The average American spends approximately $160 on a Valentine’s Day present.
What’s the big deal, you ask?
Well, That small amount led to a mind-boggling $21.8 billion projected Valentine’s Day spending for 2021. And this number grows steadily year on year.
(Source)
Now that the stakes are clear, there is no reason why you should not be working hard in directing some of this major cash flow straight into your business. And one of the best means to achieve this is by sending out amazing, eye-catching email marketing campaigns that set you and your business apart from the competition.
We’ve already discussed the ways to nail your Valentine’s Day email campaign. And what to focus on during cart abandonments.
Now let’s focus on another important attribute of a Valentine’s Day email – the design.
There are multiple ways to go about the template and design. Because it’s purely based on personal tastes, mindset and business image. But here are some great Valentine’s Day email templates to amp up your email designs – that can be tweaked to suit any business.
Select a Fresh Color Theme
Most businesses have a specific color theme that they use throughout all their marketing collateral, all year round. It’s safe, aligns with the business ideals and is great for creating a brand identity.
But adopting a new color palette for special occasions can really help bring about the festive cheer. Red and pink are the most commonly used colors for Valentine’s Day and are the safest bet. But you can definitely put your own spin and come up with something unique for your brand.
For e.g: Here’s a classic Valentine’s Day email template. It’s pink, features hearts, and leaves no doubt as to what the occasion is.
Such templates are the easiest way to showcase that your store is ready for Valentine’s Day.
Here’s an alternative template that gets the point across without the commonly used colors and imagery. The best part of this template is that it stands apart from the usual reds and pinks and still conveys the feeling of Valentine’s Day.
Add a Timer
By adding a countdown to your email, you can achieve two things:
1) Adding dynamics to the email – thus grabbing the reader’s attention almost immediately
2) Creating a sense of urgency amongst buyers – leading to faster conversions
This is one of the best templates to be used closer to Valentine’s Day and score those last-minute sales. A great tip will be to mention that you ensure on-time delivery in this case. Or promote your offline store for customers to purchase those last-minute gifts.
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Send Out Gift Guides
A month before Valentine’s Day is when shoppers are usually on the lookout for some unique gifting ideas. Sending out gift guides is a great way to showcase your best products that fit the occasion and incorporates the current trends.
Segmenting your email lists and sending specific products according to gender and previous user actions make the email more personal and tailored to the customer. In these cases, the user might find something that they like and would like to buy.
Here’s a sample template that showcases a usual gift-guide
Use Heart-Shaped Imagery
Using heart designs for Valentine’s Day may sound a little cliche. But there’s no doubt that it definitely catches the eye.
And frankly, there is no reason as to why you need to skip adding this fun image. It’s just one day of the year that hearts can be used left, right and center( usually!), so grab the chance when you can.
The best part is that almost anything can be shaped into a heart. Even the products that usually don’t entice the feeling. For e.g:
Shoes?
Lipsticks?
So put in your own spin to incorporate hearts and flowers in your Valentine’s Day email template.
Provide Discount Codes
This is not a new strategy. But offering discount codes is a huge bait for garnering new sales. Though this is a fool-proof and oft-used marketing tactic, it has to be used carefully in a way to maximize profit. Using this to win-back those who have abandoned carts or woo last-minute shoppers, this little incentive gives the final push to land conversions.
Now getting to the design part of it, go with a simple no-nonsense Valentine’s Day email template that showcases the discount code or sale IN BOLD.
Adding an image of the products that they have abandoned, or recommended products can also help shoppers make a faster choice.
Make Non-Romantic Things, Romantic
Dealing in a business that doesn’t necessarily cater to Valentine’s Day?
Here’s the thing – there’s romance everywhere. You can seed the idea of love into the least romantic thing. And the best part – it’ll definitely stand out because it is so unexpected.
For e.g. let’s talk about power tools. Not very romantic, are they? Check out this template that makes it evident that it’s for Valentine’s Day with the right imagery and the right text.
Say It With GIFs
GIFs have been around for a while. Love them or hate them but you can’t ignore them. There’s no denying the fact that GIFs are cute, funny and overall attention-grabbing. Use GIFs in your emails to really grab attention before the user plans to simply discard it as “just another email”.
In fact, you can combine it with the points that we’ve just discussed. For e.g make a GIF out of your gift guide.
Or maybe just send out a sweet Valentine’s Day wish.
Side note: GIFs can add heft to your emails. So use the right GIFs at the right time, and optimize them so that you don’t compromise on loading time.
Love is Love
Love is for everybody. Use this tactic to cover all types of clientele bases and ensure maximum sales out of your Valentine’s Day campaign.
Running a pet store? Target pet lovers. (Over 20% of those celebrating Valentine’s Day buy presents for their pets! – Source)
Promote self-love. Don’t single out the singles!
Advertise gifts for friends and family, Galentine’s day is pretty popular too!
Promote Your Brick-And-Mortar Store
It’s understandable that some customers may want to check the look and feel of the product before making a purchase. While easy returns do work in some cases, a physical store does have it’s own advantages.
Your online customers may not even know that there is a physical store that they can walk into.
For those owners who do have a physical store, don’t miss out on an opportunity to promote it. It definitely helps target those eleventh-hour shoppers who need the product almost immediately.
For those who don’t have an online store, and have products that can be easily returned/exchanged. Do have that option possible on your sites.
Advertise Your Gift Card
One of the most common dilemmas faced by shoppers is what gift to get. Gift cards tend to address this pain point quite easily. Statistically, Gift cards are one of the most popular gifting choices for Valentine’s Day. So, advertise your gift card strongly – because it’s the gift that definitely can’t go wrong.
The addition of special benefits such as a free greeting card, or a special box to put the card in is a nice bonus and makes the gift seem more rounded-out. An additional discount code when shopping using gift cards is a nice way to promote them as well.
Don’t Shy Away From Puns
Valentine’s Day is a fun and casual day. Showcase this essence with your content. Yes, content needs to be crisp, easy-understandable and to the point. But there is no reason as to why it shouldn’t be fun.
Add smart puns ( especially those that do justice to your brand or products) to make the email more memorable. Adding a supporting image will definitely keep your emails fresh on the reader’s mind.
Start Conversations
Get to know your customers better and vice-versa. Start s on your social media handles and create a buzz.
Unique posts and competitions tend to go viral these days, and that’s amazing for any business.
For e.g Ask for your customer’s memorable stories centered around Valentine’s Day. This helps bring about a more personal connection, and holding similar competitions with prizes or giveaways makes for good brand promotion.
And a final tip before we sign off – Don’t forget to optimize your Valentine’s Day email template ( or any for that matter) for mobile!
Wrapping Up
There are many ways that you can implement a great Valentine’s Day email using amazing templates. Do you have any unusual email templates that you absolutely love? Which of the mentioned points are you already using, or would love to incorporate into campaigns?
Let us know in the comments!
