Another subject line written by an 8 year old: When You're Marketing for the Sweetest Day of the Year, You Need the Bentway Bee Valentine's Special

If you feel like the wintertime is one big deja vu moment, you're not alone. Cold. Snow. No School. Delay. Cold. Repeat.

We are living in our own scene of Groundhog Day as my 8-year-old coworker and I are working from Summit Coffee in Birkdale Village AGAIN this morning.

Today, we are reviewing "engaging email subject lines" and learning about event marketing and accompanying campaigns.

With Valentine's Day less than 10 days away, we discussed the upcoming retail holiday and why it matters for local small businesses.

Here are a few stats we found:

People are budgeting ~$199.78 for Valentine’s gifts (according to the National Retail Federation).

Gifting isn't just for moms and dads and girlfriends and boyfriends, people will also buy for family members, teachers, classmates, friends and pets!

Jewelry is one of the biggest draws, but restaurants, spas, clothing, and flowers are next in line.

Since February 14th is the perfect middle point between the holidays and springtime, Valentine's Day can serve as a key revenue driver during what's traditionally a slow time for local small businesses.

A few of my favorite (and most successful) promotions include:

• Gifts with Purchase (Perry's Jewelry does a great job of this)

• BOGO Specials

• Discounts

• Bounce Back Offers

It's not just about retail gifting either...

When you're 42 and have been married for 12 years, sometimes these "gifts" are the most wanted and needed...

What about these themes for service-based businesses?

HVAC: "Show Your Home Some Love" or "Love Your Air" tune-up specials ❤️💨

Plumbing: "Don't Let a Leak Ruin Date Night" 🚽

Electrical: "Keep the Sparks Where They Belong" Safety Checks ✨

Chiropractic: Stress-Relief Valentine's Specials, Couples Alignments 🦴

Dentistry: Love Your Smile, Whitening Offers 🦷

Accounting: "Fall Back in Love with Your Numbers" - Married Filing Jointly Offers 6️⃣7️⃣

Insurance: "Peace of Mind is Love" 🙏

Real Estate/Realtors: "Love Where You Live" Valentine's Day Checklists for New Homes, etc 🏠

Estheticians: "Love Your Skin" or Valentine's Date Night Skin Glow Up" 🧖‍♀️

Don’t make it about romance. Make it about:

• Protection

• Comfort

• Stress reduction

• Caring for family or themselves

• Investing in relationships

  
  

Now that you have the idea, HOW you market is the next step.

Having a plan before you launch is just as important as the actual promotion. If no one knows about it, it WILL NOT SUCCEED.

Be sure to consider all aspects:

• Clear goal and profitable offer

• Fine print (details of offer, timeline etc)

• Internal communications (like we discussed last week)

• Social Media/Email/SMS/In-store signage

• Any paid advertising you'll be doing

• copy points, creative etc

  
  

...and don't be afraid to "over-promote". Repeat your offer/promotion until you're blue in the face!

Attention spans are so short these days that repeating yourself is part of the strategy.

And as promised in my son's second try at an "engaging email subject line", here's the Bentway Bee Valentine's Special...

I've got room in my calendar to help 3 more business owners this quarter. But here's the best part: the next business owner to book with me will get a free digital visibility audit (a $347 value).

If you want to take advantage of this special or need help developing your unique offer for Valentine's Day or marketing future events and seasons, send me a note,