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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Irrespective of the business niche and demographic, you can bet on the fact that a vast majority of your customers will be busy doing something special for their loved ones.
Now ask yourself, what are you doing for your customers this February?
The fact is that a relationship between a business and its customers is somewhat of a thankless one. However, the key to long-term customer loyalty for any brand, especially a small business, is to know that every relationship matters, especially the one that you have with your venture’s target audience.
Fortunately for you, winning the heart of your customer is considerably easier than winning the heart of your significant other, and we’ve got the tactics to help you do just that. Take advantage of our foolproof ways to show your customers some love this Valentine’s Day, and we guarantee you’ll have them loving you right back in no time!
Think Thematic Promotions
Small businesses run incentivizing marketing campaigns with discounts and offers at various points in a year to drive more traffic, and they work because clearly customers are looking for deals. The best way to show your customers some love this Valentine’s Day is to come up with festivity specific promotions that are really worth their while.
A number of different promotion ideas work particularly well for Valentine’s Day sales. For example, an ‘It’s Almost Here’ deal allows you to put discounts in the days leading up to the actual festival. A ‘something for them and something for you’ spin on the buy one get one free campaign is also a great idea.
Set up a Valentine’s Day-centric promo code and allow customers to take advantage of special discounts and deals when they use it. You can also extend your promotions to after the event has passed. This is a particularly great idea because it gives the message that your business doesn’t exactly need to use an occasion as an excuse to offer them rewards.
Roll Out Some Limited Edition Pieces
Basic economics dictate that a restricted supply creates a greater demand and increases the perceived value of a product. Small businesses can truly benefit by adopting the supply and demand strategy to boost sales by marketing limited edition, Valentine’s Day specific products.
If you are an individualized brand with unique items for sale, think about creating a special product that revolves around the theme of this event and is only available in a limited quantity for a specific amount of time.
Now when you have your limited edition product rolling around in stores, you’re likely to generate buzz about your brand, boost sales, and entice new customers your way. However, our focus here is to show our existing customers some love, right? So why not utilize your limited edition items to make your loyal customers feel extra special.
Offer an early bird promotion on the special item, specifically for your old customers, letting them know just how much they matter to you and your brand. There’s no better way to make someone feel special than allowing them to be privy to information (or a product) well before the rest of the world.
Encourage Some Self-Love
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In many ways, this occasion has become an obligation for couples and loved ones to display their affection for one another. However, not everyone has a significant other they can buy things for, and is willing to jump on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon.
So if you don’t want to go the conventional route of running an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign to cater to that demographic, why not encourage some self-love amongst your customers, letting the singles know that they matter too?
Allow customers to customize their orders for themselves, and rake up points on their loyalty program when they do so.
Get Festive
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Traditions are important – and Valentine’s Day truly qualifies as a tradition. So it’s only right that it’s celebrated as such. Besides, what’re traditions without decorations?
Even if your business doesn’t exactly sell Valentine’s Day-centric products, there’s no harm in partaking in the festivities. While we would prefer if you decked out your business with valentine paraphilia, in-store and online, you don’t have to completely cover your window display in red fairy lights, chocolates, and teddy bears. Subtly market the fact that you too, are celebrating the festival of love. Get with the spirit of the day and you’ll find your customer’s following suit. Minimal decoration, a few carefully placed candles, and little splashes of color here and there will work just as well.
In fact, if you can’t offer your customers romantic gifts to buy, why not just offer a two-for-one discount, or something similar that signifies love and union? Let your creativity shine with the festivity.
Put Your Best “Helpful” Foot Forward
If we’re being honest, a themed celebration or promotion can only go so far when it comes to boosting sales. The real kicker is great customer service. Your customer service representatives, salespeople, hosts, and marketers are the real people who can influence the flow of your business’s traffic. If your brand reps aren’t nice and friendly, regardless of how great your product is, the sales will take a nose dive.
So this Valentine’s Day, tell your people to put their best helpful foot forward. Send out personalized emails with the perfect gift guides to your loyal customers and have customized signage around your store, which helps make the buying decision a little easier for your customers – think of things like “Gifts for Him, The Perfect One for the One”. And of course, ensure that your staff is always on hand to offer a suggestion or two if need be. A tactful idea for what and why to buy works wonders with customers who are unsure of what to get for their loved ones.