Valentine’s Day is a huge shopping holiday, and it’s particularly huge for brick-and-mortar stores – 40% of US Valentine’s Day shoppers say they’ll be buying something offline.
But a customer journey that ends offline is still very likely to begin online, so it’s important to make sure your online presence is ready for Valentine’s Day.
Our advice for how your multi-location brand can make the most of Valentine’s Day is surprisingly similar to what we might recommend for a Valentine’s date (not that you’d ever ask us for dating advice): dress up, use your charm, and be a good listener.
√ Dress up – make sure your location info is accurate
Show your best side! Before the lovesick shoppers start pouring in, make sure your locations are looking their best with consistent branding, accurate hours and location information, and proper categorization – searches like “roses” hit their yearly highs in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, and by being properly categorized on Google My Business and other directories you’re making sure that those searches lead to you.
√ Use your charm – post content and offers
There are lots of fish in the sea, for Valentine’s shoppers looking to buy gifts for their beloveds. Why should they choose you? Give them a reason by engaging with potential customers locally and sharing relevant posts or special offers. Your team can engage locally on Facebook by posting to your Local Pages, or on Google through Google Q&A and Google Posts.
√ Be a good listener – manage reviews
The influx of new business on Valentine’s Day will mean more reviews. Be a good listener, and encourage your team to respond to reviews to make your customers feel heard – because after all, everyone deserves to feel special on Valentine’s Day.
PinMeTo’s suite of location management tools lets your team manage all the above tasks, and more! Check out our products page to learn how you can start maximizing your organic reach while saving time.
