The title may have thrown you “how to make your customers feel loved on Valentine’s Day”. You may be wondering, is that my role? Isn’t that a silly ploy customers will simply label as ‘commercialism’ at work? Well, let’s explore it briefly.
As a business, you aim to supply your customers with products they need (or want). A major part of achieving that objective is creating value. More than just a one-time sale or a single item, you want your customers to return repeatedly. There’s a term for that—customer loyalty. It’s what every business desires.
Customer loyalty develops from the value you create. It is impacted by the features, benefits and performance of your product or service, but closely linked to those is the shopping experience. Whether online or in-person, customers return to where they feel valued. So, as a business owner, it’s important that your customers know you value their service, and what better time to express that than on Valentine’s Day? We’re not talking about attacking them with holiday promotions that only serve you.
Instead, aim higher. You can make your customers feel ‘loved’ this Valentine’s Day, and we have five neat tricks that just may work. This Valentine’s Day, you’ll have fun practising customer care. Let’s get started.
Valentine’s Day Discount
There are different ways to do this, and customers will appreciate any you choose because we all enjoy receiving an unexpected treat, especially if it involves saving money. If your store is a brick-and-mortar, you can offer every 14th customer a 14% discount. Alternatively, you can ‘share the love’ by extending the discount or another, such as $14 off on selected items to all customers. If online, you could run a promotion offering a discount on your first 14 orders of the day.
Social Media Shout-out
You can use your social media platform to spread a little love. Here’s an idea: why not highlight 14 of your most loyal customers on your platforms? You can thank them for their loyalty to your brand. The great thing about this idea is that it can be twofold. It’s likely to expand your brand’s visibility and generate interest in your product or service—and there’s nothing wrong with that!
A Valentine-inspired Competition
Once again, you can take to your various social media platforms and launch a Valentine’s Day trivia competition. You can engage participants by quizzing them about your product or service. Their prize can be appropriately based on the holiday.
Special Offers
Although couples are often the focus of Valentine’s Day, you can create special offers for couples and singles. Have couples shop together to access deals such as ‘two for the price of one”, “buy two, take one’, etc. For singles, you can take a page out of the American fast food franchise Burger King’s book and have singles with photos of their ex-partner qualify for a deal. If that’s too risky, forgo the photo and give them the “[your business name] loves you” special. The most important thing is to make it fun. Customers will be thrilled to experience something out of the ordinary.
A Token
Everyone loves receiving a gift, no matter how small, so why not include a small token of appreciation with customers’ purchases? Many businesses forget to express their gratitude to customers or assume the faded “thank you for your purchase” on the receipt is sufficient. Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to show your customers you care beyond the transaction in a small but tangible way. In return, you’ll likely get a return customer and free marketing (they’ll tell everyone they know).
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Whether personal or business, all relationships are the same. We want to feel valued, and extending the same is the bedrock of a strong and lasting relationship. Your customers will appreciate the effort, sincerity, and innovation you put into showing you value them. That’s how you can make your customers feel loved this Valentine’s Day!