Forget Valentine’s Day — Focus Your Marketing ❤️ on Singles Awareness Day

Think February 14 is just for lovers? If you don’t have a marketing campaign for singles, you’re probably missing your chance to stand out to your customers.

I know what you’re thinking: This blogger is definitely single.

Guess what? You’re absolutely right. And that’s just sad.

Not sad in a finish-a-pint-of-ice-cream-while-watching-rom-coms sad. More like S.A.D., Singles Awareness Day.

Oh, the irony.

But the joke’s on all marketers. Because if you’re spending your marketing efforts (and dollars) only towards the lovebirds this Valentine’s Day, you’re missing out on a golden (yet often ignored) opportunity.

Is Singles Awareness Day Really a Thing?

Why, yes it is. And here’s what you need to know.

Singles Awareness Day is a anti-Valentine’s Day holiday celebrated by those not in committed relationships, either out of spite or to celebrate the single life. Some make it a happy holiday, while others wallow in self-pity.

Don’t worry about me. I’m in the happy category.

There isn’t a solid consensus on when this celebration officially takes place. Many claim it happens on the same day as Valentine’s Day while others insist it happens on February 15, the day after all the roses and boxes of chocolates.

Let’s just say it’s a two-day celebration.

There aren’t any holiday traditions that go with Singles Awareness Day. Unless, of course, you create your own. But you can find many single celebrators sending flowers to oneself, traveling, attending speed dating events, dining out, hanging out with friends, volunteering, watching movies or—you guessed it—eating a pint of ice cream.

Is It a Mistake to Skip Singles Awareness Day?

I think so. And I’ve been in the digital marketing game for some time now (not to brag).

But don’t take my word for it. Just do a quick Internet search. You’ll find 20 examples of awesome Valentine’s Day marketing to the one fantastic anti-Valentine’s Day campaign.

And those anti-Valentine’s Day campaigns travel the digital marketing circuit. All the online publications showcase and analyze their marketing strategy because of the number of participating companies isn’t as competitive as it should be.

If you’re trying to solidify yourself as the authority in your industry, Singles Awareness Day could be your foot in the door.

Don’t believe me? Just look at Twitter to see the impact #singlesawarenessday and #antivalentinesday already have on social media days before the big event.

That’s not even the best reason to create marketing towards singles on Valentine’s Day. While impressing your peers is fun to do, we marketers find it twice as fun to see how our marketing efforts impacts our audience.

And that’s just it. Valentine’s Day puts a shadow on a crucial demographic. I like to think that Singles Awareness Day was created to put that in perspective.

You Forget About a Valuable Target Audience

I’m not saying ignore the happily coupled. In fact, it’s proven to be a great marketing opportunity for boosting sales and increasing leads.

And I agree that marketing towards Singles Awareness Day isn’t plausible for every business. If you sell couple retreats, then an anti-Valentine’s Day marketing strategy isn’t the way to go.

But if relationships aren’t a big factor in your audience criteria, then why not do both? Why not create another campaign for anti-Valentine’s Day or Singles Awareness Day?

You’re already segmenting your audience by relationship status for your Valentine’s Day campaign. So give your single ladies and gentlemen the attention they deserve based on their buyer’s journey.

Start your brainstorm with some hard data. This word scramble shows the most common words used when tweeting about #singlesawarenessday and #antivalentinesday:

You can be playful and funny with your marketing campaign to a point. Like any marketing campaign, no target audience likes to be the butt of a joke. When single-ness can be a sore subject for the anti-Valentine’s Day celebrators, it’s best to keep your humor in check.

After all, aren’t all these holidays really about love?

I’m curious about what you think. Is Singles Awareness Day a great marketing opportunity or a strategic waste of time? Share your opinions below.