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For many people, February 14th is a day when flowers need to be bought, cards need to be signed, and faces need to be kissed. For others, it’s a day when you reflect on how many hours until it’s over or where the Galentine’s Day brunch is being held. But no matter how you feel about the holiday of love, everybody likes to feel appreciated. As a business owner, you can show that same appreciation for your customers. How? Well, while chocolates and roses for everyone would be lovely, here are five practical ways to show the love to your customers this Valentine’s Day.
Say I Love You with a Discount
Everyone loves fresh flowers, but nothing says ‘thank you so much’ like a fresh discount code. Plan ahead, so you have plenty of time to create and implement your coupon. Decide how much of a discount you want to provide and create a unique message that lets customers know you appreciate them.
Utilize your email subscription list to send out your discount code or post on your website and social media so everyone can enjoy the benefit. If your company is service-based, offer a discount on bundled services or throw in a maintenance check for free.
Personalize a Thank You Note
Show your customers that you appreciate them with a personalized note. As the business owner, consider sending out thank you notes via an email subscription list or through the postal service. Adding a personal touch lets them get to know you better so consider including a picture of you and your staff or family. Got a pet? Even better! There’s a reason cat videos were the first content searched when YouTube became a thing. Pose with your furry family member and write a sincere message of thanks to your customers for supporting a small business owner.
Give yourself plenty of time to assemble and schedule your thank you messages, so you’re not caught scrambling on the big day.
Hold a Celebratory Contest
Celebrate Cupid’s big day by holding a contest on social media. Invite customers to participate to win a sweet prize. Make sure you provide clear details on how to participate, when you will notify the winner (be sure to celebrate that on your social media too), and what they win.
Your contest can take the shape of a random drawing, a popular vote, or multiple winners. Make sure it’s clear you’re holding the contest as a way to say ‘thank you’ to your customers for their loyalty and support. To build up your lead generation, invite everyone to participate via email or follow on social media. Don’t forget to follow up with the prize winner(s) to ensure they receive their gift.
Give Back to Your Community
In the spirit of love, decide on a charity or organization to donate items, money, or services to. Alert the community of your intentions and follow through with pictures of the event. Invite employees to participate if applicable so they can be a part of the excitement.
Showcase your intentions on your social media sites and commit to creating a potential tradition for many years to come. Not only does giving back to your community build faith in your business, but it also entices customers to shop with you, even if your prices are higher, because you are involved in your local community.
Sweeten Their Deal with Swag
Want to really spread the love? With good planning, you can set aside inventory to be given as a free swag gift for all orders placed on February 14th. Consider if you’d like a certain amount to be spent before the swag is included or if any purchase qualifies.
For service-based businesses, you can provide a small service free of charge as part of their scheduled service. For HVAC, perhaps a free furnace tune-up or air filter clean-up. Dental offices could offer a free whitening session (gotta look good for that date) or a free consultation if you run a law firm.
However you show the love, customers will appreciate the effort you put into celebrating them.
