Five (5) practical strategies for small businesses to boost sales.
Mirror mirror on the wall, how do I increase sales this Valentine’s season? If given the opportunity, many small business entrepreneurs would love to ask their fairy godmothers and fathers this question. Allow me to be your fairy godfather for today.
Valentine’s Day presents one of the most significant possibilities for small businesses to market their products. It is a day marked by extravagant spending as individuals lavish their loved ones with presents and unique experiences. Valentine’s Day is thought to account for half of all marriage proposals. In addition, single men spend $71 on average, while single women spend $40. On this day, 34% of people prefer to eat out, and 51% express gratitude to their loved ones in various forms.
The season provides a unique opportunity for small businesses to raise brand exposure and revenue by assisting lovers who want to show their love and thanks to their special individuals. Here are five (5) tried-and-true methods that small businesses may use to make the most of the days running up to Valentine’s Day.
- Make the customer your valentine
Valentine’s Day is all about expressing your love and gratitude to the individuals who make your life worthwhile. As a small business, your devoted clients are your lifeblood. They keep using your services and recommending you to others, which keeps you in business. This is the time to be loving to them. Send them love and gratitude texts to celebrate them. Send them personalised messages and post them on your social media platforms.
Additionally, as a way of saying thanks to your loyal customers, provide them access to bespoke offers. Market unique offers that are only accessible to customers who have purchased from you in the past. Focusing on exclusivity and urgency will make your dedicated customers feel loved and valued by you, which is how most people want to feel on Valentine’s Day. This is a surefire technique to increase sales before and on Valentine’s Day.
2. Offer gift ideas and guides
It can be extremely difficult for many people to decide what to gift a loved one. People typically seek advice from their peers to help them overcome the conundrum of deciding what to buy for whom on Valentine’s Day. Small businesses now have a fantastic opportunity to intervene and provide free, well-informed guidance on what goods or services will be most appreciated by loved ones.
Start by researching gifts that are suitable for people of various genders. You then narrow down your options to items suitable for spouses, parents, close friends, pastors, teachers, bosses, and coworkers, among other people. Add your item to the various categories created alongside goods and services that you don’t make or provide. This technique convinces the customer that your list is authentic and not a sales pitch, encouraging them to buy. This knowledge would immensely assist consumers from various socioeconomic backgrounds and increase the appeal of your business.
3. Launch Valentine’s Day promotion.
The best strategy to draw clients to your products or services is without a doubt launching Valentine’s discounts and other promotions. A good sales campaign depends on providing appealing offers. The main focus of Valentine’s Day is on couples seeking a good deal for two hence running a “2-for-1” promotion to encourage customers to purchase gifts for their significant ones is one of the top Valentine’s Day marketing techniques. It’s always a good idea to offer a “Buy one, get one free” promotion on Valentine’s Day. This strategy is a classic for a reason.
- Celebrate self-love
Businesses appeal to people in relationships by advertising romantic love on Valentine’s Day, but they alienate those who are single. Make a place in your Valentine’s Day marketing campaign for self-love, because those who aren’t in romantic relationships deserve the best of the day as well. Businesses are not teaching customers that self-love is desirable; this is your opportunity to capitalise. Why wait for someone else to give you a bottle of wine or a pair of shoes on Valentine’s Day when you can buy them for yourself? Remind your customers that they deserve the best and should give themselves a treat on Valentine’s Day to celebrate themselves.
- Offer limited product lines
To increase sales on Valentine’s Day, launch a brand-new product with a romantic theme. Create a new good or service and only offer it during Valentine’s season. Decorate it with Valentine’s colours. A product’s worth increases when it is a limited edition, stimulating demand. The certainty of being able to buy it whenever they want diminishes, encouraging customers to make impulsive purchases. Additionally, the originality of the goods makes them more appealing, luring customers to make a purchase.
According to studies, the majority of consumers have no plans to buy anything a week or less before Valentine’s Day. Instead, people prefer to put off making gift purchases until the last minute. As a result, a key component of your Valentine’s Day marketing strategy should be selling products to last-minute shoppers.
Applying the aforementioned marketing strategies will help you create a campaign that your clients will appreciate. Take these marketing tips as a starting point for increasing sales revenue and brand awareness.
Stay positive, for no one knows enough to be a pessimist.
Tarsicius Edem Dorpenyo is an entrepreneur, marketing consultant, author of the “Small Business Bible, and MBA candidate at the University of Ghana Business School. He is a thought leader in entrepreneurship, small business marketing, tourism marketing, and digital marketing.
You may contact the author by phone (+233 248 426 235) or via email address; [email protected] or on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.