Many people spend a lot of money on gifts such as jewelry, chocolate, and flowers. Restaurants have capitalized on romantic date nights booked for February 14th. But these last couple of years, there may be some shifts in spending trends. Many activities that have been enjoyed in the past are still not an option due to restrictions caused by Omicron.
E-commerce can capitalize on the fact that some may be wary of venturing into crowded venues. It is also important to note that Valentine’s Day has become a time to celebrate all kinds of relationships, not just romantic partnerships. This allows for many more products to be considered when it comes to gift-giving. People have been known to purchase gifts for other family members, close friends, teachers, co-workers, and even pets.
Best Practices for Valentine’s Day Marketing
If you are an e-commerce business, it is important to streamline your marketing and tailor it for Valentine’s Day. This will generate more sales.
1. Data-driven marketing
Pay attention to the available data so that you are getting the right content to the right people. It is also important to get it to them at the right time.
People generally start shopping for Valentine’s Day before the month of February. Google Trends have shown that many start searching for the perfect gift starting in the middle of January. Rather than trying to analyze all of the information on your own, FORTVISION can do the legwork for you. Using FORTVISION will collect data from various sources, analyze and segmentize it, and execute smart automations accordingly. This will allow you to increase sales this Valentine's Day, recommend personalized products and content, add upsell and cross-sell options, and overall make your customers happy.
2. Segment your communication for marketing
Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It is essential to use the data to inform the type of communication required for each customer. Consider age, gender, location, budget, and gift list.
While some may go all out for Valentine’s Day, others work with a limited budget. Usually, people in a higher age bracket will spend more than those who are younger. Data confirms that 24-34 year-olds will spend double what people in the 18-24-year-old range will. 35-44 year-olds will spend almost triple. Data also shows that men spend much more than women on Valentine’s Day gifts.
With this information in hand, you can create messaging that will highlight different recommendations for customers based on your segmented lists. FORTVISION will send out your messages automatically and make sure that the appropriate message is sent to each segmented group of consumers.
3. Creativity is key
It is important not to get caught up in the idea of chocolate and flowers for Valentine’s Day. Since Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for gift giving to many different special people in your life, it is important for marketing to follow the trend. Some consumers also use it as a time to spoil themselves.
Marketing self-gifts is important. Use subject lines such as “Treat yourself” or “You deserve something special!” To even further the impact of your messages, personalize them with a name. This can be set up with ease using FORTVISION.
You can even set up marketing to celebrate Galentine’s Day on February 13th. Companies that sell products specifically geared to women will market for this annual holiday that has been celebrated since 2010. The celebration of female friendships is another opportunity to market to specific groups.
4. Offer useful guidance
A Valentine’s Day-themed newsletter may give your customers advice on how to celebrate the holiday. This is especially important given that Omicron may still affect certain types of celebrations and activities in 2022.
The newsletter may also include gift guides with categories such as gifts for him and gifts for her. Topics could also be more specific, including such things as gifts for a teacher or gifts for a colleague.
Breaking things up into price ranges is also helpful. Consider including budget categories such as gifts under $20, $40, $50, etc.
FORTVISION can delve into customer data to find their average spending for particular items. This will ensure that those who spend more are sent product recommendations with higher-priced items. Those who are on a limited budget will receive offers that include a selection of gifts that are affordable.
5. Use an Omnichannel approach
It is important to market using as many methods as possible. Consider all of the channels available such as email, SMS, WhatsApp, Google ads, apps, landing pages, and your own eCommerce site.
Limiting yourself to email would be a mistake. Using Facebook, Instagram, and SMS will increase your reach and get the attention of more people. FORTVISION allows you to manage your activity across multiple channels to maximize your reach using automated communication.
FORTVISION will help you to access data, including past purchases, pages viewed on your site, where the customer is located, what promotions they respond to, and more. Using all of the data points will create a full view of the individual that will help you understand their spending habits and trends. This will allow you to build customized and targeted communication that will be delivered in a way that encourages them to respond.