Valentine’s Day is upon us and the symbolism is everywhere: look around and you’re bound to see hearts, cupids, chocolates, and roses (also see heart-wrapped chocolates). While it’s a day to bestow love upon the one (or ones) you love the most, it’s also a good time for b2b companies to think about promoting themselves.
Wait, isn’t Valentine’s Day a commercial/b2c holiday? Yes, but it’s not exclusive to consumers only and it doesn’t mean that b2b organizations are excluded from celebrating the holiday. As b2b marketing/PR contacts begin their Valentine’s Day planning, they should first think about some quick questions to make the process easier to manage:
How do we spread the love? Was funding secured? An international account landed? An industry award won? A customer made happy? Then it’s time to ring all the bells and spread the good news out there. By celebrating accomplishments, your brand will be elevated and draw interest from future customers, investors and employees. You can tell these stories in a number of ways, blogs, web banners, videos or simply in social media posts.
For example, Sirius Decisions, a global b2b and advisory firm, used today to talk about its SiriusStars. SiriusStars are clients, nominated by their account, analyst and consulting teams, who have done exceptional work with them.
In a love letter Romeo himself would’ve been proud of, they went on to list their favourite clients and why they were chosen in an adoring LinkedIn post.
The list includes Rachel McClary from our client, Arcserve – so well done Rachel!
However, probably the most famous b2b ‘love in’ is Cisco’s tongue-in-cheek video from 2013. The video talks about the many ways to say ‘I love you’ to that special someone but offers an alternative, giving them an ASR 9000 series router! Cisco isn’t exactly known for its humour, but this video shows a brand that know its products aren’t sexy and is prepared to laugh at itself on Valentine’s Day.
What can we offer? Valentine’s Day is about love and desire and it’s important to differentiate between the two. B2b companies should look to pique their customers’ (or investors’) interest by tapping into what they desire. This could be a free trial of a new solution/offering, recognition of a long-term relationship, or offering a new awards program.
Are we speaking in our customers’ love language? Your customers know you’re going to email them. But, you can turn an expected contact into a happy correspondence if you chose your words wisely. If you email your customers with a friendly subject line and offer, it’s clear that there’s a benefit to them, for example:
- Subj: Thank you for your loyalty! Reward inside
- Subj: We appreciate your business. Enjoy this gift!
What about our needs? The reward for your business is the opportunity to trap contact details to take that relationship to a new level after the 14th. After all, love shouldn’t just be about Valentine’s Day, should it?
Are you looking for ways to reach your future customers and investors? Drop us a line at hello@rlyl.com.
Want to stay up to date with our best content? Spread the love and sign up to our monthly newsletter by clicking here.
