Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.
And it’s the PERFECT excuse to come up with an offer you can email your list about.
…or just do something to make them feel special.
If I had a brand, I’d probably write handwritten notes to a handful of top customers just to say thank you (and maybe treat them to something unexpected).
But wouldn’t it be amazing if you had some Valentine’s Day campaign examples to inspire you?
I thought it might…
So let’s get into 14 ideas your customers will love.
(And by the way, if you want a holiday calendar template for the entire here, you can grab it here.)
1. Showcase the products you already have
This example from Fly by Jing looks fancy, but I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…
The only thing they did to make this email fit the Valentine’s Day theme is position products they already had.
The envelope with their products inside on top of language like, “Do they love you more than food?” and “A friendly reminder for your loved ones to season their food,” makes it really clear this is for Valentine’s Day.
But when you actually click on the buttons (I’m obsessed with the one that says Season(ings) of love), they bring you to product pages and the entire collection of products.
Which proves you don’t have to do anything over the top to stand out. You really can use the products you already have and use a playful, on-theme message to get sales and encourage your subscribers to buy your products as gifts.
2. Try a giveaway (with other brands or on your own)
VINEBOX partnered with 5 other brands to launch a Galentine’s Day giveaway their customers would love.
Giveaways are an amazing way to build your email list because they give your brand exposure with a totally new audience. And you’ll get access to the entire list of people who sign up.
But if you’re not sure who to reach out to, you could always launch something similar on your own.
Give away a certain best-selling product (it would also be awesome if it was a one-of-a-kind product) by asking your Instagram followers to tag 3 friends (so they get introduced to your brand), follow your brand, and add your post to their story to be entered to win.
This won’t get you access to a brand new audience, but if enough people participate, a pretty large group of people could potentially be seeing your products and get introduced to your brand.
So test out a giveaway! And get creative if you’re not sure who to reach out to to get a full blown giveaway off the ground. Remember: there’s nothing wrong with starting small.
3. Encourage a subscription
I’m obsessed with the Muddy Bites products and their emails.
And their Valentine’s Day messaging was no exception.
I looooove that they used a visual and said “This could be your mailbox.”
The fact that they walk you through the process step by step is also genius (imagine how many customer support tickets they probably would’ve received otherwise).
It is SO simple. But really effective and an awesome way to position your product as the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for the people in your life.
And honestly, even if you don’t have a subscription-based product, you could still run this exact play. Take a picture of your product in your mailbox, and make it feel like the perfect gift for your subscribers.
The easier you can make the decision for them, the better.
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4. Tie sales in with a mission
I don’t know about you, but if the choice is between two brands that have really similar products and one gives back and the other doesn’t, I’m going with the charitable option every single time.
Which is what makes this underbares messaging so amazing.
Donating a bra to a charitable organization for every order placed from February 1st through 14th shows how dedicated they really are to putting mission first.
So even if you didn’t necessarily need any of their products now, this might push you over the edge. And if you don’t end up buying, you’ll definitely remember that as a brand, they care about giving back.
Even if you don’t give back throughout the whole year, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to lean into it. And make sure you follow up with your subscribers! A note like, “Because of you, we were able to donate X to X organization…” gives you another reason to reach out and share something awesome.
5. Remove friction and make it a no-brainer purchase
Snif is reinventing the perfume industry. So they let you try their products before you pay a dime.
And usually the trial period is 7 days from the delivery date. But as part of their Valentine’s Day campaign, they’re extending it through 2/21. Which could potentially give you an extra couple weeks with the products.
So while their business model is pretty unique and this might not be something that makes sense for you to offer, it’s really just about getting creative and understanding what matters for your customers.
It could be as simple as extending the warranty of your product or the returns window. Free 2-day shipping as Valentine’s Day gets closer.
For Snif, if you’re thinking about trying them, this offer is seriously a no-brainer. What does that look like for your brand?
6. Create a themed bundle with products you already have
WithCo created a date night bundle in a box.
And everything that’s included is part of their normal product lineup. So this is something you could easily do with products that pair well together.
Take your best-sellers and create a bundle at a discounted price. It’s a really low lift way to do something for Valentine’s Day without feeling like you don’t know where to start.
Add in some fun product photos that feel holiday-themed and BAM! You’re ready.
Herbivore also leaned into the themed bundle…
Favorite products together + cute packaging + a discount = a winning combination.
7. Lean into doing something for you
Most people have a tendency to do more for other people than for themselves.
And now, more than ever, we could all benefit from a little self love. Which is why I love Grounded Plants’ messaging so much.
Would these plants be the perfect gift to get someone special in your life? 100%. But rather than crafting their messaging around gifting for others, they lean into gifting for yourself.
“Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self-love means not settling for less than you deserve. Self-love is whatever it means to you, to love yourself.”
How genuine and real does that message feel?
It’s a totally different spin on the Valentine’s Day message, but it doesn’t feel selfish. It feels like an encouragement to do something for yourself. Whatever that looks like for you.
8. Give an unexpected discount
Along the same lines of doing something for you, Lunya and Bobbi Brown launched a giveaway with self-love in mind.
How clever is the fill-in-the blank letter to your future self?
But they didn’t stop there. They also encourage a Bobbi Brown purchase with an exclusive discount code for 15% off. An unexpected surprise!
And Lunya never discounts, so this is an awesome way for them to show value to their subscribers without actually having to discount their own items.
But if you’re ok with a discount, Valentine’s Day is a great time to do it! Even if it’s just on 1 item that you don’t usually discount.
9. Tap into your personal side
I’m sensing a theme here…
Yep. More self love.
But Bandier’s founder does it a little differently (btw, I love that it’s from Jennifer Bandier rather than just Bandier, which is what they usually do).
She introduces her favorite ways to show herself love, showcases some of her favorite products that really fit in with that theme, and ends the message with an encouraging message to reach out to the people you love (and mentions that she calls her own mom every single day).
It also makes a big difference that she shares how she uses each of these products in her daily life. “Bala Bangles give me the extra resistance I want while doing leg lifts when I’m watching TV. Told you I’m a serious multi-tasker.”
By the end of the email, you really do feel like you’ve created a personal connection with her. That’s a total win. So even if you don’t have a specific offer you want to showcase, be yourself and tell a story.
10. Switch up your layout
Outdoor Voices doesn’t usually send plain text emails, so I think that’s what really got me interested in this message at the beginning.
And it’s not even really about Valentine’s Day…
They just include a subtle reminder at the very end of the email to remind you that this particular product would make an awesome gift.
So if you have a product you really want to feature as an awesome gift, this could be a great format to try.
If you usually send emails packed with images and little text, switch things up! Write it like you’re writing to your best friend and I promise the message will feel 100x more natural than if you treat is as a “brand” email. That’s exactly what I do when I write the Privy emails every week and it really is like magic.
11. Launch a special edition product
Holidays are the perfect excuse to come up with a special edition product.
It could be an exclusive color of a product you already have. Or something that makes a product feel extra special.
That’s exactly what Cleobella did with this limited edition jacket.
Only available for the month of February, this product feels exclusive and timeless.
And it’s a really small adjustment to a product they already have.
12. Send more than 1 email
We’ve already touched on bundles and using products you already have…
But VINEBOX didn’t just send 1 email about their special Valentine’s Day product.
In less than 1 month, they sent 5 emails highlighting the Reds and Roses box.
And 5 emails in a month might feel like too much for your brand (especially if you haven’t been sending many emails), but what really makes this work is the fact that each message feels fresh.
And I love that they challenge what a typical Valentine’s Day looks like with comments like, “These Reds & Roses will never wilt” and “Better than paying too much for a prix fixe meal.”
Switching up the copy and the photos makes a big difference if you’re going to send more than one email about the same offer.
But just a reminder: your subscribers are busy. So it’s probably not realistic to send 1 email and expect it to have the same impact as sending more. You just don’t want to overwhelm your list if they’re not used to getting regular emails from you (you don’t want them to unsubscribe!), but a couple emails isn’t enough to be annoying.
13. Reward your VIP customers
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your brand is to get back to the basics.
If you want to keep your Valentine’s Day campaign super simple, you could pick a handful of your best, most loyal customers and give them something for Valentine’s Day. I promise this kind of thing will go a long way.
Take 2 hours. Send them a handwritten, Valentine’s-themed note just to say thank you or surprise them with $10 off their next purchase. If you have anything small, like samples or mini sizes, you could also include something like that with it.
You already have their addresses, so this should be a really low lift on your end.
And if you reward your customers who keep coming back to you over and over again, they’ll stick around around even longer. And they’ll come to you first. So use a holiday like Valentine’s Day to surprise and delight your best customers.
Not many brands do things like this, but think about how you would feel if one of your favorite brands sent you a handwritten note just to say thanks for being a loyal customer. I know that’s something that would stand out to me.
14. Expand your product offerings
On top of Death Wish Coffee‘s new Medium Roast coffee, they’re also dabbling with offers on their other merch for Valentine’s Day.
And, like a bunch of other brands we saw, really leaning into the idea of self care with a candle and kit.
I love that they’re kind of sassy with the language they use. It feels on brand and just works for them.
So use holidays to think outside the box and take a chance on something brand new.
Takeaways: You can lean into Valentine’s Day no matter what
Whether you sell beauty products, hot sauce, or chocolate covered mini cones, you can (and should) be using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to send an email to your list.
You can create bundles, run a discount, launch a new product, or just send a personal note to make it memorable.
There’s no rulebook for the perfect Valentine’s Day campaign, but hopefully these 14 examples inspired you to come up with a creative reason to reach out (and keep building a relationship with) your subscribers.
