Marketing tips for Valentine’s Day

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves for the next (big) little holiday – and it’s not just any holiday, but the most loving of them all. During Valentine’s Day, the Swede spends an average of SEK 500 on gifts, so it is truly a holiday that marketers must not miss. We share valuable Valentine’s Day marketing tips from which your business can take inspiration to shower customers with love – while maximizing your sales.

Encourage purchases with Valentine's Day offers via email

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, customers are often more willing to buy, but also more stressed. This means that simple choices, clear offers, and easily accessible inspiration often determine whether a purchase happens or not. That’s why channel selection is important, but the message and the offer are always the foundation.

First, we must remind our customers that this loving holiday is waiting around the corner. In addition to just wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day in a mailing, you can also take the opportunity to show a little extra appreciation. Include a valentines day offer to show them both gratitude and love. Explain to your customers what they mean to you and that this limited-time offer is a Valentine’s Day gift to them from you.

Speed up sales with Valentine's day sale

On Valentine’s Day, shopping for gifts in all different categories is popular, so it is a good idea to take advantage of a Valentine’s Day sale. People are already in a shopping mood or on the hunt for gifts, and special offers entice customers to shop even more. You, as a company, can either take the opportunity to sell some items that belong to last year’s assortment or have an offer on the things that sell the best at your place, during Valentine’s Day in particular.

Share the love with a friend through Referral marketing.

Love at its best is when you share it with someone. Invite your customers to recommend a product/service to loved ones in exchange for a discount check for both of you. It’s a neat win-win situation for both you as a company and them as customers. These referral offers can look different, but regardless of the arrangement, it is usually very much appreciated from both sides. You convert more customers and increase sales while, at the same time, customers get a personal offer to shop for.

Help your customers on their way - create a married guide.

Just like at all other holidays, it is easy to get stuck when it comes to gifts. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be because you don’t know what the person in question wants, but instead, maybe they have everything or didn’t want anything. As a marketer, you have a golden opportunity here, where you can recommend your best gift ideas to customers. Feel free to divide the tips into categories according to person, for example, for the boyfriend, for the mother, or the dog.

Give love to charity and build trust.

There is probably a charity close to your company’s heart. What could be better than giving love to this organization in the form of Valentine’s Day donation? In addition to the fact that it feels good in your heart and will most certainly be greatly appreciated by the recipient – at the same time, you build a strong trust in the company.

Use a safe card - offer digital gift cards.

Some gifts always go home. During Valentine’s Day, roses and chocolate are examples of such. Then we also have gift cards, which are one of their most appreciated gifts, regardless of the holiday. When you give someone a digital gift card, you also allow the recipient to buy something they want. In addition, the person in question does not even have to visit a physical store to use it. If you haven’t started using digital gift cards in Rule yet, contact us , and we’ll be happy to help you.

Communication ahead of Valentine’s Day is all about meeting customers where they are — sometimes with a quick nudge message, other times with a more inspiring experience. Here, we’ll walk you through how to use the two most effective channels: SMS and RCS.

SMS is fast, direct and perfect for last-minute engagement

SMS remains one of the most reliable channels when you need a message to be read instantly. Around Valentine’s Day, it becomes even more effective since many customers are looking for quick ideas, last-minute inspiration and easy ways to take action.

Here, the power lies in keeping it simple. A short SMS with a clear discount, a reminder about delivery times or a link to a small gift guide can be all it takes to nudge the customer into a quick decision.

You don’t need complicated wording. A warm line, a short phrase and a link is often enough:

“Share a little extra love today Explore our gift tips here.”

Or for a more time-sensitive message:

“Last chance to get your gift in time Order before 8 PM.”

SMS shines when you want immediate response — the channel you use when timing matters, when the customer needs a small push, or when you want to catch them right before they make a purchase decision.

RCS – when you want to create a richer experience

If SMS is the straightforward format, RCS is its more visual and immersive counterpart. What makes RCS especially powerful for Valentine’s Day is the ability to present an entire world of gift ideas directly in the customer’s messaging app.

Instead of a simple text link, you can showcase a carousel of gifts, buttons for different categories or even product cards with images and prices. Customers can browse, choose and move through a guided flow without ever leaving the message view. It creates a more modern, engaging experience — ideal for helping customers find the right gift quickly and effortlessly.

A Valentine’s flow in RCS might begin with:

“Find the perfect gift ”

…followed by buttons like “For her”, “For him” or “Under €30”. Once the customer taps, relevant recommendations appear instantly, and the path to purchase becomes very short. RCS essentially gives them a small shop inside the message thread — no extra clicks, no friction.

Use RCS when you want to inspire rather than just inform, when visuals matter, and when you want to guide the customer step by step toward a purchase.

Create a powerful self-love campaign

We must not forget to remind our customers to give love to the one who needs it the most – themselves. Whether single or not, you deserve to be showered with self-love. Why not send out a self-love message with a great offer or campaign where you remind your customers to appreciate themselves too? The times when Valentine’s Day is “the day of relationships” are now over. Instead, we make room for the individual and invite everyone to pamper themselves a little extra on this particular day.

Interact with your customers and create reach through your channels

There are many ways to market your Valentine’s Day campaign, and you, as a marketer, should embrace that. Make sure to interact with your customers on all your active platforms. Spread your Valentine’s Day campaign on your social channels and create engagement. It will increase your range significantly. Here are some tips on things you can do via your digital media which will create extra attention with your followers:

-Create a poll function

A great way to get your customers involved is by asking them to participate in something they can relate to, which is simply quick to join. Create a poll feature in your next mailing and ask your customers to vote on things like “what they would appreciate most to receive as a Valentine’s Day present,” followed by five different voting options.

-Treasure hunt with offers on your website

Something that is both incredibly fun and conversion-increasing is to do a treasure hunt on your website. In your Valentine’s Day mailing, you can tell your customers about the treasure hunt and that they should look for offers placed on the website during Valentine’s Day. Spread out, for example, 20 bonus checks in the form of hearts around your website that your customers will look for and then can shop for during the day.

-Do a contest with a Valentine's Day prize

Contests generally have a high level of engagement around them, and there are many ways to do them, either in an email or on social media. A variant is to create a competition a few days before, with a prize, for example, a Valentine’s Day package with a hotel for two. Another variation is to compete on Valentine’s Day, where you compete for a specific product or a gift card to give a little extra love to those who are “lonely” that day.

The possibilities of marketing are endless.

It is possible to find ways to increase your sales during this loving holiday. The only thing that stops the marketing possibilities is your imagination! Most importantly, you have laid out a strategy for Valentine’s Day well in advance and a clear goal with what you want to get out of your marketing during this holiday. Is it to build trust and increase brand awareness? Or is it to maximize sales and improve the customer base significantly?

Regardless of the goal, you must ensure you are working with the right tools and features to optimize your Valentine’s Day strategy in the best way. We hope you’ve gained some valuable tips for this loving holiday season ahead. In our Rule platform you will find all the features and tools you need to create a sustainable strategy and a seamless experience for your customers.

Need help getting started with your Valentine’s Day strategy? Contact us, and we will help you! Not already a Rule Customer? Become a ruler today!