Did you know that Valentine's Day is the third largest US holiday for consumer spending?
On this Hallmark holiday, consumers spend $23.9 billion yearly to purchase gifts for their loved ones, typically cards, flowers, chocolates, and jewelry.
And with 36% of people expecting their Valentine to spend at least $50 on a gift, it's clear that Valentine's Day is a serious opportunity to capture a slice of this pie. Think of it like Christmas 2.0.
Whether you have a love or hate relationship with this holiday, there's no denying Valentine's Day poses a lucrative opportunity to capitalize on consumer spending.
From understanding your target audience to choosing the right platform to share your video, there are many key factors to consider when planning a successful Valentine's Day video marketing campaign.
In this guide, we'll share seven things you should remember when planning your Valentine's Day video marketing strategy to ensure your brand makes a lasting impression.
Are you ready to learn more?
Let's dive in.
1. Hold a creative brainstorming session
Brainstorming sessions are a key step in improving the success rate of your Valentine's Day video marketing strategy.
These sessions allow you and your team to generate ideas and creative concepts and collaborate on the best approach to communicating your message. Google uses the 20% rule, which encourages employees to dedicate 20% of their day to creativity and innovation.
It's important to set clear objectives, invite diverse participants, and provide a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere to optimize the output of your brainstorming.
Encourage open communication and actively listen to all ideas, even if they seem unconventional. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible, so don't be afraid to think outside the box.
Establish a facilitator to guide the discussion and ensure everyone has a chance to contribute. Many companies use Robert's Rules of Order, a strategy to help make meetings more efficient and maintain an organized structure.
This meeting strategy is ideal for brainstorming because it focuses on documentation during the meeting. When the meeting is over, you can easily share information with all team members without running the risk of losing focus or interrupting the idea flow.
After the session, evaluate all of the ideas and concepts and select the most promising ones to develop further into a unique and effective Valentine's Day video marketing strategy.
2. Tell a story
Telling a story is a powerful way to drive sales and boost brand awareness, regardless of your product or service.
The power of storytelling lies in its ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level and create a deeper connection with the brand.
One example of a brand that has successfully used the power of storytelling in its Valentine's Day video marketing is Tiffany & Co.
In their ad campaign, "Will You?" the brand tells the story of a young woman who receives a Tiffany ring from her partner and the emotional journey that leads to her saying yes. The ad features stunning visuals, and a romantic soundtrack, creating an emotional and memorable experience for viewers.
The video went viral on social media, which helped drive sales for the brand during the Valentine's Day season.
Take a page from Tiffany's book and consider incorporating storytelling techniques to drive sales and boost brand awareness when creating a video marketing strategy for Valentine's Day.
Remember to use relatable characters, a clear plot, and a compelling message that resonates with your target audience.
3. Sprinkle in some humor
Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity for a marketing boost for brands that sell products associated with romance, sex, and love.
Since videos are considered the most viral media product on social networks, video marketing should be an integral part of the overall marketing campaign for Valentine's Day.
However, note that some sensitive products are uncomfortable for all consumers to discuss publicly. So it's critical that companies, such as those selling Viagra online, add maximum value to their video ads, be it empathetic, educational, or humorous.
Hims does an excellent job adding a funny twist to their recent ad about men's health by hiring It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor Kaitlin Olson and a knocked-off husband (who also stars on the show).
It's an excellent spin on a sensitive topic by using the right amount of humor without going overboard.
If this approach is too risqué for your brand, you can always use puns to your advantage to connect your business to Valentine's Day and engage your audience.
For instance, Matchr, a B2B company that connects organizations' HR needs with software providers, can leverage puns related to Valentine's Day, such as match, engage, and their brand name to produce inventive Valentine's Day videos.
Who doesn't love a good pun?
4. Draw on the power of emotion
On average, 9 million marriage proposals happen annually on Valentine's Day. Talk about a popular day to pop the question.
Proposals are one of the most emotional times in your life and maybe one of the most important questions you'll ask (or answer). And watching engagements in person or scrolling on TikTok, it's hard not to smile and hit the share button to spread serotonin.
So why not tap into this power of emotion?
Video content with value, appeal, and emotion can excite people like no other medium can, making viral marketing videos the best modern advertising.
This compilation of heart-melting proposals has amassed over 10 million views on YouTube in one year.
Of course, you can't compile TikToks and call it a day. The idea here is to use the power of emotion to draw in your viewers. Then, offer complementary products or services, such as engagement ring insurance, to tie it all together and drive sales.
Building solid video marketing content around this date and the emotions that come along with it can help your business attract more customers.
5. Design eye-catching thumbnails
Investing time and effort into creating an eye-catching thumbnail can significantly improve the performance of your video marketing campaign.
A thumbnail is a small image representing your video and is often the first thing people see when browsing through search results or a social feed. It's the main reason people decide to click on a video, so it's crucial to ensure that it's visually appealing and relevant to its content.
According to YouTube, 90% of top-performing videos have custom thumbnails. And these videos also have higher click-through rates than videos with default thumbnails.
When designing a thumbnail for your Valentine's Day video, consider the following tips:
- Add AI enhanced images relevant to the video's content.
- Use contrasting colors to make the thumbnail stand out.
- Include text that communicates the video's main message and call to action.
- Make sure the thumbnail is consistent with your brand's visual identity.
By designing an eye-catching thumbnail, you can increase the chances of people clicking on your video and, ultimately, drive more sales and boost brand awareness.
6. Partner with local businesses
Consider making a video that shows your company has partnered with a local courier service company to help deliver your goods as quickly as possible.
According to recent research, customers prefer fast and free shipping, with 73% of consumers preferring to buy online items with free shipping. And this is an ideal strategy for Valentine's Gifts with a relatively short shelf life (i.e., flowers and chocolate).
Social media platforms are also great tools when partnering with local businesses for holiday videos. You can increase visibility and reach a larger audience by tagging and mentioning each other in posts.
Let's say you have a shop selling flowers in Fort Lauderdale and plan to open a short-term pop-up store near the town square. You're planning to also sell other local products like honey, homemade cards, and candles.
You can share videos with a sneak peek of the event to engage the customers in your area and tag the other local vendors. These vendors can then share the video with their audience and boost your reach across local search. It's a win-win for all parties.
7. Create short-form video content
Making a Valentine's Day video promo for your business is an excellent way to boost your social media traffic.
Why?
TikTok has seen a surge in popularity for Valentine's Day, with over 6.6 billion video views for this holiday. Users flock to the platform to share their plans, create beautiful moments, and spread love.
From Valentine's vlogs to gifts of all shapes and sizes, the platform offers a wide variety of content.
Some popular hashtags from previous years include the following:
- #formyvalentine - 3.1 billion views
- #valentine - 2.5 billion views
- #valentinegift - 36.6 million views
Online retailers should be excited that 74% of TikTok users intend to do their Valentine's Day gift shopping online.
TikTok users also have big plans for pampering their loved ones with staycations, luxury items such as cars, jewelry, watches, handbags, and the latest tech.
Compared to the average social media user, TikTok users have a greater intention to buy in every one of these categories.
So if your brand sells products or services in these categories, short-form videos should be at the top of your Valentine's Day video marketing strategy.
And making short-form videos is easier than ever with BIGVU AI technology.
Wrapping up
Win the hearts of new customers this Valentine's Day by doubling down on your video marketing strategy.
You can create a successful video marketing campaign that resonates with your audience by making sure that your video has value, appeal, and proper timing. Don't underestimate the power of storytelling or drawing on the emotional side of the holiday.
And when in doubt, humor is always an excellent way to increase the chances of virality.
It's important to stand out and be creative but stay true to your brand identity. Are you ready to make a lasting impression on your audience and drive results for your brand this Valentine's Day?
Stay ahead of the game and start recording today!
About the author
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is also the co-founder and CEO of Content Solutions, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
