> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.recart.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/valentines-day.md).
# Valentine's Day
Covers Valentine's Day campaign ideas, popup designs and offers, from the January run-up to the day after.
Valentine's Day is about more than couples. Shoppers buy for partners, friends and family - and for themselves. The more people your messages speak to, the more of your list you'll reach.
This playbook covers what to send, how to theme your popups, and which offers work best around 14 February.
### Key dates and lead time
* **Mid to late January:** launch your Valentine's popups and offer, and start your first sends
* **Early February:** gift guides and gift ideas
* **Your order-by date:** the last day to order for delivery by 14 February. Work it out from your carriers' deadlines and your own packing time, and put it on your popups and messages
* **12-14 February:** last-minute gifts - gift cards, and local pickup or delivery if you offer it
* **15 February:** a self-treat or after-Valentine's offer for shoppers who missed out
{% hint style="info" %}
Valentine's Day is a short season. Starting in January gives you time to grow your list before the shopping peak.
{% endhint %}
### Campaign send plan
Five to six sends are enough. Use these messages as a starting point and customize them to suit your brand. Recart adds your site name to the start of every message automatically (shown here as \[Site Name]), and you can personalize further with [variables](/sms/writing-messages/use-variables-in-sms-flows.md) like the subscriber's first name (shown here as \[First Name]).
| Send | When | Goal |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| 1. Valentine's launch | 3-4 weeks before | Introduce your Valentine's offer |
| 2. Gift guide | About 2 weeks before | Ideas for partners, friends and yourself |
| 3. Order-by reminder | A few days before your order-by date | Get orders in on time |
| 4. Last call | Your order-by date | Create urgency |
| 5. Last-minute gifts | 12-14 February | Gift cards and local options |
| 6. Treat yourself | 15 February | Reach shoppers who missed out |
#### Sample messages
**1. Valentine's launch**
"\[Site Name]: Valentine's is coming! Enjoy \[offer] on our Valentine's collection until \[date]. Shop now: \[link]"
**2. Gift guide**
"\[Site Name]: For your partner, your best friend or yourself - our Valentine's gift guide has something for everyone. \[link]"
**3. Order-by reminder**
"\[Site Name]: Order by \[date] to get your Valentine's gifts in time. \[link]"
**4. Last call**
"\[Site Name]: Last day to order for Valentine's delivery! Don't miss it: \[link]"
**5. Last-minute gifts**
"\[Site Name]: Left it late? A gift card arrives instantly - no shipping needed. \[link]"
**6. Treat yourself**
"\[Site Name]: Hi \[First Name], Valentine's is over, but you still deserve a treat. Enjoy \[offer] today only: \[link]"
#### Send tips
* Speak to everyone - "for someone you love" works for partners, friends, family and self-gifting
* Add a product image to your launch and gift guide sends
* Put your order-by date in every send from the gift guide onwards
* When you add the first name variable, set a fallback like "there", so the message still reads well for subscribers whose name you don't have
* Schedule your sends in advance so nothing slips
[How to schedule SMS campaigns in Recart](/sms/campaigns/run-successful-sms-campaigns-with-recart.md)
[Add images to SMS messages](/sms/writing-messages/add-images-to-sms-messages.md)
### Popup ideas
Keep your popup on-brand, with a Valentine's touch - colour, a small label and a seasonal photo are often enough. Four directions to try:
#### 1. Buy one, gift one
**Design:** A product photo on one side and a bold offer on the other. A pill-shaped label ("Valentine's collection") ties it to the season without needing hearts everywhere.
**Headlines to try:**
* Buy one, gift one \[50%] off
* One for you, one for them
* Matching gifts for you and your person
**Button text to try:** Send my code · Get my offer
#### 2. Valentine's early access
**Design:** A full-screen product photo with your headline on top. Add your order-by date in small text at the bottom, so shoppers know when to order.
**Headlines to try:**
* \[20%] off gifts that outlast the roses
* First pick of our Valentine's pieces
* Early access starts here
**Button text to try:** Unlock \[20%] off · Get early access
#### 3. Gift with purchase (self-gifting)
**Design:** Soft colours, a thin border and an elegant font. A self-gifting headline speaks to shoppers who aren't buying for a partner - and a free gift protects your margins.
**Headlines to try:**
* Fall for yourself first
* A little love for you
* A free gift with every order over \[amount]
**Button text to try:** Claim my free gift · Treat myself
#### 4. First Valentine's order
**Design:** Product photo on one side, offer on the other. Tell shoppers what they'll get by text, for example a heads-up before your Valentine's products sell out.
**Headlines to try:**
* \[15%] off your first Valentine's order
* Sweeter with you
* Be first to know before we sell out
**Button text to try:** Get my \[15%] off · Count me in
{% hint style="info" %}
A soft decline link like "Maybe later" or "No thanks" keeps the popup friendly. Make sure your Welcome Flow's first message matches the offer on the popup.
{% endhint %}
[Create a welcome popup](/list-growth/popups/welcome-popup.md)
[Schedule your opt-in tools](/list-growth/testing-and-scheduling/scheduling-opt-ins.md)
[Customize your CTA button](/list-growth/popups/customizing-your-cta-button-in-popups.md)
### Discount ideas
Valentine's shoppers often buy more than one gift, or a gift and something for themselves. Offers that reward a second item work well.
* **Buy one, get one:** a second item at a discount or free - set it up as a **Buy X get Y** discount in Recart
* **Gift with purchase:** a free mini, sample or extra item over a set order value
* **First-order discount:** a percentage or fixed amount off for new subscribers
* **Early access:** let subscribers shop your Valentine's collection first
* **Free shipping before your order-by date:** removes one more reason to wait
* **Treat yourself (15 February):** a one-day offer for shoppers who missed out
#### Discount code ideas
Keep codes short - one word or a word and a number - so they're easy to remember and type on a phone.
| Offer | Code ideas |
| -------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Buy one, get one | BOGO · PAIR · DUO |
| Gift with purchase | GIFT · XOXO |
| First-order discount | LOVE15 · SWEET · HEART |
| Early access | EARLY · FIRST |
| Free shipping | SHIP · ONTIME |
| Treat yourself | TREAT · SELF |
{% hint style="info" %}
For unique and expiring codes, Recart adds six random characters to your prefix (for example, LOVE15ABC123). A short prefix keeps the full code easy to read.
{% endhint %}
[Create and manage discount codes](/discounts/create-discount-codes-in-recart.md)
[Expiring discount codes](/discounts/expiring-discount-codes.md)
### Recart setup checklist
1. Set your order-by date for Valentine's delivery
2. Create your Valentine's discount (and your treat-yourself offer), with start and end dates
3. Build your Valentine's popup and schedule it to start in January
4. Update your Welcome Flow's first message to match the popup offer
5. Add your order-by date to your abandoned cart and checkout messages, and set a reminder to remove it afterwards
6. Schedule your campaigns and send yourself test messages before anything goes live
[Abandoned cart flow](/sms/automated-flows/automated-flows-abandoned-cart.md)
[Test Recart SMS messages](/sms/getting-started/test-recart-sms-messages.md)
If you need help planning your Valentine's sends, [contact the Recart Support team](/contact-recart-support.md). We'd be happy to help!
---
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