key lies in coming up with topics that resonate well with your audience and remain relevant to what you offer.

For example, if you run an online gift store, you can ask them to talk about their favorite Valentine’s Day gift. Similarly, if you sell food items you could ask them to create a special menu for this year.

Many brands have used these and similar ideas in the past. Pandora in 2021, for example, asked real-life couples and friends to share how they express love.

The promotion caught on fire and attracted the attention of not just common people but also celebs and influencers.

The brand received some very interesting replies, including tiny actions, such as a hug, and huge steps such as adopting a pet. More importantly, it helped Pandora form a connection with its audience.

The video included a message encouraging people to talk about Pandora and why it can be a good brand for people looking to surprise their loved ones.

Use Influencers to Boost Engagement

Again, influencers can help you reach more people and ensure the world is aware of what you’re doing.

They can create content around the brand – photos, videos, stories, you name it. This user-generated content is a goldmine for your brand. You get authentic, diverse content that you can share on your platforms, giving your brand a fresh perspective.

Plus, influencers are masters at creating FOMO. When they encourage others to speak out, people will rush to participate. Nobody wants to miss out on a good thing, right?

#8 Host an Event

Planning an online event for Valentine’s Day can turn out to be very beneficial. About 49% of brands plan to use digital events due to the many benefits they offer. Moreover, the event marketing industry is projected to reach $36.31 billion by 2026.

Firstly, there are no limits when it comes to online events. You can reach a global audience in seconds.

With people from different time zones participating, you’re not limited to a specific geographical location. This expanded reach can significantly boost your brand exposure.

The event, however, needs to be related to both your brand and Valentine’s Day. You can launch a new product or host a digital sale event. There are two types of events though, one that needs active audience participation and one that doesn’t.

You will have to decide what works best for your brand. Start by picking a theme that screams romance or celebrates love. It could be anything from a virtual dinner date, a love trivia night, or even a DIY Valentine’s craft session.

Get creative and think about what would resonate most with your audience. Also, offline events can be marketed online. You can stream it live for your audience to watch and enjoy. Furthermore, we suggest that you keep the event interactive by adding elements like polls and question-answer sessions.

Promote the Event with Influencers

Influencers can act as your ambassador and help promote the event, whether it’s a brand launch, an online quiz session, or just a fun webinar. They can help you get more attendees and also make the event more interesting by being a part of it.

You can have influencers create an interesting invite to share. Think about it. Which do you think would garner more interest?

#9 Introduce a New Product

Lastly, to end our set of Valentine’s Day marketing ideas is a little brave but worth considering.

Launching a new product for Valentine’s Day can be a brilliant way to captivate your audience’s attention and spark excitement.

You do not always have to come up with a unique product. Simply announcing a special edition for Valentine’s Day or giving buyers the option to customize a product can be enough. Customization can be a quick and affordable way to make your customers feel special.

They’ll feel heard and can even be credited as co-producers. For example, if you sell greeting cards, you can offer clients to provide inputs and then include their names in the credits list.

In addition, you can come up with a date-night product line that can be a great idea. Furthermore, you can take one of your best-selling items, give it a Valentine’s Day twist, and introduce it as a Valentine’s special.

In case, you do not wish to do all this then make some changes to existing products and merely update product descriptions and introduce Valentine’s Day-related keywords.

For example, you can add a new page and sell a classic bouquet under a new title like “Valentine’s Day 99 Rose Love Bouquet”. This will make your product look like a new offering while also helping you rank well on search engines.

New Product Launch via Influencers

Influencers can play a pivotal role in promoting a Valentine’s Day special product by leveraging their authentic connection with their followers.

They can share genuine experiences, telling their followers why a product is a must-have item for Valentine’s Day.

Picture this: unboxing videos, heartfelt testimonials, and real talk about the features that make your product a standout choice for this season of love. It’s a sure-shot way to generate buzz.

In addition, the comments and reactions to an influencer’s post can provide valuable insights. It’s like a live focus group. Pay attention to what people are saying – it can help you understand your audience better.

Think Outside of the Basic

Don’t get stuck to the idea of love and romance since not everyone’s in love or looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Do not forget singles and come up with campaigns directed towards people who are not in love or relationships. Single people do not need to be the forgotten demographic. Take steps to remind people of the importance of self-love and highlight relevant products and services. For example, you can promote a ‘spa session’ telling people they don’t need a partner to feel spoiled.

Also, get in on Galentine’s Day, a day dedicated to female friendships. Celebrated a day before Valentine’s Day, this day originates from a viral episode of the Parks and Recreation TV series and can be quite a success.

The demand for G-Day gifts might not be very high but it can still prove to be beneficial. So, combine it with your V-Day offers.

Furthermore, don’t forget to target pet owners. After all, about 20% of people look for pet-related gifts on Valentine’s Day. Fulfill this demand by coming up with unique ideas like chewable bouquets of roses.

Lastly, improve goodwill by pleading to donate your Valentine’s Day profits to charities this season. To spread the word, you can partner with influencers who support the same charity and even come up with relevant hashtags and Facebook profile frames that supporters can use.

Anti Valentine’s Day

A large number of people do not enjoy or celebrate the day of love. Instead, they like to highlight their stance against their perceived unrealistic expectations and commercialization of this day.

This Valentine’s Day, consider targeting such individuals and let them have a bit of fun.

Slogan t-shirts can prove to be a hit. But, know where to draw the line. It’s good to be sarcastic but never be mean.

Look at how others are doing it. Hotels.com’s Valentine’s Day marketing campaign, for example, is among the best Valentine’s Day marketing ideas for brands.

The company urged users to visit its V-Day Dumpster Stay page and name the ex they think deserves a vacation in a dumpster.

All entries were a part of a competition with the winner walking away with a $300 Hotels.com gift card.

Valentine’s Day Is For Every Brand

Do you think Valentine’s Day isn’t the right fit for you to promote your brand? Are you out of Valentine’s Day marketing ideas for brands in your niche? Don’t worry, there are several creative ways to promote brands on Valentine’s Day.

A brand does not have to be love or romance-related for it to benefit from the day of love. You can make money if you use the right Valentine’s Day marketing strategy.

Here are some ideas for different niches:

• Finance: Whether you offer retirement advice or sell tax services, Valentine’s Day can be a great day to reach more people. Highlight the importance of money in a relationship through your posts and use relevant hashtags to leave a mark.
• Real Estate: Real estate agents can also benefit from Valentine’s Day. Create a presentation highlighting romantic homes to target couples.
• Food: This is an easy one, after all, people spend heavily on food on Valentine’s Day. You can curate a special menu or create romantic posts of your favorite meals to keep people coming back.
• Travel: A large number of people look for travel deals on Valentine’s Day, so come up with special hotel discounts, expedited processing times, and other such offers.
• eCommerce: You can run a Valentine’s Day sale. Even if your product is not directly linked to Valentine’s Day (let’s say you sell car parts), you could still benefit from it.
• Technology: Technology products such as phones and smartwatches make for good gifts. So, create an interesting campaign and work with a technology influencer to attract more people.
• Health: You can use Valentine’s Day to encourage users to book a session. Turn it romantic by asking them to bring their partner along and enjoy a discount since love is all about taking care of them.

Valentine’s Day Marketing Ideas for Brands: Conclusion

These were some of the top Valentine’s Day ideas for 2024. Think about how your target audience feels about this special day. Then tweak your campaigns to suit their tastes and interests. And most importantly, don’t forget to utilize the power of influencers for your Valentine’s Day marketing campaign.

Find romantic influencers today and remember, you are always welcome to reach out to us for help navigating the Afluencer platform.