Customer spending on Valentine’s Day in 2021 amounted to $21.8 billion, according to the National Retail Federation, and more than a third of consumers made their purchases for the season online through ecommerce stores. Spending is expected to soar again this year with younger millennials in the 23-29 age bracket expected to be the ones to splurge the most for the occasion. Research also shows that men spend more on Valentine’s Day presents compared to women in the US. Men spent an average of $153.65 on gifts compared to women who spent an average of $77.89.
With these promising figures in mind, advertisers should definitely be thinking of more innovative ways to push their Valentine’s Day offers to customers who are looking for the perfect gift to celebrate the occasion with their loved ones. Here’s a list of the most creative and best marketing ideas we can find to help you get your campaigns started:

1. Create special Valentine's Day offers

Customers would most definitely be on the lookout for special discounts, free shipping, and other promotions. Create excitement and encourage customers to shop through markdowns or sale offers. Many popular brands offer free gifts when a customer spends a minimum amount on their store.

2. Send personalized emails

Email marketing is an effective way to reach your customers at varying stages of the customer journey. When you have your Valentine’s offers ready, use personalized emails to target customers with relevant offers and messaging.

2. Send personalized emails

Email marketing is an effective way to reach your customers at varying stages of the customer journey. When you have your Valentine’s offers ready, use personalized emails to target customers with relevant offers and messaging.

2. Send personalized emails

Email marketing is an effective way to reach your customers at varying stages of the customer journey. When you have your Valentine’s offers ready, use personalized emails to target customers with relevant offers and messaging.

2. Send personalized emails

Email marketing is an effective way to reach your customers at varying stages of the customer journey. When you have your Valentine’s offers ready, use personalized emails to target customers with relevant offers and messaging.

3. Offer gift cards

Give customers the ability to purchase gift cards for their loved ones, especially if they’re shopping for gifts at the last minute. You can have these cards designed especially for the occasion and make sure you offer the best deals with your cards.

4. Use localized ads

Target local customers with ads on social media and other local platforms. Investing a small portion of your ad spend for Valentine’s Day will definitely offer good returns, especially if your ads reach customers in the closest proximity to your business.

5. Run social media contests

Social media contests are easy to do and cost you close to nothing. Ask customers to share their Valentine's Day stories, photos, and videos for a chance to win prizes.

6. Connect with influencers

Reach out to influencers to promote your ecommerce store, products, and special offers for Valentine’s Day. Connecting with influencers is now easier than ever through several online platforms such as Shoplooks.com.

7. Offer a dinner treat

Restaurant and hotel reservations peak during Valentine’s Day, so why not offer to treat a couple to a nice date? Raffle off a Valentine’s Dinner, hotel stay, or tickets to movies or entertainment to your followers, based on the size of their purchase at your ecommerce store.

8. Create a Valentine's Day landing page

Capture the attention of your customers by creating a Valentine's Day-themed landing page on your website, where you can showcase your best and special offers.

9. Create special Valentine's Day packaging

Customers shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts would be delighted to know that their purchases will be in special packaging. Make your products stand out by giving the customers this option. You can also even offer free gift-wrapping for Valentine’s purchases.

10. Sponsor a Valentine's Day event

Ecommerce stores can benefit from offline marketing activities and Valentine’s Day would be one sure way to boost awareness of your brand. Sponsor a local Valentine's Day event to get your brand name out there. As an example, you can sponsor a Fun Run or any type of event that both singles, couples, and even families can enjoy.

11. Celebrate the singles

While Valentine’s Day is mostly a celebration for couples, don’t miss out on the opportunity to market to singles as well. In fact, this would be the perfect time to push your special discount offers to shoppers especially with products related to self-care and self-improvement.

12. Offer free delivery

Shipping costs can sometimes be a hindrance for many shoppers looking for gifts online to finalize their purchases. Offer free delivery on orders over a certain amount on Valentine's Day and minimize those abandoned carts.

13. Target last-minute shoppers

For customers who might be too busy to spend a lot of time searching for and picking a Valentine’s present, make their life so much easier with last-minute offers. Don’t forget to post marketing copy on your social media channels to encourage shoppers to enjoy the deals you are offering.

14. Create Valentine's Day-themed content

At the very bottom of the funnel, our team typically makes use of affiliates for retargeting and finally converting customers who may just need a little push to make a final decision. We offer coupons, loyalty benefits, and more similar offers to finally Convert interested customers into buyers.

15. Send some Valentine’s love

Send your customers a Valentine’s card along with freebies, a gift card, or any of your special offers. This way, your promotions are more personalized and would make the shoppers feel special on the day, whether they are single or not.

16. Promote love all around

Valentine’s can be a celebration of love in general so worry not even if your products aren’t specifically for gifting, say pet supplies or hardware. There is always more than one way to say “I love you” and more than just a significant other to say it to.

17. Design special-edition items

Some brands have released special editions to commemorate a special occasion like Valentine’s Day. This would help create a sense of urgency and customers will be encouraged to buy the product ASAP. You can glow up a few of your bestselling items and create a Valentine’s-themed version.

18. Create a Valentine's Day hashtag

Create a hashtag to promote your products and engage with customers. This would require some thought and creativity but when you think of the right one, you’ll know! Make sure to use this hashtag on all your Valentine’s related posts and encourage your followers to do the same.

19. Create a Valentine's Day gift guide

Gift shopping, especially for Valentine’s, is serious business. Customers are always looking for items that are on-trend and at the same time suitable for their budgets and personal situation. A series of specific gift guides (for example, gifts under $50 or best gifts for your girlfriend) can be of invaluable help to your customers. They can also be effective tools for conversion.

20. Use user-generated content

Feature content from your users in exchange for special discounts or free gifts. It could be a video or their love story. Compile user-generated content into one blog post or video and share with your followers to promote brand engagement.

21. Utilize retargeting campaigns

Reach out to customers who have visited your site previously to remind them about your products.

22. Ask for reviews

With love in the air, it would also be a perfect time to ask for some love from your loyal customers. Reach out to your followers and ask them to leave a review. Customers are more than happy to share their experiences with businesses if you know how to ask for feedback.

23. Make a tutorial

If it fits your business, you can do video tutorials centered on the Valentine’s theme. For example, show your followers great card-making ideas or educate them about flower bouquets or party decorations. Find opportunities to promote your site or products within the video content.

24. Collaborate with other business

Here’s another ingenious idea: This Valentine’s find your perfect business match and work on a campaign together. For example, you can offer gift baskets or bundle deals that mix your products together. A successful tie-up would widen your exposure because you’re tapping each other’s respective communities.

25. Display your delivery dates

Having their gifts delivered on time would be extremely important to Valentine’s Day shoppers. When they see right away that it’s possible to have their gifts sent to them on or before Valentine’s Day, customers are more likely to make a purchase.
Between gift shopping and planning the perfect date, Valentine’s Day is quite a busy time for many people. Make your brand stand out with these great ecommerce marketing ideas above. Which ones work best for you?
As a professional marketing agency, you can also rely on PartnerForward to take your marketing ideas to the next level. Contact us today and we can work together to activate campaigns. Gain wider exposure through affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, and your preferred mix of marketing strategies with the help of our team!