Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Love is in the air. Love for each other, love for ourselves, and hopefully some big love for your brand. That means it’s time to get your Valentine’s Day Influencer Marketing Strategy in order.
More than 52 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. That means about half of us will observe February 14th in some way or another. Whether that means a date night on the town, Disney+ and popcorn with the kids, or a solo bubble bath, a good portion of your customers will likely be celebrating.
So how will you structure your Valentine’s Day influencer marketing campaign to capitalize on all that V-Day love?
Getting Started on Valentine’s Day Influencer Marketing
If you haven’t started yet, don’t worry. You’re not behind. This isn’t like the winter holiday season where marketers start courting potential holiday shoppers months before the big day. Valentine’s Day purchases are just shy of being impulse buys. Nearly half (46 percent) of these sweethearts don’t start shopping until early February.
Still, there’s no time like the present to start brainstorming for your Valentine’s Day influencer marketing campaign. We’ve collected some ideas to inspire your upcoming posts and influencer partnerships. From couple goals and Galentine’s Day parties to anti-Valentine’s counter-culture. We’ve compiled examples from past years that are sure to get your creative juices flowing (and your ROI sky-high).
2024 Valentine’s Day Spending 💝
Americans are projected to spend a whopping $26 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. The average shopper will spend $192 on their Valentine. That figure jumped from last year’s $175 average per person. Of course, this spending isn’t only going towards gifts. The average includes spending on romantic dinners, trips, and gifts combined.
Here’s what consumers say they’ll be spending money on this Valentine’s Day:
- 57 percent will buy candy
- 40 percent will buy cards
- 37 percent will buy flowers
- 31 percent will buy an evening out
- 21 percent will buy jewelry
While everyone is welcome to celebrate Valentine’s Day, relationship status matters when it comes to spending. The biggest spenders tend to be those between the one to two-year mark in their relationship. Their average spending nets out to $247. Compare that to the $189 couples in long-term relationships (those with 10+ years together) spend and the $186 spent by those in the first year of their love. Maybe the honeymoon phase is longer than we thought!
Successful Valentine’s Day Influencer Marketing Examples
Check out these eight great examples of Valentine’s Day influencer marketing. It’s time to start creating a campaign your customers will love.
Highlight #CoupleGoals
Whether we like it or not, couples still rule Valentine’s Day. It was created for them (probably by them), and they deserve to celebrate their love. The holiday has admittedly become more egalitarian over the past few years, but traditional romantic love still seems to reign supreme each February.
That means it’s a great time to target influencer couples. Many influencer couples post together regularly on social media, cross-pollinating their followings and brand deals. But you can expect even more couples posting in February, for obvious reasons.
We love couples like Brock and Chris Lin who share everything from couple looks to comedic videos and skincare routines on their @yummertime Instagram account. Take a look at their steamy post from last Valentine’s Day in partnership with HBO Max.
V-Day is also a good time to target couples who are gift-giving. Whether you’re a flower or chocolate shop, a luxury jeweler, or a major retailer, you can capitalize on the gift-giving holiday.
Couples will be shopping for their significant others, and some will be on a budget! In fact, 49 percent of consumers keep cost top of mind when shopping for their Valentine. So don’t sleep on V-Day DIYs. Check out this DIY gift basket @therealhbk.baby made entirely from Dollar Tree merchandise. (TikTok is a great platform for engaging DIY videos, by the way. This post brought in 2.4 million likes.)
Girls Rule on Galentine’s Day
All hail Leslie Knope (from Parks and Rec) for gifting the world Galentine’s Day. A day to celebrate with your gal pals and definitely not cry into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. If your target audience is primarily women and femmes, this could be the influencer campaign move for you.
Embrace girl power this February with a Galentine’s Day party. Influencer Alexi at Seeking Alexi on YouTube walked her followers through how to plan a last-minute G-Day party and all the products she was using to make it special. This could be a great way to highlight your own brand with influencers this year, in an engaging and informative video that has some DIY elements.
Get Pet Perfect for Palentine’s Day
When it comes to spreading love this season, don’t forget your furry friends! One of my personal favorite V-Day spinoffs is Palentine’s Day. Who doesn’t love an excuse to shower our furry friends with love?
Whether you’re a pet food brand or your consumers just love animal content, don’t forget about pet influencers for your next campaign. This post from @nathanthecatlady and @weruva tickled my funny bone last year (and got an incredible 34 percent engagement).
Embrace Self-Love
Everybody has a special someone when that special someone is yourself! The self-love revolution is alive and well, and many people will be practicing self-care come February 14th. If you’re a lifestyle brand, it’s time to plug all things skincare and pampering.
And don’t forget about smaller influencers like @annistyn.and.rosalie when planning your campaign. This mother-daughter trio knows how to love each other and themselves. And their 17.6k followers love them too!
They posted this festive self-care box last February in partnership with the small business, @latikaskincare.
Cater to the Haters for Anti-Valentine’s Day
Not into the mushy gushy? No problem! There’s nothing stopping you from capitalizing on the marketing power of the holiday. Try embracing anti-Valentine’s Day. A quick search on Pinterest and Instagram yields thousands of results for the anti-holiday.
And there are influencers already using the hashtag and tagging brands in their posts. I’m not sure if this makeup look was sponsored by the tagged brands, but it very easily could be! You don’t have to be head over heels to capitalize on the social buzz of Cupid’s time of year. And you can always encourage followers to create UGC related to your brand offerings and the anti-holiday.
Tis the Season for Signature Scents
This one is a little niche, but if you’re in the fragrance business, Valentine’s Day is your time to shine. Perfume and cologne are classic romantic gifts. 81 percent of women and 56 percent of men say they use a fragrance daily.
Celebs have been cashing in on the fragrance industry for years, so it makes sense that influencers are an effective way to market signature scents. While you can’t scratch and sniff an Instagram post like you could with a magazine, influencers do have two incredible tools at their disposal when marketing fragrances: their reputation and creativity.
Scents can be incredibly emotionally evocative, embodying memories of individual moments and experiences and cultural eras and movements. The symbol of the scent, what it means to us, is often equally as important as how it smells with our body chemistry. That’s why influencer marketing works for perfume. Plus, the fragrance industry was valued at $58 billion last year in 2023, so yeah. Scents sell.
Long story short, if you’re looking to market your brand’s next signature scent. The time is now. Take a look at this Valentine’s Day post from influencer @anjalichakra in partnership with MARC JACOBS.
The fragrance, aptly named “Perfect,” goes perfectly with the self-love messaging that is so popular this time of year. And of course, Anjali made the post visually exciting and paired it with a heartfelt caption. This post garnered a healthy ten percent engagement. Not too shabby for a product you can’t smell through the screen.
Celebrate in Style
Looking your best is in style all year round, but it’s especially important to nail the perfect fit on Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re planning for date night, a cozy night in with the kids, or an elaborate Galentine’s Day celebration, bring on the romantic hues!
If you’re a fashion or lifestyle brand, flex your pinks and reds this V-Day. Showcase your most romantic styles that will make your customers feel lovable and love the way they look. There are tons of influencers who dazzle their followings with fit checks and styling tips, so you’re sure to find one that fits your brand’s Valentine’s aesthetic.
One of my personal favorite style inspo influencers is @paige_desorbo. She serves looks for every occasion to more than a million followers. Check out her previous Valentine’s Day partnership with Asos.
Target the Trends
TikTok makes it easy to stay on top of the latest trends. Your influencer marketing should capitalize on trending posts and hashtags at all times of the year. Valentine’s Day is no different. So search those hashtags and popular sounds, and scroll the For You Page (FYP) to get a finger on the pulse of what’s hot this year.
Chances are your influencers will have ideas too. This time last year, I saw a ton of videos using text-to-speech to compare “what you think they want vs what they really want.” This of course is a broad concept and can be used for everything from marketing to personal posts.
Last year influencer @wren.eleanor jumped on the trend to make this TikTok promoting Chick-fil-A’s Valentine’s special.
Wrapping Up the Valentine’s Day Influencer Marketing Post in a Pretty Pink Bow 🎀
Valentine’s Day influencer marketing campaigns aren’t what they used to be. Years ago, Valentine’s Day was for couples and couples only. Today, brands target everyone — from couples to individuals practicing self-love to women celebrating Galentine’s Day. The spirit of Valentine’s Day is becoming more inclusive. For us marketers, that’s a good thing.
If you need help putting together a lovable Valentine’s Day influencer marketing campaign, we’ve got you covered. One of our creative, strategic team members can help you build your brand and get more Valentine’s Day sales. Schedule a strategy call with us today and start spreading the influencer marketing love.
About This Author
Ariana Newhouse | B2B Writer
I am a freelance writer and comedian based in Los Angeles. While making people laugh is my jam, it’s not always the company brand. So, I strive to make people feel something. My writing philosophy is collaborative, empathetic, and humanistic. At the end of the day, no matter the message, there are real people on both ends of the process.
