Have you seen the ads yet? You know, the valentines day promos for restaurants, flower services, hotels, etc? Unless you’re living in a cave, I bet you have.

There’s a reason for that. And, it’s because such promos work really great when done right.

People want to buy. But often, they need a reason to buy now. So when those businesses have special deals just for a specific day, they are giving people the reason needed to act now. I’m usually against the concept of discounting your products and services (and discounting is not the only way to do promos) but no one can argue with the fact that a well-placed discount will definitely convert a complete stranger to an actual customer or client.

That got me thinking, can other businesses also profit from Valentine’s day? Can they have special offers or deals just for the day? Is it possible to use that special occasion to boost their revenue and acquire new clients?

The answer to all of these is a loud and clear YES. I believe that most businesses, no matter how unromantic, or boring can use Valentines day promos and deals to increase their profit.

Let me explain.

See, people don’t always need a truly valid reason to act. They just need a reason, and it’s better when it’s somewhat relevant. The relevance has nothing to do with the actual product or service that you sell, you can spin that to make it relevant. The relevance I’m talking about here is the relevance in terms of timing.

It’s the 14th of February, any type of Valentine’s day deal becomes automatically relevant.

Does it apply to a design agency or designer? Sure, the agency can promote a special offer for all existing clients to create their Valentines day artworks, social media posts, emails. I know it’s pretty meta. The agency can even use this promo to win new clients. Of course, they may want to run the promos before the 14th to get maximum results.

This very type of promotion can be used by people in the printing business, photographers or illustrators. Just give a deal to create amazing artwork, and you’ll see people who’ve been on the edge make the jump, and purchase your services.

Hmmm, what about an IT maintenance service provider? That’s pretty unromantic, right? Well, they can still benefit. Here’s what I’d do. I’d run a promo along the following lines: “IT Managers, are you spending enough time with your spouse? It’s Valentine’s day. She deserves a date. Learn how you can take a day off without worrying about your IT Systems.” Then in that piece, I’d talk about IT Managers being overworked and unable to spend time with their loved ones. Finally, I’d offer a special deal for people who sign up for the maintenance service.

Wait, this even applies for plumbers. You can’t get more unromantic than a guy fixing broken pipes in someone else’s house. Yet, even our dear plumber can use this special day to profit and put more money in his pockets. Let’s say you get in the office, and you see an email from your plumber with the following subject line: “While you’re out on your Valentine’s dinner, let me install that new shower system you’ve been dreaming of.” Would you open that email? See the magic of this type of promo is that even if you weren’t thinking about a new shower system, now you are thinking about it.

And if the deal is good enough, I bet you’d pick up the phone and call the plumber. And since he can only offer this deal to one person, this creates an instant scarcity factor, will you be the first to book his services? This works even better if he’s the same guy selling the new shower system. Double profits! The key, in this case, would be for him to send that email to all past clients. (Luckily, he’s been wise enough to collect the name and email addresses of everyone he’s worked with. Are you collecting your customers’ data?)

Wait, there’s more. If I were this plumber, I’d go even further with the deal, I’d include a bonus. The bonus would be that I’m going to setup the bath, and prepare the room with candles and flowers so that when you get back from your dinner, you can spend some nice time with your partner in a dreamy bath. Heck, if the price is right, I’d even throw in a bottle of bubbly in the mix.

This works even if you’re an accountant, financial planner, lawyer or any other type of business. I could go on with an example of each, but I think you get the point. And, if you want me to throw some ideas for your specific business, just let me know in the comments.

Okay, now it’s your turn. Let’s create a promo for your business. First, we need to start with your ideal clients? Who are they, how can they benefit from this amorous day? Brainstorm a few ideas. This works best if you have a friend or employee who can help you come up with ideas. At this stage, any idea is good, just keep it coming.

Next, based on feasibility pick the best idea, and build on it. What can you add without affecting your profit? If you sell a Rs 10,000 service, giving something worth Rs 500 to secure the sale should not really affect your margins.

Now craft your messaging campaign. You’ll need two campaigns. One for your existing clients database, and another one for prospects. You really don’t want to talk to them the same way. One is a stranger, the other one knows you. Start your message with the biggest benefit and tie it back to Valentine’s day to make it relevant as we saw earlier.

Finally email all your existing clients, and prospects. You’ve been collecting their email addresses, right? (If not, you and I need to sit down and have a serious talk ) Actually, even if you don’t have their email address, you can use social media to get your message out there. Personally, I’d advise using Facebook/Instagram ads if your prospects are on Facebook or Insta. But on a side note, you really need to start collecting email addresses of prospects. The best way to do that is on your website, GWS can probably help you with that if you need. Just use the chat-box below to reach out.

Okay, emailed every one? Social media campaign done? Now, we wait. If you’ve done a good job with your messaging and your offer (and if you’ve reached enough people), you should see replies and orders pretty soon. Remember marketing is ultimately a numbers game, the more people you reach, the more people will take action.

Did you know that Valentine’s day is just one of the many days you can use to boost your revenue? There are many more other days that you can use. And we can create strategies for each specific instance. If you want our help in creating massively successful campaigns, use the chat box below to get in touch.