After the holiday rush and New Year’s madness, there is occasionally a lull in retail, which is why it’s so important to warm up the winter with some sweet Valentine’s Day promotions. Consumers are looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones during this holiday, so be sure to market your shop accordingly to stand out from the rest of the retail world.
Take your cue from the Tipsy Elves
No one knows how to market for the holidays better than Shark Tank-legend Tipsy Elves. The store started their fun apparel line with Ugly Christmas Sweaters but now offer clothing for all holidays and special events, including Valentine’s Day gear. The company, founded by entrepreneurs Evan Mendelsohn and Nick Morton, is famous for its wacky designs, fun slogans and comfortable, high-quality clothing. Styles range from sweaters, to leggings, to onesies and everything in between.
True marketing gurus, Evan and Nick have spearheaded brand collaborations with movies such as The Night Before starring Seth Rogen, apps like Tinder, and products like Natural Light Beer and Foot Locker. The brand is also a celebrity cult favorite and has been spotted on the likes of Justin Timberlake, Pink, Nina Dobrev and more. Because of their key marketing moves and wide array of items, Tipsy Elves went from a small business to the big leagues, and is seen as a leader in holiday eCommerce.
Co-CEO Evan’s advice for Valentine’s Day promotions is simple: promote the right products, offer an incentive, and make it social. He says:
“There's a lot more variety when you shop online, which is important on Valentine's Day when a consumer is trying to get the perfect gift. Another benefit for shopping online for the consumer is that they can also take advantage of customer reviews to make sure the gift they are buying was liked by others.”
Let’s take a closer look at how to put Evan’s recommendations into action for your retail business this Valentine’s Day.
Sell more this Valentine’s Day with these 3 tips
Valentine’s Day is the holiday for lovers. Follow these tips to make your retail establishment this year’s go-to for sweet gifts.
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Promote the right products.
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Offer an incentive.
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Make it social.
Ready to dive into our Valentine’s Day tips? Let’s go!
1. Promote the right products
Since consumers are looking for gifts for their loved ones, and not products for themselves, it’s important to make sure your store is stocking the right merchandise. You can’t make a marketing strategy for a holiday where you have nothing relevant to sell.
“You need to offer the right products for gifting. There is a big difference between products that people want to buy for themselves versus products that people want to buy as a gift for someone else,” explains Evan. He continues:
“As an eCommerce business, you really need to think through these nuances and make sure you are curating an assortment of great gift-able items. Even having the additional option to gift wrap items is another plus for a shoppers on a holiday like Valentine’s.”
Be sure to feature items that make the perfect gift in a prominent place, like the homepage or a drop-down menu, so potential customers can easily find the gifts you sell. Having gifts easily accessible can help convert browsers into buyers.
2. Offer an incentive
Additionally, promoting a discount or special offer around the holiday will draw people to your site, and help persuade them to buy.
Timing is important. You want to give shoppers enough time to receive their product before the holiday.
“At Tipsy Elves, we have a fun collection of Valentine’s Day clothing items, so we’ll run clothing promotions a few weeks before the holiday,” says Evan. “Promoting this ahead of the holiday to give leeway time for shipping is key. We also offer free shipping on orders over $75, which is a promotion you can run all year round, or just for the holiday.”
Incentives such as a discount code or free shipping can be promoted on a number of channels, including email, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If each platform has a unique code, you can track what promotions are translating into sales.
One good option for crafting business-boosting emails is GoDaddy Email Marketing. It features a wide array of templates, each of which can be customized to match your brand, and easy-to-read analytics so you can see which promotions get the best response.
3. Make it social
Lastly, Evan advises retailers to promote items that are fun and unique to the holiday, which will help your business stand out as people are searching for Valentine’s Day gifts. Tipsy Elves takes Valentine’s Day promotions a step further with their anti-Vday items. Since not every consumer is in a relationship, some of their clothing features slogans that are funny and perfectly Instagram-able (Ex: “I’m Not Single, I Have a Cat”). In our social media-savvy world, having something unique for Valentine’s Day makes you — and ultimately your customer — stand out in a sea of pictures.
“We sell some really fun ‘single’s awareness’ products that are perfect for Single’s Day or ‘Galentine’s’ Day parties, which have become really popular over the past few years. People buy these as a gift to a friend or a gift to themselves, and often times post pictures on social media because they are so unique,” says Evan. “Marketing holiday-specific items means your emails and social posts will be timely and relevant.”
Having products unique to Valentine’s Day will catch a customer’s eye both while browsing online and browsing social media. As long as the products relate well to your target market, you’re sure to see your hard holiday work pay off.
The secret to Valentine’s Day promotions
Overall, it’s important to have a promotional strategy in place to take proper advantage of a holiday as an eCommerce business. Follow Tipsy Elves’ lead by marketing gift-able items, running sales or incentives, and featuring unique items that stand out on social media. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, be sure to implement these tips to make it your sweetest Valentine’s Day yet.
While you’re at it, check out this infographic to learn how make your customers fall in love with you this February 14th.
