Whether you’re a Valentine’s Day lover or hater, February 14th finds a way to tug on all of our hearts. Holding roots in ancient Rome, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a textbook Hallmark holiday, fueled by big consumer spending and traditions of gifting to loved ones.
With Valentine’s Day being the fifth largest spending event in the U.S. after the winter holidays and Mother’s Day, investing in strategic marketing, including video, is essential for businesses in January and February.
In a survey, 93% of consumers told Animoto that video is helpful when making the decision to purchase a product, calling video the #1 most memorable type of content they see from brands. As we close in on the season of love, it’s time to plan your video marketing strategy, including where and when paid advertising is worth the spend.
Why video is key for Valentine’s Day
Buyers spent $25.8 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2024, with the top five gifts being:
- Candy 56%
- Flowers 40%
- Greeting cards 40%
- An evening out 35%
- Jewelry 22%
As the upswing in online shopping continues to increase, it’s essential that businesses advertise both products and services online, leading up to major spending holidays like Valentine’s Day.
Making the sale online
Now that we know where consumers are shopping, we need to understand how they’re shopping. In the previously mentioned survey hosted by Animoto, consumers expressed a strong preference for video over photos and text when shopping online. That means whether you’re advertising a product, a gift card, a gift list, a service, a sale, or a brand, video should be at the top of your list. Here’s how to do it for each:
Product
Show off your products for gift-givers, deal-lovers, and self-indulgers alike with a short, seasonal promo video. Use the Valentine’s Day Offer template and simply drop your own photos, business info, and logo for a lovely video, ready in minutes.
Special offer
Have a product that would make a great Valentine’s Day gift? Share a special offer just for the holidays! The Valentine's Day Discount is perfect for showcasing your product in a romantic light.
Sale promo
Consumers always appreciate a discount, especially when it comes to holiday shopping. Get customers clicking by highlighting your top Valentine’s Day deals with our Valentine’s Day Ad template.
Gift card
With in-person shopping on the decline, nothing’s more practical than a digital gift card. Help your customers give the gift of a spending spree with the Gift Card Promo template. Plus, you can capture the interest of last-minute shoppers!
Gift idea list
Valentine’s Day shopping goes far beyond just getting a gift for a significant other. Whether your customer needs to get a present for a spouse, grandchild, friend, or teacher, use our Valentine’s Day List template to include gift options for nearly everyone.
Service promo
Have a great service that can be given as a gift or experienced by couples on Valentine’s Day? Give them a sneak peek with our Service Teaser template.
In need of some extra photos or video clips to include? You can get unlimited access to 1 million+ photos and videos on our Professional plan or 100 million+ photos and videos on our Professional Plus plan.
Brand
Even if you’re not advertising a specific Valentine’s Day deal, selling your brand with video is equally important during any spike in online activity. Take this opportunity to show your followers who you are: literally. We recommend telling your own story this Valentine’s Day using the Personal Story template for self-run and small businesses or the Business Story template for larger teams.
How to plan your Valentine’s Day ad spend
Planning your Valentine’s Day ad spend starts by identifying where your target audience is. For example, if most of your marketing efforts are on social media, this isn’t the right moment to test the waters on email marketing. No matter where your audience is, keep these best practices in mind to find success with your spend.
Social media marketing
Countless small businesses are finding success on social media with video. In fact, 34% of consumers said they first discovered a new brand and subsequently purchased something from them after being served a video ad on social media. Check out 3 social media success stories from long-time Animoto users, then explore the full story on paid social media content.
SEO
A rich video marketing campaign goes beyond making a compelling video. Make sure your customers can find your content by revisiting your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. New to SEO marketing? Check out our full guide to SEO video marketing and get started before the 14th.
Audience targeting
Knowing who your audience is and where they’re spending their time is great, but it means nothing unless you’re targeting them with your video ads. Take full advantage of your paid ads by using the advanced audience targeting features Facebook and Instagram have to offer.
How to create a successful Valentine’s Day video
There are a lot of elements that add up to a successful Valentine’s Day video, so many that we wrote a whole guide on it! That said, even the most well-made video can use a little heart. Check out our three top tips for reaching your audience on a deeper level with video:
1. More than just romance
In the same way that love isn’t only romantic, consumers aren’t only shopping for their significant others. In fact, only 52% of Valentine’s Day spending was on a romantic partner in 2020, with the rest divided between family, friends, children’s classmates, coworkers, pets, and others. Evaluate what the appropriate audience is for your offering, then create a video with confidence that they’ll see the opportunity for their spend.
2. Tell a story
On a holiday centered around emotional connections, don’t be afraid to be a bit softer in the tone of your video. Rich Honiball of Navy Exchange Service Command put it beautifully when he told AdAge, “Yes, Valentine's Day is about marketing traditional products and services, but it is also an opportunity to engage with our customers and allow each to tell their story—what is most important to them.” Be vulnerable with your customers. You may be surprised at how effective it is.
3. Make it interactive
Last but not least, give your customers an opportunity to interact with your campaign. This can be with stickers in your social media stories, with bold CTAs, or with a catchy campaign hashtag that customers can share when they shop with you.
Aaron Hall of Siegel+Gale recapped some notable Valentine's Day ad wins by brands including Dunkin’, Pizza Hut, and Uber, telling AdAge, “All of these brands, and many others, use specific campaigns with clever names and catchphrases to engage their customers in the moment that’s authentic to their brand, and aligned with the experience of Valentine’s Day.”
Start your Valentine’s Day video marketing now
It’s never too early, or too late, to start planning for Valentine’s Day. Explore all that Animoto has to offer for Valentine’s Day video and start planning which videos you’ll make for your business this year. Need some inspiration? We’ve got you covered with all of the video ideas and templates you’ll need for life, business, and just for fun all in one place.
