Every February 14th, Valentine’s Day rears its heart-eyed little head. Although originating as a Christian feast honoring Saint Valentine — said to have been put to death on that date by a Roman emperor in the 3rd century CE — today, Valentine’s Day is a thoroughly secular affair, and it’s one that drives major commercial activity.
According to data sourced from Statista, American spending alone is estimated to be around $27.5 billion for Valentine’s Day, 2025. That’s nearly double the amount of overall spending that takes place around other holidays, like Halloween or the 4th of July.
Those dollars are why marketers are keenly interested in this romantic holiday. If you’re hoping to use Valentine’s Day as a vehicle to promote brands, products, or services, you are in the right place right now. Spread the love with these Valentine’s Day marketing strategies.
6 Proven Strategies to Grow Your Valentine’s Sales
Each of these approaches to marketing can be effective when used around Valentine’s Day, but of course, not every strategy is appropriate for every service or product, so make sure to choose an approach that will feel organic to your brand.
1. Product Packages
What’s better than a pound of great coffee? A pound of coffee with a box of chocolate. What’s better than a bottle of wine? A bottle of wine that comes with a pair of glasses (and chocolate). And so on. “One of the most successful business strategies involves combining select products for special Valentine’s Day promotions,” confirms Tracie Crites, chief marketing officer at Heavy Equipment Appraisal. “Customers buy additional items when stores present goods together, such as chocolates with flowers alongside Valentine’s Day package offers.”
2. Limited Time Offers
Take advantage of the fact that Valentine’s Day comes and goes in your marketing plans. “One of the strategies I’ve successfully implemented is the ‘Secret Admirer’ Limited-Time Offer,” says Veruska Anconitano, international expansion consultant and founder of Iamveru.com. “Customers may receive a mystery discount, but only after committing to purchase, for example. Add a 24- to 48-hour deadline and an anonymous gifting option to create a fun, interactive experience. This works on multiple levels: A ticking clock drives impulse buys and at the same time, the mystery discount makes shopping thrilling.”
3. User-Generated Content
“User-generated content (or UGC) is a proven, but commonly neglected, Valentine sales growth strategy,” says Felix Johnson, senior content editor and strategist with Adilo. “Businesses can encourage users to create and share Valentine’s Day-themed videos, with prizes for the most liked or engaged videos. They can also partner with influencers and content creators to amplify their Valentine’s Day-theme videos. For the best results, I recommend curating the best UGC videos into a special Valentine’s Day playlist on the website homepage and promoting it to users. Adilo saw a significant 45% increase in user engagement and 13% new user sign-ups when it implemented this strategy.”
4. Personalization
“Personalization stands as one of the central marketing trends for Valentine’s Day,” says Crites. “The feelings of uniqueness matter to customers, which makes personalized marketing messages, along with customizable products, successful strategies.” Think of it this way: A mug is just a mug until it has images and personal quotes, messages, or names. It’s the same story with everything from customized cutting boards or custom wall art, to pillows printed with pictures and more.
5. Storytelling
“Valentine’s Day marketing should focus on emotion-driven campaigns,” says Muhammad Ummar Rashid, SEO specialist with Digital Willow. “Avoid generic messaging, and instead focus on storytelling that resonates with different audiences — singles, couples, and even self-care shoppers. A well-timed, multi-channel approach across social, email, and PPC can drive significant seasonal sales.” Remember, though, that storytelling in marketing tends to take a less direct approach — a Valentine’s Day ad for a jewelry company may feature a happy couple sharing a private moment without ever even showing a ring or bracelet, but viewers will come to associate the happy feeling they experienced during the spot with the brand behind it.
6. Thinking Beyond Couples
“Want to know what to avoid? Ignoring singles!” advises Sophie Musemeci, CEO and founder of Real Entrepreneur Women. “Valentine’s marketing shouldn’t be just about couples. Solo celebrations, Galentine’s, and self-love trends are huge. A ‘Treat Yourself’ or ‘Love Yourself First’ campaign can capture a wider audience and boost inclusivity.” Adding to that, Brian Lim, CEO and founder of Into the AM, says that, “Current trends center on inclusivity. Focus on initiatives that embrace diverse relationships like LGBTQ+ friendships or even self-love. Encourage spending for ‘Galentine’s Day’ or for products that cater to solo shoppers with empowering themes.”
Popular Trends for Marketers To Follow for Valentine’s Day
Be Creative
The most successful Valentine’s Day marketing initiatives are going to be creative. You want people to laugh, to feel touched, and to feel connected, and these sensations are best elicited through creative approaches. That might include an unexpected partnership between an influencer and a brand, clever product placements, mini movies that tell stories, or any approach that truly catches the interest of your potential clientele. Companies like Taboola are able to help brands with this, creating campaigns that feel organic and engaging.
Target Your People
It’s important to engage in proper audience segmentation practices when you’re creating marketing initiatives around Valentine’s Day. The same ad just isn’t going to appeal to adults in their 60s as it is to college students or teens. You need to conduct proper research on your potential customers and consider differentiating marketing initiatives based on gender, on interest, on location, on economics, and other factors.
Optimize Your Efforts
When it comes to search-based marketing — and to some extent when it comes to social media posts and general online advertising — it is essential that you optimize your content. When your marketing content is optimized, but still reads as organic, authentic, and approachable, you will maximize your return on investment.
A Few More Ideas for Valentine’s Day Marketing
Go with the Him and Her
It’s stereotyping things, but generally speaking, men and women tend to have different interests, so go ahead and differentiate your marketing approach, leaning into more traditionally feminine colors and imagery for some products, while leaning away from the more traditional pink and red Valentines decor of it all when marketing to men around the holiday. You can curate gift collections based on gender as well.
Hop on the Galentine’s Bandwagon
Galentine’s Day is usually celebrated on February 13th. Emerging after being comically written into the show Parks and Recreation, the day celebrates friendships between women, and is popular among friend groups and on social media. You can definitely put it to use in marketing, especially with stereotypical gift ideas like wine, chocolate, clothing, and more. (And don’t forget the “bromance,” either.)
Lean Into the Love
Love is about much more than romantic connection — it’s about human connection in general, or even about a human’s bond with an animal. There are many different ways to create feel-good advertising that can lean on romance, on familial love, or on the fuzzy feeling we get thanks to our pets. Advertisers can use emotion to drive conversions.
Let them Opt Out
It might sound ironic, but one of the best ways to get customer loyalty and to have them feel good about your brand is to leave them alone, and that can be especially true around Valentine’s Day, a holiday that makes some people feel uncomfortable for various reasons. By proactively offering your customer a way to opt out of getting promotional emails tied to Valentine’s Day, you may just win their hearts and minds instead of accidentally pushing them away.
Relevant Case Studies for Successful Valentine’s Day Marketing
Vivara Jewelery Chain
Vivara, the largest jewelry chain in Brazil, together with Media.Monks, a marketing agency which works with brands to achieve their business objectives, leveraged ad technology that automatically customizes ad creatives for users who’ve already visited and engaged with a brand’s website, driving increased clicks and conversions. Vivara and Media.Monks achieved an increase in ROAS of 21% and an 18% higher CTR (second highest) than the other channels among Vivara’s mix of advertising platforms. Get the full case study here.
Bedrop Cosmetics & Beauty products
Bedrop advertises beyond Search and Social to tap into new audiences not available on these platforms through high quality storytelling that match editorial content on publishers’ sites, supported by managed service specialized in D2C and customize the creatives most suited for their audience. This family start-up increase website sessions by 33%, order volumes by 67% and revenue by 77% – all with a ROAS of up to 50%. Get the full case study here.
AVVA Men’s Clothing Manufacturer/Seller
AVVA is a men’s clothing manufacturer and seller, increases new users and e-commerce sales by 75% by diversifying ad channels. Get the full case study here.
Cornerstone Razor Blades & Men Shaving Supplies
This razor service expanded their channel strategy to reach new audiences to generate quality leads at their target CPA. From 5,000 members, they reached about 110,000 members – a 2,100% increase. Get the full case study here.
Key Takeaways
For Valentine’s Day, marketing welcomes the use of emotion, storytelling, humor, and a general sense of human connection in ways that other holidays and events can’t match. Your advertising initiatives will be the most successful when they appeal to the heart, when they inspire, and when they leave potential customers with fond feelings for a brand.
Use the timely nature of the holiday to your advantage, running promotions and deals on a limited-time basis, and offer incentives like “buy one, get one,” or other such offers to entice clientele. Also, remember that package deals, curated product pairings, and co-branding can be especially effective during Valentine’s Day, as can partnerships with other companies. Witness the Uber Eats and Möet campaign listed above as evidence of this.
FInally, remember that personalization and customization options do wonders for sales around Valentine’s Day, so offer these options if possible.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What sells the most during Valentine’s Day?
Not surprisingly, candy is the best seller when it comes to Valentine’s Day, with an estimated 56% of Americans buying candy on or near the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. Flowers follow at 40%, which is tied with greeting cards. A dinner out stands at 35%, while jewelry comes in at 22%.
What is the best love line for a header?
When looking for a great header to your Valentine’s Day marketing email, social media post, billboard advert, or other, consider playing off the classics, like “Roses are red, violets are blue…” or, “If music be the food of love…” or, “All you need is love.” These are all good jumping off points. Think: ”All you need is love. And chocolate.”
What are the best channels to market Valentine’s Day?
Social media is definitely the most cost-effective way for marketers to seek impressions around Valentine’s Day. Email, search, and paid ads are also effective online advertising tools that can be used in relation to the holiday. Customers may also be more open to direct mail or email during Valentine’s Day, especially if good offers are contained therein.
