Here we go! We’re just weeks away from the BIG GAME! No, not THAT big game… the floral industry big game: Valentine’s Day! After all, Valentine’s Day is like our Super Bowl, right? And as always, we want to make sure you’re ready to win BIG! Here are ten proven marketing strategies to help you do just that:
- Run a Valentine’s Day Sale
Sure, flowers are always a popular gift for Valentine’s Day, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer a sale: Promoting specific arrangements at a discount will help you reach those customers who are looking for a bargain. You may even want to feature a “Deal of the Day” over the entire week before Valentine’s Day, with a discount on a different arrangement each day. Use emails, social media, and website pop-ups to promote your sale.
- Use Targeted Pop-up Ads
No matter what you promote, you’ll want plenty of people on your email list. And pop-ups are a fantastic way to generate email addresses! It’s easy to create a pop-up on your website that offers a discount on their upcoming Valentine’s Day purchase when they provide their email. Make sure you design and upload your pop-ups now so that you can gather as many emails as possible for your upcoming promotions.
- Offer Incentives Like Free Delivery
Separate yourself from the competition by offering free delivery for Valentine’s Day. Free delivery is a major benefit to customers and can increase your profits when done right. For example, you can offer free delivery on arrangements over a specific dollar amount, such as $75 or above, only through Valentine’s Day. This will make it worthwhile for customers to get that larger, more elaborate arrangement for their loved one—and increase your revenue!
- Clearly Show Delivery Dates
When it comes to delivery, it’s vital to show precisely when customers can expect their arrangements to be delivered. Promote your exact cut-off dates for delivery, and feature these dates prominently on your website, social media, and in emails. If you plan to offer same-day or two-day delivery for an additional fee, ensure you explicitly state that. You can also create a countdown timer pop-up on your website, so customers know how many days they have left to order.
- Promote Themed Add-ons
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to promote products to go along with your arrangements. It’s all about love, so add on products that will go perfectly with their flowers, such as heart-shaped chocolates, cute t-shirts with hearts on them, stuffed animals, and so much more! And make sure you promote these add-ons as Valentine’s Day bundles on social media, pop-up ads, and emails.
- Don’t Forget Galentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance anymore; it’s also a time when people share the love with their friends, coworkers, and teachers. One example of a new take on the holiday is Galentine’s Day on February 13th, made famous by the show Parks and Recreation, and now a full-blown marketing extravaganza. So, use that to your advantage and add to your sales this season by offering a few Galentine’s Day arrangements.
- Create Gift Guides
Once you’ve worked out your arrangements and add-ons, it’s time to create a gift guide. This will make it so much easier for your customers to shop since you can create sections like “Gifts for Mom,” “Gifts for Him,” “Teacher Gifts,” “Gifts for Your Bestie,” and so on. Think of all the ways your customers shop for Valentine’s Day and separate your gifts into categories that make it simple for them to click and purchase.
- Add Urgency
It’s always a good idea to create urgency when promoting any product, and it’s vital for Valentine’s Day—nobody wants their flowers to arrive late! To add a sense of urgency to your promotions, be sure to include a countdown timer, as mentioned above, to your website and emails. Plus, create a series of social media posts to go out every day for the week up to your Valentine’s Day cut-off date. This way, you’ll make sure to hit every possible potential customer.
- Include Last-Minute Shoppers
You’ll always have those last-minute shoppers before Valentine’s Day, so why not cater to them with special offers? You can provide fast delivery—at a premium price, of course—to let those last-minute customers know they can still get flowers for their loved ones. Not only will you increase your revenue, but you’ll also have some delighted customers who will undoubtedly tell others!
- Share Some Love with Subscribers
Your email list can be a goldmine if you market to it correctly. As such, why not share some extra love with your subscribers this Valentine’s Day? It can be as simple as sending out an email telling them how much you appreciate them and giving them a “subscriber-only” discount on their next purchase.
We hope these tips have helped get your marketing ideas flowing so you can win big this Valentine’s Day! Let us know which ones work well for you and if you’ve got any other best practices. We’d love to share your tips with our readers!